I received this book as am ARC from the publisher. This novel is part of a series, but you do not need to read the entire series in order to follow this book. The story reads as an old timey cozy mystery. At times it was difficult to follow what was happening as there are a lot of characters and a lot of talk about bridge design and mathematics. The main characters: Wrexford and Charlotte are both kind hearted and intelligent. Their perseverance for the truth helps solve the murder of their friend's cousin. The story itself has enough red herrings to keep it interesting, but not push it over the top. This was an enjoyable read and I'll be sure to keep my eyes open for other books in this series. ( )

Marriage and mystery!

Once again Charlotte, Countess of Wrexford and the Earl, along with the entertaining weasels and friends are caught up in murder and mysteries. Not only that but Peregrine is expelled from Eton!
The brilliant Lady Cordelia Mansfield and Wrexford’s friend Christopher Sheffield are to be married. A surprise guest is going to attend but he doesn’t make it. He’s murdered. For sometime the body is believed to be Cordelia’s cousin Oliver. It isn’t. It’s Cordelia’s brilliant engineer friend, Jasper Milton.
Oliver has disappeared which is suspicious. Is Oliver the murderer?
However deeper concerns come to the fore.
Had Jasper discovered the mathematical secret to building bridges with longer spans?
How might this affect the situation in Europe with Napoleon sequestered on Elba and the French dissatisfied once again with their Bourbon ruler?
Then there’s the Revolutions-Per-Minute Society both men belonged to. A scientific group concerned with the radical improvement of transport and speed.
We learn more about Wrexham, his warmth towards the weasels, and his and Charlotte’s ideas about family.
Another satisfying, suspenseful read featuring one of my favorite group of characters.

A Kensington ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. ( )

Charlotte, Wrex, and the Weasels are looking forward to spending some quiet and peaceful time in the country after they host the wedding of their friends Christopher (Kit) Sheffield and Cordelia Mansfield. Alas, it was not to be as the ink had hardly dried on the registry page before the coroner and magistrate from a nearby area arrived and announced they’d found a body with no identification other than an invitation to Kit and Cordelia’s wedding. Once they determine who it must be – and that he had been murdered – nothing would do but except for them to investigate. All clues point in one direction – but – surely he isn’t the murderer. Or is he?

It is all hands on deck to identify the murderer and to find Oliver, Cordelia’s missing cousin. The deceased, Jasper Milton, is a brilliant engineer whose brain grasps abstract concepts and designs that will improve the lives of everyone and is the best friend of Oliver, Cordelia’s missing cousin. Is Oliver also deceased? Or, is Oliver the murderer?

As more bodies turn up, the investigation becomes more and more intense. Then, if you add in shadowy government figures, you have no idea what to expect. The plot is delightfully twisted and leaves your head spinning as you wonder what happens next. Never fear, Wrexford, Charlotte, the Weasels, and the rest of the characters will tease out the clues – and even invade Eton before they finally have the solution. WOW! What a ride.

One of the things I love about this author’s books is the amount of research she does to truly understand the period in which the story is set and the scientific developments at the time. Those things are seamlessly woven into a story that will intrigue you and improve your mind at the same time. The characters have all grown and developed throughout the series and have become one big family. As always, I started wishing for the next book in the series as soon as I finished this one.

You will probably like this book if you love complex characters solving an intricately woven, nuanced, exciting, and interesting mystery. This can be read as a standalone story, but you should read at least one or two of the earlier books to truly understand the characters, their growth, their relationships, etc. This author always includes a lengthy Author’s Note section and it is always excellent reading if you are interested in learning more about the author’s research. Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

1814 When Jasper Milton, member of Revolutions-Per-Minute Society is murdered by 'Axe' the Wexfords are notified of the death. But his important papers for a revolutionary idea for bridge building have gone missing with number of groups searching for them. But who is the killer of more than Milton. Wexford and his extended family investigate.
An entertaining and well-written histoical mystery with its interesting and likeable cast of characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series. ( )

What can I say? I love the Wrexford and Sloane mystery series! It's set in Regency London and is one of those historical series with an improbable cast of characters that are delightful to encounter in fiction: A wealthy Lord with a reputation as a reprobate, who is an experimental scientist on the side; his wife who is London's most famous political cartoonist publishing under a male alias; their two wards, former street urchins, who help them in their investigation; a formidable aunt; and a staff with some rather unusual talents.

In this volume, a wedding Wrexford and Sloane are hosting is interrupted with news of a murder. At first, the identity of the murdered man is unclear, but he appears to be closely connected to this social circle. In fact, he turns out to be a childhood friend of both Wrexford and the bride, and the invitation in his pocket is addressed to the bride's cousin. So, once again, the Wrexford-Sloane family and friends are combining their skills to discover both the murderer and the reasons underlying the murder. There's also a group of radical engineers hoping to use their skills to improve public transportation with the goal of giving working class people freer movement and more employment opportunities.

As I said at the outset, I love this series. Note that given how complex the cast of characters in Murder at King's Crossing is, this title doesn't really work as a stand-alone. You do, though (trust me) want to hang out with these folks, so read at least one earlier volume before you jump to this title. I'm guessing that, however, you may find yourself wanting to read the entire series in order one you've finished your first volume. There's great fun seeing how this class-crossing, multi-aged cohort builds themselves into a family.

I received a free electronic review copy of this volume from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own. ( )

Murder at King’s Crossing (Wrexford & Sloane, #8) by Andrea Penrose

Wrexford and Charlotte are hosts for the wedding of their friends Christopher Sheffield and Lady Cordelia Mansfield. During the event police arrive with news of a death near King's Crossing, to their dismay the deceased is a close friend of Lady Cordelia. Also alarming, her cousin Oliver has not shown up and his invite was on the body of the deceased man (Jasper).

Wrex and Charlotte set out to find out what happened to Jasper, a brilliant scientist in the exclusive Revolutions-Per-Minute Society. As they look for answers more is revealed, they find that greed is the probable cause in this dangerous quest for justice.

The story moves at a steady pace, with vivid descriptions, engaging dialog, interesting plot and likable characters. As the story progresses a few more end up dead, slowly leading up to the truth. With true to the times situation and interesting scientific facts, I was hooked from the start.

Overall I found Murder at King’s Crossing enjoyable and feel those who like (Historical) crime fiction will enjoy it as well. I look forward to reading more Wrexford & Sloane series. ( )