Delightfully unexpectedl

Talk about a volatile beginning. Quite country walks denied, a muddy, rollicking puppy being controlled by an equally minded energetic young son, a stubborn daughter in the throws of wedding plans, demanding guests arriving a day earlier than planned and then a plea for help to locate and 'save [his missing] daughter's soul' from a less than pleasant neighbouring baron. And it doesn't stop there for Lady Priscilla Hathaway Flanders.
Requests from a highly placed source, possibly close to the throne, had Pris and her husband, the newly minted baron, Lord Neville Flanders, looking for a reason to travel to the northern parts of the Lake District where Lord Beamish's daughter was last seen. The missing daughter is the very excuse needed. Neville's recent elevation came with an estate in that area. So there are now two excuses to repair to that area. Neville has been tasked with uncovering the facts behind rumours about a strange community developing in the District founded by the eccentric Sir Thomas Hodge St John.
The community of Novum Arce is supposedly a utopian return to Roman times but as with all utopias, human intrigue, personalities and other vested interests have redefined the original purpose. People are disappearing and all is not as it seems. Whatever 'it' is Prsicilla and Neville are tested to their limits as plot encompasses plot. Both are decidedly interesting and appealing characters.
An unexpected storyline with lots of intrigue and mystery. Altogether an excellent read!

A NetGalley ARC ( )