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“Silent in the Grave ”

written by Harriet Klausner on 17/11/2006

Silent in the Grave

Deanna Raybourn

Mira, January 2007, $21.95

ISBN: 0778324109



In 1886 London, Lord Edward Grey dies suddenly while hosting a party at his home, from the chronic heart disease that has killed several members of his family. He leaves behind a grieving but wealthy widow, Julia.



While she still mourns her loss, private inquirer Nicholas Brisbane insists that Edward hired him to investigate who was sending him threatening letters. He further insists he believes her late spouse was murdered, though the killing was disguised to look like his heart gave out. When he proves his theory, Julia reluctantly asks him to continue his inquiries, but to his dissatisfaction with her help. As they dig into Edward's last days, they uncover a secret sexual life her deceased husband led, as a killer calmly waits for Julia to figure out the truth.



This terrific Victorian whodunit starts off displaying the polite manners of the Ton during a period of mourning, but quickly turns into an exciting historical mystery once Nicholas proves to Lady Julia that her late husband was murdered by a clever diabolical adversary. Stunned and needing justice and revenge, the intrepid Lady Julia teams up with the inquiry agent by making inquiries among the servants, uncovering alongside of Nicholas the fact that her spouse had some secret appetites. Though the era serves as the base for many mystery tales, Deanna Raybourn provides one of the deeper, because fans will believe they are accompanying the amateur and professional sleuths around late nineteenth century London.