My high school senior daughter saw this come in from the library and snatched it up right away! She loves Cindy Anstey's books. They have just the right touch of romance with a bit of murder mystery and strong, intelligent young women sleuths.
The book starts with the murder, of course, but lacking any knowledge about the victim or why he's being stabbed, as a reader you're deliciously hooked.
So when young Sophia gets a letter from her almost hysterical cousin imploring Sophia to come to their estate and investigate the year-old murder of her brother, Andrew, before the local constable arrests her father, Sophia can't resist the invitation.
Not the least because her goals are incredibly lofty (for the time period) -- to be the first woman investigator for the London Bow Street Runners. To that end, she's reading a book, Investigating Murder and Mayhem: A Runner's Journey. It's got all sorts of good tips and pieces of advice for "running down" a murderer.
And it puts her in a great position, once she convinces her father to visit her cousin's family. Of course, the deceased cousin's father has already written to London to ask for professional help. And genuine, if extremely junior, Runner, Mr. Jeremy Fraser, is dispatched to the estate and stumbles into... cue stars and heavenly angels singing ... Sophia. And of course, is quite smitten by her.
Together, they're a formidable investigative team. He's surprised at her keen acumen (thank you Investigating Murder and Mayhem!) for noticing details and logical deduction, and decides she makes a great ally.
Through an accidental hand-brush and a walk in the garden to figure out a shot's precise angle, they discover there's more to investigating than cold-hard logic. Feelings flash but must be kept in check, until they figure out Sophia's the murderer's latest target -- and the stakes increase considerably.
I won't go into any more of the mystery for fear of spoiling it for you. Read, enjoy, and triumph with Sophia, even if it's a bit bitter-sweet and not very satisfying in a modern sense ending. Anstey doesn't generally write sequels, so I guess we'll never find out if Sophia makes an investigator on Bow Street in her own right.
