[NOVEL] An Infamous Betrayal by Lynn Messina

Having solved the two murders that somehow fell in her path, Beatrice Hyde-Clare is on the lookout for a third.

Through a absurd quirk of stupid fate, the shy spinster has fallen in love with the thoroughly unattainable Duke of Kesgrave and is desperate for something, anything, to occupy her mind. A dead body would do nicely. Fortunately for her, a fellow guest from a Lake District house party appears on her doorstep with exactly that: the lover of his fiancée's mother expired after a wretchedly painful episode just that morning in an apparent poisoning.

As unorthodox as it is, he would like Bea to investigate rather than calling the authorities. Bea begins her inquiry into Mr. Wilson's death at once and almost immediately finds herself in the company of Kesgrave, who is as determined as ever to assist her.

'Twas patently unfair, for the whole point of the investigation was to get away from the handsome lord. Now Bea is faced with the daunting challenge of exposing the villain without revealing her heart.

Beatrice Hyde-Clare. Book 3

Okay, I wasn't planning to it be a chain-reading of the series, but so far it happened to be like that.

And what can I do these books are short and can be finished quickly, but they have their own perks. Especially when they become kinda connected, which is a nice touch.

The victim of this book is the lover of Mrs Otley (whose husband was the victim of the first book) - Mr Wilson. He died of poisoning.

Maybe it's because it's the cozy mystery type of story, but the plot about investigation is not overly complicated, but simple and precise. There's a charm in it.

It's not like it's completely simplistic too, because Bea may come to the wrong conclusion before something inspires her to think of the solution. But maybe it's the circumstances or some details that allowed to narrow down the list of suspects.

For example, the first book had a limited number of people in the guest list and by drawing the line between those who could wish the person harm or had the motivation could be found. So there was no need to find someone else (like Bea went on a tangent) you had to find the perpetrator among the guests. In the second book the lead was the oddly-shaped knife which the victim wore as a fashion item, which was a very direct lead, otherwise Bea would not even get involved in this case at all. It allowed her to find the story of the knife and follow the lead of this knife's fate. While in the third book the obvious detail is the snuff box with a specific blend, which also can provide the lead.

But the way these plots are connected more you need to see for yourself. I thought it's a simple yet nice touch.

The other big progress is the relationship, good thing they didn't let me wait for long, because I'm happy how it tured out. Our two lovebirds get together by the end of it. Happy for them.

As for her other relationships, Flora strikes you as an interesting cousin, at least she is daring enough to help Bea at least by covering up, also she does not believe in many of Bea's excuses.

As for the infamous auntie, the more Bea tries to open up, more like the more people she came across express their goodwill the more Aunt Vera's preaching comes across as completely inappropriate and borderline abusive. She was not before so prominent before, but the more it is so contrasting to Bea's state of mind when she finds herself not worthy of Kesgrave less and less you can handle her auntie who is the epitome of dullness and good manners and rules that never end and she always will be the first to point out that Bea aims too high (with the duke). It's unlikely that she will ever change. There is something ignorant and cruel in her conduct. But honestly she strikes me also as vain, because she kinda used Kesgrave's attention to Bea to her advances, since Kesgrave visited her multiple times when she was not available. So she is not so blameless after all. But then she goes and tells Bea not to impose herself on the duke, while she used the above-mentioned duke in such a way.

I mean it's kinda what it is that this Aunt Vera is the sole character that gets such a visceral reaction from me. I say it because it was not as apparent as in the first book, or maybe it was actually, maybe I had no idea how to react to her because Bea herself was not mad at her relations. When one would want to hurl something into Aunt Vera's face. This is what this woman deserves when she openly says that Bea's place is right behind a fig tree, the bushier the shrubbery the better so she can become one with a wall and the best partner for her is someone of lower origins, who is okay with someone like her, while her countenance is something this Aunt is solely responsible for.

Honestly, you feel happy for Bea having new acquaintances and people who are livelier than her household and do not diminish her in every word that sounds quite mean.

The fourth book in the series picks up on something that was mentioned not once - Bea's parents. We know she knows little of them because her aunt and uncle basically don't speak of her parents. Until she met the Countess Abercombie in the second book, who we later find out knew her mother and this is the connection between the present and the past.

Convenience! I know.

RATE: 5/5.