Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord

by Celeste Connally

London, 1815. Lady Petra Forsyth, daughter of the Earl of Holbrook, has made a shocking proclamation. After losing her beloved fiancé in an accident three years earlier, she announces in front of London’s loosest lips that she will never marry. A woman of independent means - and rather independent ways - Petra sees no reason to cede her wealth and freedom to any man now that the love of her life is gone. Instead, she plans to continue enjoying the best of society without any expectations.

But when ballroom gossip suggests that a longtime friend has died of a fit due to her “melancholia” while in the care of a questionable physician, Petra vows to use her status to dig deeper - uncovering a private asylum where men pay to have their wives and daughters locked away, or worse. Just as Petra has reason to believe her friend is alive, a shocking murder proves more danger is afoot than she thought. And the more determined Lady Petra becomes in uncovering the truth, the more her own headstrong actions and desire for independence are used against her, putting her own freedom - and possibly her life - in jeopardy.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

4 of 5 stars

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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord is the first Lady Petra historical mystery by Celeste Connally. Released 14th Nov 2023 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in 3rd quarter 2024. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is a very well written engagingly constructed mystery with an intelligent female protagonist set in the Regency era. There's a fair bit of period-accurate misogyny, skullduggery, and the disposal of "inconvenient women" which will raise any modern reader's hackles. Protagonist Petra is a woman of means who has eschewed marriage after the loss of her fiancé, so she has time and resources to investigate when her friend goes missing. 

Most of the positive portrayals in the book are female, and there are precious few redeeming qualities in most of the men in the book. There's also a slow-burn romance angle, so readers who enjoy some romance with their historical mysteries will enjoy that aspect.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 11 hours 15 minutes and is capably narrated by Eilidh Beaton. She has a clear, light, upbeat voice - not RP English, and quite modern sounding, but not distractingly so. She does a good job delineating the characters and it's not difficult to keep them straight during the read. 

The first of a continuing series, the sequel is due to be released by Minotaur in 4th quarter 2024. 

Four stars. This would be a good choice for public library acquisition, gifting, home library, as well as a solid recommendation for a mystery bookclub discussion. 

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

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Reading updates

  • 2 February, 2024: Started reading
  • 2 February, 2024: Finished reading
  • 2 February, 2024: Reviewed