Once Upon a Murder (A Lady Librarian Mystery)
This is the second book in Larsen’s series featuring the same scrappy heroine, Tiffany Woodall, a librarian who works for the Duchess of Beaufort at Astwell Palace. The novel also includes some of the other characters from the first book, notably Samir Lathrop, town constable and Tiffany’s love, who owns the bookstore; the redoubtable Duchess herself; and her two sons: Thomas, a native African, and Peregrine, an impish six-year-old, who is the duke.
A fired, ne’er-do-well footman is found murdered on Tiffany’s doorstep. Samir is accused. Tiffany must find the real culprit to save him from hanging. The plot includes interesting and entertaining characters and enough twists and turns to keep the reader glued to the page. Clues abound, but only a few help Tiffany in her search, which goes on almost until the last page.
In this entertaining, late-18th-century English mystery, Larsen weaves some home truths on several relevant topics: the incredibly unfair status of women, particularly women born into the servant classes; the racist prejudices against people with dark skin; and the corruption of civil servants. The plot moves quickly with very well-developed suspense. Dialogue of characters born nobly and humbly is realistic. And Tiffany, who is just a little too old to be a romantic heroine, is perfect—as a librarian, as a sleuth, as a lover, and as an unexpected mother.
