Murder, Gravity, and Other Observatory Disasters

A Cozy Regency Mystery of Love and Murder

By: Marisa Paxon

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

I am the narrator of this book, which means I have already hauled you up a windy tower, kept several wealthy egos from falling into the evidence, and listened to a chronometer sulk in real time. Now they have decided I must also sell it, as if I have not done enough carrying.

On a cliff-top observatory in Devon, Cassia Fenwick tries to do the only respectable thing available, namely: insist that numbers mean something. Unfortunately, the sky has manners and arrives on time, while humans immediately do the opposite. A comet appears, patrons crowd the stair, Dr Julius Crowthorne takes a lantern to the rooftop, and a moment later there is the sort of regrettable landing noise that ruins an entire evening’s stargazing.

Enter Captain Edmund Verney, sent by London with a stiff knee, a sharper mind, and an irritating preference for truth over tidy stories. Together, he and Cassia measure seconds between cry and impact, pry at doctored logs and “improvements” to time itself, and discover that a man with an interest in controlled falls can do quite a lot of damage without ever lifting a hand in public. If Cassia fails, she does not just lose her post, she loses the observatory, her reputation, and the safety of every ship that trusted a fashionable lie.

A clue-rich, fair-play Regency whodunit with a satisfying, logical reveal, paired with a closed-door slow-burn romance and a genuine HEA; also, no gore, only consequences and extremely judgemental clocks. Perfect for readers who like sharp banter, clever heroines, competent heroes, unusual settings, and mysteries where the evidence does not require you to forgive it for being convenient.

This is a complete, stand-alone case in Regency: Corpses & Courtship Club, you can read it in any order, though I cannot promise the tower will approve. Go on then, click Look Inside and mind the parapet.