Audiobook10 hours
A Study in Death
Written by Anna Lee Huber
Narrated by Heather Wilds
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
About this audiobook
Scotland, 1831. After a tumultuous courtship complicated by three deadly inquiries, Lady Kiera Darby is thrilled to have found both an investigative partner and a fiance in Sebastian Gage. But with her well-meaning-and very pregnant-sister planning on making their wedding the event of the season, Kiera could use a respite from the impending madness.
Commissioned to paint the portrait of Lady Drummond, Kiera is saddened when she recognizes the pain in the baroness's eyes. Lord Drummond is a brute, and his brusque treatment of his wife forces Kiera to think of the torment caused by her own late husband.
Kiera isn't sure how to help, but when she finds Lady Drummond prostrate on the floor, things take a fatal turn. The physician called to the house and Lord Drummond appear satisfied to rule her death natural, but Kiera is convinced that poison is the real culprit.
Now, armed only with her knowledge of the macabre and her convictions, Kiera intends to discover the truth behind the baroness's death-no matter what, or who, stands in her way . . .
Commissioned to paint the portrait of Lady Drummond, Kiera is saddened when she recognizes the pain in the baroness's eyes. Lord Drummond is a brute, and his brusque treatment of his wife forces Kiera to think of the torment caused by her own late husband.
Kiera isn't sure how to help, but when she finds Lady Drummond prostrate on the floor, things take a fatal turn. The physician called to the house and Lord Drummond appear satisfied to rule her death natural, but Kiera is convinced that poison is the real culprit.
Now, armed only with her knowledge of the macabre and her convictions, Kiera intends to discover the truth behind the baroness's death-no matter what, or who, stands in her way . . .
Author
Anna Lee Huber
Anna Lee Huber is the Daphne award–winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries and the Verity Kent Mysteries. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She currently resides with her family and is hard at work on her next novel.
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Titles in the series (11)
The Anatomist's Wife Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mortal Arts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grave Matter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Study in Death Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As Death Draws Near Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Stroke of Malice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Brush With Shadows Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An Artless Demise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Perilous Perspective Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Wicked Conceit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
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Reviews for A Study in Death
Rating: 4.206666666666667 out of 5 stars
4/5
150 ratings11 reviews
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I think Ms. Huber and I might be breaking up. The Anatomist's Wife was one of my all time favorite books. I am a sucker for a good, historical mystery set in a gloomy setting - and that book had all that in abundance. I was such a happy book nerd! When the second in the series,Mortal Arts, came out I was beyond excited but sorrily disappointed. That book completely flopped for me but I chalked it up to sophomore syndrome and patiently waited for the third, A Grave Matter, which was much better but still not what I was needing. I thought I had broken off with Ms. Huber at that point but then I stumbled across a great deal on this fourth book in the series and thought I would give her another try. While I love Keira and Gage, and I love the time period/setting, and the mystery in this one was quite good, there is something I can't quite put my finger on that is just missing and leaving me feeling just 'meh'.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I started off confused; for some reason I had it in my head that this book was going to take place in London and centre around Lord Gage (Kiera's soon to be father-in-law), so when the story opens in Edinburgh and Lord Gage was nowhere to be found it felt like I picked up the wrong book. Once I got past that and settled into the story, I enjoyed it, although I had concerns the author was writing herself into a corner: Lord Gage does appear about a third of the way through and boy is he an ass. Certifiable, no redeeming qualities ass and he doesn't like Kiera at all. This set-up felt like a trite attempt at creating a crise de cœur between Kiera and Gage at best, and at worst, a totally unrealistic set-up for Kiera to "win-over" and redeem her future father-in-law. Either of these scenarios was going to disappoint me after the quality of the story-telling in the first three books. I should have had more faith; Ms. Huber takes neither of these paths and instead makes the hero more heroic and Kiera's future more realistic, if less HEA. Sometimes, you have to take the ass to get the prince. As to the actual mystery - I liked it a lot! The author presented several viable suspects and an ingenious method of poison delivery, as well as quite a few red-herrings that didn't look like red-herrings. I didn't sort it out until just before Kiera did and it was someone I never gave a thought to suspecting. I love it when that happens! I love this series and of the four published so far there hasn't been a bad one yet. It'll be a long year of waiting to see what happens next.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really like how Huber writes her characters with their flaws shown as well as their strengths, and explores the ups and downs of relationships (of all sorts) as well. Given that realism, the dramatic plot points (or any other aspects that might seem a bit unlikely) don't phase me a bit. I am here for these characters.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Edinburgh 1831 and Lady Kiera Darby has been commissioned to paint the portrait of Lady Drummond. A seemingly unhappy wife, but events take a fatal turn when she is found dying. Lady Darby is convinced that it is murder and by Lady Drummonds' husband.
I did get a bit fed up wth the use of the vernacular, and Lady Darby's interfence in her sisters' marriage.
But overall an enjoyable well-written mystery. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Another good book in this series. Keira has accepted a commission to paint Lady Drummond’s portrait. One day her husband comes racing into the room shouting at Lady Drummond and waving a letter demanding to know what it means. He tells Keira to leave. When she arrives the next day for their sitting, Lady Drummond is on the floor in apoplexy but Keira believes she was poisoned and wants to investigate with her fiancé Gage. The question all her friends and elicit the help of Bonnie Broc in their inquiries. Also, Gage’s father comes to town and admits his dislike of Sebastian’s choice of wife and Alana pregnancy is worrisome.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In March 1831, Lady Kiera Darby is engaged to gentleman inquiry agent Sebastian Gage and accepting commissions for portraits. Her current subject is Lady Drummond who seems to be having the same difficulties with her husband that Kiera did with hers. Lord Drummond is a former Navy man who rules his wife with an iron hand. When she arrives for Lady Drummond's next sitting, she is surprised to find her dying on the floor. Kiera is suspicious but the doctor called in by her husband has diagnosed an apoplexy. Kiera thinks it looks a lot more like poison.Kiera convinces Gage to help her investigate and together they check out Lady Drummond's friends and local apothecaries. Even Bonnie Brock Kincaid gets involved, much to Gage's dismay. While investigating, Keira is also preoccupied with her very pregnant sister's health and her brother-in-law's seeming indifference to his wife's plight. Throw in Gage's father Lord Gage who has come to Edinburgh and is very much opposed to their marriage and Gage's own secretive nature. Add, too, that the rumors that plagued her right after her husband's death seem to be making a reappearance leading to snubs and whispers following wherever she goes. Keira has a lot of emotional ups and downs during the course of this episode.The story had me wondering why any gently born woman would get married at this time. A woman was her husband's property and physical and mental abuse was much more common and almost acceptable. One example in this story is of a woman married to a gambler who had almost gambled them into the poorhouse who was plotting to hide her jewelry from him. The idea that the jewelry belonged to the husband rather than the wife was the way it was. I liked Kiera's solution to help the wife. I also liked the comparison between a wife and a concubine. The one in this story owned her home and gifts given to her by her protectors.Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this latest episode starring Lady Kiera Darby and Sebastian Gage.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This 4th book in series continues on with the dynamic investigating team of Lady Darby and her handsome fiancé, Sebastian Gage (son of overbearing Lord Gage). It's 1831 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Our heroine, a gifted portrait artist, recently hired to render the likeness of Lady Drummond, is witness to and appalled by Lord Drummond's brutish behavior to his wife. The next day, Lady Drummond is dead. The doctor says it was apoplexy which took this young, vital woman's life and Kiera (Lady Darby) is not so keen on the doctor's hasty diagnosis. She convinces Gage to dig deeper into this one with her and then the game is afoot!The book holds lots of red herrings as each suspect is eliminated. The character development is excellent and the writing is exquisite and painterly. A most enjoyable series, for certain!Synopsis (from book's front flyleaf):From the national bestselling author of A Grave Matter comes the latest riveting mystery featuring a most “unusual and romantic” (Judith Rock) sleuth… Scotland, 1831. After a tumultuous courtship complicated by three deadly inquiries, Lady Kiera Darby is thrilled to have found both an investigative partner and a fiancé in Sebastian Gage. But with her well-meaning—and very pregnant—sister planning on making their wedding the event of the season, Kiera could use a respite from the impending madness. Commissioned to paint the portrait of Lady Drummond, Kiera is saddened when she recognizes the pain in the baroness’s eyes. Lord Drummond is a brute, and his brusque treatment of his wife forces Kiera to think of the torment caused by her own late husband. Kiera isn’t sure how to help, but when she finds Lady Drummond prostrate on the floor, things take a fatal turn. The physician called to the house and Lord Drummond appear satisfied to rule her death natural, but Kiera is convinced that poison is the real culprit. Now, armed only with her knowledge of the macabre and her convictions, Kiera intends to discover the truth behind the baroness’s death—no matter what, or who, stands in her way…
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Study in Death
4 Stars
Eager to escape her sister’s obsessive wedding plans, Lady Kiera Darby gladly accepts a commission to paint Lady Drummond’s portrait. Kiera soon realizes that the Baroness is suffering psychological and perhaps even physical abuse at her husband’s hands. So when Lady Drummond is discovered writhing in agony, Kiera suspects foul play and is determined to uncover the truth no matter where it may lead her …
Warning: There are significant spoilers for books 1-3 in this installment. It is also recommended that the series be read in order so as not to miss out on the excellent character development.
Kiera and Sebastian have taken their slow burn romance to the next level, but there are still outstanding issues between them, such as Sebastian’s secretive nature and overprotective tendencies as well as Kiera’s need to retain her independence and be accepted as an equal. Nevertheless, the love they share and the support they give to one another is key to overcoming all other obstacles and their relationship is definitely going in the right direction.
The case is intriguing and there are several compelling suspects. That said, my suspicions regarding one character in particular ultimately turned out to be accurate, and it is possible to figure out the culprit, if not the actual motive, which is rather convoluted.
The secondary characters all add nuance to the story and enrich the plotting and characterization. The irrepressible Bonnie Brock is a fascinating antagonist and it is clever of Huber to include him as his presence opens up new avenues of investigation that neither Sebastian nor Kiera would have access to without him. Sebastian’s autocratic father, Lord Gage, is another new addition and his confrontations with Kiera are a highlight of the book. Finally, the portrayal of Kiera’s sister’s high risk pregnancy is very realistic and leads to some truly intense moments.
In sum, a well written and entertaining historical mystery series and I’m eager to read the next one when it comes out next month. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I really like the Darby series and I enjoyed this book too but not as thoroughly as some of the others. Nothing really stood out for me and the significant things that did happen weren't really the focus of the book. I have enough faith though in Huber's writing that I'm still looking forward to the next book and I'm sure she will give us a great story.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5She just keeps going strong. Lady Drummond is murdered while she is a sitter for her protrait and Lady Darby sees it. She recognizes Lady D as another mistreated wife and cannot let her murder go unpunished.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Although I did go through a period when I read primarily Regency romances, I’ll admit that I doubt I would have ever chosen a historical mystery. But now like strong, independent female leads in the books I read. That being said, even though A STUDY IN DEATH is set in 1831, author Anna Lee Huber has penned a female protagonist with every bit the independence as a modern day woman. I found the series main character, Lady Kiera Darby, to be not only strong and intelligent, but an absolute delight. It was easy at times to forget when and where I was. I adored her relationship with her fiancé, Sebastian Gage, and loved that they work together as investigators. Since this is the first book I’ve read in the Lady Darby Mystery series, I can’t compare it to the ones that came before. But I can say I found it to be an original and wonderful mystery. Ms. Huber has written a fascinating story that is more in line with the traditional mysteries of years pass. I look forward to reading more in this series. If you’re a fan of lighter mysteries, and historicals, this book will be something you will truly enjoy. And cozy fans who love cats . . . Lady Darby has a cat named Earl Grey! How adorable is that?