The Peculiar Case of Lord Finsbury's Diamonds: 2 (Casebook of Barnaby Adair)

#1 New York Times-bestselling author Stephanie Laurens brings you a tale of murder mystery passion and intrigue - and diamonds!Penelope Adair wife and partner of amateur sleuth Barnaby Adair is so hugely pregnant she cannot even waddle. When Barnaby is summoned to assist Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard in investigating the violent murder of a gentleman at a house party Penelope frustrated that she cannot participate insists that she and Griselda Stokess wife be duly informed of their husbands discoveries.Yet what Barnaby and Stokes uncover only leads to more questions. The murdered gentleman had been thrown out of the house party days before so why had he come back? And how and why did he come to have the fabulous Finsbury diamond necklace in his pocket much to Lord Finsburys consternation. Most peculiar of all why had the murderer left the necklace worth a stupendous fortune on the body?The conundrums compound as our intrepid investigators attempt to make sense of this baffling case. Meanwhile the threat of scandal grows ever more tangible for all those attending the house party - and the stakes are highest for Lord Finsburys daughter and the gentleman who has spent the last decade resurrecting his family fortune so he can aspire to her hand. Working parallel to Barnaby and Stokes the would-be lovers hunt for a path through the maze of contradictory facts to expose the murderer disperse the pall of scandal and claim the love and the shared life they crave.A pre-Victorian mystery with strong elements of romance. A short novel of 39000 words.An entry in The Casebook of Barnaby Adair series the events in this short novel occur between the events described in the full-length Casebook novels WHERE THE HEART LEADS and THE MASTERFUL MR. MONTAGUE.Praise for the works of Stephanie LaurensStephanie Laurens heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong. Cathy KellyStephanie Laurens never fails to entertain and charm her readers with vibrant plots snappy dialogue and unforgettable characters. Historical Romance ReviewsStephanie Laurens plays into readers fantasies like a master and claims their hearts time and again. Romantic Times Magazine