The third (and last?) in the Sarah Temperance series. I really liked all three of these, although perhaps the first one a bit more than the second two. I was hoping for a slightly stronger resolution here, but the story that we got is great.

Second Sarah Tolerance book. I don’t think the mystery aspect is quite as strong with this one, but I loved reading about Sarah just as much. I also appreciate that Robins doesn’t give her instant or miraculous detecting abilities; it’s clear how much time and effort Sarah puts into her work.

Alternate history Regency mystery. I read this a few years ago and didn’t quite enjoy it. But this time I loved it; loved Sarah and her integrity, her desire to do the right thing and also her mistakes and blind spots. Robins also writes about the London underworld without seeming gratuitous or voyeuristic, which is all too rare.

I did enjoy this story of Althea and Tracy and the rest of the cast. I could see sequel bait in her brother, and while I did like Althea she was also occasionally irritating, particularly when she decided to test Tracy about his love. The story opens with Althea arriving in her sister Marie's house to escape the assumption by her father and brother that she's going to be the permanent housekeeper for them. She's determined to live and not under their strictures of familial expectations. Tracy finds her interesting and diverting, different to the run-of-the-mill girls his sister-in-law keeps presenting him with. She also gets involved in the love lives of other people. The story includes a few of the typical tropes of romance novels and I did notice a few typos, but I enjoyed the read overall.

Another rather entertaining read. Lady John is about a widow, the said Lady John who married her husband in Brussels during the war between the French and English and is now invited, by her husband's family, to come to England to meet with them. They're not sure who she is or what to make of her until she turns up and then they're delighted with her. She re-meets an old acquaintance but finds that he's cold towards her, she also has a friend from Brussels follow her. It's light and entertaining. An enjoyable read.