All of London is horrified by the evidence that “burkers” are, indeed, at work in their city. The terrified populace hovers on a knife’s edge, ready to take their enmity out on any likely suspect. And when Kiera receives a letter of blackmail, threatening to divulge details about her late anatomist husband’s involvement with the body snatchers and wrongfully implicate her, she begins to apprehend just how precarious her situation is. Not only for herself, but also her new husband and investigative partner, Sebastian Gage, and their unborn child.
Meanwhile, the young scion of a noble family has been found murdered a block from his home, and the man’s family wants Kiera and Gage to investigate. Is it a failed attempt by the London burkers, having left the body behind, or the crime of someone much closer to home? Someone who stalks the privileged, using the uproar over the burkers to cover his own dark deeds?
Comment: This is the seventh installment in the Lady Darby series, which I have been buddy reading with a friend for the past months... we will keep on going one moth at a time until we're updated in it.
This time, Kiera and Sebastian are back in London and dealing with the not very loud, but existing, gossip conversations about Kiera's past and their marriage, when a new situation brings it all back yo everyone's minds. Someone seems to be digging up bodies again and the link to Kiera's previous husband, and her role in the whole things, once again in the papers. However, a distraction happens in the death of a member of the nobility. At first it seems the case is linked to the criminals digging up bodies, but it's soon proved it couldn't be. As Sebastian and Kiera investigate, another person is attacked. Is there any connection between the cases or only a coincidence? What will this mean for Kiera's peace of mind now that she and Sebastian are expecting their first child?
One more series which reads to me almost as a comfort reading. I like the protagonists and I'm invested in what they go through and even if some details aren't as exciting to read about, the dynamics and interactions often make up for it. Series like these, with some investigation and development of the personal lives of the characters seems to be a type of story I really feel immersed in, and with some romantic elements to top it off, even better.
This time, the plot focused on two main situations: the crimes being committed against specific members of the nobility and what should link these people, and the investigation of the men who might be killing people to "sell" the body to the doctors and anatomists. This clearly is linked to Kiera's past, since her first husband had been precisely such an anatomist and he used Kiera's skills as an artist to better depict anatomy and he intended to publish scientific books, which he could not illustrate himself.
There is a time it seems the idea is to push the notion the two investigations should be the same, but it isn't the case. Both provide interesting elements, but the one regarding the bodies used for science actually leads into something very interesting: Kiera isn't welcomed by some people, who believe she was an accomplice of her late husband, and there was a lot of negative publicity at the time of his death and when papers proving his misdeeds came to be known. Due to this, Kiera was protected by her close family, and when she and Sebastian fell in love, Sebastian's father was against their marriage. Now, because of what is found in this story, lord Gage can now see Kiera differently and I feel confident this will mean their relationship will be a lot more amicable than before..
In regards to the nobility members being killed, which was the most complex investigation, the reasons why were more complicated than it seemed at first, but part of me can't help but feel disappointed there hadn't been a better way to use a different culprit. Crimes being committed for good reasons are always worse to think of, because while the idea of doing something wrong to cause a good situation/deed is generically captivating, there are also reasons why it's not legal to do what one wants in any way, and I actually fell bad for the "villain" here...
Our protagonists are going on with their lives in a very predictable way, and the fact Kiera is expecting adds interesting layers to their days and investigations. Something else I like seeing is the interaction with certain secondary characters, mainly their private servants, maid Bree and valet Anderley, who also get to be develop as characters, from story to story. I also like the interactions with family members and how those scenes let us see how the protagonists also change, as time and life happens. This situation with the body snatchers helps to put Kiera in a different light, especially towards the end, and I'm eager to see if it has any weight in future installments.
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