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Liberty Lane #3
A Corpse in Shining Armour
Duelling, derring-do, and dastardly deeds are all in a day's work for Liberty Lane: the plucky heroine for fans of Georgette Heyer and Sarah Waters's Victorian novels. London. Summer 1839. And the temperature is rising as Liberty Lane takes on her strangest case yet. Deranged aristocrat Lord Brinkburn is nearing death and his elder son, Stephen, is expecting to inherit the title. But Lady Brinkburn's sudden announcement that Stephen is illegitimate throws the family into turmoil. Tensions reach boiling point between the two brothers, one of whom stands to gain everything, and they come to blows in public - much to the amusement of London Society. Liberty is engaged privately to get to the truth of the matter, but a macabre murder raises the stakes considerably!added to which she finds her own judgement being undermined by the beguiling Lady Brinkburn. She is only too aware that time is running out - one of the brothers may be next, but which will it be!?
440 pages, Paperback
First published April 6, 2009
5 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Caro Peacock
32 books51 followersAka Gillian Linscott.
Caro Peacock grew up in a farmhouse that, for most of her childhood, contained half a dozen brothers, sisters and cousins, twice as many cats and dogs, no central heating and one bathroom that stopped working every time the spring that supplied it water silted up. This possible bred the habit of curling up in a quiet place with a book, and later, a passion for travel that led to a rather disrupted education. Somewhere along the line, she acquired a great interest in Victorian history––which she considers a much misunderstood period––and particularly the part played in it by independently minded women. Caro rides horses, climbs, trampolines and spends some time every year studying wild flowers in the Alps.
Caro Peacock is a pseudonym for Gillian Linscott.
Caro Peacock grew up in a farmhouse that, for most of her childhood, contained half a dozen brothers, sisters and cousins, twice as many cats and dogs, no central heating and one bathroom that stopped working every time the spring that supplied it water silted up. This possible bred the habit of curling up in a quiet place with a book, and later, a passion for travel that led to a rather disrupted education. Somewhere along the line, she acquired a great interest in Victorian history––which she considers a much misunderstood period––and particularly the part played in it by independently minded women. Caro rides horses, climbs, trampolines and spends some time every year studying wild flowers in the Alps.
Caro Peacock is a pseudonym for Gillian Linscott.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
January 14, 2022
4.5 stars. This was a really good historical mystery (I had no guesses as to what was going on) and certainly the best one with a female Victorian sleuth I’ve read for a while. Will definitely be reading more of this author’s work.
June 26, 2010
Caro Peacock's Liberty Lane was my first entry into the evolving genre of neo-Victorian female detective fiction. After reading the first two Liberty Lane novels (A Foreign Affair and A Dangerous Affair), I chose to read Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Gray series and the first book in Tasha Alexendar's Lady Emily series. Each of these three take a very different tack in telling the story of a female detective.
In my mind, Alexander's Lady Emily is undoubtedly the weakest of the three characters and of the three series. On her husband's death, she inherits so much money that she can travel on a whim, and she no longer feels confined by many Victorian mores.
Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia is also a widow, but this series is much stronger. Lady Julia is much more restricted by society and has to make her decisions with care. The (mild) element of paranormal in the series does it make less realistic, though.
Finally, we get to Liberty Lane, the heroine of Caro Peacock's books. (The books are originally published in the UK under different names, so I'm not going to bother to name the series.) As we find out in the first book, Liberty is an unmarried orphan, set loose from society by her lack of familial ties. In order to support herself (and the growing number of people that come to rely on her), she teaches music and works as an independant investigative agent. She works to discover truth and prevent scandal both privately and discreetly. Of these three series, the Liberty Lane books seem to have a stronger connection to the Victorian era (early rather than late, as in the other series). The historical detail is accurate and never intrudes on the story, but the setting does provide restrictions that hinder Libery's freedom of movement and of choice. Peacock also includes a few real people in her books that add to the story. In this novel, we have Pratt, an armorer on Bond Street in London, and future PM Benjamin Disreali. While I am not a scholar of Disreali's life, Peacock's portrait of him as a careful politician that feels compelled to involve himself in everyone's stories seems accurate. In his lifetime, he was an incredibly powerful man, largely through the ties he built between himself and others. In Peacock's novels, Liberty Lane becomes not only his friend, but one of the people that helps him to create and solidify his connections.
In this third outing for Liberty, she's been living with her small household in London for a year or so. Disreali informs her that he knows of a job that she could do. Apparently, a lawyer needs to know whether his employer's wife, Lady Brinkburn, is insane. Her husband is dying of syphilis, and now that he's incapacitated, she's announced that her older son is not the proper heir to the estate, and that it must go to the younger son. The scandal is outrageous, pitting brother against brother, and could mean a Parliamentary investigation if the matter of the heir is not resolved prior to the Lord's death.
Before Liberty gets too involved in the case, bodies start appearing, and she knows it's all connected.
I recommend this series highly. Liberty is a fully-fleshed character, and she's rather unique in neo-Victorian fiction. As I explained above, both Raybourn and Alexander set their stories among the titled nobility. Each of those novels includes a romantic element that we don't see in Peacock's series. Liberty, a gentleman's daughter with a solid (if unconvential) education, does not have the benefit of rank. She can move freely among the minor nobility and tradespeople. In setting her character among this developing middle class, Peacock illuminates a class that gets too little attention in neo-Victorian fiction. The fact that these are good, solid, mysteries helps, too. Once again, I recommend Peacock's books highly, but readers should start with the first book, A Foreign Affair.
In my mind, Alexander's Lady Emily is undoubtedly the weakest of the three characters and of the three series. On her husband's death, she inherits so much money that she can travel on a whim, and she no longer feels confined by many Victorian mores.
Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia is also a widow, but this series is much stronger. Lady Julia is much more restricted by society and has to make her decisions with care. The (mild) element of paranormal in the series does it make less realistic, though.
Finally, we get to Liberty Lane, the heroine of Caro Peacock's books. (The books are originally published in the UK under different names, so I'm not going to bother to name the series.) As we find out in the first book, Liberty is an unmarried orphan, set loose from society by her lack of familial ties. In order to support herself (and the growing number of people that come to rely on her), she teaches music and works as an independant investigative agent. She works to discover truth and prevent scandal both privately and discreetly. Of these three series, the Liberty Lane books seem to have a stronger connection to the Victorian era (early rather than late, as in the other series). The historical detail is accurate and never intrudes on the story, but the setting does provide restrictions that hinder Libery's freedom of movement and of choice. Peacock also includes a few real people in her books that add to the story. In this novel, we have Pratt, an armorer on Bond Street in London, and future PM Benjamin Disreali. While I am not a scholar of Disreali's life, Peacock's portrait of him as a careful politician that feels compelled to involve himself in everyone's stories seems accurate. In his lifetime, he was an incredibly powerful man, largely through the ties he built between himself and others. In Peacock's novels, Liberty Lane becomes not only his friend, but one of the people that helps him to create and solidify his connections.
In this third outing for Liberty, she's been living with her small household in London for a year or so. Disreali informs her that he knows of a job that she could do. Apparently, a lawyer needs to know whether his employer's wife, Lady Brinkburn, is insane. Her husband is dying of syphilis, and now that he's incapacitated, she's announced that her older son is not the proper heir to the estate, and that it must go to the younger son. The scandal is outrageous, pitting brother against brother, and could mean a Parliamentary investigation if the matter of the heir is not resolved prior to the Lord's death.
Before Liberty gets too involved in the case, bodies start appearing, and she knows it's all connected.
I recommend this series highly. Liberty is a fully-fleshed character, and she's rather unique in neo-Victorian fiction. As I explained above, both Raybourn and Alexander set their stories among the titled nobility. Each of those novels includes a romantic element that we don't see in Peacock's series. Liberty, a gentleman's daughter with a solid (if unconvential) education, does not have the benefit of rank. She can move freely among the minor nobility and tradespeople. In setting her character among this developing middle class, Peacock illuminates a class that gets too little attention in neo-Victorian fiction. The fact that these are good, solid, mysteries helps, too. Once again, I recommend Peacock's books highly, but readers should start with the first book, A Foreign Affair.
March 17, 2012
Loved this book. Really. I would have given it 5 stars, but the ending was too over the top for me to justify anything more than 4 stars. I've been racking my brain for something to compare these book to, and then I noticed another reader's review mentioned that these were very Agatha Christieish.
smacks forehead
Yes! That describes the style perfectly! Liberty could definitely double as a young Miss Marple.
I don't feel the need to describe the plot, because like Christie's stories, it's not the mystery that keeps us coming back for more...it's the way it all unfolds.
And I'm definitely coming back for more!
smacks forehead
Yes! That describes the style perfectly! Liberty could definitely double as a young Miss Marple.
I don't feel the need to describe the plot, because like Christie's stories, it's not the mystery that keeps us coming back for more...it's the way it all unfolds.
And I'm definitely coming back for more!
February 1, 2019
I really enjoyed reading the Knights in a Time Warp at the end of the novel. Eglinton Castle and the thirteenth earl of Eglinton. Nice touch by the author.
August 28, 2010
Reason for Reading: Next in the series.
I like to think of the Liberty Lane series as one of my guilty pleasures. I know I'm in for a quick dip immersion into the Victorian era with a light mystery and an easy read. I also know Liberty is not going to get into a romance with anyone, though someone will probably be trying to play matchmaker for her but Liberty has more important things to do as a "private intelligencer", a name coined for her line of work by her friend and politician Benjamin Disraeli. Disraeli also is in the habit of bringing work her way and that is how Liberty gets her case in this book.
A classic tale of the class system, the Lord is in a private asylum and close to death at which point the Lady announces that the eldest son is not the Lord's legal heir throwing doubt on his legitimacy and placing the younger son in line to inherit the estate. Thus, the Lady then retires from talking about it. Liberty is hired by the lawyer to find out if the Lady is lying or simply mad. He has no interest if she is telling the truth; it is simply not an option. But Liberty finds out much more than legitimate birthrights are being kept secret when she arrives on the scene and a servant is found dead packed away in a barrel and the eldest son has simply vanished. She takes it on her own initiative to solve the answers to the many questions, secrets and mysteries she encounters at Brinkburn Hall.
I have to say this has been my absolute favourite of the Liberty Lane mysteries by far! Liberty Lane is still written too far on the modern side to be entirely believable but having got to know the character through the three books, I don't really care anymore. She is a fun heroine, not afraid to go where the danger leads her and full of simple derring-do. I loved the mystery this time as well. I had all sorts of ideas wandering around in my mind; I did figure out one of the elements but so much was going on by the end it was a complete surprise when the shocking reveal came out. I read the first half of the book at a leisurely pace enjoying the new characters and setting which revolves around the Victorian love for all things medieval and includes the ill-fated joust, the Eglinton Tournament. Then the second half was quick paced as all the secrets started unraveling and danger threatened. I thoroughly enjoyed this book in the series and eagerly await the next. Historical mystery fans and lovers of cozy mysteries alike will enjoy this romp with Liberty Lane.
I like to think of the Liberty Lane series as one of my guilty pleasures. I know I'm in for a quick dip immersion into the Victorian era with a light mystery and an easy read. I also know Liberty is not going to get into a romance with anyone, though someone will probably be trying to play matchmaker for her but Liberty has more important things to do as a "private intelligencer", a name coined for her line of work by her friend and politician Benjamin Disraeli. Disraeli also is in the habit of bringing work her way and that is how Liberty gets her case in this book.
A classic tale of the class system, the Lord is in a private asylum and close to death at which point the Lady announces that the eldest son is not the Lord's legal heir throwing doubt on his legitimacy and placing the younger son in line to inherit the estate. Thus, the Lady then retires from talking about it. Liberty is hired by the lawyer to find out if the Lady is lying or simply mad. He has no interest if she is telling the truth; it is simply not an option. But Liberty finds out much more than legitimate birthrights are being kept secret when she arrives on the scene and a servant is found dead packed away in a barrel and the eldest son has simply vanished. She takes it on her own initiative to solve the answers to the many questions, secrets and mysteries she encounters at Brinkburn Hall.
I have to say this has been my absolute favourite of the Liberty Lane mysteries by far! Liberty Lane is still written too far on the modern side to be entirely believable but having got to know the character through the three books, I don't really care anymore. She is a fun heroine, not afraid to go where the danger leads her and full of simple derring-do. I loved the mystery this time as well. I had all sorts of ideas wandering around in my mind; I did figure out one of the elements but so much was going on by the end it was a complete surprise when the shocking reveal came out. I read the first half of the book at a leisurely pace enjoying the new characters and setting which revolves around the Victorian love for all things medieval and includes the ill-fated joust, the Eglinton Tournament. Then the second half was quick paced as all the secrets started unraveling and danger threatened. I thoroughly enjoyed this book in the series and eagerly await the next. Historical mystery fans and lovers of cozy mysteries alike will enjoy this romp with Liberty Lane.
August 7, 2010
I love Miss Liberty Lane. This adventure begins with Miss Lane being asked to look into whether a woman is mad or not. There is a question of the next heir in the family and the mother is saying the eldest is not the legitimate heir because she was visited by a dark knight and not her husband. Of course, this turns into a long investigation along with Miss Lane becoming entangled in her own drama. It was a good story and I can't wait to see if she has more adventures. I love her character. She never acts like she knows everything, but sort of stumbles through the investigation and still finding out the correct result in the end.
January 14, 2011
I decided to read the third in the series shortly after the second before I forgot about it again. Disappointed to find no sign of a fourth book in the series yet.
Early Victorian London; jousting is the latest craze among young aristocrats & a paternity question arises between the two sons of a dying Lord. Liberty Lane steps in to investigate. Fun. I guessed one of the twists but it's well plotted and that didn't matter. Occassional anachronous-ish foresight by the characters - as when they think it would be nice to have a test for paternity like scientists test for acids & alkalis - just adds to the entertainment.
Early Victorian London; jousting is the latest craze among young aristocrats & a paternity question arises between the two sons of a dying Lord. Liberty Lane steps in to investigate. Fun. I guessed one of the twists but it's well plotted and that didn't matter. Occassional anachronous-ish foresight by the characters - as when they think it would be nice to have a test for paternity like scientists test for acids & alkalis - just adds to the entertainment.
August 10, 2013
This is early Victorian in its setting; the queen is young and the country is fascinated with her. Liberty Lane is young and working hard to be independent, which is something the times make difficult. This particular story involves succession in an aristocratic family. Like many detectives Liberty's clothes take a beating. I wonder how her budget holds up, when her shoes split seams and she goes riding in dresses particularly unsuited to horseback, even side saddle. The story never fails to entertain. Thank you, Caro Peacock. I await the next Liberty Lane adventure!!
January 30, 2016
Great, gripping mystery, unexpected plot turns, fantastic new characters and the very appealing Liberty Lane, all added to a pure Victorian gothic melodrama. Loved everything, even the crazy ending - I kept thinking - 'how will she resolve this?' And I totally did not expect the action in the final chapters! Great fun, addictive, and a pleasure to read Caro Peacock's writing.
February 5, 2017
Book 3 in this series is my favorite one yet. I feel like the characters all came into rhythm in this book. Things were in sync, and as a reader, I felt the change, felt myself being drawn in and invested in the lives of those within the pages. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
July 14, 2010
I just read the American edition of this mystery from one of my favorite authors. I like the British title better than A Family Affair (the American title), especially since the plot revolves around the Victorians' love for all things medieval.
July 12, 2013
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. The romantic in me wasn't very satisfied (it's not a love story) but it was a strong female lead character and a good mystery with plenty of twists.
May 30, 2017
This was a fast paced historical thriller with a gutsy heroine. Pretty unbelievable modern heroine but hey, she gets out there and demands a good share of equality while she does it. Light reading, unreal events, OK but unlikely to stick in my head.
September 14, 2010
Well ... the copy I have is called A Family Affair but it is the same book ... another fine Liberty Lane mystery.
July 11, 2012
I really enjoyed this book! The mystery was surprising and I still really like the characters.
August 10, 2012
Really enjoying this series.
February 20, 2013
I enjoyed this novel it was exciting, quite a page turner and well written.
July 30, 2014
Really great book, a fast paced page turner with an original plot and likeable protagonist in Liberty Lane....Would definitely recommend if you like mystery and the Victorian period!
August 16, 2017
I enjoy Liberty Lane's matter-of-fact and energetic methods of coping with the world around her in Victorian England. She is approached by Mr. Disraeli, who has helped her establish herself as a private investigator, to look into the affairs of the Brinkburn family and the question of which of two sons is to inherit the estate. The novel opens with an arresting scene of Victorian gentlemen entertaining themselves with a jousting tournament, during which the conflict between the Brinkburn sons becomes evident to all who attend. Liberty travels to the countryside to investigate and rides the railway for the very first time. Ms. Peacock is successful in conveying the Victorian obsession with the romantic side of medieval times in this fascinating historical mystery.
April 20, 2018
*Spoilers*
I'm not sure why but this book was...meh.
The content should have resulted in a page turner - scandal, murder, mystery, madness - but it was boring until about 3/4 in then it was over the top.
I was wondering if it was written for a younger audience, perhaps teen girls. The writing was too simple for me and lacked intensity.
Plus I am not a fan of making women from 150 years ago appear to be modern day characters dropped into the time period. Any woman of the era would have known the plight of Sophia and not thought her better off begging in the street to avoid a terrible marriage.
The book was forgettable.
I'm not sure why but this book was...meh.
The content should have resulted in a page turner - scandal, murder, mystery, madness - but it was boring until about 3/4 in then it was over the top.
I was wondering if it was written for a younger audience, perhaps teen girls. The writing was too simple for me and lacked intensity.
Plus I am not a fan of making women from 150 years ago appear to be modern day characters dropped into the time period. Any woman of the era would have known the plight of Sophia and not thought her better off begging in the street to avoid a terrible marriage.
The book was forgettable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2020
An interesting entry in a different type of Victorian mystery series.
Miss Liberty Lane was raised as a gentlewoman by anarchist leaning parents. She was instilled with a sense of her own worth and now is making her way as a private inquiry agent. Desrelli calls on her services in this book to untangle a complicated question of legitimacy within an aristocratic family. The problem runs much deeper and Miss Lane is drawn in until the end. I like Liberty and her mix of Victorian gentlewoman with independence. I am interested to see where her story goes from here.
Miss Liberty Lane was raised as a gentlewoman by anarchist leaning parents. She was instilled with a sense of her own worth and now is making her way as a private inquiry agent. Desrelli calls on her services in this book to untangle a complicated question of legitimacy within an aristocratic family. The problem runs much deeper and Miss Lane is drawn in until the end. I like Liberty and her mix of Victorian gentlewoman with independence. I am interested to see where her story goes from here.
March 12, 2021
Yet another delightful novel in the Liberty Lane series but I did end the book wondering what happened with Daniel & Jenny's baby? That the pregnancy was nearly at an end was a plot point and yet, at the final page, no mention of the baby. Weird!
October 17, 2011
First off, Liberty Lane has to be one of the stupidest names ever. If my parents had seen fit to give me that name, I'd have changed it at first opportunity.
Having said that, the protagonist was quite interesting. She's headstrong, determined, and inventive. Though this is a Victorian-society type book and I was expecting more in the way of court politics than detective work, I liked the countryside that formed the main setting for A Family Affair.
On the other hand, there was the clear Chekhov's Gunman on display. Shortly after the first body is discovered (because naturally there have to be several deaths before any competent detective reveals the mystery - I'm looking at you, Agatha Christie!), Liberty Lane is introduced to a policeman. He follows her around everywhere - including trips outside the city, generally makes a nuisance of himself, and shows that he's highly suspicious of Liberty. So, does she get arrested? Does she actually suffer any harm from his suspicions? Of course not. He's mentioned as a brooding presence, but he adds practically nothing to the plot. Admittedly, it's possible that Caro Peacock's waiting until the next book in the series (and okay, I started with this one, but as far as I can tell, it's perfectly fine to start with the third book) to use the policeman in a useful capacity. I'll have to check up on the reviews, since this seems rather pointless to me.
And having gotten all that off my chest, let's turn to the plot. There's two male children of a certain mentally disturbed lord, destined to die any day now. Their presumably sane mother says that her elder son is illegitimate. And Liberty Lane is sent to investigate, hopefully to prove that the mother is somehow insane as well. Only when she goes to investigate, the servants love their mistress, who treats Liberty, for no reason at all, like a friend. Also, she has a travel journal from the days of her honeymoon trip, which is naturally full of clues.
There's a lovely Victorian sense of madness pervading the book. Everyone's not quite in their right mind, and at the end - well, I can't reference my reasons for the comparisons without spoiling it, but this reminds me a lot of Wilkie Collins and Jane Eyre. The mystery isn't bad, by any means, but the way the deaths are arranged seems a little contrived. That is, could a killer really get away with killing people like that in real life?
On the whole, it's a rather interesting mystery, but there's too much that isn't fully developed or adequately explained.
Having said that, the protagonist was quite interesting. She's headstrong, determined, and inventive. Though this is a Victorian-society type book and I was expecting more in the way of court politics than detective work, I liked the countryside that formed the main setting for A Family Affair.
On the other hand, there was the clear Chekhov's Gunman on display. Shortly after the first body is discovered (because naturally there have to be several deaths before any competent detective reveals the mystery - I'm looking at you, Agatha Christie!), Liberty Lane is introduced to a policeman. He follows her around everywhere - including trips outside the city, generally makes a nuisance of himself, and shows that he's highly suspicious of Liberty. So, does she get arrested? Does she actually suffer any harm from his suspicions? Of course not. He's mentioned as a brooding presence, but he adds practically nothing to the plot. Admittedly, it's possible that Caro Peacock's waiting until the next book in the series (and okay, I started with this one, but as far as I can tell, it's perfectly fine to start with the third book) to use the policeman in a useful capacity. I'll have to check up on the reviews, since this seems rather pointless to me.
And having gotten all that off my chest, let's turn to the plot. There's two male children of a certain mentally disturbed lord, destined to die any day now. Their presumably sane mother says that her elder son is illegitimate. And Liberty Lane is sent to investigate, hopefully to prove that the mother is somehow insane as well. Only when she goes to investigate, the servants love their mistress, who treats Liberty, for no reason at all, like a friend. Also, she has a travel journal from the days of her honeymoon trip, which is naturally full of clues.
There's a lovely Victorian sense of madness pervading the book. Everyone's not quite in their right mind, and at the end - well, I can't reference my reasons for the comparisons without spoiling it, but this reminds me a lot of Wilkie Collins and Jane Eyre. The mystery isn't bad, by any means, but the way the deaths are arranged seems a little contrived. That is, could a killer really get away with killing people like that in real life?
On the whole, it's a rather interesting mystery, but there's too much that isn't fully developed or adequately explained.
July 26, 2011
This was a light, easy book that I flew through. It was interesting. I had to come to terms with how out of character Miss Lane was but by the end I was fine. It wasn't very suspenseful. I am use to a more Agatha Christie approach, while includes deaths that are more frightening, but this book wasn't bad. I doubt I will read it again, but only because I don't reread mystery novels. I thought some of the characters were rather flat but overall I enjoyed it.
January 26, 2016
am quite sold on liberty lane and her version of early victorian life. really fun to spend time with and a big, thick book that i read slowly in order to savor. i'd never deem it the height of literary accomplishment, but there's something very comforting about it, which is probably appropriate for a historical cozy.
December 18, 2011
Originally published as A Corpse in Shining Armour, now evidently re-titled A Family Affair, presumably to give the series continuity. The third Liberty Lane book, good storyline, interesting characters but what really fascinates me is the detailed look at everyday life for all classes in the Victorian era.
May 4, 2012
Gotta suspend; I was able to renew this one and need to read another library book before it is due on Saturday.
Resumed 4-26-12
3.5. Quite good. I've asked the library to order the 5th book in the series, due out in June.
Resumed 4-26-12
3.5. Quite good. I've asked the library to order the 5th book in the series, due out in June.
October 17, 2014
I read this before today, but did not record it in Goodreads. Consequently, I asked my library for it and they interlibrary loaned it, and now I am mad at myself for causing the library to spend money they did not need to. Another reason to use Goodreads and record my reading!
March 1, 2016
This was quite an interesting story, about two brothers and a female detective. A family secret and a family birth right was the centre of this mystery. Overall the characters were well developed and interesting. The story line was easy to follow and not too complex.
September 10, 2010
I guess these are my form of mind trash. They're not the best written mysteries but I love escaping into the Victorian age...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews