As far as historical fiction murder mystery releases go, A Deceptive Composition is certainly topping the charts in terms of interest and balance between action plots and relationship plots this year. This addition to the Lady Darby mystery series is one of my favourites, and the narrative direction is one I will not forget.

Continuing from our emotive adventure with Lord Gage in A Fatal Illusion, we have another tale with equal parts action and emotion. We have the tender relationships and interactions evolving between our main cast alongside a new mystery that intrigues both the young Gages and begrudgingly Lord Gage, sending the crew to Cornwall where smugglers and shifty activity plague Lord Gage’s memory of family. I wasn’t sure if we would get another novel heavily involving Lord Gage for a while, so A Deceptive Composition pleasantly surprised me. I find Lord Gage to be an incredibly complex character with hidden layers of personal history and a prickly personality that protects him from unwelcome emotions. He is a far more believable character than Kiera and more realistic than Sebastian in his authenticity and purpose.

A Deceptive Composition almost serves as a part two to A Fatal Illusion in the sense that the egg that is Lord Gage’s human emotions continues to crack open and reveals a more human, paternal version of the staunch man. The family troubles and strange intensity the Gages face in Cornwall make it feel like you can’t trust anyone new, and of course, you can’t – we have a large enough ensemble in our main cast as is and too many allies to create space for more. It’s almost easier for the reader to come to terms with that from the beginning and wait to be proven wrong when someone does stick around. I did enjoy the wider family dynamics and people of interest outside of the family, especially when it came to Lord Gage’s past. That scene with the old woman was sweet and I wish more significance was brought into the story with a certain character to hammer home that interaction.

The setting description is immersive and brings out the sensory elements of the mystery. Being so close to the sea, you can’t help but get that saltiness in the air as you picture the scene. Then there’s the rolling waves, the sound of them crashing to the shore and washing up against the sand. I’m not usually a beach or summer girl, but the image is clear in A Deceptive Composition. I loved the nature details in this novel – the gardens, the rain, the sea – as it felt less stuffy (away from the confines of society and the city) and more isolated (as mentioned in the journey to Cornwall). These seemingly little techniques make the reader place the story in a setting that cannot help but feel alienating and dangerous, an in turn, the tension naturally seeps into the story.

I will say the ending felt very quick, not rushed necessarily, but the climax took a cliffhanger turn, and the denouement wrapped up in a short chapter that didn’t let the tension and intensity of the major conflict ride itself out. It almost felt short-lived and dismissive, not something you want in your conclusions, even if it is part of a series. If a little more was put into the last chapter, it would have been enough to settle the final spike and bring the story to a satisfactory close.

Nevertheless, A Deceptive Composition is one of the best historical fiction murder mysteries I have read so far this year. I have a few more on the way, such as the next book in C.S. Harris’s long-standing Sebastian St Cyr series, and Andrea Penrose’s Wrexford and Sloane mystery series in September. Will they trump this book, or will they flounder in the waves?