A Fatal Freedom: An Ursula Grandison Mystery

Laurence's second historical whodunit (after 2013's Deadly Inheritance) featuring independent American amateur sleuth Ursula Grandison and British PI Thomas Jackman shares many of the first book's shortcomings. Things get off to a slow start as Ursula looks for work and an affordable place to live in 1903 London. After getting a part-time position as an assistant helping a woman with her social engagements, Ursula crosses paths with Thomas, a former detective for the Metropolitan Police, who once wanted her to join him as a private investigator. The circumstances of their encounter aren't propitious; Thomas has been retained by the brutish Joshua Peters to determine whether his wife, Alice, is unfaithful. Just as Thomas is about to take an incriminating photograph of Alice with another man, a woman, who turns out to be Alice's sister, barges into Thomas, causing him to drop his camera. Too many pages go by before an actual crime is committed, and much of the plot line follows a predictable course. Agent: Jane Conway-Gordon, Jane Conway-Gordon Ltd. (U.K.). (Oct.)