Lady Darby returns to London with her new husband, Sebastian Gage, but newlywed bliss won’t last for long when her past comes back to haunt her in the latest exciting installment in this national bestselling series.November 1831. After fleeing London in infamy more than two years prior, Lady Kiera Darby’s return to the city is anything but mundane, though not for the reasons she expected. A gang … expected. A gang of body snatchers is arrested on suspicion of imitating the notorious misdeeds of Edinburgh criminals, Burke and Hare–killing people from the streets and selling their bodies to medical schools. Then Kiera’s past–a past she thought she’d finally made peace with–rises up to haunt her.
All of London is horrified by the evidence that “burkers” are, indeed, at work in their city. The terrified populace hovers on a knife’s edge, ready to take their enmity out on any likely suspect. And when Kiera receives a letter of blackmail, threatening to divulge details about her late anatomist husband’s involvement with the body snatchers and wrongfully implicate her, she begins to apprehend just how precarious her situation is. Not only for herself, but also her new husband and investigative partner, Sebastian Gage, and their unborn child.
Meanwhile, the young scion of a noble family has been found murdered a block from his home, and the man’s family wants Kiera and Gage to investigate. Is it a failed attempt by the London burkers, having left the body behind, or the crime of someone much closer to home? Someone who stalks the privileged, using the uproar over the burkers to cover his own dark deeds?
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There were so many things I liked about this book. Kiera and Gage return to London, and Kiera’s past returns to haunt her when burkers are caught who killed a young boy–The Italian Boy–to sell his corpse to a medical school. The crime brings up the drawings Kiera did for her first husband’s book on anatomy. Gage won’t let Kiera cringe from the ugly gossip that circulates about her again, and the wonderful duchess who hires Kiera to do her portrait tells her to square her shoulders and shut down her tormentors. Not an easy thing for Kiera to do, but eventually, she stands up for herself. More surprising, Gage’s father stands up for her, too. The Italian Boy case causes Anderley pain, too, and we get a glimpse into Gage’s valet’s past. Overall, it was satisfying to see so much growth for several characters in this book. There were a lot of plot lines to juggle this time, but they kept the pace of the book moving steadily forward. I was surprised when two of the plots–the burkers and Kiera’s first husband’s journals– resolved, and then Gage and Kiera immediately decided who the killer of Mayfair was with no new clue to nudge them to their conclusion. I’d already guessed who it was, but I was expecting one new tidbit of something to make them decide for certain. But the truth is, that was a small matter to me. I enjoyed the history and relationships in this book maybe more than the actual mystery.
Lady Darby, while assisting her husband on his investigation of a vagrant Italian’s boy’s apparent murder by body snatchers, faces her own past haunts. Her first husband forced her to do anatomical drawings on his own dubious source of corpses. She must fight scandal and shame as she struggles to uncover a plot that might have nothing to do with illegal procurement of corpses and everything to do with politics. Can she find the killer before he ruins her reputation beyond redemption? As educational as it is entertaining, this historical mystery will immerse you in the streets of London in the volatile 1830s.
A totally immersive experience! Enter 19th Century England and experience all the sights and sounds and even the smells without leaving your chair. Anna Lee Huber gives us another great mystery!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Lady Kiera Darby just can’t escape the taint her late husband put upon her. The latest crime wave involves a group killing people and selling the bodies to medical schools and anatomists like Lord Darby. They are calling the killers “Burkers” because they seem to be copying Burke and Hare, Edinburgh criminals, in the way the people are killed. They are preying on young men, “Italian Boys” that were said to be sold by their parents and in hopes, they would have a better life, but that was never meant to be. The boys were abused, many living on the streets. Lady Darby soon finds that people have long memories and some are sure she is involved with these bodysnatchers or at the very least knows who they are.
The newlyweds have also been asked to investigate the murder of the eldest son of Lord Redditch. He was killed close to his home and Kiera and Sabastian were the first on the scene. The killing had similarities with the “burker” death but Kiera and Sabastian believe that is what the killer just wants them to think. Will this murder be pinned on the burkers while the real killer goes free?
I anxiously await each new book in this series because Anna Lee Huber is such a talented storyteller. Her words transport the reader back in time so effortlessly. The scenes come alive from the gritty streets on foggy nights to the amazing homes in all their grandeur.
Ms. Huber also creates wonderful characters. Lady Darby was grown so much over the course of the story. After the death of the husband that kept her captured to illustrate the intricate parts of the body for his textbooks to the strong woman, she is today. Married to the man she truly loves, his partner in many sordid investigations, soon to be the mother of his child. She is intelligent and an independent thinker and his true equal. Very uncommon for the time and place. Sebastian Gage has grown too. He went against his father’s wishes by getting involved with Kiera and then marrying her. Their union has made him a stronger man and she truly brings out the best in him.
They are surrounded by a wonderful supporting cast. Their servants Bree and Anderley, who are much more than servants, they are trusted by Gage and Kiera and step up to take part in the investigation. They can go places and talk to those below floors in ways Gage and Kiera can’t. Add to this the vast cast of the noble realm, the families, the staffs, the Bow Street Runners, The New Police, and more. There are a lot of characters but Ms. Huber gives them great definition making each unique and memorable.
The mystery is very complex encompassing many situations. A true puzzler as clues are revealed and pieced together in many different ways until they all align and fall into place. I enjoyed following along each step of the way. I did have the killer on my radar but was still guessing right up to the final reveal.
These books can each be read on their own but I believe they should be read in order to realize all the character development. Plus they are all excellent stories that shouldn’t be missed by fans of this genre.
Until next year Lady Darby. I am excited for our next adventure!
While this can be read as a stand-alone, die-hard Lady Darby fans will applaud as Kiera faces the shadows of her past that haunt her with strength and fortitude.
In An Artless Demise, the seventh book in this series, we find Lady Darby and her husband, Gage, residing at their home in London. Their newly married domestic bliss is disturbed by several events. The city of London is experiencing civil unrest due to political conflict over reform. Add to this the fact that evidence of “burking”, the practice of body snatchers killing people from the streets and selling their bodies to medical schools, is at work in the city. Kiera and her husband must discover if these volatile situations are related to the murder of the heir to a nobleman. Can they keep her reputation from suffering additional damage as they navigate the snubs of society in their newest inquiry?
As always, Anna Lee Huber can be counted on for her attention to historical detail, weaving true events into her mysteries. I find her stories to be well-plotted with a fabulous cast of characters. She is a master at penning a character arc that will resonate with her readers. The evolution of Kiera’s character throughout the series is heart-warming. As always, Gage can be relied upon to be a swoon-worthy hero who allows his own vulnerability to appear occasionally. It is refreshing for Huber to continue to tell a couple’s story after they have married. So many stories end with marriage, not sharing the adventurous journey that follows. I cannot wait to read the next installment in this series, my interest already peaked by the hint at the end of the story.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through Netgalley. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
‘I’d learned long ago that just because someone was likeable did not mean they weren’t capable of terrible things.’
When I read Anna Lee Huber’s first novel in the Lady Darby series, ‘The Anatomist’s Wife’, I was hooked. I still feel the same way. I eagerly anticipate each new book in the series. In this offering, Kiera, who is still called Lady Darby, even though she has shed that unfortunate husband, is still a newlywed, married to the charming Sebastian Gage. Her past is coming back to haunt her now, because she has been targeted by a blackmailer. It is November 1831 and she and Gage are back in London after escaping two years prior under very distressing circumstances indeed. Now, a gang of bodysnatchers is at work and have been arrested and once again, Kiera’s past, rises up to haunt her. Even though she is not guilty of anything, many in society believe badly of her.
London is horrified by these ‘burkers’ at work in their city. Then the young heir of a noble family is murdered and Kiera and Gage are hired as the inquiry agents to find the culprit. Is this murder the result of the burkers’ attempt at procuring another body or is it another sinister monster on the loose?
Kiera is now expecting her and Gage’s first child, but both of them are determined to solve this crime and indeed clear her name once and for all of the hateful Lord Darby’s evil machinations.
I love Huber’s work, her impeccable research: these bodysnatching events actually happened. And the ‘Italian Boy’ did also happen. Her ability to weave a fascinating story while also giving us every detail into the lives of the Gages is indeed compelling. I recommend this series. Now I long for the next one.
*My thanks to the publishers for making a copy of this book available to me through Net Galley. I was not pressured to leave a review and all the opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
4.5/5
Number 7 in the Lady Darby series and another winner from Huber! Rich in historical details and fact, this one revolves around the deaths of 3 noble heirs while also mixing in the resurrectionist trade and Keira’s frightening history with it. I continue to the development of Keira’s and Sebastian’s love story…Huber does this especially well. The reader doesn’t feel as if they are being presented with a full-blown romance but rather that they are watching a careful wooing unfold of what promises to be an epic love match.
Keira, as a heroine, is not perfect but rather heartbreakingly human, and that’s what makes her so compelling to me. Yes, she’s intelligent, yes she’s strong, but there are nightmares and monsters in her past that can also render her afraid and guilt-ridden. And that’s where Sebastian becomes her rock and her helpmate. They, both separately and as a couple, are fascinating to watch as they grow.
I will never tire of reading anything by Huber…period.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Berkley for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own. Out 4/2.
Anna Lee Huber’s 7th trip into the Lady Darby mysteries is as thrilling as the first THE ANATOMIST’S WIFE. Only more so. Kiera and Gage’s mysteries (yes, plural) in ARTLESS DEMISE have everything: murder, blackmail, kidnappings, forbidden love, riots, hangings, need I say more. I loved the expanding roles of reoccurring characters. Yet there is even more character growth, especially between Kiera and Gage. My heart hurt for Kiera and the emotional pain she is still not free of.
Of course, Ms Huber leaves her readers with a trail of breadcrumbs leading us to Lady Darby #8. Which seems a long way off. I most definitely recommend ARTLESS DEMISE.
I received this book free from NetGalley as an ARC reviewer in exchange for a true and honest review. And so it has been.
Another enjoyable read in the Lady Darby series!
Reviewed: April 8, 2019
“Would the past never leave me be.” (quote from the book)
London, England 1831 the ‘burkers’ (body snatchers) have set the city on edge and Kiera (Lady Darby) and Sebastian Gage are soon immersed in a tangled web of events that brings Kiera’s past back with a vengeance.
Not only are there body snatchers to deal with, but the political climate surrounding the Reform Bill has made the populace tense and on edge. Through all this, Kiera is forced to face and re-live the painful memories of her first marriage and the horror it evokes as she and Gage become embroiled in the ‘burker style’ murders of aristocratic heirs.
“My heart already raced with the panic I’d felt so many times during the weeks after the scandal over my involvement with Sir Anthony’s work erupted. I’d thought to never feel that again, but the lurching sensation of my pulse flooded me with memories. The anxiety I’d thought I’d learned to control made my skin prickle and my stomach turn.” (quote from the book)
Being privy to Kiera’s thoughts, you experience first hand how those in the ton treat her once the scandal breaks and at times you want to lash out at them.
“Among society, it was not so much the truth of the matter, but the appearance of it.” (quote from the book)
One of the most deeply satisfying things I love most about this couple is how Ms. Huber conveys the tenderness, laced with deep respect, honour and love they have for each other. It is not over the top nor in your face. It is two intelligent individuals knowing that what they have found in each other makes them complete.
I have yet to be disappointed in any of the six Lady Darby mysteries I have already read. ‘An Artless Demise’ will now make it seven. Each and every one of these mysteries is brilliant, not only in the descriptive verse, the atmosphere, and the history, but in the overall execution of the stories. Each book builds upon the other, so I do recommend you start at the beginning with “The Anatomist’s Wife”. Believe me, you will not be disappointed.
Love this series!
I love the Lady Darby series. The characters are great and the stories are unique!
Lady Keira Darby’s past returns with a vengeance when London is horrified by evidence of body snatchers being in their city. Blackmail threats muddy the waters, along with being witness to a murder. With so many threads at play, will Kiera and Gage discover the truth before it goes any further?
I found this a fascinating addition to the series. I especially liked the details about body snatching and just how rooted this story was in historical fact. Keira is forced to face the fears of her past as society turns a cold shoulder. Though she has come far since we first met her, the scars of her past are still there.
Gage, Anderly, and Bree are there to play their part in the investigation and to give support as needed. Lord Gage, disapproving as ever, also lurks on the edges watching everything. Though he does take a step to be a bit understanding, in the end, the reader si left wondering if it’s real.
Readers of the series will be delighted with this and I look forward to the next installment.
Keira and Gage are a delight. I really enjoyed the focus on family and standing by your own in this book. Love, loyalty, and tribulations were the highlights in this book. Each character had something they were fighting for and I truly loved seeing it all come together. I would be content for this series to go on and on; I never tire of these characters and the mysteries they find themselves wrapped up in.
Lady Darby comes up against her nightmarish past and must fight emotionally and mentally to keep her new life together. Her new husband Sebastian Gage has been understanding and sympathetic, but gets more of a taste of what she faced before. Even Lord Gage, Sebastian’s father, who has never accepted Kiera, gets a glimpse of what her life was like with her deceased husband and the public hatred she withstood.
The setting of London has been covered by scores of books and authors and yet Ms. Huber weaves historical facts seamlessly to create a layered and atmospheric large city. The main plot of handling two investigations, the “burkers” trial with an unidentified young “Italian Boy” victim they are trying to id, and the case of a young heir, a truly black-hearted individual, whose murder was loosely made to look like a “Burking” are enough to keep the story hopping. But the added black mailing and Gage’s right-hand-man Anderly having a personal stake in identifying the young victim make the story emotionally layered and rich. It is an absorbing story that draws you in and is hard to put down.
The climax is to prevent another wealthy heir’s death as the city is on tender hooks after the “burkers” trial and impending public execution. It has exciting elements of a ticking clock to save a life with some harrowing elements. Wonderful climax. The wrap-up gives a hint of Lord Gage’s tendency to “arrange” his family’s lives to suit himself and paves the way for the next story.
It is hard to believe this is the seventh book and if anything the series just keeps getting better and better. I love how history is made fascinating and alive through this series. The themes of ethnic prejudices and the poor becoming political pawns shows how “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” The story was immersive and an experience I highly recommend.
Rating: Near Perfect – Couldn’t Put it down. Buy two copies, one for you and one for a friend.
Great detail of the time without bogging down the story.
The main characters continue to grow individually and as a couple.
Gage shows her repeatedly that what others think doesn’t matter to him. She is what matters.
What a marvelously unlikely, but plausible, murderer.
An excellent addition to the Lady Darby series. Lady Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage head to London where Lady Darby has not been since she left under circumstances beyond her control.
We get a look at the different classes of people in the 1830’s. The haves and the have nots. People just trying to survive. Parents unable to care for their children sending them away for a, hopefully, better life. The dregs of society preying on others. This book is just delicious!
The mystery is one that had me stumped for a while, but it seemed to stump Gage and Keira even longer! I loved the interaction between Keira and Gage’s father. Perhaps understanding will eventually develop between them.
If you haven’t read the Lady Darby series, you can certainly read this book as a stand-alone, but why deprive yourself of hours of reading enjoyment! Read the series!!
Anna Lee Huber knows how to continue a story line and how to draw you into the lives of the main characters. And again she has a fresh new plot that made me devour this book in just a few days. And I decided I will read all the previous installments again.
The Lady Darby Mystery Series is one of my favorites, and AN ARTLESS DEMISE is a wonderful addition. Huber never disappoints, filling the pages with historically faithful details, well defined, enjoyable characters, and an artfully crafted, intelligent mystery.
In AN ARTLESS DEMISE, newlyweds Kiera and Gage return to London following their honeymoon to find political unrest and a town up in arms about Burkers (criminals who murder their victims with the intent of selling the bodies to medical schools and anatomists). This brings Kiera’s scandalous past with her deceased anatomist first husband back to the forefront of the Ton. Some of the members of high society go as far as to accuse Kiera of being in cahoots with the Burkers. When a member of their own class is murdered in Mayfair, Kiera and Gage are tasked with finding the killer. As the body count rises, Kiera faces more troubles of her own when someone threatens blackmail.
Kiera has grown a great deal over the course of the series, but the publicity of the Burkers brings her self-imposed guilt and shame full circle. A younger, more damaged Kiera would have fled society to hide, but here she comes to terms with her past displaying confidence and mettle. At times I found myself disgusted with the way people treated her and amazed at her inner strength. She even finds her voice to stand up to her demeaning father-in-law. I admire her and cannot wait to see what her future as a wife, mother, and sleuth holds.
The mystery is intricate and finely paced. The clues are logically laid out, but I still struggled to pin down the killer for most of the story, which does not happen often. I love to be challenged. Highly recommended.
I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
Pregnant and happy, Kiera returns to London with her husband Gage. Unfortunately the spectre of her late husband, Lord Darby, rises when London is beset by a series of disappearances and murders attributed to bodysnatchers. An Artless Demise is a very twisty, emotional story that is impossible to put down.