AN ACCUSING AT THE OLD BAILEY by Erica Vetsch, Reviewed by Rebecca and Paula #NewRelease

 REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"She had the unreal feeling that in spite of their well-laid plans, she would wake up one morning to find herself married to Sir Bertrand Thorndike."

Their engagement began with a spontaneous kiss and a ruse, a way for a trustworthy friend and comrade in the Agency to protect her from a greedy cousin's intentions to contest her vast fortune, inherited from a father who had never claimed the role until his deathbed. If she didn't know him so well, Philippa Cashel would suspect that Bertie was dragging his feet about the entire affair. It had already gone too far, family and friends were making plans, giving gifts and offering congratulations.

Lord Bertrand Thorndike had no intention of breaking his fake engagement to Philippa Cashel, he just had to convince his betrothed that she felt the same way. The fact that he had been given a new assignment by the Duke of Haverly fed into his plans to slow walk their break-up and find the courage to tell Philippa how he really felt. He never imagined that a contest amongst international scientists would be interrupted by a murder and that the perpetrator would cast one of his friends as the villain.

Coupling a daring adventure, a by-product of solving a high profile murder with ripple effects, with a romance that just needed a firm nudge of encouragement, and you have a satisfying story that took just a bit of time to develop, but when it did, I can scarcely wait to go back and read it again!

" . . . she finally had the one thing she had longed for most. A safe home for her heart." 
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 4.5 stars
 

PAULA'S REVIEW:
I love the world that Ms. Vestch has created in Regency England in 1816. The Haverlys, friends, and relatives are working undercover for the crown. This book deals with Sir Bertrand Thorndike and his fiancée Phillipa Cashall. But not only is Bertie tasked with two pressing cases, he is also trying to get Pippa to realize he wants the tenuous fake relationship to be authentic.
 

Case one is tracking down a possible subversive movement against the government and case two, a friend is falsely accused of murder. Time is of the essence.
 

The story is tense and immersive and also delves into the emotions of both Bertie and Pippa as their wedding date approaches. Underpinning it all is a fantastic faith thread. With themes of loyalty, philanthropy, self reflection and forgiveness, this is a must read.
 

It is always fun to see what is happening at the charity run by Pippa as well as behind-the-scenes of the investigations by the Haverly team and the changing relationships between the nobility and the constabulary.
 

Top notch writing and a great plot make this a worthy read. I cannot wait for the next installment.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Kregel and NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.* 5 stars and a solid faith thread

BackCover Blurb:
The thrilling finale to the highly rated Regency romance series

Sir Bertrand Thorndike is on another mission-this one in the scientific community. But when a simple game of espionage becomes a murder investigation and Bertie's friend Rhynwick Davies is the accused, Bertie enlists the help of his pseudo-fiancée Philippa Cashel to spare Rhynwick from the gallows.

Together, they delve into poisons, passions, and peril. With the true killer still on the loose, Bertie must balance proving Rhynwick's innocence with his plans to persuade Philippa to make their false engagement real.

The final installment in the Of Cloaks & Daggers series from a New York Times best-selling author will be the biggest test yet of Bertie and Philippa's skill and bravery-and of their love. 

 

Kregel Publishing, October, 2026

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