by Lyndsay Constable
Release Date: December 13, 2023
2023 Lyndsay Constable
Ebook; 263 Pages
ISBN: 979-8988182023
ASIN: B0CNV5MY57
Genre: Fiction / Historical Mystery
Source: Review copy from author
5 / 5 Stars
Summary
Pomona Moriarty, the artistic, quirky,
half-American daughter of the notorious Professor James Moriarty, finds
herself on the trail of clues, puzzle pieces, and artwork that taxes her
mind and creativity to the limit. Her journey exposes her to danger at
every turn throughout Victorian England as old confederates of her
father attempt to steal her inheritance. Can Pomona utilize her
knowledge of art to unravel the mystery and prevent her father’s last,
most dastardly crime being committed from beyond his watery grave? With
her faithful lady's maid and the distractingly fascinating Inspector
Liam Lestrade to aid her through her worst scrapes, Pomona doggedly
pursues each clue to complete the puzzle and prevent her father from
executing his final, most vicious deed.
My Thoughts
The Puzzled Heiress intrigued me simply because of its ties with Professor Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes, one of my great passions as a kid. Because I tend to read anything relating to Holmes, I was happy to have this one fall into my lap, and even better, it was a fantastic read. Pomona was an intriguing character, I loved the puzzles woven into the story, and I enjoyed the intrigue as Pomona raced around Great Britain searching for clues, trying to evade her father's confederates.
Pomona was a quirky character, one who actually has a lot of independence for a woman during this time period. After her father's death, she receives a package of puzzles, and this is where she shines as she tries to figure out the clues to the puzzles and gets into all sorts of scrapes doing so. While one could argue that she enjoys breaking the rules of the time period, I also think there is a limit as to how far she will go as she also puts in an effort to dress and behave appropriately when she has to go out into society. It's only when she is with those with whom she feels comfortable that she abandons those restrictions and does what she pleases. Her faithful lady's maid, Agnes, is there to hold her back from doing anything too silly in public and I liked the relationship between the two, one who wants to flaunt the rules, one who tries to hold the other back, and I think there was a nice balance woven between the two, with a healthy dose of respect from both sides. Again however, a subtle snub at the conventions of the time as one did not really become friends with one's lady maid.
Honestly, I didn't know to think of Pomona at the beginning as we have a woman trying to cry over the death of a father she barely knew, in such a comical way, that I knew I would like her immediately. The plot pretty much picked up from there and had me in its grip right until the end. Twists and turns galore, some I figured out easily, some completely caught me off guard although the clues were there. I am not a fan of conveniences, and they were used in this story, especially in the case of Inspector Lestrade and his saving the day (and Pomona), but the writing was so engaging, I was actually able to forgive those transgressions, just this once though. And while the ending was satisfying for this book, not all the threads were complete, so it looks like Pomona will be off on another adventure.
Verdict
The Puzzled Heiress was an enjoyable first book and I had a hard time putting it down. If book 2 was out right now, I would have grabbed it immediately, but alas, I need to wait a few months until its release. If you love stories about Holmes and Moriarty, especially ones that feature hypothetical progeny, then you will love this entry into their world.
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