Deadly Curious
July 1834. After receiving a desperate letter, Sophia Thompson rushes to her cousin Daphne’s side. One year prior, Daphne’s brother was murdered. The case is still unsolved, and the local constable has threatened to arrest Sophia’s uncle. With aspirations of becoming the first female Bow Street Runner of London, an elite group of detectives, Sophia feels up to the challenge. Armed with her handy reference book, Investigating Murder and Mayhem, Sophia is about to start inquiries when a handsome Bow Street Runner shows up at her uncle’s door. The runner, Jeremy Fraser, is a newly appointed principal officer with a year’s worth of work to catch up on and an unhelpful constable. It isn’t long before Sophia and Jeremy find their own lives in danger. What could be Sophia’s first case might also be her last if the killer isn’t caught in time.
Alternating between Sophia’s and Jeremy’s voices, Anstey finds unique ways to add suspense to a year-old murder mystery without the advantage of forensic science. Most often, momentum is pushed forward by attempts on Sophia’s life or by finding other victims versus discovering clues. Additionally, there’s a budding romance between Sophia and Jeremy that adds to the intrigue. The characters are enjoyable and tenacious in their pursuits. Local vernacular is also delightfully peppered throughout the narration. However, without clues to follow up on due to the gap in time and the local constable’s lack of evidence, I was left a bit wanting. As this is a murder mystery, I expected a few more breadcrumbs to follow. Anstey leaves the door open for more, and I do hope there’s a tantalizing trail to challenge Sophia’s and Jeremy’s skills. This is an enjoyable new series with a strong sense of setting and compelling characters.
