This is an unusual book in several ways. The Duke and Duchess of Fournier are married and care deeply about each other, but have a white marriage by mutual agreement. The Duke has a younger brother with male children so the succession is not an issue. Audrey, the Duchess, has an unusual talent - she can touch items and hear and see past events. A talent she keeps secret from all but a select few.

An opera singer is murdered and the Duke is found with her, covered in blood. He claims to have just found her, but will give no account of his whereabouts that night, which gives him no alibi. His wife, Audrey, knows for certain that he wasn't having a liaison with the woman. She begins her own investigation, since it appears the officers in charge of the investigation don't feel the need to look further than the obvious culprit - her husband.

Hugh Marsden is the Bow Street Officer who was first on the scene, and examined the woman who was killed. He attempted to interview the Duke, who would not talk. The Duchess has a hard time convincing Hugh to take another look at the evidence, since the Duke was the obvious suspect. Hugh figured out early on that Audrey had an extra talent, and it was that talent that convinced him to take a closer look at the case. Hugh and Audrey do some investigating aided by Sir, a street urchin who helps Hugh in his investigations. Sir was my favorite character in the book.

This mystery was interesting and kept my attention. I cringed at times, particularly when someone fell in the Thames River, which was incredibly dirty. There are a few hints of attraction in the book between Audrey and Hugh, but nothing that ever develops. I would also have liked to have seen more of the Duke 'on page' in the book, and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series when it comes out.

This is the first book in this series set in the Regency period. I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This is the first in what will be a series, and there were a great many foundations bricks laid here. It will certainly be interesting to see how some of them develop as there are not insubstantial blockers.

Most of the historical female sleuths I read are Victorian, but here we find ourselves in the late Regency. It's certainly a regular enough setting in historical romance, so why not for mystery? In this case ours is a duchess, though she isn't much of a presence in society for assorted reasons, and she also has a gift/curse that throws a touch of the paranormal into things. Devlin was smart in fleshing out the parameters and limits of the duchess' abilities, given there wouldn't be much of a story to tell if she was too powerful with it. She is, however, rather naive and puts herself in enough danger that it makes her look stupid rather than just dedicated to righting wrongs.

Hugh Marsden checks off many boxes for a romantic potential hero. Handsome, dashing job, exasperated with the female protagonist, but decent and dedicated to protecting her, mysterious and scandalous past... We only got started unravelling and building on all that in book one, so there's plenty that can be done there.

By the end of the book, the Duke and Duchess are indelibly tainted with scandal, and it's noted in the text that that sort of thing will cling to them for at least another generation. So it will be interesting to see, as the series progresses, how that's dealt with. Audrey will lack access to certain people, places, and resources as a result. And there are limits to her freedoms in that day and age.

It was a solid start to the series, but very much felt like a first book. The big reveal didn't quite hit for me as the reasoning seemed a bit weak. I'll likely check out Death at Fournier Downs to see how things evolve.

"A murdered opera singer. A duke drenched in her blood. For Bow Street Officer Hugh Marsden, the brutal killing is a straightforward case. Ever since his exile from polite society, the chance to arrest a high and mighty peer of the realm has never presented itself. Hugh won’t snub the opportunity now"
The Duke is framed for the murder. He is innocent but he can't tell the authorities the truth. The Duchess is in trouble up to her ears but can she see her husband exonerated.
This is an exceptional mystery. I have never read a book by this author before but I will be on the lookout for more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Whispers and hints of things unseen!

Coldly competent Bow street runner meets stubborn Duchess in high indignation over arrest of her husband for murder.
Philip Sinclair, Duke of Fournier has secrets, as does Audrey Sinclair, his Duchess.
Their marriage is that of true friends and in no way was she going to allow Philip to be framed for the murder of the actress / opera singer, Belladora Lovejoy, of the Drury Lane Theatre.
Hugh Marsden, a principal office with the Bow Street runners has his own secrets, not all revealed, but the ton has plenty to say
Belladora, brutally murdered, is some one’s mistress, but whose?
Audrey has an ability that had caused her to be locked away in an asylum, the Shadewell Sanatorium, by her family, thinking her mad.
Objects speak to her. She’s ready to risk all to find the true culprit.
A foray into gaming hells and worse has Hugh on edge and fearing for Audrey’s safety when he’s not cursing her often impulsive actions.
Great start to a new investigative team of Regency times, with the added intriguing aspect of the gift of “sight” for one member. I’m already looking forward to the next in the series!

A BooksGoSocial ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

In 1819 London, the Duke and Duchess of Fournier have kept secrets for each other. Bow Street officer and illegitimate son of a Lord, Hugh Marsden has a grisly murder of a opera singer to solve and the Duke is certainly the murderer and the opera singer was certainly his mistress…case closed. Except, Audrey the Duchess of Fournier knows that her husband couldn’t have a mistress, not because they have a passionate love match, but because she knows his extramarital encounters are exclusively with men….a heinous crime at that time. She also knows he’s not the killer because she has the ability to see past experiences from people and objects she touches…the ability that sent her to an asylum for two years as a young girl. So why is the Duke found at the murder scene, covered in the opera singer’s blood, and in a complete stupor? Audrey conducts her own, amateur and dangerous investigation to identify the true killer and incites the wrath and perhaps admiration of Hugh Marsden in the process. This is the first book in what promises to be a fun historical mystery series.

My first novel by this author and I was intrigued!

The writing is really good and captures the Regency time period really well! This story has a bit of everything. Historical Fiction with a mystery and a dash of paranormal with a sprinkle of romance.

The story starts off really strong. A member of the ton...a Duke in fact is found in a shady area of London known as, "The Seven Dials" with a dead opera singer in the bed. He's immediately arrested for murder. His Duchess (Audrey) believes wholeheartedly that he is not guilty and she clashes with the arresting Bow Street Runner Officer (Hugh.). Audrey starts investigating on her own to prove her husband's innocence. Hugh reluctantly begins to go along with her. There is an undercurrent of attraction on both sides but the story is primarily a mystery.

This is the first book in a new mystery series featuring the Duchess. She continues to run into the Bow Street Runner while trying to solve crimes as an amateur sleuth who has a secret. I think fans of the PBS show, "Miss Scarlet and the Duke" (which I love) would really enjoy this series.

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.

When her husband is arrested for murdering an opera singer, the Duchess of Fournier, Audrey Sinclair is determined to prove his innocence. She will have to find a way to prove it without revealing secrets. However, people are not happy being questioned by a duchess and she puts herself in danger.
Bow Street Officer Hugh Marsden is convinced he has the right man, but Audrey's investigation will have him revisiting the details noted at the murder scene. When they combine forces, each must deal with how family and associates view their collaboration.
Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
#MurderattheSevenDials #NetGalley

Excellent mystery! This new-to-me author has presented a baffling murder mystery that includes a determined duchess, a prejudiced Bow Street officer, and social stigma along with a tad of the paranormal. Way to go! I’m rarely a fan of anything paranormal in the books I read, but this was done so well I didn’t mind it at all – I even rooted for it to be used even more. For me, the story was a bit slow and dragged a tad, but as the introduction to a new series, it had to make all of the proper character introductions and set-ups, so I have to allow for that. Still, it did seem a fair amount longer than the 317 pages it was. Oh! And before I forget to mention it – you have the first (or most of the first) chapter of the next book at the end of this one.

Audrey Sinclair, Duchess of Fournier, and Philip Sinclair, Duke of Fournier are not a love match. It is, however, a match of affection, care, and respect between two long-time friends who each have deep, serious secrets to hide. Their marriage gives each of them a layer of protection from the ton who would be aghast if they learned them. They also agreed there would be total honesty within the marriage, yet to Audrey’s horror, it appears Philip hasn’t exactly been honest lately.

In the wee hours of the morning, Audrey and the household were awakened when a message from Bow Street arrived. Philip had been found, incoherent, at the scene of a grisly murder in a crumbling tenant dwelling in Seven Dials. Philip was covered in blood and the murder weapon was close to him. Audrey knew immediately that Philip hadn’t committed the murder, he couldn’t have, that was part of his secret, but she couldn’t tell his secret and she had no way to show his innocence.

Bow Street Principal Officer, Hugh Marsden, has a raging prejudice against aristocrats and it pleased him immensely when there was no doubt that a duke has committed a most heinous crime. Yes, this duke was going to be arrested, tried, and hanged if he had his way about it. Who could doubt he was guilty – he was covered in blood – his mistress's blood – and the murder weapon was at his feet. Contrary to what that little duchess kept telling him, he knew the duke was guilty. He’d just send her back to her palatial home to embroider while he wrapped up the case.

However, that little duchess was a whole lot more than Hugh bargained for. She did not follow instructions well and proceeded to investigate the case for herself. She was tooling around asking questions of dangerous people in dangerous places. Everywhere he turned there she was. Now, it seemed he’d have to keep her safe and protect her from herself while finishing up the case. Humpf!

I enjoyed watching Hugh trying to thwart Audrey and keep her out of trouble, and I also enjoyed watching him slowly come to believe that she just might be right about the murder. Uh Oh!

I hope I have found a new favorite author and series, but I’m going to reserve judgment on that. You see, I have to have a bit of romance to go along with my mysteries and I’m just not sure how the author is going to manage to do that given the circumstances. I would NEVER be satisfied with an affair between Audrey and Hugh – even though she and the duke have already agreed that those kinds of things are acceptable to them. So, what does that leave? It leaves the duke dying to free up Audrey so she and Hugh can be together. I cannot imagine what acceptable (to me) way the author can manage to do that. You see, if she’d killed him off in this book I would have been okay with it – but once I’ve met him and mildly liked him (at least felt empathy for him), then killing him off just won’t work for me. It would be sort of like watching a movie where the dog dies. So, I’m reserving judgment on the new favorite author and series until I see where the romance is heading.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Duchess with a paranormal attribute and a connection to the murdered opera singer and the bow street runner with a connection to nobles (a frayed one at that). Can they work together and unravel who killed the Singer or will they fail and an innocent man be hung cause he would rather keep his secrets?
first off this book is amazing and I'm ecstatic about this being a series. Regency-thriller and everything nice! Riveting and thrilling all wrapped in one, I found the FMC to be unique, at first I did think for a moment hmm girl your trust should not be given sooo freely cause he super guilty.lol IF YOU LOVE SLEUTHING READS like me this is the book for you!


thank you Netgally for an amazing read.

This story was quite intriguing and captivating. It held my attention with its intriguing plot and scenarios. Detective Marsden and the Duchess were combative and insulting to each other. Be it as it may, they were able to put aside their distaste for each other while trying to solve a heinous murder.

A well written and plotted historical mystery with an unusual paranormal twist that made for a fascinating read. I very much enjoyed this and loved the unusual twists and turns. I have not read this author before but plan to continue this series and look into her other books as this was so enjoyable can't wait for the next book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. I don't usually read novels set in historical settings but this was an easy book to dive into the genre with. The plot was gripping, the pace was perfect, and the tension was surprising. Devlin's writing was easy to read and the world building felt effortless to understand.

I personally found the paranormal aspects super interesting but not very original. However, it was done in a way that felt natural in the story, and left me intrigued to how the investigation would play out. Due to the nature of some of the characters secrets, the stakes were high and I couldn't wait to find out if everyone's secrets would come out.

Overall, I would recommend this book for those looking to dip their toes into historical mystery and for those who already love this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastically interesting cast of characters. A duchess in an unconventional marriage and an Officer with an intriguing back story; add in a dash of paranormal and this book is not the usual historical fiction with romantic undertones. Excited to read the rest of the series.

A mysterious and romantic journey centered around a likable main character.

If you're a fan of Deanna Raybourn (I am), this book might be right for you! I will say it didn't hold my attention as well as other mysteries have; this may have been because the main female character was likable but not incredibly captivating. However, the writing is vivid. Also it was so fun to watch a friendship build, not just a romance! There were a lot of mysteries to unravel which I loved.

Star Rating: 2.75/3
Tropes: Enemies to friends, class differences
CW: Death, violence

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Title: Murder at the Seven Dials
Series: Bow Street Duchess Mystery
Author: Brittany Butler
Publisher: BooksGoSocial
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: January 28, 2023
My Rating: 3.4 Bright Stars!

Story setting is 1819 in Seven Dials London.
Audrey and Philip Sinclair both have secrets and when they married
they promised to protect each other's secrets.
Philip Sinclair, the Duke of Fournier is discovered covered in the blood of dead opera singer Belladora Lovejoy. She has been stabbed multiple times and believed to be the Duke’s lover. He is arrested by Principal Officer at Bow Street, Hugh Marsden.
Audrey’s secret is that she has the ability to perform psychometry -- touch items and read their histories -- and decides to use her special skill to prove her husband's innocent as his innocence’s is tied to his secret.

Be sure to read the sneak preview of the next book in this series [book: Murder at Fournier Downs] which is in the back of the book. Some background information about one of the characters is revealed ~ hmmm curious?????
I always enjoyed reading more about the author. In this case, ‘About the Author’ mentions that author, Cara Devin is knows to burn one side of a grill cheese sandwich also avoids doing laundry.
I laughed at this - I don’t avoid doing laundry - it is ‘folding laundry’ that I am not a fan!

Want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 28, 2023

What a great read! It cost me the best part of my Saturday because once I started I couldn’t stop and finished this great story in one sitting!
You are thrown straight into the story with the gruesome discovery of a murdered opera singer and the pace of this fun Regency murder mystery doesn’t let up from there. I love the added paranormal twist too, Audrey the Duchess Fournier has the ability to see an objects history when she holds it. This isn’t over used though but just woven easily throughout the story. There is also a delightful ‘will they won’t they’ thread between our two main characters which even this non romance reader enjoyed!
This really was an entertaining and delightful Regency adventure and I for one can’t wait till I have the opportunity to enjoy a future instalment of this new series.
I received a free advance copy of this for free and I am writing this review voluntarily and very willingly.

4.5/5 stars
0 spice but you can tell something is building...

This story was intriguing and held my attention from the first page. I love a good mystery and loved how everything unfolded. There really wasn't a boring moment in terms of the crime.

Tropes:
Historical mystery (with a chance of romance)
Murder plot
Class differences
A touch of paranormal

Officer Marsden (Hugh) and the Duchess (Audrey) were a great team. I'm so glad they built a foundation of trust. I am, however, on tenterhooks waiting to see how their relationship develops into something more. We barely get a morsel of affection building in this book... it was agonizing! But it doesn't take away from the story. I was still highly entertained with the murder plot. So just go in knowing that the romance is very very minimal in this book... not even closed door.

Overall loved this book and would still recommend but not as a romance.

I received an ARC from BooksGoSocial and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read this as an ARC thank you Netgalley for the free copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own. I recommend readers of Lady Sherlock or fans of historical mysteries to read this book. I very much enjoyed it. I have not read this author before but plan to continue this series and look into her other books. I enjoyed the use of the paranormal aspect here and it was not overdone, and it was made believable. The mystery was good, and I didn't guess how it was done. Strong leading characters with a strong smart woman that is loyal and has suffered for her abilities. There is a sexual tension throughout the book.

Cara Devlin’s “Murder at the Seven Dials” is the first in the Bow Street Duchess series. Audrey Sinclair’s husband, the Duke of Fournier, has been accused of a brutal murder, and the evidence against him is damning. Despite the way things look, Audrey believes he is innocent and works to prove it. Along the way she butts heads with Bow Street Officer Hugh Marsden, who later comes to see Audrey as a valuable, but exasperating, ally in the investigation. As they get deeper into the mystery, closely held secrets come out and lead the pair closer to uncovering the truth about the killer.

Historical mysteries are my preferred genre at the moment, so this story is right up my alley. “Murder at the Seven Dials” is well-paced and filled with interesting characters. Audrey’s special ability adds a touch of the paranormal, but is not heavy-handed. I am intrigued by the secrets and backstories of the central characters. This is an excellent first in a series and I am looking forward to the next installment.

This story is great for those who like mysteries, historical mysteries, and regency mysteries.

Thanks to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Cara Devlin for an advance reader copy of “Murder at the Seven Dials” in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

“Murder at the Seven Dials” releases on Kindle at the end of January.

I loved this intro into the series. Audrey Sinclair, the Duchess of Fournier, is an amazing heroine. Her relationship with her husband is one of mutal friendship, which is further complicated when he is accused of the murder of an opera singer. The former nobleman in charge of the invesitgation, Hugh Marsden, is convinced of his guilt. Will Audrey be able to change his mind without revealing family secrets? Also, how will she cope with a growing attraction for the Bow Street runner. I can't wait to read more of this author/series.