This book had my heart soaring, and not just because of the connection to Vetsch's previous series (more on that later). There's so much I loved about it, like the relationship Juliette had with parents she hadn't seen in 7 years. Through their letters, she still felt connected to them, and was receiving early spycraft instruction unawares. The way Juliette discovered the big family secret was perfect, especially since I was expecting a simple eavesdrop for her to hear the truth (it's so much better than that!). The more she gets into the family business, the more she questions the ethics and morals of lying for a "good cause," echoing my own thoughts exactly. And I appreciate that there are no easy answers, either for her or for the male MC, Daniel Swann.

He doesn't get much of a mention in the synopsis, but he's an equal part in this story, and I really enjoyed his character and backstory, his drive to figure out the truth and tenacity despite some fairly crappy odds. His personal life is a bit too much to into in the synopsis and is clearly going to stretch on to the next book in the series, and I'm really glad for that. While most books of this type, even those in a series, tend to be more stand-alone, I'm looking forward to a continuing series with the same characters, diving into the spy world of Regency England, and seeing what develops between Thorndike and Swann.

Now let me talk about how excited I was to realize that this series is taking place in the same world as Vetsch's previous series, Serendipity & Secrets. I loved that series, and one character in particular was my favorite. Now to find him in this book as well? I can't even express my joy! I don't want to say too much, though if you know the other series, you can probably guess what the connection here would be. To be honest, I do believe I should have anticipated this, given the similarity of a certain aspect of both series. But I didn't, and that made it all the more exciting when he appeared here.

Though the mystery in this book was not super hard to crack (for the reader), that doesn't mean that I wasn't completely off in some of my theories. I did guess some things right, but also had a few surprises near the end, one of which actually made me a little giddy (and I'm not normally a particularly emotional reader; me using that word is a testament to how much I loved this book). I confess I was pretty confused about the actual events that led to the spy work Juliette and her uncle were doing, I think due to the way certain terms were used during the explanation, but I had it (mostly) all sorted by the end. And I find myself frustrated by the official synopsis for this book (not the first time this has happened with one of this author's works), considering that Swann's suspicion of Juliette doesn't actually come until more than 3/4 of the way through the book. Still, I highly recommend this book for fans of this genre and time period, whether you like romance or not, because there is some, but it's not the focus of the book. But I would also really recommend checking out Serendipity & Secrets, and maybe even consider reading that trilogy first. You won't be sorry. ( )

Set in Regency London in 1816, this story is filled to the brim with spies, Bow Street runners, thieves, and high society. Starring Lady Juliette Thorndike, ready for her London society debut after years away at school, and Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who is charged with investigating art thefts, the suspense begins early in the story and ramps up as the thefts continue and the mystery intensifies. I enjoyed getting to know these two characters and the colorful secondary characters.

Author Erica Vetsch does a wonderful job of keeping up the suspense. Plenty of action, adventure, intrigue, a dash of romance, and a touch of inspiration kept me turning the pages. There are some minor cliffhangers which I’m sure will be tied up in future books in the series. I’m looking forward to more Thorndike and Swann Regency Mystery stories. ( )

Absolutely loved this new creative Regency mystery by Erica Vetsch! It has all the elements of a great mystery; a compelling suspenseful story, beautiful artifacts and treasures, spies and intrigue, fabulous characters, several suspects, secret codes, and hidden rooms all with a hint of romance. This fast-paced story begins when Lady Juliette returns to England from Europe and is immediately thrust into a Season without the parents whom she expected to be with after being away for so many years.

Still reeling from her parents’ absence, Juliette’s unusual somewhat rushed Season culminates at her debut ball where the excitement begins with a stolen painting and a murder. From this point on, the book goes from one suspenseful moment to the next as Juliette discovers there’s more to her parents and her Uncle Bertie than she supposed. Needing to unravel a code hidden on several artifacts and treasures before they fall into the wrong hands, Juliette and her uncle must use stealth and careful planning to retrieve and decode them. However, it’s not as easy as it seems, when up and coming Bow Street runner Daniel Swann is investigating the thefts and murder. It’s also a race against time as someone else wants the artifacts and is willing to kill for them.

Daniel has an inherent need to prove himself as his mysterious patron will withdraw support when he reaches the age of 25. He works tirelessly with his mentor to solve the crimes and make a name for himself as a Bow Street Runner. When he first spies Lady Juliette, he’s taken with her beauty and manner. Soon though he notices that she begins turning up in the same places as the missing artifacts. Could she have something to do with the crimes?

I loved Juliette and Daniel! Juliette is a smart heroine who struggles with the deception involved in being a spy. She’s conflicted about her parents’ profession and what it would mean if she joined them. Her struggles with faith and her parents were relatable and added extra depth to the story. I enjoyed Daniel’s personality and his tenaciousness. It was fun watching his thought process as he’s always right on the cusp of discovering the truth. Loved his interactions with Juliette as they were fraught with delicious tension. I can’t wait for the next books to see how their slow burn romance progresses.

I thoroughly enjoyed this inspirational mystery. It grabbed me from the start and kept me guessing until the end who the murderer was. The religious aspects of the story were perfectly woven in and were subtle and natural to the characters’ personalities. I loved the fast paced action and suspense and found myself on tenterhooks several times as Juliette and her uncle try to “borrow” and then decode the artifacts. The side characters were delightful as well. With many twists and turns, this mystery definitely kept me turning the pages and I can’t wait for the next book in the series! I received a copy of this book from Just Reads through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. ( )

This has been quite an adventure into the world of spies. I was thrilled to have Lady Juliette at the center of the story. She is kind and generous and missing her parents. It was strange that they took off so quickly with an excuse that for me sounded made up. There is something lingering in the air that smells like deceit and danger as Juliette finds her life jumbled up in her Uncle’s questionable actions.

The story moves at a nice pace and I was intrigued by the robberies that took place in places that should have better protection than it did. Who is behind the thefts and why does Juliette seem to always be in attendance with the thefts happen? The author does a great job of leaving hints as to what is happening but I sure couldn’t figure all of it out. I was taken aback when I found out about Juliette parents. How had they managed to keep this secret from their daughter all these years? Now they need her help to protect them and others from being exposed as spies.

I loved how the artwork was used to hide codes that could cost people their lives if they were found out. Decoding is now up to Juliette as she is in danger and forced to help the enemy.
Daniel is a welcome addition to the story as he tries to prove he can solve the case of stolen art and jewelry. He focuses on Juliette and her uncle thinking they may be behind everything. He hopes to be wrong because along the way, he has developed feelings for Juliette. It is a great adventure that keeps readers guessing til the end where the author gives us a few surprises. I am hoping she will continue the story in a new book because I need to find out a few things about Daniel. I also must know if Juliette and Daniel become more than acquaintances.
I received a copy of this book from Read With Audra Blogger Program. The review is my own opinion. ( )

Title: The Debutante’s Code (Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries #1)
Author: Erica Vetsch
Pages: 363
Year: 2021
Publisher: Kregel Publications
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Daniel Swann is in his second year as a Bow Street Runner Detective. His superior doesn’t appear to like him much as Daniel “has friends in high places” according to his boss. So, as Daniel gets the lead detective job on his first case, his boss is breathing down his neck for results. Daniel’s time as a detective may be running out because of his of this and because once he turns 25, which is in a few weeks, his anonymous patron will stop his sponsorship. Daniel will not be receiving any financial aid anymore, so he needs this job to support himself. Daniel is after an art thief, who is stealing from the upper class, as well as a murderer, who has killed the art dealer supplying works to the rich. In the course of his investigation, he repeatedly runs into (quite literally in one instance) Lady Juliette Thorndike. Is she involved with the thefts, or is her repeated appearance wherever he goes a coincidence? Daniel doesn’t believe in coincidences.
Lady Juliette Thorndike is returning home after seven years in a Swiss boarding school. She and her best friend, Agatha, are making there debuts in society. As such, they are expected to attend lots of social events. Juliette longs to develop a relationship with her parents but upon her arrival home she is told they have left London to go to their country estate to take care of a problem. Juliette is deeply disappointed. Her Uncle Bertie reluctantly steps up as her sponsor. While playing the piano, Juliette makes a startling discovery and learns her uncle isn’t the aristocratic fop he appears to be. He and Juliette begin using her skills as a decoder that she learned for years as her father’s student to try to solve a code that could save many lives. However, Detective Swann keeps showing up to stymie their plans. They are in a race against a foe who also is trying to solve the coded message but for a very different outcome.
I enjoyed this first entry of this new series by Erica Vetsch. I am a mystery lover and also a Regency Era fan, so this was right up my alley. As this is the first novel, setting the stage so to speak for future novels, the pace was a bit slow in just a few places. I liked Juliette’s determination to note give up. The faith element did seem a bit forced. I loved her Serendipity & Secrets series and was thrilled to see some characters from that series appear in this novel. I hope to see more of them in subsequent books.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )