A Deceptive Composition (Lady Darby Mystery, #12)

by Anna Lee Huber

Lady Kiera Darby and her dashing husband, Sebastian Gage, hope they’ve finally found peace after a tumultuous summer, but long-buried family secrets soon threaten to unravel their lives . . .

October 1832. Kiera is enjoying the slower pace of the English countryside. She, Sebastian, and their infant daughter have accompanied her father-in-law, Lord Gage, home so that he can recuperate from the injuries he sustained in a foiled attempt on his life. But as the chill of autumn sweeps across the land, they receive a summons from an unexpected quarter. Lord Gage’s estranged uncle—a member of the notorious Roscarrock family—has been murdered, and his family is desperate for answers. Despite Lord Gage’s protests, Kiera and Sebastian press on to Cornwall to assist.

It isn’t long before they discover that almost nothing is as it seems among the Roscarrocks, and they’ve been lured to their isolated cove under false pretenses. There are whispers of a lost treasure and frightening allusions to a series of murders stretching back decades that touch the lives of the family personally. Kiera and Sebastian are left with no choice but to uncover the truth before the secrets of the past threaten to destroy them all.

• ISBN10: 0593639413
• ISBN13: 9780593639412
• Publish Date: 18 June 2024
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593639412

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

A Deceptive Composition is the 12th Lady Darby historical mystery by Anna Lee Huber. Released 18th June 2024 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 384 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

Set in the 1830s, with this installment in Cornwall, this is a long running series with distinct and well rendered characters who are believable and established. Although it's the 12th book in the series, the mystery, denouement, and resolution are self contained and it works well enough as a standalone. The author is quite adept (and prolific). This author also pens the Verity Kent mystery/thrillers which are impressively different in style and setting. Both series are worthwhile for historical mystery fans.

Lady Darby and her family, including her irascible and inscrutable father-in-law, are summoned to Cornwall by the matriarch of his long estranged family to investigate if a murder actually has taken place. Nothing ever goes as planned, and they're confounded by the close knit and uncommunicative locals who are unwilling to confide in them (even if they are family). There are other political forces at play, and romantic mentions of lost pirate treasure and shipwrecks, smugglers, and bootleggers complicate what should be a straightforward investigation.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 10 hours 33 minutes and is capably narrated by series narrator Heather Wilds. She reads the characters distinctly and does a good job of differentiating the accents. Except for the dialogue (which she does competently), her voice is unobtrusive and neutral, in a good way. 

Four stars. More than competently written, engaging, and cleverly constructed. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition or substantial binge read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.