The Matter of the Secret Bride - (Useful Woman Mystery) by Darcie Wilde (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Jane Austen meets Fleabag in Regency London, as a resourceful young woman with a talent for helping ladies of the ton with their most delicate and pressing predicaments finds herself facing a task of royal proportions. Literally."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Jane Austen meets Fleabag in Regency London, as a resourceful young woman with a talent for helping ladies of the ton with their most delicate and pressing predicaments finds herself facing a task of royal proportions. Literally.

King George IV is petitioning Parliament for a divorce from his queen on the grounds of her adultery. But rumor has it that the king secretly married Maria Fitzherbert--long before he married the queen. Now Mrs. Fitzherbert has been robbed--and she's frantically calling on Rosalind for help.

Because what those thieves took is proof that she and King George did really marry. That single piece of paper could destroy Mrs. Fitzherbert and her family--or it could prove the king guilty of bigamy.

Rosalind races to investigate. With her is ex-Bow Street officer, Adam Harkness, with whom Rosalind shares a complex and rapidly intensifying bond. But a case of theft soon turns to murder . . .

Josiah Poole, a disreputable attorney specializing in helping debtors--and who was seen entering Mrs. Fitzherbert's house--is found brutally murdered. Mrs. Fitzherbert has debts. Could she have staged the theft, and employed Mr. Poole to sell the marriage certificate? Or is the truth even more complicated? Mrs. Fitzherbert's daughters have secrets of their own. And Poole himself had no shortage of enemies.

With suspicious coincidences mounting, and more danger encroaching, Rosalind and Adam must move quickly to unravel a history-making mystery that might just lead them straight to the palace itself . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for Darcie Wilde's Mysteries featuring Rosalind Thorne

"Wilde maintains steady momentum all the way to a satisfying conclusion. Fans of Andrea Penrose and Anna Lee Huber will be pleased." --Publishers Weekly on The Secret of the Lady's Maid

"Wilde moves deftly between the personal and political in a complex tale of love and betrayal." --Kirkus Reviews on The Secret of the Lady's Maid

"Rosalind Thorne treads a knife edge in [Regency] London....Penniless, she maintains her small household by helping more prosperous members of the haute ton solve their problems....Wilde springs a series of surprises....that are also opportunities for the reader to bond with her....Compelling." --Kirkus Review, STARRED REVIEW on The Secret of the Lost Pearls

"Well-crafted...The chapter headings include quotes from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice; and like Elizabeth Bennet, Rosalind seeks to know the truth of characters' motivations and feelings through acute observation of small actions...A sweet romance involving the handsome Adam Harkness of the Bow Street Runners enhances the complex puzzle surrounding the pearls. Fans of Dianne Freeman and Anna Lee Huber will find much to enjoy." --Publishers Weekly on The Secret of the Lost Pearls

"Fans of female-led historical mysteries will delight in the way Rosalind traverses both the respectable drawing rooms and the seamy underside of Regency London hidden beneath the manners and tea." --Historical Novel Society on The Secret of the Lost Pearls

"Compelling period drama." --Kirkus Review on A Counterfeit Suitor

"Meticulously crafted...Rosalind is an empathetic, perceptive lead, and her relationships with her caring friends add much to the book's appeal. A plot as complex as a Chinese puzzle box will keep readers turning the pages. Wilde offers a fascinating, richly detailed look at Regency society." --Publishers Weekly on A Counterfeit Suitor

"A well-researched story, the narrative is fast-paced with spot-on dialogue...An absolute delight." --Historical Novel Society on A Counterfeit Suitor

"Wilde writes about high society social codes the same way Phoebe Waller-Bridge makes cheeky asides in "Fleabag."" --Bookpage on A Lady Compromised

"Complex social networks spark an equally complex puzzle." --Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW for A Lady Compromised

"Wilde does a good job balancing accurate period detail with a look at such matters as the difference between attraction and compatibility, and the weight of family obligations. Lovers of Regency mysteries and smart female sleuths will be eager for more." --Publishers Weekly on A Lady Compromised

"Wilde's description of people, places, and events create an immersive experience for the reader...A Lady Compromised portrays the outwardly straight-laced mores a complicated social connections of the country gentry vividly through a varied cast of characters." --Mystery Scene on A Lady Compromised

"Wilde delivers an intriguing, well-researched novel that sweeps readers into the not-so-quiet hills of the 19th-century English countryside." --Historical Novels Review on A Lady Compromised

"Rosalind is a great character, sharp-witted, intelligent, and independent-minded. She has often been compared to Elizabeth Bennet, as is natural, because the series is clearly inspired by Jane Austen's novels, but I think a closer parallel would be to Anne Elliot in Persuasion." --Aunt Agatha's Bookstore on A Lady Compromised

"A Lady Compromised is a complex, enthralling mystery that rivals those of Anne Perry and Agatha Christie." --New York Journal of Books

"Rosalind carries the soul of Sherlock Holmes in the world of Elizabeth Bennet, and it's a hard combination to beat." --BookPage on And Dangerous to Know

"Wilde has a sure hand on the reins of her prose, which results in a fast-paced and enjoyable story." --Historical Novel Society on And Dangerous to Know

"Wilde smoothly mixes historical figures and events into a plot that's sure to keep readers turning the pages to see what happens next. Regency fans will be charmed." --Publishers Weekly on And Dangerous to Know

"The Regency frame is skillfully woven through a story that features surprising plot twists and an engaging subplot concerning Rosalind's dilemma over whom to marry--Harkness or a duke who will allow her to reclaim her past." --Booklist on And Dangerous to Know

"Impressive... Wilde brings the haute monde of early 19th-century London to vivid life, and the characters she peoples it with are complex individuals whose basic decency, or lack of it, is carefully hidden behind a facade of manners and propriety." --Publishers Weekly on A Useful Woman

"Wilde has done a masterful job of recreating the tone and language of Austen's England...Rosalind is a spirited, sympathetic heroine... Wilde has given her just enough modern sensibilities to make her relatable but never oversteps in a way that divorces from the realities of the time...Here is a mystery with a nice balance between the salacious and the sad, the gratifying and the tragic." --Criminal Element on A Purely Private Matter

About the Author

Darcie Wilde is the award-winning author of stylishly adventurous historical mysteries and romances, including the Rosalind Thorne Mysteries, a Regency-set series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen, as well as the Regency Makeover Trilogy. She has also written, under the name Sarah Zettel, Locus and Philip K. Dick Award-winning novels, including Fool's War, a New York Times Notable Books of the Year selection. She lives in Michigan and can be found online at DarcieWildeRomance.com.