What is a spy willing to do when her heart and her country are at risk?For British spy Miss Mary Bennet, life changes once again when Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from the Isle of Elba. Mary quickly departs England for Brussels, the city where the Allied forces prepare for war against the French. But shortly after her arrival, one of the Duke of Wellington's best officers is murdered, an event that threatens to break the delicate alliance between the Allies.
Investigating the murder forces Mary into precarious levels of espionage, role-playing, and deception with her new partner, Mr. Withrow-the nephew and heir of her prominent sponsor, and the spy with whom she's often at odds. Together, they court danger and discovery as they play dual roles in gathering intelligence for the British. But soon Mary realizes that her growing feelings toward Mr. Withrow put her heart in as much danger as her life. And then there's another murder.
Mary will need to unmask the murderer before more people are killed, but can she do so and remain hidden in the background?
The Lady's Guide to Death and Deception by Katherine CowleyRating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Regency Romance/Mystery
Source: Received to Review
My thoughts: Katherine Cowley is a new-to-me author. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to participate in this blog tour because she is now on my radar and I look forward to reading more of her work.
Mary Bennet is a naive spy. She has closely held morals, which I happen to admire, that are not always the best ways to gather information. There is a scene where she learns that kissing is an acceptable way to learn things. She doesn't believe it, but she puts it to the test. She picks the spy that a kiss would leave the least impact and kisses him. It backfires. Now she knows what desire feels like. Seriously, I don't think I could get the grin off of my face for a while. Later in the story, she has the opportunity to try it again with someone else and learns that not all kisses are created equal. Having the right partner makes a big difference. She also learns that jealousy is not a fun thing to live through.
The mystery that she and Mr. Withrow are trying to uncover is who killed one of Wellington's officers. The investigation puts the morals of Mary to the test when she puts on a pair of trousers and plays the part of a gentleman. Katherine Cowley definitely has a sense of humor.
The Lady's Guide to Death and Deception takes the reader on an adventure of romance, mystery, and the art of spying. I'm glad that I gave this book a try. It was well worth my time and invigorated my imagination.
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About the Author: Katherine Cowley read Pride and Prejudice for the first time when she was ten years old, which started a lifelong obsession with Jane Austen. Her debut novel, The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her Mary Bennet spy series continues with the novels The True Confessions of a London Spy and The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception. Katherine loves history, chocolate, traveling, and playing the piano, and she has taught writing classes at Western Michigan University. She lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan with her husband and three daughters.
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ADVANCE PRAISE
“Cowley manages to turn a little-liked, ignored, and stilted girl into one of my favorites of Austen's characters...This third novel of the series is her best. I laughed and I cried and cheered for Mary to succeed in her endeavors and hopefully find love at last.”— Carol Pratt Bradley, author of The Light of the Candle
“5 STARS. Just a delight!”— Wren, The Zebra Reader
“I really enjoyed this book. It is a great addition to the series. I loved that Mary is finding love in a logical way that fits her character…Highly recommend.”— Mariana, Goodreads
“I absolutely love Katherine Cowley's Mary Bennet series, and I think [The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception] may be the best book in the series.”— Madison, Goodreads
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