Unmasking Lady Helen (The Kinsey Family Book One)

Maggi
Andersen
Genre: 
Mystery

HISTORICAL:  Captain Lord Jason Peyton has no idea he is being spied upon by the Kinsey sisters, Diana and Helen. As he watches for his informant to make an appearance, so do the girls watch Lord Peyton — and he is the subject of much discussion.  Without hesitation, Diana remarks how handsome he is. Helen, the elder sister, is reluctant to say much. She has already made plans for her life at the ripe age of four and twenty, and they do not include marriage.  When their footman, Bart, is poisoned, Jason becomes a regular visitor at the Kinsey home. Lady Kinsey is busy with her charities, and entrusts Helen to assist Jason in his investigation of Bart’s death. Having met Lord Peyton, Helen is now having second thoughts about matrimony.

Mystery and intrigue swirl together in "Unmasking Lady Helen",  the opener of a new series.  Poisonings, not balls, abound in the home of the seemingly innocent Kinsey family. Unfortunately, the main plot point has a problem — the description of the effects of arsenic,  claimed to be the poison used, is closer to that of cyanide. The two poisons work completely differently, and this could pull the reader right out of the story.  The pace of the novel is very slow, which is unusual for one of Ms. Andersen’s works. Jason and Helen have depth and baggage from their past to deal with, which makes this an excellent study in human nature. They both have obstacles to overcome before they are whole enough to enjoy an enriching relationship. 

Belinda Wilson