Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

I dove after it, although I cannot imagine why. Did I think I would find scissors and glue pot secreted inside? Actually I rather liked the idea of Renard as villain. I had always found him distasteful, and the notion of dismissing him without either pay or character was wildly appealing. ~ Silent in the Grave, page 276 ~

Prepared to accept that Edward's death was due to a long-standing physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring her husband's murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward's demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has many twists and turns, taking you places you don't expect to go and revealing a killer you'd, almost, never suspect. If you suspect the least likely character you might be right but then again you might not. This book is populated with all sorts of interesting characters and family secrets. You have the outrageously eccentric requisite family members, the quiet unassuming widow, and the lead investigator who has his own dark history. Put all this together along with scandal and murder and you have quite a story. I was pulled in from the opening chapters and not let go until the last page. There's plenty going on the keep a reader interested and turning pages. I so enjoyed this book, 1st in a series, that I immediately started reading the 2nd one, Silent in the Sanctuary.