Reading this book I was reminded how in the days following the publication of Death in The Spotlight (or, Murder Most Unladylike #7), Robin Stevens got complaints about making her lead character gay. It stuck to my head how bigoted people can be, therefore never did I imagine queer representation, so lacking in books aimed for children, would be the source of my own grievance. But this book was overly suffocated with it that it not only eclipsed the narrative but also felt coerced (three lesbians relationships, one hinted at gay relationship, and one trans character whose trans identity was not integrated to the mystery). This was accentuated by the author's remarks at the end, that the inclusion of trans and disable characters in the book was done at readers' request. I appreciate authors who listen to readers and adjust their representation to reflect a large scope of diversity, but in this case it was too excessive it marred the reading experience.

Nevertheless it was a solid, enjoyable read, with an extensive historical research behind it.