FINAL DECISION: I loved this one. The mystery strikes right into the heart of Captain Lacey — his past, his wife, his view of himself. The detective investigating whether he himself is a murderer is a grand plot and this one kept me turning page after page.

THE STORY: Captain Lacey awakens with a sword in his hand, a dead body, and no memory of what happened. As Lacey tries to figure out what has happened, he has to contend with his past with the dead man and the possibility that he might have committed the murder.

OPINION: This was one of my favorite of the series. The close connection between the mystery and Lacey’s past made this one compelling. I also love the twist of Lacey not being sure whether or not he committed the murder especially with a definite motive that he possesses.

Captain Lacey must seek the assistance of all of his friends to help him find out what happened. Once again, I loved seeing all the supporting characters who have their own developing stories in the series.

This book nicely works on the relationship between Lacey and his wife. There are complications which stretch the characters and give them more depth.

The connection between the mystery and the personal always makes the story more compelling for me. This one kept me guessing throughout and Lacey’s dealing with his own past and his own impetuous personality that gets him into trouble made this compelling.

WORTH MENTIONING: There are loose ends here that are left open nicely leaving possibilities for future books.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DEATH AT BRIGHTON PAVILION is the fourteenth book in the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries series. Each book, including this one, is a self-contained mystery. It is not necessary to read the other books to jump into this one. There are continuing character storylines that go through the entire series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

NOTE: I received an eARC from the author which was used in the preparation of this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

FINAL DECISION: Very enjoyable entry in the series. This one is more mystery than personal but is an interesting jaunt with plenty of appearances by the cast of characters in the series.

THE STORY: Captain Lacey is called to look at a body in St. Giles by Brewster (who is the bodyguard/spy who follows Lacey around). The man appears to have been beaten to death and Lacey intends to make sure that Brewster is not unjustly accused of the crime. Lacey’s desire to investigate, however, is complicated by his stepson being in danger from his relatives who want to take him away to live with them. This mystery has multiple layers and storylines.

OPINION: This book is focused primarily on the mystery which although Lacey has some concerns about protecting Brewster is not really a personal quest for Lacey. Instead, there is some distance between his emotions and the case (which happens to make him more rational in his investigations). Indeed, the book has a very meaty set of clues and characters who need to be interviewed. The story has a nice flow and ultimately the solution works perfectly for the set of facts.

For me, however, I prefer these books for the personal journeys of Lacey rather than the pure mystery portion of the book. The moments I remember best are of Lacey’s humor and relationships with the recurring cast in the book. Ultimately, I most enjoyed that Lacey has some struggle to make in determining the relative moral positions of the people that he meets.

The secondary story about Lacey’s stepson works to give some personal drama that the main mystery is lacking. I wish that there had been more integration of that story throughout, but I still enjoyed the chaos that the conflict causes in the Lacey household. The ending of that story and the book were especially well done. In fact, the last couple of chapters had me bumping up my rating because the surprises that were revealed. My appreciation was entirely character based as development and changes were evident. This book also nicely sets up some developments that I’m certain will be explored in future books.

WORTH MENTIONING: I’ve become a big fan of a bunch of historical mysteries lately. This series is one of my favorites because Lacey is so imperfect a character who has a strong moral compass that doesn’t always follow the rules.

CONNECTED BOOKS: MURDER IN ST. GILES is the thirteenth book in the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries series. This mystery is self-contained but there are characters that have stories which go from book to book. I think the book can be read as a standalone unless having to catch up bothers you.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the author in order to prepare a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

FINAL DECISION: This series never disappoints. With a great mystery combined with personal character development, this book kept my interest from page one in a way that feels fresh even as it conforms to the mystery template.

THE STORY: Having returned from Egypt to his life where more domestic matters take precedence, Captain Lacey is asked to investigate the theft of items from the Prince Regent’s Carlton House. Lacey has pressure on all sides to discover what is really happening. A bow runner is trying to blackmail him, the Prince Regent expects a quick resolution and Mr. Denis (the criminal mastermind) is protecting the suspect. Lacey conducts his investigations while personal dramas for his friends and family also come to the forefront.

OPINION: The mystery here is not as intricate as others in the series, but in exchange there is intense personal character matters involved. This book has various overlapping storylines and the reader is kept guessing which, if any, are part of the mystery.

What I love most about this series are the depictions of Lacey and his friends and family. I prefer to read books where the characters are the forefront, not a tricky plot. Readers who enjoy some mystery with strong characterizations will enjoy this book. I liked that we got to know more about the secondary characters and also get to see more of Lacey and Donata in their domestic relationship.

This book is sweet and funny and exactly what I expected to enjoy.

WORTH MENTIONING: Baby, baby, baby.

CONNECTED BOOKS: A MYSTERY AT CARLTON HOUSE is the twelfth book in the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries series. These are self contained mysteries and thus can be read as standalones. There is, however, continuing character stories that continue from book to book.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.