The Mayfair Dagger by Ava January

London 1894. It was not a good place for a single woman with a guardian who was self centered and whom she loathed.

Albertine came to London with the idea of earning her living as a female detective but realised very early on that without a man as a front her efforts were doomed. Her first foray, very successful getting back letters ended when the Lady just ignored Albertine after getting them into her own hands. 

To her dismay the gentleman whom she took the letters from was found dead the next morning and Albertine is the chief suspect.

Enter Duke Erleigh actually investigating the death of Lord Grendel and trying to get to the bottom of the story and also trying to trace Albertine’s non existent husband, do things get complicated, interesting and a touch romantic.

The classic female investigator of 19th century England is a little more savvy than Albertine and this was the negative factor in the story. Setting of contemporary London at the time spot on.

Sent by Crooked Lane Books for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.