The Hanover Square Affair (Captain Lacey, #1)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Hanover Square Affair (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries #1)

by Ashley Gardner (Goodreads Author)

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 754 ratings · 89 reviews

London, 1816.

Cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey returns to Regency London from the Napoleonic wars, burned out, fighting melancholia, his career ended. His interest is perked when he learns of a missing girl, possibly kidnapped by a prominent member of Parliament. Lacey's search for the girl leads to the discovery of murder, corruption, and dealings with a leader of the underw...more

Kindle Edition, 262 pages

Published February 17th 2011 (first published January 1st 2003)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

Best Historical Mystery

284th out of 738 books — 1,606 voters

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

Victorian and Regency Mystery Novels

6th out of 114 books — 24 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,767)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 31, 2012 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, mt-tbr-challenge, crime-fiction

The first in a crime fiction series set in Regency London, which features as its narrator and hero an injured Peninsular Wars veteran, Captain Gabriel Lacey, this novel seemed like it would be a good read. Sadly, my expectations were not met.

The novel has a number of problems. One is the character of Captain Lacey. He is yet another detective (using the word in its broadest sense) with "issues", including his gammy leg, his impecuniousness, his conflict with an old friend and comrade, his messe...more
The first in a crime fiction series set in Regency London, which features as its narrator and hero an injured Peninsular Wars veteran, Captain Gabriel Lacey, this novel seemed like it would be a good read. Sadly, my expectations were not met.

The novel has a number of problems. One is the character of Captain Lacey. He is yet another detective (using the word in its broadest sense) with "issues", including his gammy leg, his impecuniousness, his conflict with an old friend and comrade, his messed-up relationships with women and his "melancholia". It seems to me that he has too many problems to make him an effective detective. The melancholia is his biggest personal difficulty and in theory it should have made him a sympathetic character. However, it had the opposite effect on me. I have no problem with the idea of Captain Lacey suffering from depression and I take no issue with the condition being called melancholia. However, I started getting irritated when the word appeared four times in the same paragraph.

Another problem is the language. The prose is clunky and the dialogue clunkier. Gardner had the characters - including genteel female characters - use language which I doubt would have been used in the period in which the novel is set. In fact, apart from the very occasional reference to an historical event (the approaching marriage of Princess Charlotte, for example) and some geographical references, relatively little attempt is made to locate the novel within its place and time. I neither wanted nor expected bucketloads of period detail. However, I did expect an early 19th century London "feel", which this novel didn't deliver.

The plot has some good ideas, with a few red herrings thrown in for good measure, but it took a long time to become interesting. While the pace picks up eventually, the novel never becomes a page turner. I finished reading it because, well, that's generally what I do. And I did start to become marginally more interested in how the mystery aspect of the novel was going to be resolved. However, I don't see myself bothering with the next book in the series. For anyone keen to read crime fiction set in Regency London, I think that C.S. Harris's Sebastian St Cyr novels are better than this offering. Although frankly, that's not saying a great deal, as I have some deep reservations about that series as well. I should probably stick to Georgette Heyer romances if I want a dose of the Regency and go elsewhere to satisfy my taste for crime fiction. (less)

like 11 likes · see review

Jul 18, 2011 Callista rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Callista by: Jamina

Shelves: historical-mystery

A loan from a friend.
The plot of this was rather like Law & Order: SVU—Regency England. Definitely a look at the seedier side of early 19th century English life. The period detail was well-chosen and convincing, and the author’s attempts to capture the characters’ different, class-influenced speech patterns were quite good.
The pacing could have been better; the author kept trying to shoehorn the main character’s backstory into the plot. The backstory is important, because it helps the reade...more

like 3 likes · see review

Apr 01, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, regency

The first in a series of mysteries about a retired English Captain set during Regency England. It was an entertaining tale and worth a read, but a few quirks prevent me from giving it a higher rating.

The author does an excellent job of painting the picture of Regency London and England. I’ve probably read several dozen books or more, primarily but not exclusively romances, set during the Regency period. I have probably learned more about Regency London/England from this book than from all other...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Carole Moran rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

This book is as good as A Regimental Murder, but the author uses more space to set characters and locations for the Captain Lacey series. This is apparently the first in the series and I have been reading them willy-nilly. It's been a long while since I've read some of the others and had forgotten, over the years, how really well written these are.

Since I am reading these on my Kobo Glo eReader, I will mention a thing or two about that. The e-books have errors in them, but probably no more than...more

like · see review

Jun 22, 2012 Milena Benini rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historicals, mystery

I rather liked this -- to be completely honest, I should give it something like 3.5 stars. It's a well-researched historical, with people and attitudes mostly complying with their imagined time (the Regency period). It's also a well-constructed mystery, which managed to keep me guessing until almost the end, which is a rarity.

Another plus side is the characterization. The main character, Captain Lacey, is a retired soldier who managed to only just miss Waterloo. He comes with so much baggage it...more

like 2 likes · see review

May 17, 2012 Randy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ashley Gardner's historical mystery series was recommended to me, and the first book in the series did not disappoint. The protagonist, Captain Gabriel Lacey, has been cashiered out of the army and now, in 1816 London, lives pretty much from hand to mouth in a less than genteel area near Covent Garden. Often melancholic, Lacey is a principled man who is going to fight injustice wherever he encounters it, even at great personal cost. Lacey does not seem particularly at home in either opulent Mayf...more

like · see review

Mar 12, 2012 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, series

A new (new to me) mystery series - Book 1 in the Captain Lacey mystery series. It is 1816 England, Captain Gabriel Lacey, having returned from the Napoleonic wars injured and emotionally and mentally drained, has lost interest in everything. He happens across a small riot in Hanover Square between a man yelling and throwing rocks at one of the member of Parliament's homes and 5-6 members of the cavalry; it gets out of hand and the man gets shot in the back. Captain Lacey steps in to quell the si...more

like · see review

May 15, 2011 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have discovered a great Regency mystery series. The Hanover Square Affair is the first book in the series and is a .99 feature available for the Barnes and Noble Nook and Amazon Kindle. This is a limited time offer so if you like mysteries buy it now.

Captain Lacey is a long time Army cavalry officer who is back in London on half-pay. He has lost his purpose in life, has little money, a bad leg, and suffers from a deep melancholy. He walks that boundary between the upper and lower classes in En...more

like · see review

Oct 07, 2009 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Regency isn't my favorite period, generally, despite having the requisite female-English-major affection for Jane Austen. (You can opt out, if you want, but I used those points to opt out of all of American Lit., so I had to like Ms. Austen.) But Jenna is usually a good judge of what I'll like and she pressed this book into my hands.

So I read it. And I loved it!

Despite it's appearance, it's not a romance. There's some sex and some affection, but it's mostly a mystery. Not a really complex myster...more

like · see review

Dec 09, 2011 Lori McD rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-book, british-lit, napoleonic, mystery, dark, drama, historical-fiction, series, social-issues, suspense, tough-subject-matter, 2011_read, favorite-author, favorites

The Captain Lacey series takes place post-Waterloo, where Napoleon finally met his downfall. Lacey is a retired soldier; he wasn't at Waterloo, but he fought in the Peninsular wars on the Iberian peninsula in Spain. Lacey tends towards melancholia and has had a difficult life, both in and out of war. He's been abandoned by virtually every friend or acquaintance, except for Louisa Brandon.

Louisa is married to Lacey's former mentor and best friend. Brandon and Lacey had a falling out - to the poin...more The Captain Lacey series takes place post-Waterloo, where Napoleon finally met his downfall. Lacey is a retired soldier; he wasn't at Waterloo, but he fought in the Peninsular wars on the Iberian peninsula in Spain. Lacey tends towards melancholia and has had a difficult life, both in and out of war. He's been abandoned by virtually every friend or acquaintance, except for Louisa Brandon.

Louisa is married to Lacey's former mentor and best friend. Brandon and Lacey had a falling out - to the point where Brandon sent Lacey on a mission that should have killed him. Instead, it lamed Lacey, forever damaging his left knee. The military decided that rather than deal with the situation as it should (court marital, etc.), the scandal would be too injurious to Louisa, Brandon, and Lacey. So the military forced both Brandon and Lacey to sell their commissions. Brandon still has an income. Lacey, the son of an impoverished gentleman, has his half-pay. But the enmity between Brandon and Lacey is far from over. Louisa is determined to remain Lacey's friend, and she's one of the only things that can draw Lacey out of his dark melancholia. Brandon suspects that Lacey and Louisa have been having an affair; he can't stop his anger and jealousy from constantly getting in the way. And Lacey is still very angry at Brandon for his betrayal.

In this 1st book, Lacey has made a friend in Lucius Grenville, one of Society's darlings. Grenville has money, position, title, and the "ton" hangs on his every word, especially about art and fashion. Grenville has taken an interest in Lacey - he likes Lacey's sense of honor and longs for some adventure. Lacey is looking for a purpose in life. These two make an interesting partnership in this book.

In Hanover Square, Lacey stumbles into a conflict. At 22 Hanover Square, he sees that the townhome has shattered windows and an angry mob in front of it, led by a gray-haired old man shouting that the inhabitant of the house has taken away the only thing of value that the old man has. Five cavalry soldiers are guarding the home; but they treat the old man meanly, going so far as for one of them to shoot the old man in the back. Lacey is familiar with some of the men; one he saved in battle by pulling the man from under his dead horse, but rather than being grateful to Lacey, the officer resents him still.

Lacey rescues the old man and his wife, takes them home, and hears the story of how their young, innocent daughter Jane and her maid Aimee were abducted. They believe that the man in 22 Hanover Square has the two girls and is ill-using them. Lacey gains admittance to the home, and encounters a maid who whispers something to Lacey about "Mr. Denis". When Lacey meets the inhabitant, a Mr. Horne, he dislikes him immediately, detecting that the man's tastes are vulgar and he's the kind of man who would definitely dishonor and abuse two young women.

So Lacey begins his self-appointed task of trying to discover what happened to Jane and Aimee, and who this Mr. Denis is. Within days, Mr. Horne is found dead - a knife in his throat and his testicles cut off. Aimee is found bound and gagged in a locked wardrobe in the same room, obviously beaten, raped repeatedly, and abused in other unspeakable ways. Aimee has no idea what happened to Mr. Horne or where Jane is. She only knows that Jane is no longer in Horne's house. Lacey is convinced that Denis has something to do with all of this, especially when he learns from Grenville that Denis "locates" objects for the very wealthy at hefty prices - even, it's rumored, virgins.

Grenville sniffs a mystery and adventure. He assigns himself to "work" the case with Lacey. Along the way, they discover two other missing girls: a maid (later found dead) and a poor, young cousin of an older couple.

What do all of these disappearances have in common? Are they perpetrated by the same person or persons? What does Mr. Denis have to do with all of this? Can Lacey get to the bottom of it without losing his own life?
-------------------

This book is quite dark and not at all what I've come to expect from a Jennifer Ashley book. Which is quite likely why she's writing this series under the nom de plume of Ashley Gardiner. The book is written in the 1st person, through the eyes of Captain Lacey. We know he's a tragic, melancholic figure, but we only learn bits and pieces of what's happened to him in his life... it takes quite awhile for us to see the bigger picture, and why Lacey feels so alone and almost desperate at the age of 40.

The mystery is engaging and sad... and it ends much as one would expect. Suffice it to say that there isn't a true happy ending, although we do learn what happened to all the girls involved. And Lacey lives another day to solve the next mystery. He finds a sort of purpose in this - something to keep him going. And my hope is that Grenville will finance his sleuthing and be a sort of partner to Lacey.

But I also suspect there's much more in Lacey's life to reveal, most of it unhappy. Will Lacey ever see his daughter again? Will Lacey ever find happiness or an unencumbered love relationship? Is he capable of being happy?

A good enough start and characters to venture into the next book in the series.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Aug 24, 2011 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read about this series on the Historical Mystery Lovers' discussion page and so glad I did. Jennifer Ashley writes these under her pseudonym, Ashley Gardner. Obviously she loves mysteries and romance, just as I do!

Captain Lacey is the protagonist and he is not a detective, but a highly principled, brave Army officer who has recently left the military under less than satisfactory circumstances--which is part of his backstory and we learn about that in this book. Captain Lacey becomes involved in...more

like · see review

Jun 30, 2012 Scot rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First volume in a new Regency mystery series, recommended by one of my sisters (who, I am lucky and pleased to report, all have excellent taste in literature, and in this historical mystery subgenre). I want any series I read in this category to be well researched; I want the settings, descriptions, and behaviors to be as true as possible to the time and place. This one does that well, while also introducing a range of interesting early 19th century characters.

Our hero, Captain Gabriel Lacey, is...more

like 1 like · see review

May 15, 2011 Erica Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, historical-mystery

I highly recommend this book if you like historical mysteries or the Regency period. Our hero, Captain Gabriel Lacey, is a former cavalry officer who served in the Peninsular campaign. He's exactly the sort of complex hero that I enjoy: flawed, honorable, and damaged. He finds himself pursuing a mystery because he simply can't walk away from injustice.

Hanover Square is populated by some fascinating and multidimensional characters. There is Grenville, the darling of the ton, who has taken a liki...more

like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-1st-in-a-series-challenge, 2013-books-in-a-series-reading-chal, 2013-embarrassment-of-riches-tbr-re, 2013-historical-fiction-reading-cha, 2013-mount-tbr-reading-challenge, 2013-mystery-crime-reading-challeng, 2013-new-authors-challenge, 2013-quick-fix-challenge, 2013-read-52-books-in-52-weeks, 2013-reading-challenge-addict, 2013-tbr-double-dog-dare, 2013-tbr-pile-reading-challenge, 2013-women-challenge, captain-lacey-mystery-series

The Hanover Square Affair is the first book of the Captain Lacey mystery series by Ashley Gardner, set in Regency London. Gabriel Lacey served as a captain of cavalry in the Napoleonic Wars. His former commanding officer was also his best friend – but after a terrible betrayal, Lacey cannot forgive him. Both men retired from military service, but their post-war lives are dramatically different: Aloysius Brandon and his wife Louisa live a luxurious high society life of wealth and privilege, while...more The Hanover Square Affair is the first book of the Captain Lacey mystery series by Ashley Gardner, set in Regency London. Gabriel Lacey served as a captain of cavalry in the Napoleonic Wars. His former commanding officer was also his best friend – but after a terrible betrayal, Lacey cannot forgive him. Both men retired from military service, but their post-war lives are dramatically different: Aloysius Brandon and his wife Louisa live a luxurious high society life of wealth and privilege, while Gabriel Lacey rents sparse rooms near a slum, lacking funds to adequately heat his rooms.

Lacey observes a mob scene in Hanover Square, a wealthy part of London. When the leader throws stones at a house and calls for the owner to come out and face justice, cavalrymen shoot him. Lacey rescues the wounded man, and administers first aid. He learns that Mr. Horne of Hanover Square had abducted the man’s daughter and her personal maid, possibly to sell them into prostitution. Lacey immediately decides to find and rescue them. As champion of the underdog, Lacey faces an uphill battle against wealth, corruption and power.

Lacey has a complicated relationship with Louisa Brandon, who wants him to forgive her husband. Lacey is subject to debilitating depression. He can more easily identify with down-and-out street people than with the corrupt high society. A former lover surprises him in a bittersweet reunion. Lacey must meet and bargain with a dangerous kingpin of the underworld.

There is plenty of suspense, and Lacey solves the mystery, however there is no “happily ever after”. Circumstances are grim and the events are tragic, yet the period atmosphere is compelling. The book is hard to put down - I reserved book 2 (A Regimental Murder) from the library before I even finished book 1. I recommend this series for mystery readers who crave historical period accuracy.

Visit the author’s website GardnerMysteries.com to read excerpts from the series, or for information on the Napoleonic Wars and the Regency Era.(less)

like · see review

Nov 18, 2011 Patricia Burroughs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: british-isles, mystery, historical, regency

Stellar mystery set in the seedy underside of Regency London. The characterizations are powerful. I find myself totally caught up in the world and relationships of Captain Lacey and the Brandons, and oddly wanting to live in a world where people with such history manage to continue to exist sometimes politely, sometimes not, but with a sense of honor.

The plot itself has enough twists and clever reveals to satisfy. The one thing I find bothersome is the technique of allowing Lacey to know things...more

like · see review

Apr 16, 2011 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery

First of a series of Regency-set historical mysteries featuring a Peninsular War veteran, Captain Gabriel Lacey. When Lacey is asked to investigate the disappearance of a young lady and her maid, he uses his friendship with a popular man about town to unearth the secrets of a man who can provide anyone with anything--but is he the villain? More interesting than the mystery--itself twisty and well-plotted--is Lacey's character (this is a first-person narration) and his social circle, including a...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 15, 2011 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-historical-fiction, read-mystery-suspence

Amazon has been suggesting this book forever so I finally bought it to read. I didn't fall in love with this book or it's premise or the characters. The first person perspective did not quite work somehow. Details seem to be missing from the backstory (and hopefully they will be fleshed out in the next books). However, these Pavlov details made me lost and confused and feeling like I was missing something (a feeling I don't really like when I'm reading...or ever) throughout the book. I also kept...more

like · see review

May 16, 2013 Dropspun rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who likes historical mysteries.

Recommended to Dropspun by: Saw it on the Goodreads site.

Shelves: mystery-historical

I just finished reading "The Hanover Square Affair" by Ashley Gardner and found it to be excellent. I can't wait to read the next book to find out how the main character, cavalry officer Captain Gabriel Lacey, is doing. Lacy was a cavalry officer who got cashiered when a scandal threatened to break out concerning his superior's wife, who the husband wanted to lay aside because she could not have children. Lacy wasn't in love with the woman, but cared deeply about her, and being put aside would h...more

like · see review

Aug 19, 2011 Maggi Andersen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ashley Garner paints the scene perfectly in this Regency mystery. Her protagonist, Captain Lacey is appealing in his far from perfect life. Wounded in the Napoleonic wars, and born a gentleman, he has been brought down by circumstance, but still has his pride and despite everything that has unjustly happened to him, hasn't lost his humanity. He can be uncompromising to the point of recklessness when he's on the trail of a killer. But he's no fool. I like it that he likes women. And they like him...more

like · see review

Nov 28, 2012 Rosario rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hmmmm, I read this book because I have read C.S. Harris St Cyr series and was in my Goodreads recommendations, but I much prefer Harris's books, to be honest. For one thing, while reading The Hanover Square Affair I kept on comparing it to that series, which is not good at all. I will read the next installment to see what's what and give the author a second chance. One thing I did miss was a better character construction (I couldn't empathize with any of the characters, particularly with Captain...more

like · see review

Apr 24, 2012 Bethany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just finished reading the Hanover Square Affair yesterday, and I have to admit, it really was a great, meaty read. I don't typically like straight mystery but there are a TON of interesting and somewhat mercurial characters that make the story much more than just a mystery. Plus I appreciate that Gardner doesn't "blow her load" right away. Even the barest parts of the history aren't revealed until the very end, and there's still lots of secrets still lurking, as well as relationships that could...more

like · see review

Apr 04, 2012 Shelley rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

I wanted to like this book. The main character had a great backstory, there was a good degree of historical accuracy, and I liked the solid research that went into it -- but I just didn't really get into it. Too much backstory and too many characters trying to fit into one novel. (I had the sense that this was actually the second book the author may have written for this hero, and she was trying to put a wee bit too much of the first book into it.) Add to that the first person narration was just...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 15, 2011 Jerelyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: regency-mystery

Another new to me author. A damaged army Captain returns to England after the Peninsular War, struggling to come to grips with his past and how to get on in life. He is no hero, nor is he rich. He is an honorable man who takes it upon himself to find the missing daughter of a man shot down in cold blood. Danger comes when his inquires come to close to the powerful.

Great characters and a fine writing style. I read it in one sitting. I wish the others in the series were available on Nook. I will h...more

like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Olivia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nook

I adore Captain Lacey and want to marry him!
I bought the first three books as a boxed set from BN and was hooked. The writing is good, the dialog witty and earnest. Another reviewer said the reader thought the story was not a good representation of the Regency time period, but I disagree. I think the dialog and setting is very true to the time period.
I like the mystery, the light romance and the small details of Captain Lacey's life depicted in all the books. I just bought all the rest of the...more

like · see review

Jun 18, 2012 Aubrey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. It was a good read and I liked the protagonist. He seemed like a real person, a good person with flaws. There are just a couple of reasons I don't feel like I can give it 4 stars. The first is that I just can't seem to get into mysteries lately, I guess I've had my fill for awhile and I should revisit them at a later date. Another is that there seemed to be a lot of back story and characters squeezed into it. And there was a lot going on in the story itself so sometim...more

like · see review

Mar 22, 2012 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this series and am thrilled that not only has the author republished them all in digital format, but she's continuing the series with new digitally published volumes.

These historical mysteries feature Captain Lacey, a disabled veteran of the Peninsular Wars and heir to an impoverished estate. His intellectual curiosity leads him to solve various murders and disappearances in Regency London while introducing us to many interesting characters. These books will appeal to men as well as wome...more

like · see review

Dec 16, 2011 Jadetyger Sevea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, series-capt-lacey

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was quite impressed with this first novel. Captain Lacey is a genuinely honorable protagonist--sometimes /too/ honorable, which gets him into no end of trouble. I enjoyed seeing the seedier side of London in the Regency area. Lacey isn't rich, far from it. His time in the Napoleonic War hasn't done him any favors, either, leaving him with a damaged leg and a severe case of melancholia.

He is, perhaps, a bit better off in his choice of friends:

Lucius Grenville is a gentleman with a lot of mone...more

like · see review

Jul 22, 2011 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a 99 cent book that was suggested to me on Amazon because I read all the PB Ryan mysteries, and I thought why not? It was a good transition from reading Nell to reading Captain Lacey, though he's not as likable, that's for sure. I had trouble connecting with him as a narrator, and by the end I felt I really didn't have a handle on him. The mystery of the book was just ok-- didn't keep me turning the pages, as there wasn't a whole lot of suspense until the end. Overall, just all right fo...more

like · see review

Dec 10, 2010 Keri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 2010-read, jennifer-ashley-allyson-james-ashle, historical, mystery

This is the first of the Captain Gabriel Lacey series and if you are looking for a mystery, but still want a historical setting then this series may be for you.

Captain Lacey, who was a cavalry officer of the 35th Light Dragoons is now out of the service with a limp, a chip on his shoulder and pockets to let. About all he as left is his honor and his sense of justice.

Unfortunately in England there is a lot that is wrong for the poorer citizens that live around him. When Lacey ends up on the bac...more

like 2 likes · see review

Mar 21, 2013 Eva Cg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I needed some time to get into it; I don't normally like my heroes as depressed losers; but in the end Captain Lacey had so many redemptive qualities I had to give the book five stars. Writing is good, history and etiquette seem to be accurate (as far as I can tell), plot holds together. Dark mysteries and histories abound. The highborn and rich friend is a bit of cheating device, plot-wise, but was fun to read all the same. One would have liked some slightly brighter note in there somewhere, mi...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 58 59 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Mystery

106 users

Historical Fiction

55 users

Mystery > Historical Mystery

37 users

Regency

16 users

Romance

4 users

Mystery > Crime

3 users

European Literature > British Literature

3 users

Literature > 19th Century

3 users

Romance > Historical Romance

3 users

Literature > American

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Ashley Gardner

Ashley Gardner is the pseudonym for NY Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Ashley and nationally bestselling and award-winning author Allyson James. Her award-winning Captain Lacey Regency mysteries have garnered top reviews and an enthusiastic following. These books are now available as digital editions. More about the series can be found at http://www.gardnermysteries.com

More about Ashley Gardner...

Books by Ashley Gardner

The Sudbury School Murders (Captain Lacey, #4)

A Body in Berkeley Square (Captain Lacey, #5)

A Covent Garden Mystery (Captain Lacey, #6)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Hanover Squar...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Hanover Square Affair
avg rating	preview: The Hanover Square Affair Goodreads rating: 3.72 (754 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10518312-the-hanover-square-affair?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1298147461l/10518312.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10518312-the-hanover-square-affair?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Hanover Square Affair by Ashley Gardner[/url]

The Hanover Square Affair (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website