Murder, Magic, and What We Wore

Miss Annis Wentworth has always suspected her father was a spy for England, so when he dies under mysterious circumstances, she takes it upon herself to do some spy work herself to find the murderer. However, her sudden lack of financial support means she has to balance her sleuthing with her new (but completely secret) job as a glamour modiste—a fashionable dressmaker who can imbue her clothes with magic.

Murder, Magic, and What We Wore is a fun Regency romp that doesn’t take itself too seriously, even as it tackles deadly matters like murders and conspiracies to free Napoleon from his exile on St. Helena. Indeed, much of the book is actually focused on happier affairs, such as flirting, fashion, and friendship, and protagonist Annis herself lightens the tone with her flippantly conversational narration.

Fans of Cindy Anstey’s Love, Lies, and Spies and Patrice Kindl’s Keeping the Castle will enjoy this creative historical fiction that pits a feisty heroine against financial misfortunes, French sympathizers, and fashion disasters.