A thoroughly charming Victorian whodunit featuring a VERY convoluted case: the victim claimed to be a member of the Russian royal family *AND* the wife of heroine Frances' fiance George, and it's difficult to untangle the surprising truth from the outlandish fabrications.

I've been enjoying Freeman's frothy series, which nicely balances on the edge of cozy while still carrying enough bite and substance to satisfy me, and I found this installment even more fun than the previous book. The historical details and setting are convincingly authentic. Frances is still a heroine worth rooting for and George remains dashing, but their relationship is not entirely idyllic or saccharine, thankfully, which allows Freeman to weave in commentary on how constricting society's rules are and the awful double standards/restrictions that have always been applied to women.

It's fun to watch Frances and George cut through the knot of the mystery together, and the ending is plenty dramatic. All in all, a solid way to spend an afternoon, though newcomers to the series should probably start with book one and work their way forward, as this would be an awkward intro (and not nearly so fun without knowing all of the Previously On... bits).