BWF - And Only to Deceive - Tasha Alexander - 4 Stars

[Olivermagnus]

The fascinating world of nineteenth century Victorian high society is combined with the historical mystery novel in And Only to Deceive, the first book in Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily Mystery series. When Viscount Philip Ashton unexpectedly dies in an African hunting expedition, his young and beautiful wife, Lady Emily Ashton, finds herself a widow after only a few short months of marriage. Eager to discover the sort of man her late husband was, Emily pursues his interests in classical antiquity and finds a man much more interesting and mysterious than she had initially thought. More than that, however, she finds evidence to suggest that her husband may not have been as honest as she thought, uncovering a complicated plot of art forgeries involving some of the best artifacts exhibited in the British Museum.

Lady Emily finds herself acting as amateur detective in a mystery that takes her to the British Museum, where she uncovers an art forgery plot involving artifacts from the Greek galleries. With the help of a colorful mix of female friends, Emily sets out to get to the bottom of the forgeries as well as exploring the possibility that her late husband's death may not have been accidental.

I thought the author did a great job in her historical portrayals of societal roles in late Victorian England. She gave us a range of charismatic, intelligent females who are fully-formed and varied. Plus it was just plain entertaining and engaging. Some of its plot twists are predictable but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of this series. I hope to read another Lady Emily book soon.

[Theresa]

Loved this one when I read it recently too. Ahree with your excellent review. Have second but not yet read it.