Review of "A Flaw in the Blood" by Stephanie Barron

Another entry in the recent stream of historical novels comes in the form of this Victorian-era mystery. Irish barrister Patrick Fitzgerald is a cinfidant of the Queen, thanks to his prior service in quashing a plot to murder her. The Queen is distrought because her husband, Prince Phillip, is gravely ill. Patick is unsure what to do, and is suddenly cast in the middle of a mystery one day when he and his young protege' Dr. Georgianna Armistad are riding in a Queen's coach when it is attacked and overturned. The question is were Patrick and Georgianna the intended target, or was it yet another attempt on the life of the Queen?

A carefully-crafted plot and an adept hand at scenery make this one of the most enjoyable mysteries I've seen this year. One could expect no less from the author who gave us the stories of Jane Austin as a young detective.