Book Review: The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn

Many of you have heard me wax enthusiastic about Deanna Raybourn’s Julia Grey novels. I took a risk starting this series, because after I read her novel, The Dead Travel Fast, I was somewhat disappointed. But by the time I had finished the first installment, Silent in the Grave, I was hooked on the plucky, independent character of Julia Grey.

The fifth in the series, tantalizingly titled The Dark Enquiry, continues the delightful standard set by the previous four books. In this volume, Julia finally earns the chance to become a fully trusted partner in her husband, Brisbane’s enquiry agency after her brother comes to them with a little blackmailing problem. Her family’s involvement in this particular case is fortuitous for Julia, as it gives her an obvious in to the case and makes it easier for her to convince Brisbane that she can be useful.

What follows is an entertaining and endearing account of starts and stops as they attempt to pin down  a blackmailer, poisoner, and a thief. Throughout their capers (which manage to be suspenseful and thrilling, but lightheartedly so), Brisbane and Julia enjoy the witty repartee of a couple who love each other deeply but find themselves frequently at intellectual odds. The result is dialogue and romantic interaction that are both authentic and heartwarming.

As usual, Raybourn manages to throw the reader in multiple directions only to reveal the true culprit in a way that is nonchalantly dramatic. That she is able to construct the plot in such a way as to make the villain a true surprise is a testament to her prowess as a mystery writer as well as a romance enthusiast. Add to this the historical context of the late nineteenth century, with its curious mix of tradition and technology, and you are left with a novel that satisfies on every level.

Upon finishing this book I find myself thirsty already for the next installment, which it is hinted at the end will be set in Italy. Fans of sassy heroines and period settings will not be disappointed in any of the Julia Grey books, and The Dark Enquiry is perhaps the most sassy of them all.