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The latest in the Lady Emily mystery series, DEATH BY MISADVENTURE continues Tasha Alexander's formula of mixing past events with Lady Emily's 1906 present, proving once again that the events of the past can have far-reaching—and unexpected—consequences.
For this outing, Lady Emily and her husband Colin are in Bavaria visiting the new villa and art collection of Baroness Ursula von Duchtel. The villa sits not far from Neuschwanstein Castle, and the setting, at first, seems to be a fairytale winter wonderland with majestic peaks, glittering snow, and an abundance of artistic riches. But from the outset, Lady Emily notes that some gatherings could benefit from the culling of some guests, and this one is no different. The eclectic mix includes the Baroness's boorish son-in-law and a spiteful young woman, among others. Before long, the boorish son-in-law falls prey to a series of "accidents" that ultimately lead to what seems to be the mysterious, though accidental, shooting of the Baroness's daughter. As the snow continues to fall, the house party finds itself cut off from police assistance, and Lady Emily and Colin soon realize that the shooting was no accident, although the victim might have been, and the couple is left trying to discover the killer before anyone else dies.
While that storyline would be thrilling enough, as with earlier Lady Emily books, the chapters alternate between the events of 1906 and others that begin in 1868 and include glimpses into "Mad" King Ludwig's life. Ludwig's life and death are a real-life mystery that Alexander artfully works into her fictional plot, and it's the events of 1868 that set off a spark that causes the murder in 1906. The interlacing of real and fiction, as well as the two storylines, adds depth to the characters and, therefore, to the mystery.
As with other Lady Emily mysteries, this is not a deep psychological study of any character, but it does tickle at some interesting motivations, and reality and fiction merge nicely. Although the mystery of King Ludwig's death isn't solved (and probably never will be), the 1906 murder and its rippling consequences are tied up neatly and believably. There's no need to have read other books in the series to enjoy this one, but readers who are familiar with Lady Emily's previous adventures will enjoy seeing more of her trademark intelligence and independent spirit as well as the ever-present love and mutual admiration between Lady Emily and her husband.
§ Meredith Frazier, a writer with a background in English literature, lives in Dallas, Texas.
Reviewed by Meredith Frazier, September 2024
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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