Bath miss Belle Haley is still in mourning for her murdered fiancé, but has traveled with
her mother and younger sister Esther.to London to claim the town house that he left her It
is soon evident that all sorts of people are keen to see inside the house, not merely because
a man was murdered there, but because of the treasure that is supposed to have been hidden
within. This brings Belle in contact with insurance man Desmond Maitland, who suspects that
she is up to something. Soon Belle is finding out all sorts of things about her lost love
and becoming strangely interested in his cousin.
If you like more from your Regency than just a romance, here is a mystery for you. Who
are the villains? Where is the missing money and who murdered Graham? There is perhaps more
of this than romance in here, but personally I enjoyed reading a different type of story with
a familiar Regency setting. Less familiar is the fact that the characters are middle class,
with no expensive Season or vouchers for Almacks, and brushes with cant-speaking lowlifes
instead of the aristocracy. All this, together with the pace and humor, made for a delightful
reading experience. Another gem from the prolific pen of "the Canadian Georgette Heyer."