Little Coquette (Regency Romantic Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Joan Smith (Author)

Book Description

Series: Regency Romantic Mysteries | Publication Date: May 27, 1998

MURDER IS AN INAUSPICIOUS BEGINNING FOR ROMANCE

Young bluestocking Lydia Trevelyn and her notable neighbor Lord Beaumont had managed to thwart all matchmaking schemes. However, fate conspires to bring them together through a most unfortunate means: murder. For when Beaumont finds a body in a local river, Lydia is shocked to discover that the deceased was, in life, her father's mistress.

Shaken by the truth about  her father and by the murky circumstances of his paramour's death, Lydia sees Beaumont as an ally in solving the mystery. Amid much bickering, the unlikely pair plumbs London's seamier side, exposing themselves to unbidden danger--not the least of which is the peril of losing their hearts . . . to love!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Lovely Lydia Trevelyn is determined to remain a spinster, much to her mother's dismay. When the body of her father's mistress is discovered in the river near her home, Lydia vows to solve the mystery and prove her father's innocence. Aided by her dashing neighbor, Lord Beaumont, Lydia begins an investigation that endangers both her safety and her heart. Playmates from long ago, Lord Beaumont considers Lydia a naive girl and insists upon helping with the investigation. Sparks fly between the two, but can the charming Lord convince Lydia to abandon her wishes for spinsterhood and marry him instead? With witty dialogue, noble but human characters, and descriptive passages, Smith strikes just the right chord of authenticity that's integral to the Regency novel. The addition of a well-crafted mystery plot makes Little Coquette an eminently enjoyable read for longtime Regency romance fans as well as readers new to the genre. --Lois Faye Dyer

From the Publisher

I was a bit wary of reading a Regency romantic mystery. I thought it would be an awkward combination of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie, but I was wonderfully surprised. In LITTLE COQUETTE, the romance and mystery elements are perfectly matched to one another to increase both the tension and the fun! I am just glad that this book is one of many Regency romantic mysteries by Joan Smith.

Charlotte Herscher, Editorial Assistant

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 198 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books (May 27, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449001539
• ISBN-13: 978-0449001530
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #514,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, light read, October 4, 2011

By 

SuzieeQQ (San Diego) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Coquette (Kindle Edition)

If you like one Joan Smith book, you will probably like them all. This is a representative sample of the genre although there is a bit of a who dun it to this book that is a bit unusual. This book like her others is a sweet romances, no sex, with a spunky heroine who is on a mission of some kind, and although they are sometimes called regencies, there are many social customs that are described in her books that would never have been acceptable in the early 1800s.

In this book the main character, who by the way is not in any way a flirt so the book is ill-named, travels to London with a single gentleman, a neighbor, to determine the identity of drowned woman who they suspect is the paramour of her father. Of course in reality, no proper young woman would EVER be allowed or would ever even THINK of getting into a closed carriage to travel evn 2 miles with a man not her father or brother/cousin, nor would a gentleman EVER think of doing such a thing. Many things like this happen in the novel, so if you are a purist, you should avoid this book, however the story moves along quickly and there is a happy ending...which is what those of us who read these books are looking for, yes? I actually read this as a Kindle edition, glad to see so many of Joan Smith's books are available via Kindle.