Murder in Berkeley Square: A Lady Worthing Mystery

Riley’s immersive if under-plotted third Regency-era cozy featuring Lady Abigail Worthington (after Murder in Drury Lane) finds the mixed-race gumshoe ensnared in a snowy retread of And Then There Were None. On Christmas Eve in 1806, Abigail is preparing to celebrate in the countryside with the Jamaican side of her family. She and her cousin accept a ride to their destination with Abigail’s neighbor, Commander Stapleton Henderson, who’s on his way to his own get-together at the home of London magistrate Lord Charles Duncan. As a blizzard sets in, the group decides to break their journey at Lord Duncan’s, and he grudgingly agrees to put up the young women for the night. Before bed, Abigail discovers the body of a respected barrister in the snow, and she joins forces with Stapleton to determine if the death was accidental. Soon, more invitees to Lord Duncan’s party turn up dead, and Abigail must determine if it’s the work of an outsider or one of Duncan’s powerful guests. The plot mechanics are fairly rote, but Riley seamlessly interweaves edifying insights about the period’s racial dynamics. The result is a so-so mystery with a top-shelf atmosphere. Agent: Sarah Elizabeth Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (Oct.)