Deadly Curious

It has been one full year since the murder of Andrew Waverley in the small town of West Ravenwood, and no progress has been made in identifying the killer and bringing that person to justice. So when Sophia Thompson receives a letter from her cousin Daphne, Andrew’s sister, asking her to come do some investigating into this heinous crime, she immediately agrees. It will be the perfect opportunity for her to hone her sleuthing skills and prove her merit, for Sophia has decided to embark on a career as a detective for the renowned Bow Street Runners.

When Sophia and her father arrive at Allenton Park to comfort and assist the Waverley’s, they meet Jeremy Fraser, a new recruit of the Bow Street Runners. Uncle Edward, frustrated at the lack of progress in the investigation of his son’s murder, has called upon Bow Street for their assistance. Sophia and Jeremy develop an easy camaraderie as they each begin delving into the circumstances surrounding the case. They soon determine that it will be in both of their best interests to work together…and not just because they seem to work so well together. While they each greatly admire and respect one another’s skills, they also begin to very much enjoy each other’s company. But as they continue to explore, more sinister happenings occur: shots are fired in the room where Daphne and Sophia are sitting and later at Uncle Edward; Jeremy’s carriage driver is poisoned, and a local woman is murdered in her home. As tensions mount, so does the sense of urgency to find Andrew’s killer. Daphne and Jeremy know that they need to act quickly. What they don’t know is that one or both of them may just be the next intended victim.

This latest historical mystery is Anstey’s sixth novel and is once again set in the Regency era. Sophia’s determination to become the first female detective with the Bow Street Runners is inspiring, and her tenacity and grit make her an engaging protagonist. Her steadfast belief that she is capable of solving a murder because she has read “Investigating Murder and Mayhem: A Runner’s Journey” adds humour and lightheartedness to the tale. While it is perhaps unlikely that a Bow Street Runner would readily accept the assistance of a young woman whom he has just met when working on an assigned case, for the purposes of this story their instant rapport and compatibility was entertaining. The secondary characters tend to be less well-developed, although Sophia’s father and their relationship is delightful in its depiction. As in her previous books, Anstey brings the setting and the time period vividly to life, and the story is rich with detail and references to the social mores of the era. The questions surrounding Andrew’s death provide an intriguing framework for the story which is as much a romance/family drama as it is a murder mystery. As in most books in this genre, interesting plot twists are revealed at the end, and ultimately the future looks promising for Ms. Sophia Thompson in many respects.