Dido Kent Series by Anna Dean

1805. An engagement party is taking place for Mr Richard Montague, son of wealthy landowner Sir Edgar Montague, and his fiancee Catherine. During a dance with his beloved, a strange thing happens: a man appears at Richard's shoulder and appears to communicate something to him without saying a word. Instantly breaking off the engagement, he rushes off to speak to his father, never to be seen again... more1805. An engagement party is taking place for Mr Richard Montague, son of wealthy landowner Sir Edgar Montague, and his fiancee Catherine. During a dance with his beloved, a strange thing happens: a man appears at Richard's shoulder and appears to communicate something to him without saying a word. Instantly breaking off the engagement, he rushes off to speak to his father, never to be seen again. Distraught with worry, Catherine sends for her spinster aunt, Miss Dido Kent, who has a penchant for solving mysteries. Catherine pleads with her to find her fiance and to discover the truth behind his disappearance. It's going to take a lot of logical thinking to untangle the complex threads of this multi-layered mystery, and Miss Dido Kent is just the woman to do it. less

The great Mrs Lansdale is no more – and all her neighbours in Richmond are gossiping about her death. As the odious Mrs Midgely is quick to point out, her demise is 'very convenient indeed' for her nephew who has 'lost a remarkably tyrannical relation and gained a very fine inheritance.' Indeed, Mrs Midgely suspects that he has 'taken steps to hurry the poor lady out of this world... moreThe great Mrs Lansdale is no more – and all her neighbours in Richmond are gossiping about her death. As the odious Mrs Midgely is quick to point out, her demise is 'very convenient indeed' for her nephew who has 'lost a remarkably tyrannical relation and gained a very fine inheritance.' Indeed, Mrs Midgely suspects that he has 'taken steps to hurry the poor lady out of this world.' Flora, Dido's cousin, is anxious to prove young Mr Lansdale innocent, and Dido herself admits that he is 'a great deal too handsome to be hanged.' When the apothecary informs the magistrate that the cause of death was an overdose of laudanum, the young man's situation becomes perilous. But, as Dido sets about discovering the whole truth, the troubling questions multiply: Why is Mrs Midgely so determined to cause trouble for Mr Lansdale? Why is there sheet music upon the pianoforte, if Mrs Lansdale never allowed the instrument to be played? Why is Mrs Midgely's card in Mrs Lansdale's drawing room if the two ladies were not acquainted? And why is little Miss Prentice borrowing books from the circulating library and tearing them up? There are secrets hidden beneath the respectable façade of Richmond; secrets which must be uncovered if the truth about Mrs Lansdale's death is to be known. And, to make matters worse, Dido finds herself torn between the demands of justice and affection. Will she lose the regard of the man she loves if she pursues the mystery in spite of his disapproval? 'It is the duty of all rational men and women to ensure that justice is done,' she argues. But doubts will creep in. Perhaps, after all, it is more becoming in a lady to leave such matters to the authorities appointed to deal with them. And can a gentleman continue to esteem a woman who constantly argues with him? What is right? What is proper? And what is to be done when the demands of justice, love and propriety conflict? The cover is noted 'Or the Suspicions of Miss Dido Kent' but this does not appear on the title page. less

“If Jane Austen had written Miss Marple, she would have been Dido Kent, the inquisitive spinster.”--Kirkus (starred review) A Woman of Consequence, the third installment in Anna Dean’s charming mystery series, opens with a visit to the ruins of an Abbey where Penelope Lambe, suffers a bad fall from the ancient stone steps. Before she slips into unconsciousness, Penelope manages to say, ’I saw her—It was her... more“If Jane Austen had written Miss Marple, she would have been Dido Kent, the inquisitive spinster.”--Kirkus (starred review) A Woman of Consequence, the third installment in Anna Dean’s charming mystery series, opens with a visit to the ruins of an Abbey where Penelope Lambe, suffers a bad fall from the ancient stone steps. Before she slips into unconsciousness, Penelope manages to say, ’I saw her—It was her.’ Soon people are certain that she saw the Grey Nun, a ghost reputed to walk the abbey’s ruins. Miss Dido Kent, however, does not approve of ghosts. Disregarding everyone else’s assumptions, and endeavoring to take her mind off the troubles of her family, Dido turns her energy toward solving the mystery. But events start to seem more sinister when a human skeleton is found at the abbey. Is Miss Lambe’s accident connected to this discovery? Everyone is relying on Dido to find out. A captivating continuation of the Dido Kent series: rich in suspense, historical detail, and most of all, characters. less