A Nefarious Engagement: A Regency Cozy Historical Murder Mystery (Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mysteries Book 4) Kindle Edition

My favorite book in the series so far. The drama surrounding how Bea discovered the truth about how her parents died was really well written. There were a few interesting twists leading to Brea discovering the truth about how they died. This is a really well done mystery.

Bea's parents died when she was five, leaving her an unwanted poor relation in her Uncle Horace and Aunt Vera's house. For twenty years all she knew was that they died in a boating accident. So it's a shock when her mentor Lady Abercrombie wants Bea to investigate her parents' deaths - they were undercover spies sent by PM Pitt to infiltrate a workers guild suspected of treason.This upends Bea's whole world. She's recently proposed to the Duke of Kesgrave - and to the shock of the ton, he accepted. She's encountered two dead bodies and solved both murders. She's been whacked with a board and locked up in a shed. She's gone undercover in men's dress and ended up with two black eyes.But to hear that her parents might have been murdered? Bea is determined to find out the truth about their deaths. It’s wildly improper for a future duchess to investigate a possible double murder. But she must, absolutely must, find out the truth....even if it might estrange her from Kesgrave and dissolve their engagement.Lady A gives Bea a packet of her mother’s letters. In them she find one clue, with more tantalizing questions. That clue leads her to a person, and then to others. And it raises painful questions about exactly what her aunt and uncle have been keeping from her, for all these years.Bea is both shocked and pleased to discover her mother wrote an unpublished treatise expanding on Mary Wollstonecraft’s ground-breaking “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” (1792). [Wollstonecraft’s book was extremely controversial and even a century later, many men refused to let their womenfolk read it.]Did Guild members discover her parents were spies, and kill them? Did Richard snap after discovering Clara had cuckolded him and was enceinte with another man’s child?And what happened to that gold heirloom bracelet her mother was so proud of?Despite the stultifying atmosphere in her family’s home, as Bea has been solving these mysteries, she’s been given glimpses that her aunt and uncle do care for her. It isn’t until she discovers both the lies and the truth behind her parents’ relationship, that she realizes how it must have affected Uncle Horace and Aunt Vera – and as a result, their treatment of Bea.I can understand the reviewers who were disappointed that Duke Kesgrave doesn’t play a bigger part in this story. Nonetheless, I found this a better mystery and more complex plot than the first three books. The red herrings were clever and unusual.Although the villain is easy to ID by the time the final chapter starts, the denouement is sufficiently dramatic – and public! – to ensure Beatrice Hyde-Clare, soon to be Duchess of Kesgrave, will never be called “drab” ever again.

This book is well written, the plot is good and the humour is a very much appreciated addition. The only reason it is not a five star rating is that it is rather over wordy, which had me skipping a few pages at a time. However I do enjoy Lynn Messina's books and hope that she will get to the point where she does not need so much filler.

I thoroughly enjoy Lynn Messina's writing -- she is witty and really turns a clever phrase. Her irony and satire repeatedly make me smile. Here's a fun example: "Bea's heart quivered again, for few things could reveal the depth of his affection more than a blatant disregard for the dictates of maritime tradition." I mean, Messina is just wry and funny.That said, this book seemed to force me into Bea's head a little too much -- were my parents good or were they bad? Did they meet their end(s) honorably? Who exactly done them in? And so on and so on. Didn't know what happened to poor Kesgrave half the time. And Aunt Vera's very sudden personality change about halfway through the book was unsettling -- I wasn't ready for her to become compassionate. That was quite improbable. It was a decent read but I did a fair amount of skimming because so much of the text was mental stewing on Bea's part.

I enjoyed reading about the wonderful unfolding of the relationship between Bea and her beau. Messina has enhanced me again. Love this series.

Fairy tales do come true it can happen to you... Yes it's somewhat ridiculous for a spinster orphan to fall in love with a Duke and have that love returned. Yes it's absurd that said Duke would have the patience of Job and the compassion and understanding of a Florence Nightingale. I know, I know but I fell for it anyway. I so enjoyed their improbable journey. Finding out the truth about her parents deaths was icing on the cake. I am guilty of loving this series and the exploits of Bea. Guilty Guilty Guilty!! Can't wait to read the next book.

I bought all 4 books because it was holiday and needed something to read and the books aren’t expensive. Overall after reading the first three books it is a mixed bag. I will start with the positive-the banter with the Duke is fun and Bea relies on her smarts to solve the mystery. The Duke is fun and not entirely enjoying play detective like Bea is, but he goes along although he isn’t quite sure why, which is a neat twist. The bad is Bea herself- she is lying and scheming with everyone. The author tries to neatly set that up and says it is a result of how her family treats her, but it gets old quickly. Also I got tired of the constant reminders by Bea and everyone else that she is nothing but dirt under people’s feet. Tiring after 3 books. I am hoping the following books let that part go and also stop her lying and scheming at least with the Duke, or it will ruin that relationship.

Now I know how long I can hold a breath. Wow. I am dizzy with the skill and depth of the writing and the maturity of the characters. Each of the four books Lynn Messina has penned in this series just get better. It is such a pleasure to read these works.

Poor Bea is beset again. We find our heroine exactly where the last book left off. Having fended off an attack by a murderer she is now engaged to her beloved Duke. It feels to her that her troubles are multiplying.Her aunt points out the need to cope with eight footman and to improve her deportment and she cannot meet with the Duke unattended.It appears that her parents' deaths were not accidental but brutal murder. She guiltily throws herself into an investigation, raking over old diaries and memories .This makes her feel worse. Her lively parents were involved in espionage, and suspects abound. Her aunt is convinced her father murdered her mother and dreads the truth emerging and facing the opprobrium of her friends.She is pleased to find that the Duke's grandmama heartily approves of her, despite her lack of beauty, because the pair fight each other so nicely! The inscrutable Duke is keeping a constant eye on his beloved, amused and intrigued by her investigations, and on the eve of their clandestine wedding the culprit is found out and reduced to a cowering idiot by our redoubtable heroine in the full view of the ton! Of course Bea cannot possibly marry him after creating such a scandal and commotion..... at this point the book ends. Shame on you Ms. Messina leaving everything hanging fire! Can't wait for the next thrilling instalment!

A good read but just went a bit to far over into the melodramatic scene. Plus what actually happened too all the stocks and shares that had been her father's. Did she get back the bracelet? Why has no-one stepped in to make sure she has a proper trousseau? After the previous books I just expected a bit more and was sadly let down.Her engagement to the Duke is causing wagging tongues, plus everyone is expecting him to cry off. She needs to take her mind of the whole business and what better than a new investigation. Her parent's death. The more she hears the more questions she has. Her parents as spies! Her mother indulging in an affair? When the Duke worms his way into the case - will they find the answers? What did actually happen?

Enjoyed the presentation of regency England. One or two 'americanisms' in the dialogue. the heroine is feisty and the story develops at a good pace. One of the few authors whose dialogue and scenesetting actually makes me smile. Also enjoy the emphasis on description, character interaction and dialogue with very little descent into bodice ripper activity.

I’m not sure why this is called ‘Cozy’. I thought it is an excellent murder mystery series, and I look forward to the next story, and, I hope, many more to follow. Well worth reading.

Loved the new book in the series and how we learnt more about bea and her history.