It is a truth universally acknowledged that spinsters make the best sleuths.
Who else has perfected the fine art of sitting quietly in the corner, sipping tea, and overhearing everything?
After being thoroughly snubbed in the marriage mart for her pert opinions and mixed heritage (too English for India, too Indian for England-utterly exhausting), Grace has made peace with spinsterhood. Who needs a husband when you have books, tea, and the satisfaction of minding your own business?
Except-plot twist-her ancestral home is suddenly snatched away by a frail but wily old Duke (who probably has one foot in the grave and the other on a dance floor). Worse still, his delightfully evil steward storms in, hiking up rents, threatening tenants, and spreading fear.
But when young women start vanishing, it's clear something far darker is at play.
Grace is done!
Like any self-respecting spinster with a bone to pick, she pens a furious, blistering, no-holds-barred letter to the elusive Duke, demanding justice.
What could possibly go wrong? Spoiler: Everything.
Instead of resolving matters, her letter ignites a chain of treachery, peril, and wildly unforeseen consequences. Days later, her beloved cook, Melissa, disappears without a trace-and Grace can't shake the sickening suspicion that her strongly worded correspondence invited danger straight to their door.
Determined to set things right (and possibly prevent more kidnappings through sheer stubbornness), she embarks on a reckless quest for the truth. The only logical solution? Disguise herself as a no-nonsense old maid and do a little sleuthing.
Except… there's one tiny problem.
Before she can even begin, she crosses paths with the man of business, Gabriel Stone-maddeningly handsome, dangerously charming, and entirely too mysterious for his own good.
Friend or foe? She hasn't the faintest clue.
Unfortunately, the spinster who notices everything… has just been noticed by Gabriel Stone himself.
Between dodging unwanted suitors, managing an estate she no longer owns, and keeping her younger sister from running off with the first charming rogue with a well-tied cravat, Grace barely has time for murder.
But when danger comes knocking, time is running out.
Will she unravel the mystery before she's the next to disappear?
Or will she lose her home-and her heart-to the one man she cannot trust?
This madcap Regency cozy mystery is packed with: a fiercely determined spinster detective in disguise; a brooding hero who is both infuriating and irresistible; a slow-burn, clean romance filled with wit, tension, and longing; more twists and turns than a country dance; a blend of Regency suspense, secrets, intrigue, and scandal.
Murder. Mystery. Spinster romance. Matchmaking gone awry.
Step into the world of Miss Grace Skye, where a fiery letter, a missing cook, and a dangerous conspiracy threaten to upend the quiet existence of an unassuming spinster-whether she's ready for it or not.
Perfect for fans of:the slow-burn longing of Bridgerton (but the clean version!); the gripping historical cozy mysteries & whodunit series of Deanna Raybourn & Agatha Christie; the witty banter & humour of Georgette Heyer & Jane Austen; lovers of Amateur Regency sleuths, lady detective fiction, and hidden identity.
