March 22, 2017

A Lady in Disguise by Sandra Byrd - Review


I received this book free from the publisher

Book Details:
Series: The Daughters of Hampshire #3
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Howard Books (March 21, 2017)
ISBN-13: 978-1476717937

About the book:
In this intriguing novel of romance, mystery, and clever disguise set in Victorian England, a young woman investigates the murder of her own father.

After the mysterious death of her father, Miss Gillian Young takes a new job as the principal costume designer at the renowned Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. But while she remembers her father as a kind, well-respected man of the Police Force, clues she uncovers indicate he’d been living a double life: a haunting photograph of a young woman; train stubs for secret trips just before his death; and a receipt for a large sum of money. Are these items evidence of her father’s guilty secrets? His longtime police partner thinks so.

Then Gillian meets the dashing Viscount Thomas Lockwood. Their attraction is instant and inescapable. As their romantic involvement grows, Gillian begins to suspect even Lockwood’s motives. Does Lord Lockwood truly love her? Or is his interest a front for the desire to own her newly inherited property? And what should she make of her friend’s suggestion that Lockwood or men like him were involved in the murder of her father?

Soon Gillian is convinced that her father has left evidence somewhere that can prove his innocence and reveal the guilty party. But someone wants to stop her from discovering it. The closer she comes to uncovering it, the more menacing her opposition grows. With her life on the line, Gillian takes on an ingenious disguise and takes on the role of a lifetime to reveal the true killer—before it’s too late both for her and for those that she loves.

About the author:
After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published fifty books.

Sandra's new series, Daughters of Hampshire, historically sound Gothic romances, launched with best-selling Book One: Mist of Midnight. That book earned a coveted Editor's Choice from the Historical Novel Society. The second book, Bride of a Distant Isle, has been selected by Romantic Times as a Top Pick. The third in the series, A Lady in Disguise, will publish in March 2017. Sandra's latest nonfiction title is The One Year Home and Garden Devotions.

Check out her contemporary adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, which was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named by Library Journal as a Best Books Pick for 2011 and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012.

Sandra has published dozens of books for kids, tweens and teens, including the best-selling, The One Year Be-Tween You and God, Devotions For Girls, and two read aloud picture books.

She is passionate about helping new writers develop their talent and their work toward traditional or self-publication. As such, she has mentored and coached hundreds of new writers and continues to coach dozens to success each year via novelcoaching.com

Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more or to invite Sandra to your book club via Skype.

My thoughts:
I enjoyed trying to figure out the mysteries that Gillian's father kept as she was trying to figure out who murdered him. I was a little worried for her at times as there were a few things that threatened her life as she got close to figuring out what happened. The bit of romance that was included in this story was nice as well. It kind of lightened the mood in spots. It was nice how the author was able to put some facts from the time period in with the story. In fact at the end of the book after the story is all done she gives us some more historical notes. I thought she did a good job of getting the time and place down. Her descriptions were vivid and her characters well developed. I have enjoyed each of the books in this series. You can read them as a stand alone if you wish but I recommend reading them all. I am looking forward to the next series she will give us. 

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