A Fatal Illusion - Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads:  A Fatal Illusion (Lady Darby Mystery #11) by Anna Lee Huber

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Yorkshire, England. August 1832. Relations between Sebastian Gage and his father have never been easy, especially since the discovery that Lord Gage has been concealing the existence of an illegitimate son. But when Lord Gage is nearly fatally attacked on a journey to Scotland, Sebastian and Kiera race to his side. Given the tumult over the recent passage of the Reform Bill and the Anatomy Act, in which Lord Gage played a part, Sebastian wonders if the attack could be politically motivated.

But something suspicious is afoot in the sleepy village where Lord Gage is being cared for. The townspeople treat Sebastian and Kiera with hostility when it becomes clear they intend to investigate, and rumors of mysterious disappearances and highway robberies plague the area. Lord Gage’s survival is far from assured, and Sebastian and Kiera must scramble to make the pieces fit before a second attempt at murder is more successful than the first.

Genre:  Mystery - Historical 

Why I Picked This Book:  I have read the most recent books in this series and really enjoyed them so of course I had to pick this one up.  

My Impression:  From the time I started reading this series Sebastian has had a complicated relationship with his father Lord Gage which has only gotten more challenging with the discovery of his half brother, Henry.  When Lord Gage is attacked Sebastian, Kiera, and Henry all head to Yorkshire where he is recovering bringing along their infant daughter, Emma.  As they dig into the details of the attack they must also deal with their feelings towards Lord Gage and his very different reactions to Henry and to Emma.

I really enjoyed the focus on the complicated family relationships as this brings to a head a number of subplots that have been in a number of past books.  However, this does slow down the pacing a bit for the actual mystery.  I am invested enough in these characters that this didn't bother me in the slightest but if I was new to this series I can see that being an issue.

That said, the mystery is intriguing.  What was the goal of Lord Gage's attack and how does it fit in with the Robin Hood legends that are everywhere in the area.  A number of local townspeople are clearly up to no good but I really wasn't sure what that was until the Gages' are closing in on the solution.  This was another enjoyable entry into a series that I always look forward to reading.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I have so enjoyed everything I've read by this author in both this series and her Verity Kent series.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would definitely recommend this series but since there is so much character development in this book you might want to start with an earlier book.  

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *