Death and the Visitors - A Review

Review

DEATH AND THE VISITORS by Heather Redmond
The Second Mary Shelley Mystery 

 

The Skinner Street household is abuzz. A Polish princess along with her Russian husband and entourage have arrived in London for the Congress of Vienna meetings and have paid a visit to the Godwins. Not only do they show a distinct fascination for Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughters, Mary and Fanny, they have promised Mr. Godwin diamonds in support of his publishing house. But when the Russian who made the promise is found dead and creditors come calling it's up to Mary, her stepsister Jane, and Percy Shelley to discover what's truly behind the Russians visit before they all wind up in jail or the poorhouse!

 

The disparity of treatment between Mary and her stepsiblings comes to the fore in the second Mary Shelley Mystery. While Mary is held in esteem by the Russians, she is degraded even more by Mrs. Godwin who treats her as a servant. Yet despite the awfulness that is Mrs. Godwin Mr. Godwin remains devoted to her. Yet Mrs. Godwin isn't the sole source of cruelty. A certain miasma envelops Skinner Street bringing a sense of foreboding. It's no wonder Mary will do almost anything to escape, which she eventually does.

I loved the various puzzles presented in DEATH AND THE VISITORS. A dead Russian, missing diamonds, threats of kidnapping, and more make for an exciting time in Regency London. It's the interplay of characters that is truly captivating. Mary's maturity and Jane's histrionics, the attraction between Shelley and Mary along with the possibility of her being wed to another, Jane's desire to find a friend and her continued lying, the desperate need for money all combine to create an unstable world. I loved how Shelley was always there to help even knowing how complicated his relationship was with Mary...and Jane...and his wife. Events throughout the mystery were shocking and the conclusion surprising.

With a mystery as complex as its characters DEATH AND THE VISITORS gives a vivid look at a family on the edge.