Review: A Place of Confinement by Anna Dean

A Mysterious Review of A Place of Confinement by Anna Dean. A Dido Kent Mystery.

Review summary: This is a delightful historical mystery. The characters and places are realistically drawn and appropriate for the time frame of the story. There is a hint of romance for Miss Dido Kent, though her attention is primarily directed to finding the true culprit for the crimes in the manor in this remarkably entertaining story. (Click here for text of full review.)

Our rating:

A Place of Confinement
Anna Dean
A Dido Kent Mystery
Minotaur Books (August 2013)

Publisher synopsis: The dependably sharp Miss Dido Kent is suffering her sister-in-law's attempts to marry her off to the ghastly clergyman Doctor Prowdlee. Dido, however, is determined to refuse him, as well as his abominable side whiskers. As punishment she is sent to accompany her hypochondriac — and quite wealthy — Aunt Manners on a trip to Charcombe Manor. The family hopes that revisiting her childhood home will keep Aunt Manners in good spirits, and Dido in her good graces.

However, upon their arrival it's clear to Dido that there is much more at stake than her aunt's favor. The rich heiress Letitia Verney has disappeared while visiting Charcombe, and Mr. Tom Lomax is suspected of abducting her. Dido is inclined to believe in his innocence, but how is she to explain by what method a young lady could enter through the front door and not appear on the other side? And this isn't the only enigma that the Elizabethan manor holds: there is a deserted wing in which lights mysteriously appear at night, a crying ghost which keeps visitors awake, and memories of old family quarrels.

When the senior Mr. Lomax comes to town to defend his son, the mystery intensifies — and so does Dido's romantic life. With lives and reputations on the line, it's up to Dido to put the pieces together to save the Lomaxes and find the vanished young Miss Verney.