The Secret of the Lost Pearls

October 31, 2022
In Wilde’s well-crafted sixth Rosalind Thorne mystery (after 2021’s A Counterfeit Suitor), Rosalind again gracefully navigates the snares of the haut ton of Regency London to resolve a problem rooted in family secrets. When Rosalind’s old friend Bethany Hodgeson requests her help in locating a missing pearl necklace, Rosalind takes up residence in her home. There, under the guise of assisting Bethany’s two sisters and her sister-in-law in making their debut into London society, Rosalind discovers an array of scandals and secrets, including a botched elopement, bigamy, and various machinations by overbearing parents and sly servants. 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 that border on the private—a sudden flush, a hesitation, an overheard conversation, a brief disappearance. 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. Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency.

March 1, 2023

Wilde's ("Rosalind Thorne Mysteries") first installment in the "Useful Woman" series takes listeners to fashionable Edwardian London. Rosalind Thorne is a fixer of sorts, offering her services to London society families in need of discreet, practical assistance. Longtime acquaintance Bethany asks Rosalind to solve the mystery surrounding the theft of a string of valuable pearls. To give her access to Bethany's family and home, Rosalind is to shepherd Bethany's sister-in-law Penelope through her first London season. Bethany's husband thinks his disgraced sister-in-law Nora is the thief. In fact, everyone in the family has a motive for stealing the pearls, but the evidence does not single out anyone. As Rosalind begins to introduce Penelope to society, scraps of information begin to add to the puzzle, revealing unhappy family dynamics and even a murder. Wilde's complex and twisty mystery is narrated by Kitty Kelly, who adorns the story with a wide variety of English accents. VERDICT Fans of period mysteries will be clamoring for the next installment in this promising series. Share with listeners who enjoy Jane Austen, Liz Carlyle, and Dianne Freeman.--Joanna M. Burkhardt

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