Cleopatra Fox begins the new century, 1900, with quiet satisfaction that she had managed to solve a murder and do so in such a way that she receives no publicity, that being something a well-bred young lady in London would avoid at all costs. However, her fame is not entirely hidden, and when a young actress falls to her death at a theatre, an apparent suicide, the woman’s paramour (who is staying at the hotel owned by Cleo’s uncle) asks her to investigate. All of Cleo’s intentions seem to come to naught, though, as everybody she speaks to is adamant that the young woman had no worries that might lead her to commit suicide - but neither did she have any enemies, by all accounts being a wonderful person. How is Cleo to get a handle on the case, without risk to her own reputation?.... This is the second in a series about Cleopatra Fox, an energetic and resourceful young woman in a place and time when both of those qualities are frowned upon, by the upper classes at any rate. As with many cozies that I’ve been reading lately, there are occasional anachronisms here - I don’t believe a young woman in 1900 London would say she had “been tasked” with an activity, for example - but these books, so far at least, keep such missteps to a minimum, and the characters are all interesting and well-drawn. I also like how the author exposes the hypocrisy of the mores of the time, still very much steeped in the Victorian Era (the Queen didn’t die until 1903), while also showing how individuals acted according to their own positive moral compasses. Good fun. ( )

Cleopatra Fox is back for another murder mystery. Pearl Westwood is killed in the Piccadilly Playhouse, where she has performed for several years. She has been Lord Rumford's mistress for two years and had just asked him for some money although he did not know why she needed it. Cleopatra asks to become a partner or associate in the Henry Armitage and Associates private investigator business. The staff at the Mayfair Hotel step up to help--Harmony, David, Goliath, Peter, and Victor. Lord Rumford asks Cleopatra Fox to investigate Pearl's "suicide" as possible murder. Meanwhile the new assistant manager, Mr. Hiest is up to no good. ( )