Millstone of Doubt by Erica Vetsch (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

Who is your favorite crime solving duo in books, films, or TV?   I always had a soft spot for the Dana Girls series by Carolyn Keene when I was growing up.

Lady Juliette Thorndike and Bow Street runner Daniel Swann are back solving mysteries together in Millstone of Doubt by Erica Vetsch.  They both arrive just in time for a mysterious explosion at Hammersmith Mill which kills Juliette’s good friend Agatha’s father, Mr. Montgomery.  Or so they think at first, but they soon discover he has been murdered.  On the case, they discover there is more than one person who has a reason to want Mr. Montgomery dead.  Who killed him and why?  And will they find out before the murderer strikes again?

I read and loved The Debutante’s Code, which is the first book in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery Series.  Millstone of Doubt is the second book in the series.  You can definitely read it on its own, but the first book helps a lot with the character development.

I LOVED this regency mystery.  The characters are great, and Juliette and Daniel had great chemistry.  It’s a clean romance, but the sparks were definitely flying off the page.  The mystery was riveting and kept me reading far too long into the night.  As an engineer and the wife of a structural engineer, I was especially excited that a structural engineer was brought to the mill to assess it for damage after the explosion.  I loved the scientist who came in and figured out how the explosion happened.  I geeked out over these details.  The mystery is good and has a satisfying conclusion.

I can’t wait to see what happens next for Lady Juliette and Daniel!

Review Copy from Kregel Publications as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.  Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK FACTS

·       Title: Millstone of Doubt: Thorndyke and Swann Regency Mysteries (Book 2)

·       Series: Thorndyke and Swann Regency Mysteries

·       Author: Erica Vetsch

·       Genre: Historical Mystery, Historical Romance, Inspirational Fiction

·       Publisher: ‎Kregel Publications (September 20, 2022)

·       Length: (304) pages

·       Format: Trade paperback & eBook 

·       ISBN: 978-0825447143

·       Tour Dates: September 19 – October 3, 2022

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

A Bow Street Runner and a debutante in London Society use their skills to find the killer of a wealthy businessman, but the killer’s secrets aren’t the only ones they will uncover.

 

Caught in the explosion of the Hammersmith Mill in London, Bow Street runner Daniel Swann rushes to help any survivors only to find the mill's owner dead of an apparent gunshot--but no sign of the killer.

Even though the owner's daughter, Agatha Montgomery, mourns his death, she may be the only one. It seems there are more than a few people with motive for murder. But Daniel can't take this investigation slow and steady. Instead, he must dig through all the suspects as quickly as he can because the clock is ticking until his mysterious patronage--and his job as a runner--comes to an abrupt and painful end. It seems to Daniel that, like his earthly father, his heavenly Father has abandoned him.
Lady Juliette Thorndike is Agatha's bosom friend and has the inside knowledge of the wealthy London ton to be invaluable to Daniel. She should be in a perfect position to help with the case. But when her trusted instructor in the art of spy craft orders her to stay out of the investigation, Lady Juliette obeys. That is, until circumstances intervene, and she drops right into the middle of the deadly pursuit.

When a dreadful accident ends in another death on the mill floor, Daniel discovers a connection to his murder case--and to his own secret past. Now he and Juliette are in a race to find the killer before his time runs out.

 

ADVANCE PRAISE

• “An artfully told story that will have you wondering at the outcome until the final pages are read.” —Ruth Logan Herne, USA Today best-selling author
• “…a fully satisfying mystery. I can’t wait to read the next one!” —Jocelyn Green, Christy Award–winning author of Drawn by the Current
• “I am sure fans of the first book in this series will revel in the deepening relationship between Daniel Swann and Juliette Thorndike.” —Alissa Baxter, author of The Viscount’s Lady Novelist
• “Millstone of Doubt captivated me from the first sentence and kept me guessing the entire novel…Erica Vetsch is the master of all things Regency.” —Lorri Dudley, author of The Duke’s Refuge
• “5 Stars. Millstone of Doubt is a compelling Regency mystery with plenty of romance. Michelle Griep fans (or any Regency fan in general) will love this novel.”— Jennifer Purcell, ChristianBooks.com

 

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

 

AUTHOR BIO

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling author and ACFW Carol Award winner and has been a Romantic Times top pick for her previous books. She loves Jesus, history, romance, and watching sports. This transplanted Kansan now makes her home in Rochester, Minnesota.

 

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