Ok. I am obsessed with the Lady Darby Mystery series now. I was definitely interested in reading more after the first book, The Anatomist’s Wife, but it is really Mortal Arts that drew me into the series a bit more. In this 2nd installment, Lady Kiera Darby is traveling with her sister and brother-in-law to Edinburgh and stops to visit their friend Michael Dalmay along the way. Michael Dalmay’s older brother, William was Kiera’s former drawing master and has been missing and presumed dead for the last 10 years. Much to everyone’s shock, William is very much alive and was just rescued from an asylum by his brother. His father locked him up after he had trouble dealing with his mental state after all the battles he fought. When a local woman goes missing, all suspicion falls on William. So it is up to Kiera and her fellow investigator, Sebastion Gabe to clear his name and find the person responsible for her disappearance.

This book keeps up that gothic atmosphere that I fell in love with in the first book. This time we are dealing with mysterious disappearances and sketchy insane asylums that prey on the vulnerable. At this time in history, mental health is nonexistent. There are things called battle exhaustion. But anyone suffering from any sort of mental illness or trauma is branded mad and locked away to be tortured and forgotten. Lady Kiera approaches this case with grace, kindness, and gentleness. She knows her friend William’s soul is troubled because she has been in that state herself. She must convince those around her that there are complexities around this type of situation and that William would not harm anyone. She must even convince Gage who is trying to approach the case from a more standard point. Lady Kiera’s relationship with William tore my heart out. It is such a beautiful friendship…and yet so tragic. Tissues are definitely required for this book.

There are several trigger warnings for this book: mention of rape, mental illness, depression, PTSD, torture, etc…

Once again, we have the buildup of chemistry between Gage and Kiera. Gage has developed so much from the first book. His roguish appearance is starting to falter as Kiera discovers that it is all a facade for society’s benefit. He hasn’t exposed much of himself yet, but the wall is starting to come down and I can’t wait to see their relationship blossom. Overall, this is my favorite book so far! I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!