A Lady in the Smoke by Karen Odden

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Victorian Era

Pages: 411

Published March 29th 2016 by Alibi

Following a humiliating fourth Season in London, Lady Elizabeth Fraser is on her way back to her ancestral country estate when her train careens off the rails and bursts into flames. Though she is injured, she manages to drag herself and her unconscious mother out of the wreckage, and amid the chaos that ensues, a brilliant young railway surgeon saves her mother’s life. Elizabeth feels an immediate connection with Paul Wilcox—though society would never deem a medical man eligible for the daughter of an earl.

After Paul reveals that the train wreck was no accident, and the inspector who tried to prevent it dies under mysterious circumstances, Elizabeth undertakes a dangerous investigation of her own that leads back to her family’s buried secrets. The more she learns, the more she must risk. Not only are her dowry and her reputation at stake; Paul’s very life hangs in the balance when he is arrested for manslaughter. As the trial draws near, and Parliament prepares for a vote that will change the course of the nation, Elizabeth uncovers a conspiracy that has been years in the making. But time is running out for her to see justice done.

crownfullrating

I’ve had a difficult time rating books as of late and I don’t blame the books at all. I think it’s because I’ve been branching out to different genres and while I enjoy them they aren’t my forte and it leaves me in my current state of. “Well, it was written well, it was good, but….” that but makes it difficult. BUT! 😉

I really did enjoy this book, so please don’t take the aforementioned comment as I didn’t enjoy it. I did, it landed us in the victorian era. I could almost smell/taste the atmosphere in some spots. The way things were back then aided in giving the time period a real feel. How a lady should or should not act in the eyes of society and what was proper.

My issues were that at times it became a little too dry, which stalled the happenings in the book and yet as soon as I let myself become engulfed in the book that feeling went away. Yes, there were some stagnant areas, but overall I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the characters, too. What isn’t to enjoy? A strong female character without being over the top and untrue to a woman of the time?

Definitely a good read, it was just hard for me because mysteries/historical fictions always seem to have a stalling point and it’s a make or break thing for me. This book makes up for those parts, though.