Tuesdays with Ambrea: Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose

 

Reviewed by Ambrea

 

The Earl of Wrexford is a brilliant scientist.  Intelligent, dedicated, and coldly logical, he’s considered one of the greatest minds of his day—and yet he has a steak of brashness and a tendency toward pridefulness that often leads him into trouble.  His most recent feud with Reverend Josiah Holworthy, for instance, has seen him mocked mercilessly in the newspapers by cartoonist A.J. Quill.  However, when the reverend is found murdered in his church, Wrexford is quickly accused of the deed.  Now, he’ll have track down every suspect and turn over every stone if he hopes of uncovering the identity of the real murderer.

I was delighted by Murder on Black Swan Lane.  It isn’t a deep dive into historical fiction, I’ll admit, and it does have its flaws—like repetitive phrases, misspellings, missed opportunities, overabundant plotlines—but I found it to be a compelling story and I liked the setting descriptions.

Andrea Penrose does a marvelous job of evoking a place, using smells and sounds and textures to properly weave her setting.  I was especially appreciative of the little details that seemed to bring the scene to life, like the mention of mud caked onto Wrexford’s boots or the smell of chemicals in a lab or the chill seeping through the window pane as winter crawls into the city. 

I also liked the characters.  Take Kit Sheffield, for instance.  He’s a mooch and a reprobate, but he’s a canny one and he’s clever enough befriend Wrexford.  Tyler, on the other hand, makes a terrible valet, but he’s a wonderful lab assistant—and he’s unafraid of Wrexford’s moods, which makes him invaluable to the household.  Dr. Henning, like Wrexford, is a curmudgeonly delight and interesting to meet.  And, of course, Wrexford.

But, while I enjoyed Wrexford’s company, I found I absolutely adored Charlotte Sloane.  She’s whip-smart, she’s pragmatic, and she’s tenacious.  More than that, I respected her for being thoughtful enough to know when to back down and when to pick a fight.  I loved that she didn’t once swoon or faint, and I was endlessly amused by her refusal to be intimidated by Wrexford.

Charlotte Sloane has definitely become one of my favorite heroines.

Murder on Black Swan Lane, however, is not the perfect Regency mystery.  As I mentioned, it has its flaws and it doesn’t quite toe the line for a true historical fiction.  Penrose’s novel seems to border more on the side of romantic suspense or adventure thriller, which worked in my favor, but it may not for other readers.

Oh, and I was also annoyed by the fact that Penrose had a grand opportunity for a joke—and then never took it.  You see, there are two characters named Hawk and Raven, who consistently help Charlotte in her clandestine newsgathering.  When bluntly asked how she gains so much gossip, Charlotte never once—not one single time in the entire blasted novel—uses the phrase “a little bird told me.” 

It’s probably the only thing that truly disappointed me about the novel, honestly.