Review and Giveaway: The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetsch

 

About:

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

 

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love.But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies--and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

 

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spies. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors--not to mention the nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner, who suspects her of a daring theft.

 

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission?

 

Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance.

 
Click here to read an excerpt.

My Thoughts:

I cannot imagine the heartbreak and the hurt after seven long years away at school to come home and face disappointment when the people you want most are not there. That is exactly how Lady Juliette is feeling when she is finally home and neither her mother is there to help her with her debut into society or her father is there to give her wisdom and advice. All she has is her Uncle Bertie who may or may not be a wastrel and a drunk. Lady Juliette must be presented to her peers by a complete stranger along with her best friend.

On the night of their debut, there is an art theft that changes Juliette's world and what she thought was true forever. Enter Bow Street detective Daniel who has been put in charge of this seemingly small case, and Daniel has a lot to prove himself. With his own secrets and those of his past and secret beneficiary, Daniel is very much like Juliette in the fact that they are trying very hard to hide the hurt of absentee parents and to soldier on.

All the while they are thrust into a world of espionage, mystery, art theft, and murder. This is just the beginning of this series and I think the author will be taking us on quite the adventures with Lady Juliette and Daniel. Not all questions were answered, and I find I did not mind that so much this time as I am patiently waiting for the next installment. The author's use of the language differences between the upper and lower classes was authentic and helped set up the times.  Her notes were full of information, and I looked up all the art that was mentioned in this novel. Some of it would be absolutely priceless to own, especially the books and their fore-edge painting.

I was provided a copy of this novel through the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.   Vetsch is the author of many novellas and novels, including the popular Serendipity & Secrets Regency series and the new Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery series   Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.   Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor), Instagram (@EricaVetsch) and Pinterest (Erica Vetsch).