Lady Kiera Darby accepted her father's choice for a husband. Only after they were married, did she find out that Dr. Darby wanted her to act as clinical illustrator to record his human dissections. When her husband died unexpectantly, the truth came out that she was the artist of his work, and she was shunned in society as an "unnatural" female. She escaped to her sister's home in Scotland where she lived peacefully with her art for over a year. When the mourning period was over her sister begged her to join a house party she would throw for her aristocratic friends. Soon after the guests arrive, one woman is found murdered in the garden. Knowing her experience with anatomy, her brother in law asks Kiera to help with the investigation of the murder. She is teamed up with an insufferable rake named Sebastian Gage whose father is a famous investigator. As they work together they become more tolerant of each other's eccentricities, and more impressed with each other's intelligence and courage. As they grow closer together, and closer to the killer, they also get closer to mortal danger.
This is my first novel by Anna Lee Huber and I am impressed. The mystery plot is well crafted with enough clues that the reader believes the solution, but with enough red herrings that the conclusion isn't obvious. The characters are more dimensional than in many of the novels I have read from the same genre, but what makes the book stand out even more is the occasional really nice use of language. There were a few passages that made me pause and think to myself, "wow, that was nicely written." This is the first in a series, and I am excited to put the next one on hold. (2012, 357 p)
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