On a Desert Shore by S.K. Rizzolo

I seem to be reading very busy books of late! so many strands woven into a whole and making a cohesive one is not very easy to do and in this Regency mystery even more so.

We have a society lady, daughter of a rich merchant but she is not a conventional, orthodox miss. Expected to marry well and take her family further up the social ladder, she has failed to do so and now lives in Clapham. And someone is being nasty and it is upto the Bow Street runner the very experienced John Chase to decide whether it is actually Marina herself who has cunningly made herself to be a victim or who is playing tricks on her. There are many suspects and all of them have equal stakes for a very high playing game.

There are additional characters of a lady who has scandalized society as it is by earning her living by writing and her lover a barrister. When invited by Marina's father to join his household John Chase's own story becomes even more difficult to handle. He must seek the support of Penelope the writer and Edward the barrister to overcome so many obstacles and find the truth of who is behind the dangers.

Going from calm and quiet London to the treacherous plantations of Jamaica the story is full of life, vitality and danger.

After a steady diet of too many psychological thrillers and mystery murders, it was nice to read a Regency novel with a twist!

Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press.