Excellent

Thoroughly enjoyed this after initially struggling with the first one in the series.
It isn't as good as the Hoyden series but it's still well worth a credit.

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A moment of evil intent.

The start of a new Season, and 26 years old Beatrice Hyde-Clare has endured six of them already, all without securing an eligible husband. So she no longer has any illusions that this year she will sparkle with witty conversation and dazzle with stunning good looks. Just the contrary, in fact. And although looking forward to seeing again the Duke of Kesgrave, with whom she had previously developed a surprisingly pleasant aquaintanceship, this time the London elite will surround him and she doubts he will even remember her name.

In order to salve the fears of her adoptive family, she had invented a suitor, but with their interest now in overdrive, she realizes she needs to dispose of this mythical man, determining that the best way to do this is to place an obituary notice in the newspaper, which she does, only to have another man literally fall dead at her feet. He had been stabbed. And the dagger in his back looked rather familiar ...

So begins this delightful tale of murder, mystery and manners in Regency society and the reuniting of Bea and Kesgrave in pursuit of the truth. With echoes of Jane Austen, the socially mismatched couple follow clues, make sweeping deductions and further their friendship to Bea's growing confusion. A nice, gentle who-dun-it? within the turbulence of Regency manners and amusing dialogue. As narrator, Jill Smith's Crystal clear presentation adds sparkle to the text as she also gives different voice to the numerous characters. The whole is a delight.

My thanks to the rights holder of A Scandalous Deception, second book in this series by author Lynn Messina. At my request via Audiobook Boom, I was very fortunate in being freely gifted a complimentary copy. Thank you. My not having read book one in no way diminished my enjoyment of this one and I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys light historical murder mysteries with the hint of romance in the air.

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A welcome chance to catch up with Kesgrave & Clare

Having very much enjoyed the first book in the series, A Brazen Curiosity, I was delighted to listen to Bea's return in this new adventure. It was a joy to have Bea and Kesgrave solving another mystery together, needling one another along the way.

Narrator Jill Smith struggled a little with some of the trickier aspects of an upper-class British accent in the first book and was caught out by the pronunciation of Regency terms and phrases, but it is clear that she has worked hard to address them this time. Her performance appeared much less forced, and this natural delivery in turn helped Bea's character feel more authentic and allowed for a far easier connection between the listener and the lady.

Although there were still a few mispronunciations (such as 'Grecian', 'chaise longue', and 'passages'), Smith seemed much more confident, and in this book the narration stood out for its charm, not its faults. I was impressed by the improvement from the previous audiobook, and actually enjoyed the narration this time. I still believe that the Duke of Kesgrave's voice made him sound a little older than his years but it remained consistent with our introduction to the character in book one, as did all the other voices.

As I settled into A Scandalous Deception, I did feel that rather too much time was spent summarising the previous book. The first fifteen minutes of this audiobook were almost exclusively devoted to recapping prior events, but some explanation was necessary to make this a stand-alone novel and it is difficult to supply the listener with that information without indulging in a little exposition.

As in A Brazen Curiosity, Beatrice once more reminded me of Alexia Tarrabotti in Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series (which is now available from Audible UK once more, after disappearing for a while). There's no higher compliment I can pay an intelligent, forthright female in a historical novel than to compare her to one of my favourites, and whilst it did feel as if some of the misunderstandings between Bea and Kesgrave became a little too contrived, I do very much enjoy their interactions and verbal sparring, much as I loved Alexia's early jousts with Conall in Soulless.

I was very glad to hear Kesgrave's wry humour return in full force in this book, and laughed aloud at more than one of his sardonic comments. The similarities to Georgette Heyer's The Corinthian were undeniable this time, not only because of Bea's masculine disguise but due to the Duke - somewhat affectionately - calling her "Brat". As The Corinthian is one of my favourite Heyer's, I was not disappointed to note that little nod to it. In fact, I was not disappointed by any of it, really, and as with the first book - and every other that I enjoy - I found myself stretching out my listening once I realised I was halfway through and that my time with Bea and the Duke would soon end. A Scandalous Deception built on a cast of engaging characters and drew me even further into their lives. I hope the wait for the next book is not terribly long, as I am already looking forward to finding out what they get up to next.

I'd gladly recommend this book to listeners who enjoyed, A Brazen Curiosity and anyone who likes cozy mysteries and Regency romance. Whilst the will-they-won't-they romance is somewhat secondary to the mystery, the book does not shy from the Regency era's societal preoccupation with making a good match, and is a nice way to explore that world from a slightly different perspective.


*I received this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

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A Fun Regency Cozy Crime

The second murder mystery in the series, A Scandalous Deception was even more fun than A Brazen Curiosity.

The beginning of the audiobook felt a little slow to someone who had listened to A Brazen Curiosity recently. I felt that we spent too long in Bea’s head (both thinking about the previous story, and general thoughts) before the excitement really got started.

The narration has definitely improved since A Brazen Curiosity, there are far fewer mispronunciations. There is still something a little peculiar about the way she pronounces her rs, but it took me very little time to get my ear in.

As to the story itself, this is another wonderful romp of a cozy crime. I loved the plot, I loved Bea’s growing confidence, and I loved her ongoing relationship and snark with the Duke of Kesgrave.

Highly recommended to anyone looking for a fun, light hearted, Regency cozy crime.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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2 people found this helpful

Fabulous, Fabulous Ending!

I enjoyed the first novel in the series, so it was no hardship to move to this second edition. However, the first one and ahalf chapters really were a struggle to get through. If I had not read the first novel, then the second novel would have sufficed, but to go over in such detail, the exploits of the first book was to me, Really unnecessary!

But, persevering from that, this was a delightful cozy mystery and the ending brought a smile to my face! You will enjoy this very much!

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1 person found this helpful

Loved every minute

A brilliant follow up to A Brazen Curiosity. I listened to this book in one day and I am itching for the next book in the series.
I thought it hilarious that Bea would go to a newspaper office to put in a death notice for her fictitious former love. Not only that but a murder victim falls dead at her feet at the same time! The whole scene was thoroughly entertaining and had me gripped.
I love the friendship that Bea and the Duke have. There is a hint of possible romance as the author teases us with 'will they or won't they' and I am adoring every minute of it.
Excellently narrated and a fantastic read. I am a firm fan of the series!

I voluntarily reviewed an advance review audio copy.

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I loved it!

I don’t know what I loved most about this book: the brilliant story, the wonderful characters, the hilarious situations, the witty banter, or the excellent narration by Jill Smith. I just loved everything!

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