Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries

Book Review: Children of the Shadows

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Children of the Shadows
Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries #3
by Erica Vetsch

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical mystery

While already working on a murder case, Bow Street runner Daniel Swann is brought a case of missing street children by more than one individual. With the Duke of Haverly’s help, he’s also attempting to prove his rightful status as Earl of Rotherhhide, and both his future with Lady Juliette Thorndike and his future as an agent for the Home Office are in question depending on the outcome of the suit. Lady Juliette has also been asked to re-examine her commitment as a spy and is given time to think it over, while not being allowed to work on any cases.

I don’t gush over a book often, but I don’t think I can avoid it with this book, especially considering that it is the end of a series that I have loved and also follows up another series that I loved (Serendipity & Secrets). Vetsch is hands-down my favorite writer of Regency fiction, and I am so very sad to see this series come to a close. It feels like it’s just getting started! I want more mysteries for Thorndike and Swann, especially since they didn’t really get to work together in this book. And I really want more Marcus Haverly! Though he was a side character in this book, he still stands strong as my favorite overall character from these 2 series. 

The mystery in this story is engaging and exciting. It works well as a wrap-up to the series, since it involves some of the characters that recurred throughout. I tried so hard to guess at the identity of the main villain, but even though the clues are right there, I totally missed them. I kept grasping at outlandish theories, but hey, that’s why I’m not an investigator. There was another hidden identity that I did guess correctly, though. Juliette’s forced break from any real spy work was the only reason I rated this slightly less than 5 stars—the series is all about them teaming up to solve mysteries, after all.

I’m already looking forward to starting back at the beginning of the Serendipity & Secrets series and going through to this final book again. And maybe by then, there will be more of Marcus, Daniel & Juliette, maybe even Sophia or Philippa Cashel or the Cadogans, to carry on with. I highly recommend this book and series for fans of this genre and time period, whether you like romance or not, because there is some, but it’s not the focus of the books. But I would also really recommend checking out Serendipity & Secrets, and maybe even consider reading that trilogy first.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

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Book Review: Millstone of Doubt

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Millstone of Doubt
Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries #2
by Erica Vetsch

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Christian historical mystery

Both fledgling agents for the crown, Lady Juliette Thorndike and Bow Street runner Daniel Swann individually need to figure out their roles and places in the spy network as well as their “normal” lives. When Juliette’s best friend’s father is killed, Juliette is told to stay out of the investigation, but Daniel plunges headlong into it. Meanwhile, Juliette is still in the middle of her debut season, and Daniel’s lifelong patronage by a mysterious benefactor will soon be coming to an end, leaving him in an unknown position. How will they navigate these difficult situations and deal with their growing feelings for each other?

I may have rated this book a star less than the previous book in the series, but I still really enjoyed it. The overall world that Vetsch has set up in this series and the one it’s connected to, Serendipity & Secrets, is one I really hope I don’t have to leave any time soon. Juliette learning to become a spy, using her training in real-world settings while trying to get over her weaknesses, but still having to act the role of a debutante, is a fun mixture. Daniel’s combining of his police work with spycraft isn’t as much of a stretch, but it still allows for some panic moments as he tries to keep his secret. There was also a great moment when Daniel’s friend and co-worker Ed gives him a little speech about the goodness of God, even when we don’t see it in our lives, that I really liked.

The mystery was overall good. I liked the different paths they went down trying to solve it; mystery is a favorite genre of mine, and this one was enjoyable. I did guess who the killer was pretty early on, but wasn’t 100% sure I was right until a while later (but before it was revealed). There was another mysterious aspect unrelated to the murder that I also figured out early on, but I still liked the way it played out. The story slowed down enough in the middle that I detracted a star, but overall, I really liked this book. I highly recommend it for fans of this genre and time period, whether you like romance or not, though that aspect is more in focus in this book than the previous.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

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Book Review: The Debutante’s Code

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The Debutante’s Code
Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries #1
by Erica Vetsch

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical mystery

Returning to London after years away for school and just in time for her debut season, the last thing Lady Juliette Thorndike expected was to learn that her parents had been called away and that she’d have to face her debutante ball alone. On second thought, the absolute last thing she expected was to discover that her parents are spies for the British government, as is her uncle, and all of her family before them. But as she’s thrust right into the middle of a dangerous game of espionage, Bow Street runner Daniel Swann is put on the case of a stolen painting that soon becomes a murder investigation. And the supposedly untouchable aristocracy of England, especially Juliette and her family, are right at the center of it.

Oh, goodness. Coming off a month of mediocre reads, this book really had my heart soaring, and not just because of the connection to Vetsch’s previous series (more on that later). There’s so much I loved about it, like the relationship Juliette had with parents she hadn’t seen in 7 years. Through their letters, she still felt connected to them, and was receiving early spycraft instruction unawares. The way Juliette discovered the big family secret was perfect, especially since I was expecting a simple eavesdrop for her to hear the truth (it’s so much better than that!). The more she gets into the family business, the more she questions the ethics and morals of lying for a “good cause,” echoing my own thoughts exactly. And I appreciate that there are no easy answers, either for her or for the male MC, Daniel Swann.

He doesn’t get much of a mention in the synopsis, but he’s an equal part in this story, and I really enjoyed his character and backstory, his drive to figure out the truth and tenacity despite some fairly crappy odds. His personal life is a bit too much to into in the synopsis and is clearly going to stretch on to the next book in the series, and I’m really glad for that. While most books of this type, even those in a series, tend to be more stand-alone, I’m looking forward to a continuing series with the same characters, diving into the spy world of Regency England, and seeing what develops between Thorndike and Swann.

Now let me talk about how excited I was to realize that this series is taking place in the same world as Vetsch’s previous series, Serendipity & Secrets. I loved that series, and one character in particular was my favorite. Now to find him in this book as well? I can’t even express my joy! I don’t want to say too much, though if you know the other series, you can probably guess what the connection here would be. To be honest, I do believe I should have anticipated this, given the similarity of a certain aspect of both series. But I didn’t, and that made it all the more exciting when he appeared here.

Though the mystery in this book was not super hard to crack (for the reader), that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t completely off in some of my theories. I did guess some things right, but also had a few surprises near the end, one of which actually made me a little giddy (and I’m not normally a particularly emotional reader; me using that word is a testament to how much I loved this book). I confess I was pretty confused about the actual events that led to the spy work Juliette and her uncle were doing, I think due to the way certain terms were used during the explanation, but I had it (mostly) all sorted by the end. And I find myself frustrated by the official synopsis for this book (not the first time this has happened with one of this author’s works), considering that Swann’s suspicion of Juliette doesn’t actually come until more than 3/4 of the way through the book. Still, I highly recommend this book for fans of this genre and time period, whether you like romance or not, because there is some, but it’s not the focus of the book. But I would also really recommend checking out Serendipity & Secrets, and maybe even consider reading that trilogy first. You won’t be sorry.

Find out more about The Debutante’s Code

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If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!