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Samantha and Wyatt Mysteries #1
Masquerade in London
London, 1861. Samantha Kingston has lived under the control of her overbearing uncle since the death of her parents six years ago. Trapped by the conventions of her gender and social class, she is desperate to find a way out. But when her aunt and uncle are murdered, the freedom she sought seems even further out of reach. A suspect in the crime, she finds herself on the run, unsure whom to trust, lost in the underworld she had only ever read about in the pages of a Dickens novel.
V.T. Wyatt has defied his aristocratic upbringing to pursue a life as a private investigator. After an unusual first meeting, he hires Samantha to help him solve a rash of burglaries. Soon, a connection between the burglaries and the murders emerges, drawing Samantha and Wyatt even closer together as they race to solve both mysteries and clear her name. ★★★★★ "A very interesting, intriguing and exciting read; I found it difficult to put down. Yes totally recommend, 5 stars for sure." ~Carol, Goodreads user ★★★★★ "Love a great story with lots of twists and turns. Wonderful characters to follow along on this adventure that keeps you guessing until the end. Interesting and complex story that will keep you reading the pages. Hard to put down." ~Rhonda, Booksprout reviewer ★★★★ "I love a good historical mystery, being transported to a different time and caught up in a good plot. This is one of those books. Great characters who buck against their class imposed roles to fight for the truth and what’s right. A good plot that kept me guessing and a wonderfully built approximation of the Victorian era. I was absolutely surprised at the ending in the best way. I would recommend this to any historical mystery fans!" ~Michelle, Booksprout reviewe
V.T. Wyatt has defied his aristocratic upbringing to pursue a life as a private investigator. After an unusual first meeting, he hires Samantha to help him solve a rash of burglaries. Soon, a connection between the burglaries and the murders emerges, drawing Samantha and Wyatt even closer together as they race to solve both mysteries and clear her name. ★★★★★ "A very interesting, intriguing and exciting read; I found it difficult to put down. Yes totally recommend, 5 stars for sure." ~Carol, Goodreads user ★★★★★ "Love a great story with lots of twists and turns. Wonderful characters to follow along on this adventure that keeps you guessing until the end. Interesting and complex story that will keep you reading the pages. Hard to put down." ~Rhonda, Booksprout reviewer ★★★★ "I love a good historical mystery, being transported to a different time and caught up in a good plot. This is one of those books. Great characters who buck against their class imposed roles to fight for the truth and what’s right. A good plot that kept me guessing and a wonderfully built approximation of the Victorian era. I was absolutely surprised at the ending in the best way. I would recommend this to any historical mystery fans!" ~Michelle, Booksprout reviewe
329 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2022
522 people are currently reading
1352 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
February 7, 2024
I listened to the Audio version of the book read by Polly Lee and she does a fantastic job. The first half of the book was interesting, and the plot was different from others that I had read. Samantha had to rely on herself and her wits to stay alive. Give this part 5*. The second half became a bit more of the "buddy" couple seen in other books currently out. Yes....I did guess "who dun it" 4* for the 2nd half. A very good start to a new series that I enjoyed and recommend.
March 7, 2024
Masquerade in London is the perfect cozy murder mystery book with a sweet, budding romance! I highly recommend!
Samantha’s parents died when she was young and she grew up living with her aunt and abusive uncle in Victorian England. She finds herself wrapped up in blackmail involving a mysterious character and her uncle, her attempted abduction, and the eventual murder or her aunt and uncle: leaving her a suspect in their murders and no one to turn to for help. Fleeing the police and the criminals after her, she takes to the underworld of London.
She eventually enlists the help of Wyatt, a private investigator. Under his care and protection, they work together to solve the mysteries surrounding the murders in order to clear Samantha’s name to the Law and reputation to the Ton.
Samantha’s parents died when she was young and she grew up living with her aunt and abusive uncle in Victorian England. She finds herself wrapped up in blackmail involving a mysterious character and her uncle, her attempted abduction, and the eventual murder or her aunt and uncle: leaving her a suspect in their murders and no one to turn to for help. Fleeing the police and the criminals after her, she takes to the underworld of London.
She eventually enlists the help of Wyatt, a private investigator. Under his care and protection, they work together to solve the mysteries surrounding the murders in order to clear Samantha’s name to the Law and reputation to the Ton.
April 14, 2022
I received a copy of this novel from BookSprout and this is my freely given opinion.
I do enjoy a historical mystery and this definitely caught and held my interest.
Samantha Kingston is an orphaned young woman in Victorian England, under the guardianship of her uncle, Sir Arthur, a baron married to her aunt. Samantha has been living with them for many years and it does not sound like it was a happy home for her. Sir Arthur is domineering, sounds abusive to her and her aunt, and has estranged his own son. He is manipulating Samantha for his own purposes, as she is in her second Season, and maybe trying to steer her towards a marriage of greatest advantage to him.
In the meantime, he has also been on the receiving end of what appear to be blackmail notes that he dismisses, but they make Samantha curious and nervous. One night, this comes to a head, and two people break into their home, when Samantha was home alone except for some servants, and appear to have been there to kidnap her. She managed to thwart the kidnappers by hiding away. Sir Arthur hatches a plan to trap the kidnappers, involving sending the servants to their country home, and hiding his wife, himself, and Samantha in a townhouse in London, under assumed names. This plan goes awry and they are found, and Sir Arthur, his wife, and the housekeeper are murdered; Samantha barely manages to escape, and turns back to find out what happened, and finds the bodies of her relatives, and is caught, literally red-handed by the police. They immediately suspect her, and she is fearful of of what will happen to her, and runs away.
She finds out she has no one she can turn to, and ends up turning to the streets to survive. Eventually she meets up with V. T. Wyatt, a younger son of an aristocrat who has turned to private investigation as a way of making his way in life. Despite her fallen circumstances and new way of life to survive, he recognizes that Samantha is a gently raised lady. He eventually offers his help, though she does not initially trust him with her true story.
This story had me quite interested and engaged. I quite liked the characters and their interactions, and the strength and wily intelligence shown by Samantha when she ended up running and taking to the streets; also her gumption. There were some tangents to the story that I felt ended rather abruptly or did not lend to the overall story other than to add atmosphere, perhaps, such as her day working in the pub or the fight with the drunk men, over their abuse of a wife, that lead to her black eye - but they were interesting and perhaps served to demonstrate her growth in personal strength and fortitude. There was interesting dialogue, such as between Wyatt and Samantha, his cousin, and friend Lord Aston, that served to also help lighten the atmosphere. There were some interesting twists also in relationships and the underlying murder and subsequent crimes. I enjoyed the developing trust, relationship, and respect between Wyatt and Samantha as well. There was also an abrupt ending between the relationship between Samantha and the woman who essentially helped give her a save place to sleep and some help on how to survive on the streets - once Samantha accepts Wyatt's help, there is no further contact with her, Annie, and that was a loose thread in my mind. There was also no resolution to the relationship between Wyatt and Samantha in the end, so that leads me to wonder if this is the start of a series.
If it is not, then I would have to say that the end of the novel, in terms of the relationship between Wyatt and Samantha was very unsatisfactory. But the development and resolution of the underlying mystery and Samantha's plight was intriguing and I enjoyed that story very much.
3.75 stars out of 5.
I do enjoy a historical mystery and this definitely caught and held my interest.
Samantha Kingston is an orphaned young woman in Victorian England, under the guardianship of her uncle, Sir Arthur, a baron married to her aunt. Samantha has been living with them for many years and it does not sound like it was a happy home for her. Sir Arthur is domineering, sounds abusive to her and her aunt, and has estranged his own son. He is manipulating Samantha for his own purposes, as she is in her second Season, and maybe trying to steer her towards a marriage of greatest advantage to him.
In the meantime, he has also been on the receiving end of what appear to be blackmail notes that he dismisses, but they make Samantha curious and nervous. One night, this comes to a head, and two people break into their home, when Samantha was home alone except for some servants, and appear to have been there to kidnap her. She managed to thwart the kidnappers by hiding away. Sir Arthur hatches a plan to trap the kidnappers, involving sending the servants to their country home, and hiding his wife, himself, and Samantha in a townhouse in London, under assumed names. This plan goes awry and they are found, and Sir Arthur, his wife, and the housekeeper are murdered; Samantha barely manages to escape, and turns back to find out what happened, and finds the bodies of her relatives, and is caught, literally red-handed by the police. They immediately suspect her, and she is fearful of of what will happen to her, and runs away.
She finds out she has no one she can turn to, and ends up turning to the streets to survive. Eventually she meets up with V. T. Wyatt, a younger son of an aristocrat who has turned to private investigation as a way of making his way in life. Despite her fallen circumstances and new way of life to survive, he recognizes that Samantha is a gently raised lady. He eventually offers his help, though she does not initially trust him with her true story.
This story had me quite interested and engaged. I quite liked the characters and their interactions, and the strength and wily intelligence shown by Samantha when she ended up running and taking to the streets; also her gumption. There were some tangents to the story that I felt ended rather abruptly or did not lend to the overall story other than to add atmosphere, perhaps, such as her day working in the pub or the fight with the drunk men, over their abuse of a wife, that lead to her black eye - but they were interesting and perhaps served to demonstrate her growth in personal strength and fortitude. There was interesting dialogue, such as between Wyatt and Samantha, his cousin, and friend Lord Aston, that served to also help lighten the atmosphere. There were some interesting twists also in relationships and the underlying murder and subsequent crimes. I enjoyed the developing trust, relationship, and respect between Wyatt and Samantha as well. There was also an abrupt ending between the relationship between Samantha and the woman who essentially helped give her a save place to sleep and some help on how to survive on the streets - once Samantha accepts Wyatt's help, there is no further contact with her, Annie, and that was a loose thread in my mind. There was also no resolution to the relationship between Wyatt and Samantha in the end, so that leads me to wonder if this is the start of a series.
If it is not, then I would have to say that the end of the novel, in terms of the relationship between Wyatt and Samantha was very unsatisfactory. But the development and resolution of the underlying mystery and Samantha's plight was intriguing and I enjoyed that story very much.
3.75 stars out of 5.
November 27, 2022
This is a historical mystery set in Victorian England. I went in with certain preconceived notions based on that, and this delivered MUCH more than I was expecting. Definitely an enjoyable read!
Samantha is a girl of wealth and status, but is being raised by her abusive uncle and his weak-willed wife. Her life is tense, claustrophobic, and one-dimensional. Her only hope of escape is to make a success of her "season" and escape her uncle through marriage.
The wrench thrown in is certain threatening letters her uncle begins receiving. At first, they seem trivial. They turn out to be anything but.
The first couple chapters of the book were fine. Then, once Samantha's uncle moves houses the real story kicks off. I loved how it went places I had absolutely not expected. It really gave Samantha the chance to grow, come into her own, and subvert the expectations that had constrained her.
And it created a very fun dynamic between Samantha and Wyatt, the book's amateur sleuth. Him helping her out thinking she was just to then discovering some of the truth, to them growing to trust each other more was an uneven, bumpy process but I enjoyed their relationship throughout it all.
Wyatt was a great character in his own right, and his friend, cousin, and his own secrets were all interesting and entertaining. I'm really not sure he ever did any good detective work, though. Maybe next book? After all, he's probably just starting out in this venture.
The actual mystery wasn't too shocking. It was seemingly solved with an appropriately action-packed finale, but then... WAS it solved? The ambiguity of the ending is one thing that disappointed me a bit. Surely there could have been just a few more pages to lay some groundwork regarding how what happened will likely impact the next book?
I do also almost wish Samantha had spent MORE time . Once she had been taken in by Wyatt, they almost seemed to revert exactly back into their society-dictated roles despite how they met. I would love to see Samantha retain some of that agency she gained, and Wyatt retain some of the respect he had for her independence then.
Overall, this was a fun read although it took a bit for me to get really invested. I will certainly be looking for the next book when it comes out!
Samantha is a girl of wealth and status, but is being raised by her abusive uncle and his weak-willed wife. Her life is tense, claustrophobic, and one-dimensional. Her only hope of escape is to make a success of her "season" and escape her uncle through marriage.
The wrench thrown in is certain threatening letters her uncle begins receiving. At first, they seem trivial. They turn out to be anything but.
The first couple chapters of the book were fine. Then, once Samantha's uncle moves houses the real story kicks off. I loved how it went places I had absolutely not expected. It really gave Samantha the chance to grow, come into her own, and subvert the expectations that had constrained her.
And it created a very fun dynamic between Samantha and Wyatt, the book's amateur sleuth. Him helping her out thinking she was just to then discovering some of the truth, to them growing to trust each other more was an uneven, bumpy process but I enjoyed their relationship throughout it all.
Wyatt was a great character in his own right, and his friend, cousin, and his own secrets were all interesting and entertaining. I'm really not sure he ever did any good detective work, though. Maybe next book? After all, he's probably just starting out in this venture.
The actual mystery wasn't too shocking. It was seemingly solved with an appropriately action-packed finale, but then... WAS it solved? The ambiguity of the ending is one thing that disappointed me a bit. Surely there could have been just a few more pages to lay some groundwork regarding how what happened will likely impact the next book?
I do also almost wish Samantha had spent MORE time . Once she had been taken in by Wyatt, they almost seemed to revert exactly back into their society-dictated roles despite how they met. I would love to see Samantha retain some of that agency she gained, and Wyatt retain some of the respect he had for her independence then.
Overall, this was a fun read although it took a bit for me to get really invested. I will certainly be looking for the next book when it comes out!
June 7, 2022
Good story.
Enjoyed the characters and hope this is a series. Well worth the read. Had many twists and turns with surprise ending.
Enjoyed the characters and hope this is a series. Well worth the read. Had many twists and turns with surprise ending.
July 24, 2024
This novel was somewhat original in its plots, at least in the beginning portion of the novel. However it became rather predictable the further it went on. Frankly, this wouldn’t have been a very bad thing if the main characters had been so dim witted. Couldn’t see the forest through the trees is putting it mildly. Granted it is a mystery and the true murder can’t be revealed too quickly however the story lacks a red herring or any twists and turns.
I was under the impression that this would also contain romance. I could not find any romance. The main characters are indifferent to each other with small moments of a general concern for the other, but nothing that goes beyond that of acquaintances.
I was under the impression that this would also contain romance. I could not find any romance. The main characters are indifferent to each other with small moments of a general concern for the other, but nothing that goes beyond that of acquaintances.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2024
Quite entertaining, it was pretty obvious I think, who the blackmailer and murderer was and I think, it’s also very obvious who silenced Charles
I liked the characters and what I love most is that Samantha is resourceful and witty but not annoyingly smart or an obnoxious feminist, as many fictional female characters are portrayed lately…
I will continue reading the series, hopefully next one won’t be so easy to solve
I liked the characters and what I love most is that Samantha is resourceful and witty but not annoyingly smart or an obnoxious feminist, as many fictional female characters are portrayed lately…
I will continue reading the series, hopefully next one won’t be so easy to solve
October 16, 2024
3 stars
There are a lot of things i loved about this story! It was full of action and not boring one bit.
Although the premise was a bit too unrealistic for my liking, I still enjoyed it a lot.
The one thing that overshadowed my experience is Samantha. She become incredibly insufferable by the end of it. Utterly opinionated, a complete stuck up, inquisitive bordering the ridiculous. She was questioning everything and everyone, acting like the jealous, very possessive girlfriend "where are you going without me, what did you talk, why was I not there". Get a grip. Not to mention that she instantly forgot the girl who helped her survive on the streets. She never went back to even give her a penny. To say that was disappointing, it's an understatement.
There are a lot of things i loved about this story! It was full of action and not boring one bit.
Although the premise was a bit too unrealistic for my liking, I still enjoyed it a lot.
The one thing that overshadowed my experience is Samantha. She become incredibly insufferable by the end of it. Utterly opinionated, a complete stuck up, inquisitive bordering the ridiculous. She was questioning everything and everyone, acting like the jealous, very possessive girlfriend "where are you going without me, what did you talk, why was I not there". Get a grip. Not to mention that she instantly forgot the girl who helped her survive on the streets. She never went back to even give her a penny. To say that was disappointing, it's an understatement.
December 25, 2023
This was a somewhat entertaining read. Predictable plot at some points. I found Samantha’s reasoning questionable early on in the book & her choices very unlikely, making the storyline somewhat unbelievable. It had a somewhat Dickensian feel but that was, perhaps, intentional given the references to Oliver Twist & Great Expectations. Personally, I was disappointed with the narration. I felt that Samantha sounded more like a teenage girl than a young woman. The characters are interesting but could have been developed more. Wyatt didn’t do much investigating & what he did wasn’t explained. Samantha did more to solve the mystery. The possibility of further character development will likely spur me to continue on with the series but I’m not 100% sure it will continue to hold my interest if it’s not done well. A solid “3”.
February 18, 2023
This book began a little slow, but I’m glad I didn’t put it aside. Though definitely predictable at times, that predictability was part of its charm. I knew some parts were inevitable, and that promised happiness if you will was part of the attraction of books in this genre. The “mystery “ was somewhat obvious, but the story kept me reading as did the engaging characters Samantha and Wyatt. I’d recommend it for a fun, escapist read.
January 4, 2023
Frustrated as it was left on a cliffhanger with no second book to resolve. They should announce this crap!
November 2, 2023
3.5 stars
Overall pretty good. The decision making of the main character felt flawed to me though. I'm interested to read the second book though.
Overall pretty good. The decision making of the main character felt flawed to me though. I'm interested to read the second book though.
November 11, 2025
Cracking good
August 28, 2024
This was a miss for me and will be a DNF.
For me this story suffered from way too much "set up". I had this as an audio book from my library, and of a 13 hour book, it took 3 full hours just to get to the plot we are sold in the blurb. I found it completely excessive and unnecessary to take so much time to get to where Samantha has to run away from the life she knows into the underbelly of London.
That is what I was here for and by the time the story finally got there I was so bored and distracted I already didn't care what happened to Samantha.
The set up could have been much more condensed in my opinion and would have gotten us to the meat and action (at least I assume that is what would come next though I had already move on by that point) of the story. That would have kept my attention and interest.
As it is I will be moving on to something else that will hopefully be a better fit for my interests.
For me this story suffered from way too much "set up". I had this as an audio book from my library, and of a 13 hour book, it took 3 full hours just to get to the plot we are sold in the blurb. I found it completely excessive and unnecessary to take so much time to get to where Samantha has to run away from the life she knows into the underbelly of London.
That is what I was here for and by the time the story finally got there I was so bored and distracted I already didn't care what happened to Samantha.
The set up could have been much more condensed in my opinion and would have gotten us to the meat and action (at least I assume that is what would come next though I had already move on by that point) of the story. That would have kept my attention and interest.
As it is I will be moving on to something else that will hopefully be a better fit for my interests.
January 27, 2025
I’ve been a fan of Andrea Penrose’s “Wrexford and Sloane” murder series for a number of years. It has several ingredients that I love: late 19th century London murder with hackneys, chimney sweeps, Scotland Yard constables and brothels. I’m currently waiting for book #9 in the series.
Last year I stumbled on a similar mix of “ingredients” in book #1 in a “Tate and Bell Mystery”. Also a decent murder mystery.
Artificial Intelligence recommended another series to try with book #1 of Emily Flinch’s “The Samantha and Wyatt Mysteries”
***SOME BOOK DETAILS***Spoilers
Just like “Wrexford and Sloane”, this “Samantha and Wyatt” mystery is in the last quarter of the 19th century London. The protagonist is a independent young woman who hides her aristocracy, for safety’s sake, after a murder. She learns to dress as a boy or street urchin and learns the workings of London’s underbelly. Her life crosses path with a aristocratic gentleman who wants to help her situation and doesn’t learn of her high society lineage until later only. As they banter and investigate a triple murder she witnessed their care for each other grows.
This description fits exactly the “Wrexford and Sloane” book #1. Interestingly they both have fast moving, action packed investigations. Though the series are extremely similar, they’re both attention getting, suspenseful stories. I feel like I just received a few more great books since this series has three books already complete.
I travel continually and I listened to both books as audiobooks and as wonderful a narrator I feel James Cameron Stewart does on “Wrexford and “Sloane”, Polly Lee does an outstanding job narrating “Samantha and Wyatt”. I think I’ll try out the next book in the series.
Last year I stumbled on a similar mix of “ingredients” in book #1 in a “Tate and Bell Mystery”. Also a decent murder mystery.
Artificial Intelligence recommended another series to try with book #1 of Emily Flinch’s “The Samantha and Wyatt Mysteries”
***SOME BOOK DETAILS***Spoilers
Just like “Wrexford and Sloane”, this “Samantha and Wyatt” mystery is in the last quarter of the 19th century London. The protagonist is a independent young woman who hides her aristocracy, for safety’s sake, after a murder. She learns to dress as a boy or street urchin and learns the workings of London’s underbelly. Her life crosses path with a aristocratic gentleman who wants to help her situation and doesn’t learn of her high society lineage until later only. As they banter and investigate a triple murder she witnessed their care for each other grows.
This description fits exactly the “Wrexford and Sloane” book #1. Interestingly they both have fast moving, action packed investigations. Though the series are extremely similar, they’re both attention getting, suspenseful stories. I feel like I just received a few more great books since this series has three books already complete.
I travel continually and I listened to both books as audiobooks and as wonderful a narrator I feel James Cameron Stewart does on “Wrexford and “Sloane”, Polly Lee does an outstanding job narrating “Samantha and Wyatt”. I think I’ll try out the next book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2023
Listened to the audiobook. Why the audiobook is not listed as an edition I don’t understand. Very good story but a bit far fetched.
June 17, 2024
This was really good!
November 19, 2024
A compelling Victorian-era mystery with its fair share of hardships, betrayals, and adventure. I enjoyed it so much, I skirted my TBR pile and moved right onto book 2! I appreciated the dual POV, the inner dialogue was appropriate and didn't drag, and the wit/banter had me chuckling. I wonder if Samantha will make an effort to help those on the streets of London having a newfound understanding and respect for their plight.
August 8, 2025
This book was an absolute mess.
August 10, 2025
A mystery that draws you in to 19th Century London. I like the strength and independence of Samantha and I'm curious to learn more about the characters. Finch is a great storyteller and this one had me guessing until the end. It's the first in a series and I want to read more.
October 20, 2025
Very enjoyable. The pacing is a little slow but I didn't mind. I will definitely be reading more in this series.
November 6, 2025
I don’t even f*cking care anymore this is my new favorite comfort genre 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑
July 30, 2024
LOVED this book. So happy there are 2 more to read. Lots of twists and turns. Characters were engaging. Flew through the books, wanted to see what happened.
November 13, 2023
Listening to Audiobook edition.
Forced to live with her controlling uncle after her parents died, Samantha has done her best not to upset Sir Arthur lest she deal with his wrath. When her aunt and uncle are murdered and Samantha found on the scene, she must flee and find a way to get back to her family to let them know what happened. Luckily, V.T. Wyatt comes to her aid when he realizes the murders may be connected to some robberies he’s investigating.
Masquerade in London is a delightful historical mystery, filled with exciting twists and thrilling action. New-to-me author Emily L. Finch creates two wonderful main characters in Samantha and Wyatt, bringing them to life and creating a lovely friendship that I hope deepens as the series continues. Through dialogue and action, both characters show their true mettle as they deal with the stress of murder and kidnapping.
The mystery of who killed her family and how they may or may not be tied to the robberies is well-developed. The threads are well woven and the story spooled out at just the right speed. I loved watching Samantha and Wyatt run through different scenarios while developing mutual trust and respect. While the beginning of the book is a little slow, once the murders occur, the tempo is great. While there is no hint of romance, I feel like that underlying current has started to flow.
Narration: The story is shared via the alternating third person POVs of Samantha and Wyatt. Lee uses what I would call a proper English accent for the narrator, using the same feminine voice for both POVs. She continues with that voice for Samantha, but alters all other dialogue based on gender and age. Each main character and significant supporting characters are unique and identifiable. I am not an expert on accents, but to my ears, the narrator does a good job altering the voices to suit the social class of the character, including Samantha, who has to alter her own accent to hide among the poor. Lee also does wonderful job of infusing emotion into to her performance.
In the end, I completely enjoyed listening to Masquerade in London and look forward to the next book in the Samantha and Wyatt Mysteries.
My Ratings:
Story: A-
Narration: B+
Forced to live with her controlling uncle after her parents died, Samantha has done her best not to upset Sir Arthur lest she deal with his wrath. When her aunt and uncle are murdered and Samantha found on the scene, she must flee and find a way to get back to her family to let them know what happened. Luckily, V.T. Wyatt comes to her aid when he realizes the murders may be connected to some robberies he’s investigating.
Masquerade in London is a delightful historical mystery, filled with exciting twists and thrilling action. New-to-me author Emily L. Finch creates two wonderful main characters in Samantha and Wyatt, bringing them to life and creating a lovely friendship that I hope deepens as the series continues. Through dialogue and action, both characters show their true mettle as they deal with the stress of murder and kidnapping.
The mystery of who killed her family and how they may or may not be tied to the robberies is well-developed. The threads are well woven and the story spooled out at just the right speed. I loved watching Samantha and Wyatt run through different scenarios while developing mutual trust and respect. While the beginning of the book is a little slow, once the murders occur, the tempo is great. While there is no hint of romance, I feel like that underlying current has started to flow.
Narration: The story is shared via the alternating third person POVs of Samantha and Wyatt. Lee uses what I would call a proper English accent for the narrator, using the same feminine voice for both POVs. She continues with that voice for Samantha, but alters all other dialogue based on gender and age. Each main character and significant supporting characters are unique and identifiable. I am not an expert on accents, but to my ears, the narrator does a good job altering the voices to suit the social class of the character, including Samantha, who has to alter her own accent to hide among the poor. Lee also does wonderful job of infusing emotion into to her performance.
In the end, I completely enjoyed listening to Masquerade in London and look forward to the next book in the Samantha and Wyatt Mysteries.
My Ratings:
Story: A-
Narration: B+
January 27, 2024
Be patient, well worth it
Although it started very slow, it was well worth it. The characters are interesting and the story came around to be good.
Although it started very slow, it was well worth it. The characters are interesting and the story came around to be good.
January 27, 2024
Good Story
This is the first time I’ve read a book by Emily Finch. It was totally enjoyable. I look forward to the next book in the series to discover if the villain is caught.
This is the first time I’ve read a book by Emily Finch. It was totally enjoyable. I look forward to the next book in the series to discover if the villain is caught.
November 18, 2023
A thoroughly enjoyable book
So well written. Delightful intelligent characters. The ending was not surprising, but also not obvious, which is good for a cozy mystery. I really liked Samantha, Wyatt, Madge and Lord Aston,, and I look forward to meeting up with them again in this series.
So well written. Delightful intelligent characters. The ending was not surprising, but also not obvious, which is good for a cozy mystery. I really liked Samantha, Wyatt, Madge and Lord Aston,, and I look forward to meeting up with them again in this series.
July 6, 2025
3.5 this was a pretty good first in a series. Lower marks because it was a bit slow and predictable. But I like Wyatt and Samantha, probably will read the next one.
January 11, 2023
I have mixed feelings about this one.
Some things worked for me. Others did not.
I liked the characters. I liked the setting. Some scenes were intriguing and the pacing good.
Other times I found it not satisfying enough. The plot and villain quite predictable. Some mysteries were figured out too easy without explanation, just because the plot needed it to and the character needed to be intelligent.
Perhaps I needed a bit more thrill and angst?
But it was a good enough read, though I was never hyping over the excitement and it was easy enough to put down.
But it was also a cosy read. It didn't need much thinking (wether that is a good a bad thing). But it told a decent enough story and again - I liked the characters. A lot, actually.
I was a bit torn about about the rating - 3 stars I always think is important to acknowledge is not a bad rating - it is quite average! (above, out of 5, actually).. But the things I disliked about this one, might annoy me a little bit more, than the things I did like. But it is not that I disliked the book... 2,5 just seems too low!
I thought it was a stand-alone, when I picked it up. But the ending left a lot unanswered and was a bit unsatisfying - however judging by the Author's Note, it seems like it might become a series. And I would probably pick the sequel up whenever it releases.
Some things worked for me. Others did not.
I liked the characters. I liked the setting. Some scenes were intriguing and the pacing good.
Other times I found it not satisfying enough. The plot and villain quite predictable. Some mysteries were figured out too easy without explanation, just because the plot needed it to and the character needed to be intelligent.
Perhaps I needed a bit more thrill and angst?
But it was a good enough read, though I was never hyping over the excitement and it was easy enough to put down.
But it was also a cosy read. It didn't need much thinking (wether that is a good a bad thing). But it told a decent enough story and again - I liked the characters. A lot, actually.
I was a bit torn about about the rating - 3 stars I always think is important to acknowledge is not a bad rating - it is quite average! (above, out of 5, actually).. But the things I disliked about this one, might annoy me a little bit more, than the things I did like. But it is not that I disliked the book... 2,5 just seems too low!
I thought it was a stand-alone, when I picked it up. But the ending left a lot unanswered and was a bit unsatisfying - however judging by the Author's Note, it seems like it might become a series. And I would probably pick the sequel up whenever it releases.
April 14, 2022
I love a good historical mystery, being transported to a different time and caught up in a good plot. This is one of those books. Great characters who buck against their class imposed roles to fight for the truth and what’s right. A good plot that kept me guessing and a wonderfully built approximation of the Victorian era. I was absolutely surprised at the ending in the best way. I would recommend this to any historical mystery fans!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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