Death in Kew Gardens

April 29, 2019
A chance encounter on a London street introduces Kat Holloway, the cook in the Mayfair mansion of the unconventional Lady Cynthia Shires, to Mr. Li, “a polite, well-spoken gentleman” from China, in bestseller Ashley’s intriguing third Victorian mystery (after 2018’s Scandal Above Stairs). One evening soon afterward, Lady Cynthia’s wealthy neighbor, Sir Jacob Harkness, who has spent time in the Orient, returns home from a visit to Kew Gardens and is stabbed to death in his bedroom that same night. The police arrest Mr. Li, who recently helped Sir Jacob in his garden. Kat and Lady Cynthia’s efforts to exonerate Mr. Li lead them to the hangers-on and sycophants gathered around the bewildered widow. There may be a link to the victim’s trip to Kew Gardens and his subsequent murder. Ashley does a fine job portraying urban life among the well-to-do and those who serve them, though the rich characterization and abundance of domestic detail sometimes threaten to overwhelm the unusual and well-thought-out plot. Anne Perry fans will find a lot to like. Agent: Bob Mecoy, Bob Mecoy Literary.