1851. Mrs Laetitia Rodd has been asked by a wealthy businessman, Jacob Welland, who is dying of consumption to find his brother. A brother, Joshua, who he has not seen for fifteen years. To this end Mrs Rodd goes and stays with friends who live near the last sighting of Joshua. But peace will soon be broken when there is a murder.
Although the second in the series, and my first, it can easily be read as a standalone story.
This is an enjoyable and well-written historical mystery, with its cast of well-drawn characters.
A NetGalley Book ( )

Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders is an historical fiction cozy crime mystery. Now that's a mouthful! Set in 1851, Mrs Laetitia Rodd is a widow in her 50s who earns her living as a very discreet private investigator.

The wandering scholar of the title is the estranged brother of Jacob Welland, and on his deathbed suffering from consumption, Jacob hires Mrs Rodd to find him.

Even though this is the second book in the Laetitia Rodd mystery series and I hadn't read the first (The Secrets of Wishtide) I was still able to read and enjoy this as a standalone.

It was also easy to imagine this as a TV series on the big screen, as Mrs Rodd jumps in and out of carriages, converses with Inspector Blackbeard from Scotland Yard and talks her way into crime scenes and drawing rooms in an attempt to solve the mounting crimes.

As an aside, this novel also put me in mind of She Be Damned by M.J. Tjia as this was set in London in 1863 and also featured a female sleuth.

Laetitia Rodd and the Case of the Wandering Scholar by Kate Saunders is recommended for readers who enjoy a cozy crime mystery within an historical setting.

* Copy courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing * ( )

Laititia Rodd and The Case of the Wandering Scholar - Saunders
Audio performance by Anna Bentinck
3 stars

This is the 2nd book in the mystery series featuring the 19th century widow, Laetitia Rodd. It was a bit slow and overly convoluted. Latitia, the widow of an archdeacon, spends a great deal of time praying for the souls of the victims and eventually for the soul of the serial murderer. On the other hand, she didn’t seem to do much detecting. She stumbled over the clues and uncovered the criminal long after I’d figured it out. I do like the recurring characters in this series and I enjoy Anna Bentinck’s performance. I’m hoping for a bit more humor in any upcoming additions to the series. ( )