Behind the Shattered Glass by Tasha Alexander, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves are entertaining guests at Anglemore Park in the midlands of England when their neighbor, Lord Archibald Scolfield, the Marquess of Montagu, staggers into their home, collapses and dies in Behind the Shattered Glass, the eighth mystery in this series by Tasha Alexander.

Colin, an intelligence agent for the Crown, and Emily are no strangers to death and immediately begin an investigation as to who might want to kill Archibald. It isn't long before four suspects can be identified: Matilda, Lord Scolfield’s cousin, who shared his estate with him and feared his coming marriage would leave her homeless; an old Oxford friend, who he had accused of cheating, which ended his studies at Oxford; the vicar’s daughter, who had brazenly tried to seduce Archibald; and a relative that no one knew existed, who had come to claim the title of the Marquess of Montagu. Each had a motive and more importantly each had the opportunity as no one has an alibi. Emily and Colin's investigation take them to the servants' quarters of Scolfield Manor, where there are no secrets between the upstairs elite and the downstairs staff.

Behind the Shattered Glass is a superb example of historical crime fiction. The body appears early and the suspense as to whodunit is maintained through to the very end. All human emotions are in play here: love and hate, greed and envy, between friends and enemies, and the haves and have-nots alike. The occasional scene of humor helps keep the proceedings relatively light and entertaining for this very engaging investigative married duo.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Behind the Shattered Glass.

Acknowledgment: Minotaur Books provided a copy of Behind the Shattered Glass for this review.

Death in the Floating City
Minotaur Books (Hardcover), October 2012
ISBN-13: 9780312661762; ISBN-10: 0312661762

Behind the Shattered Glass

A Lady Emily Mystery by Tasha Alexander