by Julia Stuart
First published 2013
Princess Alexandrina loses everything when her father, the Maharaja of Brindor, dies suddenly. Queen Victoria offers her a grace and favor residence at Hampton Court Palace, complete with ghost stories and eccentric neighbors. Alexandrina settles in with her devoted maid Pooki, who quickly wins over three widowed residents. They invite the princess to a palace picnic, where Pooki contributes a homemade pigeon pie. When General-Major Bagshot collapses and dies after eating the pie, the coroner discovers arsenic in his system. Pooki faces arrest for murder. Alexandrina refuses to abandon her loyal servant and launches her own investigation into the death. She discovers Hampton Court harbors dangerous secrets beneath its genteel surface. The palace residents include a maze keeper, the unconventional Lady Beatrice who dresses as a toucan, and other colorful characters hiding romantic secrets. As Alexandrina digs deeper into the mystery, she finds herself navigating both deadly plots and unexpected feelings of love.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, 19th-century, cozy-mystery
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Hampton Court Palace, Brindor
Period: 19th-Century
336 pages · Paperback · Anchor