This came in a big box of books a friend was giving away and I didn't know it was book 6 in a series (but I didn't feel too spoiled for previous books so I might chase them down) Rosalind is a 'useful woman' trying to survive in Regency era England without necessarily being married. She is wealthy adjacent in her upbringing and now she helps members of the haute ton (the most important, wealthiest of English society) find lost things and solve other problems.

Her friend, Bethany, has enlisted her help to find a very expensive string of black pearls that has been stolen and her husband, Lord Douglas, blames her sister, Nora who shamed the family by running away at 16 with his friend, Cantrell, in theory eloping (something not done at their social level). Bethany thinks Nora is innocent and wants Rosalind to help her.

Rosalind walks into a house in turmoil. ALL of Bethany's family lives with her, Nora, her parents (a hypochondriac dramatic mother, alcoholic father who lost his own fortune), her other sister Mariah who wants a life of science and Douglas's sister, Penelope who was in love with Cantrell. Douglas wants to marry her off and added to the mix is his uncle Sir Jaspar who made him the heir and holds the purse strings and wants Douglas's country raised family gone.

Adding to this, Rosalind's live-in friend, Alice wants them to get a bigger house they can barely afford and the man she loves, the bow street runner, Adam, is currently in Manchester doing something he can't believe in. (Both of them will struggle with should they be doing their jobs in this). And then Cantrell, whom Nora told everyone was dead, shows up.

And there is a lot more plot complications and twists which I felt were very well done. Rosalind and Adam are interesting characters (though I didn't get to see much of him) I liked her a lot. I do want to see more of her. I was happy to figure out the killer but there were twists I didn't see coming and that made me even happier.

4.25/5⭐️

I was pleasantly surprised by this Regency era mystery. So much so that I plan to go back and read the previous six.

Rosalind Thorne has a reputation as a “Useful Woman” in the haut ton (she aids high society ladies who have been wronged or with any private problems). Even though she’s not in possession of a fortune, she has the connections, the discretion and the intelligence to assist these ladies (for a small fee, of course).

She is called on by a friend to help absolve her sister (who has a less than sterling reputation) of the theft of an expensive pearl necklace. What follows includes lots of secrets, blackmail, fraud, a slew of suspects and ultimately murder.

I loved the character development here (I really loved Rosalind!), and not just the mains but the family (all with motives) of the friend. The mystery, which is fairly convoluted, is also well thought out and intriguing. My only caveats were that I felt it was a bit long and could have been tightened up, and there were a few errors which I’m sure careful editing will take care of.

Definitely looking forward to reading more from this series.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing the free early arc of The Secret of the Lost Pearls for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Set in Georgian England, The Secret of the Lost Pearls is the sixth in the wonderful Rosalind Thorne Mysteries series. The story is jam packed with secrets, mysteries, theft, snippets of romance, drama and murder.

Rosalind Thorne is extraordinary for her era. Not only is she smart and courageous but also discreet which is exactly what society ladies require when they seek engage her to solve cases without any fuss or damage to their reputations. Acquaintance Bethany Hodgeson asks her to find missing pearls but there is far more bubbling below the surface. Bethany's husband, her sisters and her husband's family all want the resolution...or do they? At the age of sixteen, Bethany's sister Nora eloped with handsome but conniving Cantrell. Her return home is met with many obstacles. Sister Mariah's brain is quick and she knows more than others think. Bow Street officer Adam Harkness and maid Amelia use their complementary skillsets to aid Rosalind and chip away at the mystery which grows from indiscretions to crimes. All the while, the ton is desperate to keep things quiet.

Those who are hankering after a cracking good Georgian era Historical Fiction Mystery series, look no further After the first two instalments, this is my favourite. Though the mysteries themselves are absorbing, the quirky characters, beautifully-researched historical details, wit and bright writing with proper Georgian vernacular captivate me most. It's almost like several bonuses stuffed into a gorgeous package.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this brilliantly-written book! The series brings me much joy.

Rosalind continues on her path as a pseudo-private investigator, while her love life does not budge a step to my deep and great displeasure. This time the inquiry starts with a theft and leads to a murder via a necklace and paintings. The tension is quite constant, but certainly not very high, but after six books I have also gotten used to it.

Rosalind prosegue sulla sua strada di pseudo investigatrice privata, mentre la sua vita sentimentale non si schioda di un passo con mio sommo e grande dispiacere. Stavolta l'indagine parte con un furto e arriva ad un omicidio passando per una collana e dei quadri. La tensione é piuttosto costante, ma certo non altissima, ma in fondo dopo sei libri mi ci sono anche abituata.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Well, this took me a little bit to get into it, reading how the story was written in UK English. It is VERY reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice with the Ton and everything that goes along. It was a heck of a mystery though, with a stolen item, and murder, and mystery and most definitely intrigue! I was shocked by the time I got to the end of the story and found myself shaking my head in disbelief. Wow. I have to say I enjoyed the book, even if it was a little harder to get into. I enjoyed reading at nights after work when I had the time. Enjoy the book.

Overall I enjoyed the mystery and the characters, but I was thrown off by some grammar mistakes, and missing/extra words. It didn't keep me from enjoying the story, but it definitely pulled me out when I hit a strange sentence.

THE SECRET OF THE LOST PEARLS by Darcie Wilde

Miss Rosalind Thorn is a “useful woman” that is, she has a knack for detective work. She makes a living discreetly solving thefts, murders and other crimes within the “ton” of 1820s London.

In this story, Rosalind is helping a friend find out who stole a pearl necklace from her bedroom. A simple crime turns into much more as Rosalind learns that just about everyone in the family has something to hide.

Overall, for me, this was just an OK story. If you need a book to escape into, love a good mystery and regency fiction, you’ll enjoy this one.


Note: This is book 6 in this series. My review is based on not having read the previous books.


Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
Release Date: 12.27.22
#TheSecretoftheLostPearls #DarcieWilde

*ARC courtesy of @NetGalley

These are fun. Pretty light reads. This genre entertains me every once in a while. And I do like Rosalind as a character.

I love when the character I hate the most turns out to be the bad guy.

Though I hate that I have to wait for the next book! I've read six of this series this year and I'm itching to get my hands on book 7 in December.