Mystery

Fatal by Design

Fatal by Design

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  • Create Date：2023-10-23 17:22:32
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Cara Devlin
  • ISBN：B0C62FZ937
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Summary

A summer house party in the English countryside。
A missing rare jewel。
An abducted viscountess。

The secrets and complications keeping Audrey and Hugh apart begin to unravel when they team up to solve a puzzling mystery surrounding the disappearance of Audrey’s sister， the Viscountess Redding， and a long-lost ring worth a fortune。

The Bow Street Duchess Mystery series continues in October 2023 with a new Audrey Sinclair and Hugh Marsden investigation。 Stay tuned for a full description， coming soon！

The Bow Street Duchess Mystery series is perfect for fans of the Lady Sherlock mysteries， the Veronica Speedwell mysteries， and PBS Masterpiece’s Miss Scarlet & the Duke。

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Reviews

Margaret Shumaker ，

I love this seriedI love this series， the characters are complex and the plots interesting。 There are lots of secrets among the English upper class。

HappyBookWorm2020 ，

This is one of my favorite historical series， the fifth book in the series。 They should be read in order， as each book builds on events from the previous book。The circumstances of the two main characters have changed dramatically。 Hugh is now a viscount， as he proved to be the oldest legitimate heir。 He is discovering that he feels less safe now that he is a desirable catch， than he did chasing criminals on the streets of London。 Audrey is now a widow， and the dowager duchess。 Her husband is bel This is one of my favorite historical series， the fifth book in the series。 They should be read in order， as each book builds on events from the previous book。The circumstances of the two main characters have changed dramatically。 Hugh is now a viscount， as he proved to be the oldest legitimate heir。 He is discovering that he feels less safe now that he is a desirable catch， than he did chasing criminals on the streets of London。 Audrey is now a widow， and the dowager duchess。 Her husband is believed to have drowned while he was travelling overseas。 He has been declared dead， and Audrey is in mourning。Then her sister is kidnapped from the carriage that Audrey had lent her。 Her maid was shot and killed。 The question is， why kidnap Millie？ She was not wealthy and had no influence。 Audrey and Hugh come to some alarming conclusions and are once more - discretely - collaborating to see if they can find Millie before it is too late。I received a free advance review copy， and voluntarily read and reviewed this book。 。。。more

Doris Brase ，

Lost loves and missing jewels。I read this one straight through。 Couldn't put it down。 Audrey and Hugh reconnect whike looking for her missing sister。 Murder， kidnapping， and securities fraud create lots of paths to follow。 Lost loves and missing jewels。I read this one straight through。 Couldn't put it down。 Audrey and Hugh reconnect whike looking for her missing sister。 Murder， kidnapping， and securities fraud create lots of paths to follow。 。。。more

Kiaran ，

Another great book in this series…。and you do want to read them in order for maximum enjoyment of the arc of the story of Audrey， Duchess of Fournier。 Three months into her yearlong mourning period， Audrey has spent the summer with her former husband’s family including the new Duke and Duchess。 As she’s leaving， she happens upon an abandoned carriage with the coachman killed。 Further distressingly， she realizes that the carriage belongs to her sister… who’s obviously been kidnapped along with he Another great book in this series…。and you do want to read them in order for maximum enjoyment of the arc of the story of Audrey， Duchess of Fournier。 Three months into her yearlong mourning period， Audrey has spent the summer with her former husband’s family including the new Duke and Duchess。 As she’s leaving， she happens upon an abandoned carriage with the coachman killed。 Further distressingly， she realizes that the carriage belongs to her sister… who’s obviously been kidnapped along with her maid…。but why and who is the culprit？ Of course the new Viscount Neatham， former Bow Street Officer Hugh Marsden， teams up with Audrey to find her sister and bring the culprit to justice。 This book has some wonderful progressions for a number of characters。 Can’t wait to read the next one。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily。 。。。more

Cathy Geha ，

Fatal by Design by Cara DevlinBow Street Duchess #5Excellent addition to the series with the ongoing slow burn sizzle of attraction between Audrey and Hugh finally catching fire as they solve another mystery。 I couldn’t put it down and cannot wait to see what happens next！ What I liked: * * Audrey: dowager duchess， married in name only for four years， has been attracted to Hugh throughout the series， loves solving mysteries， intelligent， impulsive， possesses paranormal psychometric abilities， ha Fatal by Design by Cara DevlinBow Street Duchess #5Excellent addition to the series with the ongoing slow burn sizzle of attraction between Audrey and Hugh finally catching fire as they solve another mystery。 I couldn’t put it down and cannot wait to see what happens next！ What I liked: * * Audrey: dowager duchess， married in name only for four years， has been attracted to Hugh throughout the series， loves solving mysteries， intelligent， impulsive， possesses paranormal psychometric abilities， has a big secret that she will share with Hugh* Hugh: ex-principal Bow Street officer， scandal in his past， good friend of Dr。 Thornton， well-educated and eloquent， protective， intelligent， accepting， intriguing， in love with Audrey， dealing with being the new Viscount Neatham after finding out he and not another was the legitimate heir* Sir: born with the name Davy Given， a young man from the streets befriended and employed by Hugh as his assistant， savvy， capable， resourceful， look forward to seeing more of him in future books* Thornton: physician， Hugh’s friend， compassionate， volunteers time to the underprivileged， capable， supportive， widow that loved his wife， intriguing， might be ready to leave mourning and perhaps might be interested in Cassie* Cassie: Audrey’s sister-in-law， had a misfortunate situation to deal with in the previous book that has left her less than willing to trust men， looking forward to seeing what her future holds in store for her* Audrey’s in-laws who seem supportive， kind， and caring* Millie: Audrey’s sister， widow， mother of four children， loved another but married off to someone else， has potential for true happiness， isn’t as horrible as she seemed in previous books* The supporting characters Greer， Carrigan and Basil * The plot， setting， pacing and writing* All of it really except…What I didn’t like: * Who and what I was meant not to like * The person doing the kidnapping， Audrey’s mother and uncle， and thinking about bigotry must have impacted people of colorDid I like this book？ YesWould I read more in this series？ Definitely！ Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the ARC – This is my honest review。5 Stars 。。。more

Dominique Englebert ，

Is she a murder magnet？Audrey spends some time with the newly minted Fournier and family。 She intends to leave for Fournier Downs but finds an empty carriage on her way。 She recognizes the carriage as her sister’s。 It is however empty and abandoned on the road。Hugh has been obliged to leave the Bowstreet runners， but agrees to investigate the mysterious disappearance。Cara Devlin manages again to produce a masterpiece of intrigue， murder， greed and the slow burn romance between Audrey and Hugh。I Is she a murder magnet？Audrey spends some time with the newly minted Fournier and family。 She intends to leave for Fournier Downs but finds an empty carriage on her way。 She recognizes the carriage as her sister’s。 It is however empty and abandoned on the road。Hugh has been obliged to leave the Bowstreet runners， but agrees to investigate the mysterious disappearance。Cara Devlin manages again to produce a masterpiece of intrigue， murder， greed and the slow burn romance between Audrey and Hugh。I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more

Denise ，

Once again I'm in my happy place when I'm reading this series。 I can't even describe why， other than it's well-written， my favorite time period， wonderful characters that are alive on the page， and full of great mysteries。 Once again， more pieces fall into place for Hugh and Audrey and I can't wait until the next book in the series， which please please please don't be the last one。 This is the type of series that could go on for thirty or more books as far as I'm concerned。 I feel confident that Once again I'm in my happy place when I'm reading this series。 I can't even describe why， other than it's well-written， my favorite time period， wonderful characters that are alive on the page， and full of great mysteries。 Once again， more pieces fall into place for Hugh and Audrey and I can't wait until the next book in the series， which please please please don't be the last one。 This is the type of series that could go on for thirty or more books as far as I'm concerned。 I feel confident that Cara could bring all kinds of problems into the lives of Hugh and Audrey。They have a new mystery when Audrey's sister is kidnapped near a house party given by Audrey's in-laws， the new Duke and Duchess， after the "death" of Philip。 Audrey is still persona non grata in society， so leaving before the Duchess' party is to save them both grief， but she discovers the empty coach and the dead driver。 Hugh is on his way to the house party under protest， but figures a house party given by people he knows is better than the alternative， giving him a reason to decline further offers。 There's a side benefit too if he can see Audrey since she's been in mourning， they haven't been able to communicate。 Needless to say， the work on solving the mystery and trying to save Audrey sister in the process。I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more

Angela ，

Excellent readI have read them all so far and have really enjoyed these books hopefully all will be happy and settled in the last book but I hope they carry on investigating and cassie has a happy ending

Janet ，

Audrey Sinclair now the Dowager Duchess of Fournier has been spending time with her in laws after thee news that Philip had been lost at sea。 Audrey is leaving as Michael & Genie are holding a house party but she’s hardly left the estate when she comes across an abandoned coach， there’s a dead coachman， Audrey uses her powers & discovers the coach is her sister Millie's。 As callous as Millie has been in the past， Audrey can’t turn her back on family。 She’ll do whatever it takes to find her siste Audrey Sinclair now the Dowager Duchess of Fournier has been spending time with her in laws after thee news that Philip had been lost at sea。 Audrey is leaving as Michael & Genie are holding a house party but she’s hardly left the estate when she comes across an abandoned coach， there’s a dead coachman， Audrey uses her powers & discovers the coach is her sister Millie's。 As callous as Millie has been in the past， Audrey can’t turn her back on family。 She’ll do whatever it takes to find her sister， even if it means working with the man she’s been avoiding for months: former Bow Street officer Hugh Marsden now Lord Neatham。 Hugh is happy to fall back on his Bow Street skills to track down Lady Redding but the viscountess’s disappearance is only half of the puzzle。 A long-lost ring worth a fortune could be the driving force behind the deadly eventsThe fifth book in this brilliant series， whilst it could be read on its own to fully appreciate it I’d recommend reading from the start。 I love Audrey & Hugh & their very slow burn romance， things do progress in this book。 Philip has been lost at sea but only Audrey knows the truth that in fact Philip has faked his death。 I loved that Audrey told Hugh the truth but that caused a dilemma。 There’s also the mystery of Millie's kidnap & the valuable diamond ring， which I found intriguing。 A very well written page turner which I read straight through， the secondary characters also have depth & I loved that we got to know more about them especially Grant。 This is the penultimate book in the series & I’m impatiently awaiting the finaleMy review is for a special copy I voluntarily read 。。。more

C M ，

Fatal by Design is Cara Devlin's 5th book in the Bow Street Duchess Series and can be read as a stand alone but I would suggest reading the series in order。 I read #1 and then #5 and I realized that I must go back and read them because I missed some important events that took place in the previous 3 books！Audrey and Hugh have been apart for over 4 months and meet again at the her brother's house where she has been staying。 The story starts with a bang as Audrey's sister， Millie ， is abducted fro Fatal by Design is Cara Devlin's 5th book in the Bow Street Duchess Series and can be read as a stand alone but I would suggest reading the series in order。 I read #1 and then #5 and I realized that I must go back and read them because I missed some important events that took place in the previous 3 books！Audrey and Hugh have been apart for over 4 months and meet again at the her brother's house where she has been staying。 The story starts with a bang as Audrey's sister， Millie ， is abducted from her carriage near her brother， Michael's home。 This situation throws Audrey and Hugh together again as they search for clues。 Each time you think you have figured it out… a twist or turn comes into play。 I can honestly say I had a hard time putting it down to deal with real life！With family， friends， acquaintances and a mystery taking place in a small geographical area ， we are treated to deeper character development。 Bits and pieces of an individual's personality comes to light。 Each supporting character is seamlessly woven into the story and as I read I wanted to learn more about their lives。 Sir， Lord Thornton， Cassie and Tobias - here's to hoping they too will get a story！ Their solid presences just solidify my opinion that Cara Devlin is a clever， brilliant writer。I was also pleased to find Audrey and Hugh finally growing closer in their friendship。 The slow burn is increasing its flame as they settle into the recent changes in their lives but there are still uncertainties afloat。I am thoroughly invested in the world of Audrey and Hugh and can't wait to see where the next book takes these characters。 I highly recommend reading this series especially if you like intelligent ， fearless characters who may make mistakes but still stand loyally for the people in their lives while discovering the joy of love。I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more

Corinne ，

This could stand alone， but I strongly recommend reading the 4th book of the series， Penance for the Dead， before reading this。 I find this to be quite a page turner and read it in one day。 Not a single dull moment。 The mystery was interesting， but Audrey and Hugh are able to piece it all together。 Audrey also learns more about her somewhat estranged older sister。And Sir， Hugh's urchin helper， has finally cleaned up with valet Basil's diligence。 Two interesting supporting characters。 All around This could stand alone， but I strongly recommend reading the 4th book of the series， Penance for the Dead， before reading this。 I find this to be quite a page turner and read it in one day。 Not a single dull moment。 The mystery was interesting， but Audrey and Hugh are able to piece it all together。 Audrey also learns more about her somewhat estranged older sister。And Sir， Hugh's urchin helper， has finally cleaned up with valet Basil's diligence。 Two interesting supporting characters。 All around a most enjoyable read。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more

Andrea ，

Thank you to booksirens and First Cup Press for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review。I haven't followed this story thru the many previous stories。 It is a stand-alone so it was not hard to read。 There is a party at a home where the Viscountess is abducted。 She is the sister of Audrey Sinclair who is upset and wants to find her sister。In addition there is a side story that the sister inherited a special diamond ring worth alot of money。Huge Landon an upgraded police officer Thank you to booksirens and First Cup Press for providing me with a copy of this book for my honest review。I haven't followed this story thru the many previous stories。 It is a stand-alone so it was not hard to read。 There is a party at a home where the Viscountess is abducted。 She is the sister of Audrey Sinclair who is upset and wants to find her sister。In addition there is a side story that the sister inherited a special diamond ring worth alot of money。Huge Landon an upgraded police officer takes the case。 He works it with Audrey as they develop a relationship。There are times when it gets complicated， but they still keep in there until the end。 There are little side stories which are okay。Give it a try it's a fast read。 。。。more

Colleen ，

Fatal by Design is the fifth book in A Bow Street Duchess Mystery series。 This book begins about four months after the last one ended。 Audrey is in mourning after the "death" of her husband the Duke。 Audrey has been staying with Philip's brother and sister-in-law's country home while all are mourning the loss。 She has had a hard time keeping up the facade of being a widow since Philip left to start a new life。 Audrey decides to return home before the guests arrive for a house party with her in-l Fatal by Design is the fifth book in A Bow Street Duchess Mystery series。 This book begins about four months after the last one ended。 Audrey is in mourning after the "death" of her husband the Duke。 Audrey has been staying with Philip's brother and sister-in-law's country home while all are mourning the loss。 She has had a hard time keeping up the facade of being a widow since Philip left to start a new life。 Audrey decides to return home before the guests arrive for a house party with her in-laws。Once on the road they encounter a carriage stopped on the road with the driver dead。 Audrey recognizes the carriage as belonging to her sister， but she is nowhere in sight。 Using her gift， she sees that her sister was kidnapped so she returns to her in-laws for assistance。 Luckily， Hugh is attending the house party Audrey just left and can help locate her sister。This is a pretty fast paced story。 I really enjoy the relationship that has been growing between Audrey and Hugh。 I was never a fan of Philip and his treatment of Audrey。 She deserved so much better than he had to offer。 Hugh and Audrey have finally admitted to their feelings for one another， but they are far from being public as Audrey is still in mourning which sets the stage for the next book。 Looking forward to it。I received an ARC from BookSirens for an unbiased review。 。。。more

Dora ，

I am so happy to have found this series that has everything that attracts my attention in a book， intriguing and controversial situations， a lot of suspense， strong protagonists， with agile minds， determined and ready to face difficult situations and even better if an attraction， full of difficulties was included。 The villain of the story was cornered， unhinged and ready to do anything。 Marsden was now a viscount but leaving behind his skills as a Bow Street officer became impossible， even more I am so happy to have found this series that has everything that attracts my attention in a book， intriguing and controversial situations， a lot of suspense， strong protagonists， with agile minds， determined and ready to face difficult situations and even better if an attraction， full of difficulties was included。 The villain of the story was cornered， unhinged and ready to do anything。 Marsden was now a viscount but leaving behind his skills as a Bow Street officer became impossible， even more so when Audrey Sinclair was involved in the near danger。 We see him in full action， not as calm as before。 Sigh。 What love does！ I found it interesting how family problems kept coming up and the things that were coming to light and not just between Audrey and Hugh。 I like the turn the relationship was taking。 They had me grieving and angry because of how things had turned out for them。 The almost， almost romance has already advanced and in great strides。 Phillip， although it seems that without bad intentions， he did not think things through and left many on the hook。 Things are still uphill for Audrey and Hugh， and I hope the author surprises me with a solution that is not in the distant future。 Grant left me thinking and that trip to America…Huh！ I'm looking forward to the next book。 I voluntarily reviewed this copy I received for free from SirenBooks and it has me hooked。 。。。more

Sarah Diop ，

I really enjoyed this book。 I haven’t read the others in the series but I will go back and read them now。 I found the first few chapters a little confusing because I could tell the author was trying to catch me up to the 4 previous books。 It was just too many history catch ups but once we got properly into the story I loved it。 I really liked the chemistry between the two main characters and their individually strong personalities。 The mystery was decent and I liked the addition of Audrey’s hidd I really enjoyed this book。 I haven’t read the others in the series but I will go back and read them now。 I found the first few chapters a little confusing because I could tell the author was trying to catch me up to the 4 previous books。 It was just too many history catch ups but once we got properly into the story I loved it。 I really liked the chemistry between the two main characters and their individually strong personalities。 The mystery was decent and I liked the addition of Audrey’s hidden talents。 Also， the side characters were excellent especially Hugh’s assistant Sir。 I adored him and his slingshot。 。。。more

Cindy Stone ，

I love this series。 The characters are so vividly drawn that I’m immediately drawn into each new book in the series as I remember everything about them。 TV My one “complaint “ about this new novel is it was too short！ My biggest “thank you” is for letting the H & h finally acknowledge that they love each other！ I have been waiting for this scene since book #1！ Although I received a free ARC of this book， my opinions are my own。

Trina ，

Love this series， such intriguing ‘who done its’。 I can never predict who is the murderer so keeps me guessing until the end。 I find all the regular characters interesting and the new ones that were introduced。 I am glad Audrey and Hugh’s romance is progressing so well。 Look forward to the next book。I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。

Hannah Bennett ，

This series never fails to entertain and this was an excellent addition to the series！Things that worked well for me here:- Audrey and Hugh <3- Cassie！！！ Grant！！！ I need more。- all the lovely female friendships and sister relationships- Hugh getting to say his mind to Audrey's mother and uncle- the bit of diversity we see， albeit a tiny， tiny bit。The mystery was maybe my lease favorite so far and I wish we'd seen more of our OG group （like Sir and Thornton）， but I'm excited for the next in the s This series never fails to entertain and this was an excellent addition to the series！Things that worked well for me here:- Audrey and Hugh <3- Cassie！！！ Grant！！！ I need more。- all the lovely female friendships and sister relationships- Hugh getting to say his mind to Audrey's mother and uncle- the bit of diversity we see， albeit a tiny， tiny bit。The mystery was maybe my lease favorite so far and I wish we'd seen more of our OG group （like Sir and Thornton）， but I'm excited for the next in the series and very excited （and a little nervous！） for what the future holds for Audrey， Hugh， Cassie， Thornton， Sir， and the gang。Thanks to the author for an advanced copy。 I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more

Danielle ，

I AM OBSESSED。 THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD。 CHAPTER 10 KILLED MEFull review to come！

Rebecca Hodgson ，

I received an ARC to review with my own honest thoughts。Firstly - I love Cara's writing。 She knows how to create worlds that just come to life inside my head like a movie and during conversations with Cara herself， I've come to really appreciate her processes specifically dealing with （view spoiler）[ Philip and his disappearing act。 We spoke about how much I wished Philip was dead but that actually I really appreciate that she has not just chosen to go down the easy cheap route of just killing h I received an ARC to review with my own honest thoughts。Firstly - I love Cara's writing。 She knows how to create worlds that just come to life inside my head like a movie and during conversations with Cara herself， I've come to really appreciate her processes specifically dealing with （view spoiler）[ Philip and his disappearing act。 We spoke about how much I wished Philip was dead but that actually I really appreciate that she has not just chosen to go down the easy cheap route of just killing him off。 （hide spoiler）]Instead， she finds other ways to resolve the situation。 And I think that just shows how good of a writer she is。That said - my review of this book is as follows:（view spoiler）[I really enjoyed the book and its plots but there were a few challenges for me。 The first was getting into the book， it was a slower start than the others， for me and I did have to persevere。 Once I got through the first chapter or so with the re-establishing backstory of who some of the characters were， it started to grab my attention。 My main quibble with the book is that at times Hugh doesn't seem the same Hugh as before， and maybe that's because of his change in circumstance but specifically his concern of impregnating Audrey when all he can think about is how much he wants her and loves her。 It made Hugh come across slightly colder than he had been in previous books and indeed the same book previously。 Cara recovers the love between Hugh and Audrey however in the last half of the book and it was interesting to see Millie in love after we have been shown her as dismissive and distant。 It's nice to see her other side。 I am living for Thornton & Cassie！ I am unsure how Cara will handle them but she does seem to enjoy them as a potential couple as much as I do soo。。。 spin off books perhaps？ （hide spoiler）]Remains one of the best mystery romance series I've read :） can't wait for the next one！ 。。。more

Barbara Rogers ，

Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 StarsSeries: Bow Street Duchess Mystery #5Publication Date: 10/21/23Period: RegencyTalk about an exciting read！ We have another great mystery that will keep you guessing from page to page – perhaps not guessing about the who， but certainly the why。 Then， there is Audrey and Hugh’s romance – there is lovely movement there， but I’m still apprehensive that Phillip will mess things up。 That man just needs to REALLY die because pretending just doesn’t solve the moral issues f Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 StarsSeries: Bow Street Duchess Mystery #5Publication Date: 10/21/23Period: RegencyTalk about an exciting read！ We have another great mystery that will keep you guessing from page to page – perhaps not guessing about the who， but certainly the why。 Then， there is Audrey and Hugh’s romance – there is lovely movement there， but I’m still apprehensive that Phillip will mess things up。 That man just needs to REALLY die because pretending just doesn’t solve the moral issues for me。This story picks up about four months after the last book ended。 They received word about three months prior that Phillip had died after being lost in the sea after a storm。 Audrey has spent the months since with Phillip’s brother and his wife – the new Duke and Duchess。 Phillip’s family is mourning him deeply and， as usual， Phillip has left Audrey to clean up the mess and feel the guilt of not telling his family the truth。The new Duke and Duchess are having a house party as the first entertainment since they were elevated， so Audrey is leaving their estate and heading back to Fournier。 Not long after she leaves the estate， her driver discovers an abandoned coach on the side of the road – not only abandoned， but the driver is dead – shot。 The passengers are missing， so Audrey decides to use her ‘gift’ to see if she can determine to whom the coach belongs and perhaps what happened。 Shocker！ The coach belongs to her estranged older sister， Millie， Viscountess Redding， and she’s been abducted – and 。 。 。 Luckily， Hugh is attending the house party。 Even though he is now a Viscount， he still has his sharp investigative talents – and besides – he misses it。 Despite what is deemed appropriate and proper for a grieving spouse， Hugh and Audrey work together to find and hopefully rescue Millie from whoever has abducted her。 They fear the worst when there is no ransom note and Millie’s maid is found floating in a nearby river。 Why would someone kidnap Millie？ Why is there no ransom note？ What does a ring with a very rare and valuable diamond have to do with it？ Will they find Millie？ Will she be alive if they do？ Oh！ My！ Goodness！ You’ll just have to read the book to find the answers to all of those questions – and more。I can definitely recommend this book and this series。 I will say that this probably wouldn’t be best read as a standalone book as you would be missing some very pertinent facts。 I loved that we had more page time with some of the recurring characters and it was great to spend time and get to know them a bit more。 Should you choose to read the book， I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did。 Happy Reading！I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy （ARC） of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

Fatal by Design is another great installment in the Bow Street Duchess series， this being the 5th book in the planned 7-book series。 It sees Hugh and Audrey coming together again a few months after the events of Book 4， Penance for the Dead， to find out why Audrey's older sister， Millie， has been abducted and where she is being held。 We also see the return of Grant Thornton， Hugh's closest friend and widowed physician， Philip's younger siblings， Cassie， Tobias， and Michael and his wife， Genie as Fatal by Design is another great installment in the Bow Street Duchess series， this being the 5th book in the planned 7-book series。 It sees Hugh and Audrey coming together again a few months after the events of Book 4， Penance for the Dead， to find out why Audrey's older sister， Millie， has been abducted and where she is being held。 We also see the return of Grant Thornton， Hugh's closest friend and widowed physician， Philip's younger siblings， Cassie， Tobias， and Michael and his wife， Genie as well as Sir and Basil， as they all gather at Greenbriar， the new Duke of Fournier's current country estate for a planned house party that goes awry even before it starts with Lady Redding's kidnapping。 Reading this story is like gathering to see old friends who are dear to us and also to find out whether Hugh and Audrey will， or won't they？Overall， I enjoyed this story， although perhaps not as much as the previous book。 It is a solid addition to the series， and of course， I'm still very invested in the main characters but also the secondary ones as well。 But for me， it wasn't as tight or as enthralling as finding out Hugh's background or his emergence as a legitimate heir and viscount。 Note: from hence forth， there will be spoilers in my review， so read at your own risk， or skip over， if you'd rather not find out what happens。（view spoiler）[ The book got off to a slow start for me， and I couldn't tell if that was because it had been about 4 months since I had last read the series and so had gotten away from the characters， or whether it was because Hugh and Audrey， after realizing that they want to be together long-term in Book 4， start this book relatively estranged。 While I know that they almost had to be， given the circumstances of Audrey "mourning" Philip's fictitious death - yes， he does go through it， the absolutely selfish putz！ - it feels like we don't pick up where we left off with the last book， but have taken 3 steps back in Hugh and Audrey's relationship。 So that sort of took me off the rails a bit， but I will start with what I ADORED about this book first:1。 Audrey and Hugh finally consummate their love - with Hugh talking about there being no one but Audrey for him for the rest of his life and wanting to marry her。 He is so gentle， respectful and restrained with her that he just is THE best hero at this point in the story， and it's beautifully written， imo。 He also tells her more than once that he loves her， but she doesn't say the words back to him as often （good for Hugh; I wish Audrey had said it more， but Hugh is the more assured one， I guess）。2。 Thornton， Hugh's closest friend and "found family" brother is back for another round of having Hugh's back and saving Audrey。 He is such a great character and friend to Hugh， so loyal and true。 There's a lot of suggestion that he is going to find love again with Cassie， but I am really curious about him being a "rake" after his wife's death （it feels a little incongruous to me given his other character traits） - and what will bring together a 32-ish year-old man and a young woman of about 20 - is it their mutual losses？？ She's lost her baby to another couple， while Grant has lost his wife。 It'll be interesting to see if he can love her as "fiercely" as he loved his wife， Sarah。 3。 It is good to see Michael， Philip's younger brother， and now the Duke of Fournier， as an ally to Hugh and Audrey rather than standing in opposition to them， and by the same token， to see Millie become a gentler， better understood character who was wronged by her mother and uncle as well， who finds a second chance at love and with whom Audrey can develop a closer relationship in the future。What didn't I like so much:1。 At times， it felt like the Hugh in this book was different from the Hugh we've seen in the previous 4 books。 The Hugh we've seen so far is guided by his principles， always in control， making decisions based on reason and his sense of honor。 So I found it hard to believe that when Hugh finally makes love to Audrey， he isn't in control - in fact， he's so controlled when he takes Audrey's virginity， as noted above。 And they have sex more than once that night/following morning。 So that Hugh then turns around and shuts down Audrey's advances/desires because he doesn't want to get her pregnant felt very off to me。 And he sort of belittles her by asking if she really understands why he's abstaining from further relations。 He takes a step back， when I don't think the Hugh of the previous books would have taken the step forward if he wasn't completely sure of himself and of Audrey。 You could also argue that he had sex with his mistress， Gloria， several times a week for almost 2 years， and the risk of impregnating her didn't faze him in the least。 So I didn't buy that version of Hugh， even if I understand that he wouldn't want any child of his to be raised as another man's。2。 I'm having a hard time imagining Grant Thornton as a rake - and I wonder whether this was pre-marriage or since the death of his wife。3。 The book ends with Hugh and Audrey parting AGAIN， so it feels a bit like a rubber band - they come together， part， come together and part again， rather than a steady progression of their relationship。 I just want the happy ending that they deserve， and I have this sneaking feeling that we haven't seen the last of Philip Sinclair。 （hide spoiler）]Despite my reservations with this book， I enjoyed it， and I still can't wait to see what happens with Hugh and Audrey next。 It is a great series！！4。25 starsI received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens。com， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more

Maria Solorio ，

I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。Four and a half stars rounding up to five。 This is another winner from Cara Devlin and I am eagerly waiting for the next book to be available。That being said， the villains are racist towards a titled brown person in this one and the heroes are not。 Something to be aware of if you have a sensitivity to it。This is， naturally a page-turner and I found myself， at times， literally unable to stop reading it。 The roman I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。Four and a half stars rounding up to five。 This is another winner from Cara Devlin and I am eagerly waiting for the next book to be available。That being said， the villains are racist towards a titled brown person in this one and the heroes are not。 Something to be aware of if you have a sensitivity to it。This is， naturally a page-turner and I found myself， at times， literally unable to stop reading it。 The romance is， as ever， very good。 The teamwork is as strong as it's ever been。 Perhaps even stronger。 Love the risk Audrey takes in the climax。 I worried tremendously for her safety and that was a thrill。 Watching people get mildly jealous was also fun。 In short， the romance advanced by A Lot but I will not say more。As for the mystery， it was excellent。 There was a time or two where I was exceedingly stumped as to who it might be。 I didn't really see the culprit coming。 Interested to see if anyone else does。 As I said before there were points where I was genuinely unable to stop reading。 Which I hope is proof of just how good this one is。Hope you enjoy this book as much as I did。 Okay well maybe not quite *that* much。 Still， hope you find this one highly enjoyable nonetheless as well as the other offerings by the brilliant Cara Devlin。 。。。more

Mrs LIR Linda ，

Although the story stands alone there is a definite development of the main characters in this 5th book and I would say that the entertainment would be at its best if these books are read in their chronological order。The book can be read for different reasons - the first the mystery of the kidnapping （murders）， second the other the romantic entanglement of the Duchess Audrey and the now Lord Hugh and finally the many other threads that are linked via the family relations， work/friend relations o Although the story stands alone there is a definite development of the main characters in this 5th book and I would say that the entertainment would be at its best if these books are read in their chronological order。The book can be read for different reasons - the first the mystery of the kidnapping （murders）， second the other the romantic entanglement of the Duchess Audrey and the now Lord Hugh and finally the many other threads that are linked via the family relations， work/friend relations or even the servant/master or mistress ones。The author also very sympathetically entwines forbidden homosexual relationships of the declared dead Duke husband of Audrey。All in all a great read and the author has kept up the high standards set in the first books and nothing is stale nor too outlandish。I really am enjoying Cara Devlin's series。I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more

Emily Seger ，

I recently found this series and was lucky enough to score an Advanced Reader Copy of this new book in exchange for my honest review。 I loved it just as much as the first 4！ Hugh and Audrey are easily one of my favorite leading pairs in this genre。 I love their interactions and watching their relationship deepen in what feels like a very authentic way （and I don't always feel that way about love stories！）。 Lots of sizzle in this book that fans will love while also leaving the future uncertain ye I recently found this series and was lucky enough to score an Advanced Reader Copy of this new book in exchange for my honest review。 I loved it just as much as the first 4！ Hugh and Audrey are easily one of my favorite leading pairs in this genre。 I love their interactions and watching their relationship deepen in what feels like a very authentic way （and I don't always feel that way about love stories！）。 Lots of sizzle in this book that fans will love while also leaving the future uncertain yet open to possibilities--you're going to want to come back for more。 Book 5 sees our characters trying to find their footing after the previous life-changing events， and it allows for a lot of character development and insight that has been building or hinted at over the course of the series。 This one felt a little slower paced after the non-stop action and revelations of Book 4， but not at all in a bad way。 It's a major turning point for a lot of characters that leaves you anxious to see what the future holds。 As with the previous installments， the dialogue is delightful， the mystery is intriguing， the slow burn romance is agonizing and wonderful， and I couldn't put it down。 It's also been such a treat to get to know the side characters more and I look forward to seeing them again as much as the main characters。 Overall， I just love spending time in the world Devlin has created and am mildly devastated about having to wait for the next one！ 。。。more

Sharyn ，

This series just keeps getting better。Audry is mourning her husband the Duke， and his brother Micheal is now the Duke。 Audry is staying with them， but decides to leave when a planned house party is bringing her love Hugh， who is now a legitimate Viscount。 If you do not know these things，you should go back and start with the first book。There are a few murders。 And the mystery involves Audry's sister Millie。 It is a very good mystery and Audry and Hugh solve it all。 I am really looking forward to This series just keeps getting better。Audry is mourning her husband the Duke， and his brother Micheal is now the Duke。 Audry is staying with them， but decides to leave when a planned house party is bringing her love Hugh， who is now a legitimate Viscount。 If you do not know these things，you should go back and start with the first book。There are a few murders。 And the mystery involves Audry's sister Millie。 It is a very good mystery and Audry and Hugh solve it all。 I am really looking forward to the next book in January to see how the author is going to solve the conundrum that is the Duke being declared dead 。 Will Audry see him on the continent？？ We will just have to wait。Thanks to Book Sirens and Netgalley for my EARC。 This is my honest review。This is a must read series。 。。。more

Delphia Von Heeder ，

Fatal by Design is book 5 in A Bow Street Duchess by Cara Devlin。 I find this series to be so enjoyable。 I especially enjoy how the author builds the characters and their inner actions from book to book。 Cara Devlin has put so much into this book。 Audrey is in mourning with the "death" of her husband， Phillip。 Her sister is kidnapped and this puts Audrey and Hugh together to save Millie， Lady Redding。 I find such a good mystery with excellent action that kept me turning pages late in the night。 Fatal by Design is book 5 in A Bow Street Duchess by Cara Devlin。 I find this series to be so enjoyable。 I especially enjoy how the author builds the characters and their inner actions from book to book。 Cara Devlin has put so much into this book。 Audrey is in mourning with the "death" of her husband， Phillip。 Her sister is kidnapped and this puts Audrey and Hugh together to save Millie， Lady Redding。 I find such a good mystery with excellent action that kept me turning pages late in the night。 I can't wait to read Audrey and Hugh's next adventure。 I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily。 。。。more

Michael Cayley ，

Another novel in Cara Devlin's series of novels which bring together Audrey Sinclair， now a dowager duchess， and Hugh Marsden， former officer of the Bow Street runners and now a viscount， in the investigation of crime。 This time it involves the kidnapping of Audrey's sister Millie and the murder of two of Millie‘s servants。 The book is entertaining， and the plot has enough to keep the reader engaged。 We see some of the less attractive side of aristocratic life。 If I have given the book four rath Another novel in Cara Devlin's series of novels which bring together Audrey Sinclair， now a dowager duchess， and Hugh Marsden， former officer of the Bow Street runners and now a viscount， in the investigation of crime。 This time it involves the kidnapping of Audrey's sister Millie and the murder of two of Millie‘s servants。 The book is entertaining， and the plot has enough to keep the reader engaged。 We see some of the less attractive side of aristocratic life。 If I have given the book four rather than five stars， it is because I would have felt that sometimes the evolving love relationship between Audrey and Hugh could have been conveyed a little more briefly。 But this did not seriously detract from what is an enjoyable light read。 I look forward to the next novel in the series。 。。。more

Ashley ，

Why is it already over！！？！ I have one huge complaint on these books。 They’re way too short， I could have happily read another hundred pages or so！ I love these books， each one really has been better than the one before and this is no exception。 I love seeing how Audrey and Hugh work together and I’m not wondering if we’ll hear more about Phillip。 I wasn’t a fan of him to start and am even less now。 But I do want to know what he’s up to！ Can’t wait for the next one！I received an advance review co Why is it already over！！？！ I have one huge complaint on these books。 They’re way too short， I could have happily read another hundred pages or so！ I love these books， each one really has been better than the one before and this is no exception。 I love seeing how Audrey and Hugh work together and I’m not wondering if we’ll hear more about Phillip。 I wasn’t a fan of him to start and am even less now。 But I do want to know what he’s up to！ Can’t wait for the next one！I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more

Gloria ，

I love everything about this series。 Good stories that keep your attention。 Great relationship between the main characters Hugh and Audrey。 In this book five we find Hugh and Audrey trying to solve the mystery of Audrey's sisters abduction。 I love everything about this series。 Good stories that keep your attention。 Great relationship between the main characters Hugh and Audrey。 In this book five we find Hugh and Audrey trying to solve the mystery of Audrey's sisters abduction。 。。。more

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    fatal by design

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Fatal by Design

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Fatal by Design&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Fatal by Design&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0