Death of a Dowager (#2)

London, early 1800s — With extensive repairs being made to Ferndean, the rural home of the Rochesters, Jane and her husband accept an invitation from a friend to stay with her in London. Jane is reluctant to abandon their peaceful home in the countryside, but her husband’s damaged vision has grown worse—and so have his feelings of depression. Jane hopes that time spent in the nation’s bustling capital will buoy his spirits and give him the chance to receive treatment from a specialist.

Once in London, the Rochesters accompany their friend to the Italian Opera House. However, there is more drama in the audience than on the stage! Jane not only unexpectedly finds herself in the presence of the King, she also comes face-to-face with an old nemesis, a dowager who once hoped her daughter would marry the man who is now Jane’s husband. Not surprisingly, the aging dowager deals Jane a very public snub. Hoping to mitigate the damages, Jane makes a social visit to the dowager’s house, only to have the elderly woman drop dead while taking tea! It’s clear the dowager’s death was an unnatural one, and Jane must set her considerable intelligence to the problems of solving the crime…and then a summons from King George IV himself puts Jane squarely in the midst of a battle for the English throne—and the religious freedom of a nation!