Death by Misadventure (Lady Emily Mysteries, 18)
This latest in the Lady Emily series jumps back and forth between an opulent house party in the winter of 1906 and a group of three close friends living in a castle in the Bavarian Alps in 1868. The villa of Baroness Ursula von Düchtel is filled with an eclectic collection of guests, one of whom, the baroness’s son-in law, Kaspar, is described by Lady Emily as “the sort of man whose loutish behavior might easily lead any number of otherwise civilized individuals to contemplate murder.” After several accidents befall Kaspar, it seems someone is trying to kill him, which leaves Lady Emily to sort through the guests’ pasts to discover the culprit. Tragedy strikes with the double-edged sword of murder and a snowstorm, leaving the guests trapped with a killer.
The castle contains three young friends: a female sculptor; Niels, a German lord; and the eccentric King Ludwig. The friendship between Niels and the king deepens into intimacy despite Niels fearing their happiness won’t last forever. Niels’s fears are realized when his father appears at the castle to drag him back to Munich and respectability.
Readers need not worry if they’re unfamiliar with the previous 22 novels. This is a thoroughly satisfying stand-alone mystery. Lady Emily’s wit is sharp and can be laugh-out-loud funny. Settings and time periods are intriguing, provoking this reader to pause to google King Ludwig II, just to sate curiosity. The mystery is filled with twists and turns, hints, and history. Jumping between the two periods may at first be a bit jarring, but like any well-written story the threads come together seamlessly. There are plenty of suspects and motives to keep readers guessing. Lady Emily’s solve is satisfying—not predictable but guessable. A fun, fast-paced read.
