Title: A Foreign Affair (Liberty Lane #1)

Author: Caro Peacock

Publisher: Avon 2008

Genre: Historical mystery

Pages: 331

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: T4MC -- Historical Mystery; Sub-Genre -- Thriller, Historical; New Authors; TBR Pile

How I Got It: I own it!

The year is 1837. Queen Victoria, barely eighteen, has just ascended to the throne of England, and a young woman named Liberty Lane has just had her first taste of true sorrow. Refusing to accept that her gentle, peace-loving father has been killed fighting a duel, she vows to see justice done. . . .

The trail she follows is a twisting and dangerous one, leading the spirited young Englishwoman into an intricate weave of conspiracy. Contacted by secret agents, she is asked to pose as a governess in order to infiltrate cold, rambling Mandeville Hall and spy on its master, Sir Herbert Mandeville, who is at the center of a treasonous plan.

Nothing at the hall is what it seems, and every turn reveals another deceit, another surprise, another peril, leaving Libby to wonder who to trust and embroiling her in a deadly affair that could destroy the young queen and place Libby herself in mortal peril. . . .

I picked this up at the Omaha Public Library sale almost two years ago.   And it's taken me that long to finally pick it up and read it.  And then I realized it was the first in a series.  Oh well.  I still read it and enjoyed it.  The story is well crafted.  I didn't see all the twists and turns coming.  I didn't call the other villan right away.  This kept me entertained through the story.  The characters were fine.  Nothing too exciting, but solid characters.  I'll be on the lookout for the other books in the series, but probably won't be going out of my way.

Liberty Lane

• #1 A Foreign Affair (Death at Dawn)
• #2 A Dangerous Affair (Death of a Dancer)
• #3 A Family Affair (A Corpse in Shining Armour)
• #4 When the Devil Drives
• #5 Keeping Bad Company
• #6 The Path of the Wicked
• #7 Friends in High Places