After years spent away, Lady Evelyn is at long last back in her home city of London and she has returned with a rather controversial plan. The Carlisle Detective Agency is born, and it does not take long for the bodies… ahem, cases, to start piling up. With her friend and assistant Hugh, Evelyn embarks on the quest to solve the crimes. Yet the London she encounters is not the London of her … coddled youth, and she is forced to learn that there is more to discover than the identity of a murderer. It isn’t only her city which reveals it is not what she always believed it to be, but the people she encounters as well. Secrets are revealed that have her thinking twice about everything she thought she knew about the society in which she grew up.Evelyn’s love for her hard-won independence confronts her with yet another mystery, whether she is ready or willing to give up any of it for marriage. And then there is the arrival of rather a familiar face in London, one Daniel is none to pleased to see. Evelyn must find not one but two murderers, as well as make a decision that could determine her future. From the mansions of Mayfair to the dark alleys of Whitechapel, can Evelyn catch the killers before another life is taken?
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The Quality of Mercy is the fifth book in the Lady Evelyn Mystery series written by Malia Zaidi. This a historical mystery collection that follows all the typical cozy guidelines, yet it’s much more complex and clever with the fully developed atmosphere of 1920s Europe. The early books hopped back and forth from Greece and other parts of the continent before returning home to England, where the main character, Lady Evelyn Carlisle, Evie to some, has decided to open her own detective agency. What a wonderful new plan… how in opposition to the norm for the time period… and how wonderful for us readers who gain the promise of many more investigations and hours of excellent stories.
Having reached my one-thousandth book review recently, I finally had to limit my TBR to only those series I must read and those authors I need to follow in order to catch the latest books written. Zaidi’s Lady Evelyn series is one of those that I actively look for new releases, and when the opportunity arises to get an early copy, I’m at the front of the line. I lucked out this time with an advanced copy, and I must say… the book was amazing, but now I’m disappointed because I might have to wait another year before getting to read the next one.
In The Quality of Mercy, Evie attempts to solve two mysteries, both of which have a personal connection. One of her fiance’s employees is accused of a murder he claims didn’t commit. One of her best friends, whom she hasn’t seen in a while, has been named the prime suspect in his own father’s death too. Lady Evelyn and her colleague, Hugh, scour the city from Whitechapel to the outskirts of London searching for clues. Our amateur sleuth turned professional is very smart, and she knows she lacks experience; however, she relies on her connections and intuition, often asking all the right questions to discover the missing clues.
Watching her grow and bond with the rest of the cast is also an enjoyable piece of reading this series. Though she’s engaged, and we see the romance happening from time to time, it’s not the central point of her life. Daniel even steps aside to let her investigate, even if at times he expresses his concern. He’s supportive and protective, yet he understands she is a force not to be reckoned with. At the same time, he’s masculine and attractive, and we see that they are a formidable match. I like their relationship, and it’s just one piece of story behind the mystery of Lady Evelyn Carlisle. Her parents are long dead, and her aunt thinks of her as a daughter, but that relationship is fraught with problems too. Evie is not one-dimensional; she constantly thinks through her actions to decide if she’s been fair or needs to change her style and mind.
As a mystery, this one is quite good. We see the upper echelon of London society thrust into a murder, all the while the servant class suffers from one too. There are easy comparisons, among the differences, that clearly show us the emotions behind a person’s decision to kill. The police leave one alone, yet they fight to find the murderer in another. Is there bias? Are they ignoring the potential innocence of the poor man because it does them no good to find the real killer? So much culture is written into this book, it’s hard not to see it as a learning experience too.
Zaidi’s book is a little longer than a traditional mystery in these genres, but the tone rightfully drops you into the time period, when things took longer and lasted longer than they do now. She takes paragraphs to fully set a scene, and while at times I want to skip ahead to the action, it also becomes clear that the descriptions are what help me feel like I’m really in 1920s London… so I end up wanting to slow my pace and embrace all that is being thrown at me. I’m always glad to pick up a new one in this series, and I’m excited to share the review on this one with others. Thanks for the opportunity to check out life just under a century ago.
A 1920’s historical mystery that has everything you could possibly want from a book of this genre; a fabulous detective, a deep plot and a collection of characters you always second guess! Historical fiction is usually not for me, but murder mysteries are my favourite – combined, these two genres created the perfect story.
This book completely shocked me with how great it was, and as someone who isn’t usually that interested in historical works of fiction, this blew me away. From start to finish, I was hooked, and loved following Evelyn’s journey as she works to solve the mystery of murder. The whole plot has been perfected unlike anything you’ve ever seen, each character with incredible personality traits. The language used is very 1920’s and works so well in bringing the reader into this era.
Definitely want to catch up with the rest of the series after reading this! Amazing!