Carla's Book Crush

I haven’t picked up books at the library lately, but when I started reading Book 2 of the Cloaks & Daggers series, I knew I couldn’t just dive in. Luckily, the local library had Book 1 available, and I am so happy that I made this decision. This series is incredible! If you like a slow-burn romance, then you really need to jump on this train; or I suppose a stagecoach in this instance.

Stay tuned for Book 2 tomorrow. You won’t want to miss it (pssst… giveaway).

A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch
Series: Of Cloaks & Daggers – Book 1
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Publication Date: September 17, 2024
Genres: Regency Mystery Romance
Pages: 304
Format: paperback
Source: library
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The Home Office has asked Sir Bertrand Thorndike to head an investigation into stolen royal jewels. And as with everything concerning the Prince Regent, discretion is paramount.

It’s the perfect chance for Bertie to step out of his brother’s long shadow. Unfortunately, his superior, the Duke of Haverly, has a plan that makes him balk. In order to sell his cover, Bertie must play the part of a man looking for love, ready to reform his rakish ways.

Philippa Cashel escaped a life as one of society’s best-known courtesans and now devotes her time to helping other women in dire straits. Her hope is that laboring hard enough at her charity work will allow her to feel worthy of God’s forgiveness of her past. So when Sir Bertrand Thorndike approaches her about becoming an agent of the Crown, she is skeptical. Why her? She’s focused on getting her school for underprivileged women up and running, not on cloak-and-dagger skullduggery.

But when two of Philippa’s rescued girls become targets, Philippa risks partnering with Bertie to find the loot and stop a killer.

I don’t know what to say about this book. It’s one of those where I didn’t have strong emotional feelings while reading, which is something I typically like in a book, but it has me thinking hard about everything well after finishing. I’m so happy I read it, especially as I head into book 2, which is only heightening my love for A Thieving at Carlton House. Like a can of Pringles, you can’t eat just one; only in this case, you can’t read just one. I may have to go back and binge everything Erica Vetsch has written.

This book follows Sir Bertrand Thorndike, who’s leading an investigation into some stolen royal jewels. It’s his first big case as the lead investigator rather than working under someone else. His confidence wavers in this new role—sometimes he feels like he doesn’t know what he’s doing, which is a little disconcerting. On the advice of Duke Haverly, the head of the agency, Bertie enlists the help of the duke’s sister-in-law, Philippa Cashel. Philippa is quite adept at gauging someone’s honesty. She’s a little apprehensive about assisting because she’s highly involved with her own work. A former, highly sought-after courtesan who has turned her life around, Philippa is now a Christian and runs a charity for women escaping that life, providing housing and teaching them new skills. When two of the young women she rescued become targets, Philippa finds herself working closely with Bertie.

I pretty much had the thief pegged early on, but it didn’t detract from the story. Everything was still very intriguing—especially learning about Philippa’s past life, her faith journey, and her relationship with her half-sister, Charlotte, and Charlotte’s husband, Marcus Haverly. That alone could have been a wonderful story by itself. I liked Bertie; he becomes more emotional as the book goes on and even questions himself about it, which I found endearing. Even the villains and shady characters had something about them that made you go, “Hmm…”

This is definitely a five-star book; well deserved. Although I’m not normally a re-reader, I could see myself picking this up again, if for no other reason than to increase my vocabulary. This story is full of those Regency-era words that are intelligent and beautiful but rarely used today. If you love historical fiction, you absolutely cannot miss this one.

In some instances, I receive complimentary copies through the publisher, author, or NetGalley. This is marked next to “Source”. This in no way sways my opinion. All opinions are my own.