The Gilded Shroud
Lady Fan Mysteries #1
Elizabeth Bailey

Berkley Trade
September 6, 2011 / 0425242897
Historical Mystery / England / Georgian Period (1789)
Amazon

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks

The Gilded Shroud is the first title in the Lady Fan mystery series. The author is well known for her historical romances, so expect a little romance with your mystery. Readers will note from the start a mutual attraction between the dowager’s son and her temporary companion.

When Lady Emily Fanshawe is found murdered the first suspect is the last person she’d seen – her husband, the Marquis. Now that he’s disappeared, it’s up to his mother the Dowager Lady Polbrook and his brother Lord Francis Fanshawe (Fan) to clear his name. They in turn find the Dowager’s temporary Companion Ottilia Draycott’s ability to manipulate and investigate indispensable. Ottilia (Tillie) is really the main character in solving the murder and theft. She sees the stress on the family and decides she must leave “no stone unturned; no time wasted.” She must solve this murder to “ put the family and her employer at rest.”

I think readers are going to enjoy this cozy historical mystery series. The characters are interesting. And the mystery is solid. The atmosphere and dialogue drew me in so quickly – I expected to hear the sound of closing doors, ruffling dresses and whispering servants. I was thinking about the storyline even when I wasn’t reading it. The Gilded Shroud is a successful debut to the Lady Fan series.

Reviews of other titles in this series

The Guilded Shroud #1 [review 1]
The Guilded Shroud #1 [review 2]
The Deathly Portent #2