Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose, the start of her Wrexford and Sloane Mystery Series, is a great example of how to set up a compelling Regency-era world to start sleuthing in. I will explain why in due course, but first let me preface this by saying that during my reread of this book, because I didn’t have a written review in my book journal and I wanted to put fresh eyes to this, I was subconsciously comparing it to my favourite historical fiction series starter The Anatomist’s Wife and I had to pinch myself to stop. This book isn’t bad, but there are specifics I enjoyed more in The Anatomist’s Wife which I will go into later.

Let me introduce our characters. We have Charlotte Sloane, widow and satirical artist working under her late husband’s pen-name A.J. Quill. She’s a flawed heroine (using the Flawed vs. Virtuous imagery found in Jane Austen women because it’s a fun literary extra) who has a shadowed past, many secrets to keep and few friends. She’s extremely detail-orientated, a talented artist, mother hen of two little street urchins, and has connections almost everywhere. These all reinforce her skills and expertise in her career, keeping her afloat when nothing else would. It’s believable that she can survive selling her prints on the latest gossips and the secrets of the upper class. Moreover, it’s credible to her character that she would be able to turn these skills towards being a detector.

Then we have our mysterious, scientific Lord Wrexford with a name for himself among polite society and perhaps not the cleanest reputation. His specialties in chemistry and science as a broader topic give him a just reason for being involved or attune to the higher thinking of the times – scientific breakthroughs, processes and interactions between chemicals are well within his ball park. His connections, a handful of close contacts, and his more threatening presence provides him with a wide range of resources to pull information from too. There’s no questions in regards to how well these two would be able to fit into the crime detective shoes of the times.

We also have the two street urchins, Raven and Hawk, Wrexford’s good friend Christopher “Kit” Sheffield, Wrexford’s valet and lab assistant Tyler and the mutual acquaintance of Sloane and Wrexford’s who finishes off the essentials for a regency-era ragtag bunch of sleuthers: a Scottish physician who performs autopsies on the victims that crop up along the course of these cases. It’s a cheeky base cover but it works all the same.

Murder on Black Swan Lane brings us the best of both worlds with the alluring setting of the grimier side of town thanks to Charlotte’s accomodations and the backstreets of dirty London as well as the gentlemen’s clubs and receiving rooms of the tons. With these settings brings the contrast that is often prodded at with Charlotte’s drawings – the stark differences between worlds and how, underneath that supposed separation the two are more alike than they think. We also have a more serious tone spanning this book which doesn’t come up in other debut novels such as Deanna Raybourn’s A Curious Beginning. Again, this is not to shame or put down anyone’s brilliant work for everyone has preferences and specific tastes when it comes to their reading. While on the note of A Curious Beginning, let me say that Veronica Speedwell is more of a Virtuous heroine in my eyes which suits that lighter, more malleable tone as she commands the world around her not the other way around.

You can see how these aspects within the book start to stack up finely. It all keeps well-balanced, managing to support itself without great struggle and certainly without plot holes which would set it tumbling. We can also see how characters are open to change, to development and to learning which will have an impact on their surroundings. These are all possible when the basics are well cared for and managed. All in all, Murder on Black Swan Lane is a great beginning with a dark, more realistic view into Regency-era murder mysteries. If you’re looking for a new Historical Fiction to sink your teeth into, the Wrexford and Sloane Mystery Series should definitely make your list.