A Grave Matter

Written by Anna Lee Huber
Review by Amy Watkin

Lady Kiera Darby is hoping that 1830 will be a fresh start for her in Scotland, but already at the Hogmanay Ball she learns that a man has been murdered and a nearby grave disturbed. She struggles over whether to risk her reputation more than she already has, by using her skills in anatomy to help solve the case. She also battles with her feelings for inquiry agent Sebastian Gage when she realizes that they will be investigating together. She must focus on finding a murderer, though, after learning that this was not the only grave disturbed and people are being held for ransom. Kiera and Sebastian must work quickly before someone else is murdered.

The story itself is absorbing, though because this is “A Lady Darby Mystery,” and Kiera Darby has appeared in two previous books, I had read about 100 pages before I felt as if the previous books had been left behind in favor of the plot for this one. This information from Lady Darby’s previous adventures does not seem necessary to move the plot forward and begins to feel repetitive. Once the plot of this novel takes over, though, the book is compelling. Lady Darby is easy to like, and readers will want to root for her.