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Lady Trent Mystery #3
Sonnet to a Dead Contessa
Lady Trent must rely on her newfound faith to solve the mystery . . . and save herself.
In London, 1858, women of British nobility are being murdered with alarming frequency, so Scotland Yard calls on Lady Serafina Trent and her crime-solving partner, Dylan Tremayne, to help piece together the perplexing clues. With Dylan's help, Serafina has garnered acclaim as a brilliant detective--solving mysteries by relying on her astute observation and scientific reasoning.
But in the midst of solving these crimes, Serafina's relationship with Dylan meets unexpected stress when his childhood sweetheart returns. Torn between desire and decorum, Serafina desperately wants Dylan to be happy--but in the arms of another woman?
After a lifetime of viewing the world through a practical lens, Serafina begins to examine her own soul--and realizes her need for Jesus. Yet will her faith save her life when all clues point to Serafina as the murderer's next victim?
Enjoy Victorian England through the eyes of Christian Fiction's most beloved author.
In London, 1858, women of British nobility are being murdered with alarming frequency, so Scotland Yard calls on Lady Serafina Trent and her crime-solving partner, Dylan Tremayne, to help piece together the perplexing clues. With Dylan's help, Serafina has garnered acclaim as a brilliant detective--solving mysteries by relying on her astute observation and scientific reasoning.
But in the midst of solving these crimes, Serafina's relationship with Dylan meets unexpected stress when his childhood sweetheart returns. Torn between desire and decorum, Serafina desperately wants Dylan to be happy--but in the arms of another woman?
After a lifetime of viewing the world through a practical lens, Serafina begins to examine her own soul--and realizes her need for Jesus. Yet will her faith save her life when all clues point to Serafina as the murderer's next victim?
Enjoy Victorian England through the eyes of Christian Fiction's most beloved author.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 16, 2009
About the author
Gilbert Morris
540 books567 followersalso published under the name Gilbert L. Morris
Gilbert Morris was one of today's best-known Christian novelists. He lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with his wife, Johnnie. He is the father to Lynn Morris and Alan Morris
Series:
* Adventures of Kerrigan Kids
* American Century
* Appomattox Saga
* Barney Buck
* Bonnets and Bugles
* Cheney Duvall, M.D. (with Lynn Morris)
* Cheney and Shiloh: The Inheritance (with Lynn Morris)
* Chronicles of the Golden Frontier
* The Creole (with Lynn Morris)
* Danielle Ross Mystery
* Daystar Voyages
* Dixie Morris Animal Adventures
* Far Fields (with Robert Funderburk)
* House of Winslow
* Jacques and Cleo: Cat Detectives
* Katy Steele Adventures (with Alan Morris)
* Lady Trent Mystery
* Liberty Bell
* Lions of Judah
* Lone Star Legacy
* Omega (with Lynn Morris and Alan Morris)
* The Price of Liberty (with Robert Funderburk)
* Reno Western Saga
* Seven Sleepers
* Seven Sleepers: The Lost Chronicles
* Singing River
* Spirit of Appalachia (with Aaron McCarver)
* Too Smart Jones
*
Gilbert Morris was one of today's best-known Christian novelists. He lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with his wife, Johnnie. He is the father to Lynn Morris and Alan Morris
Series:
* Adventures of Kerrigan Kids
* American Century
* Appomattox Saga
* Barney Buck
* Bonnets and Bugles
* Cheney Duvall, M.D. (with Lynn Morris)
* Cheney and Shiloh: The Inheritance (with Lynn Morris)
* Chronicles of the Golden Frontier
* The Creole (with Lynn Morris)
* Danielle Ross Mystery
* Daystar Voyages
* Dixie Morris Animal Adventures
* Far Fields (with Robert Funderburk)
* House of Winslow
* Jacques and Cleo: Cat Detectives
* Katy Steele Adventures (with Alan Morris)
* Lady Trent Mystery
* Liberty Bell
* Lions of Judah
* Lone Star Legacy
* Omega (with Lynn Morris and Alan Morris)
* The Price of Liberty (with Robert Funderburk)
* Reno Western Saga
* Seven Sleepers
* Seven Sleepers: The Lost Chronicles
* Singing River
* Spirit of Appalachia (with Aaron McCarver)
* Too Smart Jones
*
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
February 25, 2023
I liked this book best of the trilogy. I thought the mystery was the most interesting and there was all kinds of drama and the romance finally went somewhere and it ended happily 🥰
December 14, 2016
This is the final installment in the Lady Trent Mystery series and it ended well. I liked how the relationships ended up. The mystery was not as prevalent in this installment, but I was still guessing until the end. (Full review at my website)
March 6, 2011
Well, it was a mystery that wasn't very mysterious. The writing wasn't so great. What saved this book were the two likeable leads. If It wasn't for them I wouldn't have finished it.
August 10, 2020
Well, now I have to figure out what to do with myself!
This was the best of the Lady Trent Mysteries, and while I was pleased with how it ended, I'm sad that the series is over. I finished this one in almost a day. The murder cases were so compelling, and poor Dylan's romantic subplot was deliciously twisty. All of the characters feel like friends (well, except for the bad guys!). In Sonnet to a Dead Contessa specifically, I'm glad we were given a deeper look into Dylan's character and emotions. He felt a little too perfect in the previous novels, so reading of his weaknesses helped make him feel more human. I will happily imagine Dylan and Serafina solving more mysteries, although my imaginings will never compare to another book! On to another one!
This was the best of the Lady Trent Mysteries, and while I was pleased with how it ended, I'm sad that the series is over. I finished this one in almost a day. The murder cases were so compelling, and poor Dylan's romantic subplot was deliciously twisty. All of the characters feel like friends (well, except for the bad guys!). In Sonnet to a Dead Contessa specifically, I'm glad we were given a deeper look into Dylan's character and emotions. He felt a little too perfect in the previous novels, so reading of his weaknesses helped make him feel more human. I will happily imagine Dylan and Serafina solving more mysteries, although my imaginings will never compare to another book! On to another one!
November 21, 2019
I didn't click the spoiler button, but I do have some. Fair warning.
This entire series was so trite I was gagging. There was obvious technical issues going from print to ebook version, and then there were the glaring plot holes.
Did Lady Trent inherit the mansion when her husband died, or is it the home she grew up in?
How old is David? The author is never quite sure.
Lady Trent should have had a birthday, but somehow this escapes Morris's notice.
Then there is the extensive repetition. We are told a million and one times how GORGEOUS Dylan is, how much women ADORE him, and how he isn't affected. Every. Single. Time. a woman looks his way. Every time Matthew sees Dora we hear about the first time he met her. It's like Morris has to reintroduce the characters each time he starts a new chapter - or paragraph, or maybe even a sentence, for that matter!
Perhaps this is because they are one dimensional and not even as boring as sin, as the expression should go. We have the female "I only believe in science!" and the empathetic male who is determined to help her find the Truth. Yawn.
The antagonist of this book you can guess from the beginning, but by making her a lesbian and in cahoots with Bingham, Morris resorts to sheer desperation. Knowing his plot was as cold as Antarctica, he threw in something truly shocking to Victorian sensibilities. (After all, Lady Trent's husband was a pedophile, and Dylan had supposedly slept with Meredith. What more was left? 🙄)
This is typical of most of Morris's writing, though: a basic plot, lots of sensual overtones where the male or female protaganist has to resist the worldly charms of one, and surrender to the Christian charms of another. "He was conscious of her body pressed against his." "Her lips were full and soft." "Her womanhood was calling to him." Blah blah blah
This prevents them from actually having to do a lot of talking, which of course spares Morris from having to write. This, and using up lots of sentences to describe their clothes and their rooms. Once you read about five of his books, in any series, you have read them all.
When he started writing with his daughter, Lynn, things improved immensely! The Cheney Duvall series is actually quite impressive, and I also enjoyed the continuation to it, Cheney and Shiloh. They actually hold witty conversations, there's very little kissing, and Cheney is a Christian doctor (the complete opposite of Lady Trent here!) who doesn't hold to many of the Victorian stereotypes. I have reread that entire series multiple times.
This entire series was so trite I was gagging. There was obvious technical issues going from print to ebook version, and then there were the glaring plot holes.
Did Lady Trent inherit the mansion when her husband died, or is it the home she grew up in?
How old is David? The author is never quite sure.
Lady Trent should have had a birthday, but somehow this escapes Morris's notice.
Then there is the extensive repetition. We are told a million and one times how GORGEOUS Dylan is, how much women ADORE him, and how he isn't affected. Every. Single. Time. a woman looks his way. Every time Matthew sees Dora we hear about the first time he met her. It's like Morris has to reintroduce the characters each time he starts a new chapter - or paragraph, or maybe even a sentence, for that matter!
Perhaps this is because they are one dimensional and not even as boring as sin, as the expression should go. We have the female "I only believe in science!" and the empathetic male who is determined to help her find the Truth. Yawn.
The antagonist of this book you can guess from the beginning, but by making her a lesbian and in cahoots with Bingham, Morris resorts to sheer desperation. Knowing his plot was as cold as Antarctica, he threw in something truly shocking to Victorian sensibilities. (After all, Lady Trent's husband was a pedophile, and Dylan had supposedly slept with Meredith. What more was left? 🙄)
This is typical of most of Morris's writing, though: a basic plot, lots of sensual overtones where the male or female protaganist has to resist the worldly charms of one, and surrender to the Christian charms of another. "He was conscious of her body pressed against his." "Her lips were full and soft." "Her womanhood was calling to him." Blah blah blah
This prevents them from actually having to do a lot of talking, which of course spares Morris from having to write. This, and using up lots of sentences to describe their clothes and their rooms. Once you read about five of his books, in any series, you have read them all.
When he started writing with his daughter, Lynn, things improved immensely! The Cheney Duvall series is actually quite impressive, and I also enjoyed the continuation to it, Cheney and Shiloh. They actually hold witty conversations, there's very little kissing, and Cheney is a Christian doctor (the complete opposite of Lady Trent here!) who doesn't hold to many of the Victorian stereotypes. I have reread that entire series multiple times.
September 21, 2017
Of the three books, this was my least favorite. I loved the storyline of the series and the characters, but in this particular case I felt as if way too much was packed into the last four or five chapters, like crammed in at the last second. I was disappointed that Dylan and Serafina had little to no involvement in the murder a or chase this time, and nothing ever came about from the autopsies or anything. I was hoping for a much stronger story plot and definitely a better ending. I'm glad that in the end things "worked out" but I felt like it could have happened a bit sooner.
June 8, 2024
Excellent mystery, suspense!
I loved this book! I read as a stand-alone, but it was so good, I need to read the first two! Page-turner, keeps you guessing! Light romance. Full of faith as they depend on God to help them solve the mysteries! Excellent!
I loved this book! I read as a stand-alone, but it was so good, I need to read the first two! Page-turner, keeps you guessing! Light romance. Full of faith as they depend on God to help them solve the mysteries! Excellent!
January 8, 2019
This series was to die for! I just loved all the characters, especially David, he was so funny.
May 18, 2022
Good read. Enjoyed the series.
June 26, 2024
I love these characters so much! 4.5⭐️
October 10, 2011
I must admit, as much as I looked forward to this book, I felt it lacking... I knew we must get to this point with the characters and the story, so what was lacking? Probably the main 'mystery', itself. It was all too obvious from virtually the 1st page for anyone who routinely reads and loves mysteries who was behind the entire series of murders.
And the femme fatale from Dylan's past was a bit too obvious, as well. Although Meredith certainly lent some drama and moved the plot along nicely. It just felt as if both Dylan and Serafina were out of character several times in this book. Dylan, for spending way too much time alone with the widowed Meredith. Yes, he spends a lot of time with Serafina, but most of that time is also in the company of one or more of her family members or her young son, David.
I suppose the idea is that Dylan is lonely, and Meredith seems to better fit the bill for a potential match than the titled Lady Serafina. But it should be as obvious to Dylan as it is to everyone else that Meredith is lying and manipulating him... and for Dylan to actually believe that he's spent the night with Meredith seems to be unbelievable.
Serafina... she's supposed to be finding the faith that she's so long rejected. And that, along with the horrid murder of her best friend, Lady Margaret, would certainly put anyone off her usual self. And, I suppose, the challenge that Meredith represents of whisking Dylan off and making him unavailable... I didn't question Serafina's growth into faith; I questioned her actions of proving Meredith a fraud, all on her own.
Even Serafina's father, who has shown a penchant for accepting faith, seemed off in this book.
And perhaps, most of all, the fact that the series ends here - or at least it does for now. That is very disappointing. It was all starting to get so good!
And the femme fatale from Dylan's past was a bit too obvious, as well. Although Meredith certainly lent some drama and moved the plot along nicely. It just felt as if both Dylan and Serafina were out of character several times in this book. Dylan, for spending way too much time alone with the widowed Meredith. Yes, he spends a lot of time with Serafina, but most of that time is also in the company of one or more of her family members or her young son, David.
I suppose the idea is that Dylan is lonely, and Meredith seems to better fit the bill for a potential match than the titled Lady Serafina. But it should be as obvious to Dylan as it is to everyone else that Meredith is lying and manipulating him... and for Dylan to actually believe that he's spent the night with Meredith seems to be unbelievable.
Serafina... she's supposed to be finding the faith that she's so long rejected. And that, along with the horrid murder of her best friend, Lady Margaret, would certainly put anyone off her usual self. And, I suppose, the challenge that Meredith represents of whisking Dylan off and making him unavailable... I didn't question Serafina's growth into faith; I questioned her actions of proving Meredith a fraud, all on her own.
Even Serafina's father, who has shown a penchant for accepting faith, seemed off in this book.
And perhaps, most of all, the fact that the series ends here - or at least it does for now. That is very disappointing. It was all starting to get so good!
July 23, 2016
Serafina, Dylan, and the rest of the gang are back for another round of mystery solving in 19th century London!
All of London is on alert when high society women start turning up murdered. A serial killer is on the loose, and his gruesome methods have earned him the nickname "The Slasher." Scotland Yard is baffled by the badly written poems and many false clues the killer leaves at each scene, so Lady Serafina Trent is brought in to try to help solve the case and uncover the identity of the "Slasher"....
Meanwhile, when Dylan's childhood sweetheart, Meredith, suddenly appears in London, he does what he can to help her get her footing in the city. Serafina is surprised to find feelings of jealousy rising when Meredith's attitude toward Dylan becomes possessive. Serafina starts to notice that certain things about Meredith don't quite add up, yet it's not her place to point these things out to Dylan. She will have to rely on her budding faith in God to direct her through her personal life, and also to guide her in the investigation of the Slasher.
The story here seemed very original, it's not just your normal murder-mystery. It really drew me in and made me wonder what the killer's motive was. I enjoyed seeing Serafina come to a realization of her feelings for Dylan, and while I wasn't extremely thrilled with Meredith's character, she did add a new layer to the story and I can definitely see that she was a necessary addition. Throughout the series I've appreciated how Dylan's faith affected Seraphina's thinking towards God, and that continues on in this book.
This was a great read, I really enjoyed it. I give it 4.5 stars, so I rounded up to 5. I can't decide if this one or the first is my favorite, but the whole series is a real treat and I definitely recommend all three books! I'll be looking for more books by this author!
All of London is on alert when high society women start turning up murdered. A serial killer is on the loose, and his gruesome methods have earned him the nickname "The Slasher." Scotland Yard is baffled by the badly written poems and many false clues the killer leaves at each scene, so Lady Serafina Trent is brought in to try to help solve the case and uncover the identity of the "Slasher"....
Meanwhile, when Dylan's childhood sweetheart, Meredith, suddenly appears in London, he does what he can to help her get her footing in the city. Serafina is surprised to find feelings of jealousy rising when Meredith's attitude toward Dylan becomes possessive. Serafina starts to notice that certain things about Meredith don't quite add up, yet it's not her place to point these things out to Dylan. She will have to rely on her budding faith in God to direct her through her personal life, and also to guide her in the investigation of the Slasher.
The story here seemed very original, it's not just your normal murder-mystery. It really drew me in and made me wonder what the killer's motive was. I enjoyed seeing Serafina come to a realization of her feelings for Dylan, and while I wasn't extremely thrilled with Meredith's character, she did add a new layer to the story and I can definitely see that she was a necessary addition. Throughout the series I've appreciated how Dylan's faith affected Seraphina's thinking towards God, and that continues on in this book.
This was a great read, I really enjoyed it. I give it 4.5 stars, so I rounded up to 5. I can't decide if this one or the first is my favorite, but the whole series is a real treat and I definitely recommend all three books! I'll be looking for more books by this author!
February 13, 2017
I read the first two books in this series so it was nice to get it finished up. Gilbert Morris is a prolific author, but I don't find myself reaching for books #1 and #2 again, and I expect the same for #3. The stories are decent, but the story-telling seems like it needs to be fleshed out a little bit more. It's like he was sketching out the general idea of the story, but needed to insert some more dialogue or description to really take it to the next level. There where times when he dedicated a sentence to a big plot event or moment, when a couple of sentences or a paragraph might have been better.
June 4, 2014
There is a new murder underfoot, the Slasher. Who kills women that are nobility, Dutchesses, Contessas, and Viscountes'. Sarafina is notacing a string of familiary clues in all of the crime scenes, but what can the mean. Dylan is falling for Sarafina, but when an old childhood sweatheart returns, Dylan finds him self being torn.
NOT GOOD The other two were okay, but this one REALLY got off track. I've read another Gilbert Morris book that did the same thing.
Dylan is eating at Meredith's house with her child, but doesn't know that the juice has a sleeping powder in it....so when he is asleep she can do anything she likes including snuggling up to him in her bed and blame it on him because he can't rememebr and truts what she says. It was a pretty bad part in the book, a part that I stopped at. Also Dylan is a great Christian man, and when you let your guard down and vist women alone, things will happen whether it was you who did it or not. There is no need to put stuff like this in your head.
NOT GOOD The other two were okay, but this one REALLY got off track. I've read another Gilbert Morris book that did the same thing.
Dylan is eating at Meredith's house with her child, but doesn't know that the juice has a sleeping powder in it....so when he is asleep she can do anything she likes including snuggling up to him in her bed and blame it on him because he can't rememebr and truts what she says. It was a pretty bad part in the book, a part that I stopped at. Also Dylan is a great Christian man, and when you let your guard down and vist women alone, things will happen whether it was you who did it or not. There is no need to put stuff like this in your head.
September 13, 2015
This book suffers from many of the same problems the second book in the series did, a lackluster mystery and poor period piece under a boatload of Christian propaganda. I thought the clues were ridiculously easy to interpret and the so-called experts just bumbled around. Also the Dylan-Meredith plot line was a little pathetic, Dylan who is constantly judging Serafina for not accepting Jesus will accept Meredith and all her lies and vague stories? Morris needs to do some major clarification in term of his characters, because their characterization doesn't jibe with their behavior. I have no issue with Christian writing, but if that's what you want to write call a spade a spade and do it, because you can't write mysteries or period pieces, they're slapdash and inaccurate at best.
December 16, 2011
This book was given to me by a very faithful person. I have my beliefs but when things go over the top I find it lacking in creativity honestly. I enjoyed the characters and the familiar name drops in this story. The revelations however were all based on spiritual guidance so the actual mystery and details coming to life fell dead with just an oh that's what happened? Instead of the shocking truth one might want to discover.
January 2, 2011
Fluff, but fairly entertaining. If I hadn't been completely out of books and the tv was tuned into football all weekend, I don't know that I would've finished this. But all in all, it was kind of fun, in a predictable way. Didn't know it was the third in a trilogy, but you hardly need to read the others to catch up.
March 6, 2011
Didn't like this last installment as much as the other two. It followed more of Dylan and Lady Trent's relationship than the mystery which I found dissapointing. A bit predictable but there were some clever sides to the killer. Gilbert Morris's writing is rather flat and lacks dimension and sparkle. His characters are not well flushed out.
November 30, 2011
I liked the relationship between the two leads -- and thought they were both such quirky characters that they carried the story for me for the whole series. I cared enough about them that they made almost everything else around them disappear. I just wanted to see what would happen for them. The rest was just bonus.
September 25, 2015
Having trouble rating this because part of it might be a 3-4 but other parts a 1. I really enjoyed the characters of Serafina and Dylan, although Dylan wasn't as strong in this book. Not sure what happened there. The low rating would be all the plot rambles and too much slashing for my taste. Also, I was hoping to find out what happened with Gervase and Trevor from book 2!
July 21, 2018
Not having read any other books in this series, I'm not sure if this one is consistent in it's tone and theme. A standard Victorian mystery, Lady Trent is a member of the nobility with an unconventional family and a habit of solving mysteries. The suspect was fairly obvious early on but the biggest distraction and a major plot line was religion and Lady Trent's burgeoning faith.
November 17, 2014
I enjoyed the religious aspects of the story. The love triangle between Dylan, Sarafina and Dylan's childhood sweetheart was interesting. I thought for sure I had the murderer figured out but I was surprised. It was an engaging novel but it lacked a little Je ne sais quois. I don't know what.
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June 2, 2015Final Book in Delightful Series
Great read for those who enjoy Christian Fiction/Mystery novels. I am ready to find the next book by.Gilbert Morris on my "want to read" shelf and begin.
Great read for those who enjoy Christian Fiction/Mystery novels. I am ready to find the next book by.Gilbert Morris on my "want to read" shelf and begin.
November 2, 2009
OMGSH!!!!!!!!!! This book was so good! I loved all 3 of them! it was awesome and totally took me away in the book!
December 31, 2009
It's okay but doesn't move fast enough.
January 2, 2010
Great book!
July 4, 2010
I really liked this series even though this volume gave away the mystery too easily and early. Fun fluff and ended like I'd hoped(though it was obvious it would!)
July 25, 2010
Last book of a short Trilogy (the Lady Trent Mysteries)- I liked it a lot- but I wish I would have known to start with book 1
August 26, 2010
I think I've read too many well-put-together mysteries. Unfortunately, this was not one of them. Much too predictable!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews