A Governess’s Guide to Passion and Peril
1869, London. When her employer, Lord Gilford, is murdered in his study in the middle of a diplomatic convention, governess Jane Halliwell steps in to manage the household and soothe the unsettled guests while the police investigate. By her side is Lord Adrian, a duke’s younger brother, once her father’s young assistant in the Foreign Office. Gilford’s murder raises suspicions that the death of Jane’s father, which was supposed a suicide and cast the family into shame and penury, might have been murder after all. Jane’s help with the investigation soon leads them into a tangled web of lies and murder that, of course, throws her and Adrian close together and, of course, requires her life to be at risk.
Things move quickly, compressing the action into a couple of days, but the prose is solid and readable. Collins hits all the right beats with humor and well-placed backstory, and sensible Jane, who believes she hid her schoolgirl crush from Adrian, is an appealing heroine. The romance takes a backseat to the murder mystery and visits from the lively and adorable characters of the previous three books. The intimacy felt sudden—I was enjoying the longing glances, and all at once we were in the bedroom—and this was my first mystery where I actually guessed the killer in advance. But I flew through the pages, taking comfort in a world where justice is served and romance wins. Collins’ fans will enjoy revisiting this circle of lively female sleuths who enjoy a good mystery while falling in love.
