REVIEW – DEADLY PERIL BY LUCINDA BRANT

(Alex Halsey Mystery, #3)

Genre: Historical Mystery (Georgian)

Cover Blurb:

Winter 1763: Alec, Lord Halsey is sent on a diplomatic mission to Midanich, imperial outpost of the Holy Roman Empire, to bargain for the freedom of imprisoned friends. Midanich is a place of great danger and dark secrets; a country at civil war; ruled by a family with madness in its veins. For Alec, it is a place of unspeakable memories from which he barely escaped and vowed never to return. But return he must, if he is to save the lives of Emily St. Neots and Sir Cosmo Mahon.

In a race against time, Alec and the English delegation journey across the icy wasteland for the castle fortress where Emily and Cosmo are imprisoned. The severe winter weather is as much an enemy as the soldiers of the opposing armies encamped along the way. And as members of Alec’s party begin to disappear into the night, he begins to suspect it is not the freezing conditions but that a murderer lurks amongst them. Awaiting him at his destination is the Margrave and his sister, demanding nothing less than Alec’s head on a pike.

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This is the third book in the Alec Halsey Mystery series and I was again rivetted by Lucinda Brant’s intricately plotted story of murder, foreign political intrigue, danger, suspense and dark family secrets.

In the two previous books, Alec Halsey was always honourable, intelligent and a man of sound judgement. However, in this book, we discover that, when he was posted to Midanich as a young man to be secretary to diplomat Sir Gilbert Parsons, Alec was a naïve, self-assured, ‘arrogant, womanising idiot’. He made stupid decisions and failed to see the potential dangers of his actions and only escaped death by a hair’s breadth. He has always been troubled by this period in his life and now it has come back to haunt him, forcing him to return to the place he had sworn never to go back to. Although he knows it could mean certain death, he faces the inevitable with courage and a determination to rescue his friends.

Ms. Brant made this an addictive page turner, building the suspense with unexpected and ingenious plot twists up to the final shocking revelation. There is an added touch of romance as Alec and Selina finally attain their Happy Ever After.

As always, there is a colourful cast of secondary characters, many familiar from the previous books but some new ones as well.

• I love Alec’s irascible, republican uncle, Plantagenet Halsey, and I am intrigued by his relationship with Alec’s formidable, aristocratic godmother, Olivia, The Duchess of Romney St. Neots. Do I sense a romance blossoming between this unlikely pair?
• Sir Cosmo Mahon was always Alec’s corpulent, jovial and very likeable friend in the previous books but, in Deadly Peril, we see a man with real depth of character; a man just about retaining his sanity.
• I like Hadrian Jeffries, Alec’s new valet, whose photographic memory and proficiency in several languages proves invaluable.

Through her extensive historical research and attention to detail, Ms. Brant created the Margravate of Midanich which, although fictional, feels like a real place. Her books are so full of atmosphere and rich detail that I always find myself totally immersed in another time and place.

MY VERDICT:  Another wonderful book from Lucinda Brant and I’m delighted that there are more books to come in this series. Highly recommended!

 

REVIEW RATING: STELLAR 5 STARS

SENSUALITY RATING: SUBTLE

 

Alec Halsey Mystery series so far (click on the book covers for more details):