Murder in Westminster by Vanessa Riley is book one in her Lady Worthing historical mystery series.
Vanessa Riley has gifted us with a great new female protagonist, in Abigail Carrington Monroe, Lady Worthing. This character is fully developed, though some others seem a little one dimensional. In fact, I was so taken with Lady Worthing that I kept forgetting she was black. She was simply Lady Worthing, and her race ceased to exist. However, it did seemed as if Ms. Riley only scratched the surface of some of the other characters. Hopefully, the principal players will be fully fleshed in future installments.
I will say that the author did her research, and the novel is historically accurate, though with some literary license taken to fit the storyline. This is a good mystery, and Ms. Riley also tackles some major issues in the novel. There are both cultural and racial themes. She took a big bite and managed it well. I give Murder in Westminster 3.5 rounded to 4 out of 5 stars, deducting for character development. I still highly recommend it to readers of historical fiction and those who enjoy a good mystery.
My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.
Publication Date: August 30, 2022
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