THE PRICE OF PEACE by Barbara Jean Miller
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Cozy Mystery
4****
Blurb: Joss Dane is not overly worried about her husband Sam going alone to London for the 1814 Peace Celebration until she gets a letter from his former commander telling him he must assassinate an innocent Quaker, an advocate for permanent peace. She rushes to the city to consult with Sam. Sam is staying at Dane House but cannot control his former captain or make sense of the minor official who wants to hire Sam to protect the Quaker. The suspicion that both Sam and the captain are having their strings pulled forces Sam to protect the innocent man on his own while looking for another target higher in public recognition. This might be the most critical case ever to confront the Discreet Detectives.
THOUGHTS: This was a quick read – only 90 pages – and is part of the “Discreet Detectives” series. Not having read the other books in the series, I had a little trouble getting into the story, but the conflict for the characters was definitely there. The setting is well-done and the characters were interesting, but I didn’t understand all the connections between them at first. Still, it is a good story, well thought out and with a satisfying ending. If you’ve read the other stories in the series, I’d definitely recommend this one as a good part of the series, but not necessarily as a story to begin with. I love the idea of “discreet detectives” in England after the Napoleonic wars, especially a couple. And I loved Joss carrying her derringer – definitely not someone to mess with, even when six months pregnant!
I’d give the entire series a chance and add this one to the group.
Sparkling Book Reviews 