When the Devil Drives: A Liberty Lane Mystery

The impending engagement of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1839 forms the backdrop for Peacock’s gripping fourth Liberty Lane mystery (after 2009’s Death in Shining Armour). London is rife with rumors that the devil’s chariot, “drawn by two black horses with red eyes and footmen on the back with bull’s heads and horns,” is snatching women off the streets. When Lane goes in search of 19-year-old Dora Tilbury, whose sweetheart last saw her at church in Essex before she was supposed to meet him in London, the female private investigator finds the corpse of more than one unidentified young woman. Meanwhile, a shadowy figure who claims to be working for Disraeli asks Lane to help with a delicate matter involving a member of the retinue of Prince Albert’s brother. Lane is more than up to the challenge of an intricate puzzle that merges subtle fair-play clues, rich period atmosphere, and fast-moving action. (Dec.)