A Beautifully Written Gothic Story from the Pen of Sandra Byrd: A Lady in Disguise, Daughters of Hampshire Book 3

The Story:
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.

CLICK TO ENTER SANDRA'S GIVEAWAY!

Be sure to stop by and visit Sandra online and sign up to receive her bi-monthly newsletter. Right now she has a wonderful giveaway where you can enter to win one of two prize packs loaded with tea and other goodies to celebrate the release of A Lady in Disguise! You won't want to miss it. ;-)

A Lady in Disguise
(Daughters of Hampshire, Book 3)
Sandra Byrd
Copyright 2017
Howard Books
ISBN: 9781476717937

My Thoughts:
Miss Gillian Young a costumer for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and an heiress to a tumbledown estate, has an interest in the theater and in the wealthy lord whose estate borders her own. The untimely death of her father and the mystery shrouding his work in the police force have Gillian completely at a loss. Digging into her father's work becomes more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Nobody is worthy of her trust--including some of father's co-workers, and quite possibly, the mysterious Lord Thomas Lockwood, her handsome neighbor.

Embarking on a journey into the past, traveling to universes unknown, romancing a prince, or slaying fabled dragons--these are just a few of the unending possibilities that we as readers look for when we pick up a book. With her latest series, Sandra Byrd takes readers on yet another scintillating journey from the seediest underbellies of Victorian England to an elegant theater where world-renowned actors in resplendent costumes tread the boards much to the delight of lords and ladies.

Ms. Byrd's A Lady in Disguise, is quite possibly her best book to date! Not only does she pen such a authentic, believable character in Gillian, but she gives her such a fantastic occupation! I'm so used to reading regencies and Victorian-set stories of heiresses and fine ladies who do nothing but attend balls or embroider pillows, that Gillian's tale took me quite by surprise! Descriptions of ombre fabrics and the delicate beading of gloves made me feel as if I could shrug out of my dog hair covered cardigan, step through the page, and slip right into a bespoke silk dress of Gillian's creation.

Sandra Byrd certainly has a knack for the elegant, but also for writing what it may have been like to be poor and female in the 1800s. Her writing exemplifies what it means to do your research and put it to good use. I felt completely immersed! The gutters, the fog, and the overall miasma that permeated the streets of the slums during the 19th century lend an even greater air of mystery to Gillian's story. To go from a women's home to the streets to the bustling theater and to a ballroom takes immense care and consideration. There's no such thing as "choppy" writing in A Lady in Disguise.

This book is one of my favorites by this author and is definitely one that has earned it's place on my keeper shelf. I highly recommend this clean read to fans of Jane Eyre or similar Gothics, romance, and mystery!

~ My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ~

*I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.*

Happy Reading!