The Opium Purge

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sapere Books for a review copy of The Opium Purge, the third novel to feature amateur detective Ottilia “Lady Fan” Fanshawe, set in 1790.

In an interesting condition Lady Fan and her husband are visiting his family for Christmas. It is going uneventfully until a beautiful but fey young woman invites herself into the house, shortly followed by her guardian and companion. They drag her away but soon Tamasine Roy is back stating that she has killed her guardian Sir Joslin Cadel. Lady Fan suspects murder but with Tamasine obviously mentally ill and the rest of the household keeping secrets it will take some effort to get to the bottom of Sir Joslin’s death.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Opium Purge which is a real page turner with plenty of twists and turns. In fact I found myself turning the pages impatiently to see what was coming next and this is strange because Ms Bailey keeps up a breakneck speed with what seems like new revelations on every page! I guess this is the definition of an addictive read and particularly apt when laudanum plays such a large part in the narrative. Obviously, given the setting, much of the novel relies on deductive reasoning and I’m obviously not good at it as I didn’t have the faintest idea about what was going on, so just as well Lady Fan was there to do the thinking for me.

I like Lady Fan as a character as she is calm, smart and resourceful but perhaps rather modern in her attitudes for the period. I love her mother in law, Sybilla, who is bad tempered and opinionated but always fair and she gets the best lines. I found all the other female characters (and there are a few) tiresome and unconvincing.

The Opium Purge is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

What would you do if you're visiting your family for Christmas and a young girl comes to you in distress claiming to have murdered her guardian? Lady Fan realises that the girl is mentally ill and that although the guardian has indeed been murdered, she thinks there are more secrets in that household than anyone is willing to admit.

The setting is vague - in England and in a lush country manor somewhere, but the atmosphere is one of pomp and circumstance, of frills and ladies who lunch, but in this corner, there's some serious matters to delve into such as the role of women back then and the way mental health was addressed and even alluded to.

The plot concentrates, as the title would suggest, on the effects of opium and laudanum and there's clearly been some research into this, as there's some fascinating facts and pointers woven into the plot. Amongst all this, Lady Fan is the one who plans to sort it all out and examine the whys and wherefors of this fascinating case. Not many husbands would 'allow' their wives of this time to sneeze on their ow, let alone act all detective but glad he did, as Lady Fan is a great character. She'd give the Dowager from Downton Abbey a run for her money.

It's lighthearted but a lot of fun

In this third mystery we are revisiting the lives of Lord and Lady Fanshawe. Ottilia is visiting her mother-in-law the Dowager Marchioness of Polbrook to rest up preparing for the birth of her first child. She spy’s a lovely young lady in the garden who looks just like a fairy princess. When she rushes down to investigate she finds the young lady has broken into the house. She soon realises Tamasine has something wrong with her and the appearance of neighbour Sir Joslin Cadel to claim his ward confirms her suspicions. Later Tamasine reappears at the window to claim she has killed Sir Joslin this starts Ottilia on one of her most heart wrenching and bewildering mysteries. You are taken on a journey which starts on the sugar plantations of Barbados to there neighbours Sir Joslin’s estate. Ottilia is helped by two budding young detectives, her nephews, doing her leg work for her. This is very much a page turner and you will come to realise that there is not always a choice in the circumstances of your birth. I would recommend following the further investigations of this very modern thinking lady.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher Sapere in exchange for an honest review.

A 'fairy' dancing in the snow early one morning introduces Lady Fan to her mother-in-law's neighbours - and her interest is in no way damped by the death under somewhat suspicious circumstances of the guardian of said 'fairy'. But when the dead man turns out to have died of an overdose of opium, it is up to Lady Fan to work out whether the death was accidental or murder. The cross-currents and strange happenings in the house leave plenty of suspects - but can she come at the truth before it is too late?

I've read and enjoyed each of the previous books in the series and was excited to see a new book available. Somewhat reminiscent of Heyer's mysteries, but set in Regency times, this did not disappoint my high expectations. Good character development, interesting characters and situations, a good mystery and no gratuitous violence makes for a thoroughly enjoyable book - and frankly, I found the ending more satisfying than I think any other could have been, sad though it was in a way (trying to avoid spoilers here...). I didn't feel like there was quite as much development of the relationship between Francis and Lady Fan, but will hope for more in the next book. Recommended.

Characters: A mixed bag, but realistically managed. I particularly liked the introduction of Lady Fan's two nephews.
Storyline: Clues sprinkled in neatly along the way through the story, though I can't claim to have worked it out before it was spelled out.
Content and language: Clean, no issues noted.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

1790, England and while staying with the Dowager Marchioness of Polbrook, her mother-in-law Lady Ottila Fanshawe spys a young lady, Tamasine Roy, dancing on the lawn below. Events lead to the death of Sir Joslin Cadal, the guardian of Miss Roy. Unfortunately Miss Roy declares she killed him. Can Ottila find out the truth.
Another enjoyable and interesting mystery in this well-written series. With some likeable characters especially Sybilla, the Dowager.

"The Opium Purge" is a mystery set in 1790 in London. This novel is the 3rd in the series, but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one. This story didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books, but it did refer back to events in the first story.

The story revolved around a stunningly beautiful, young woman who inherited madness from her mother. Her guardian, Sir Joslin, dies after being pushed down some steps by the girl. She freely admits to trying to kill her guardian in revenge for something that happened several years before, but she won't explain what. Due to her medical training, Lady Fan knows that Sir Joslin didn't die from the push. He died from an opium overdose. She investigates what led up to that day and who in the household might wish to kill Sir Joslin. Complicating matters, her husband's nephew falls in love with the girl and refuses to acknowledge her mental deficiency.

Lady Fan is sympathetic towards the girl and her situation. She asked the household plenty of questions along with using her observational skills. The mystery was a clue-based, puzzle mystery. The characters were interesting, and I cared about what happened to them. The author used historical details to create the feeling of a specific time and place. There were only a few uses of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.

A beautiful young woman named Tamasine Ray arranges a visit with Lady Fan in an unusual manner. Tamasine is at first enchanting, but it soon becomes clear there is something a little off with her. Tamasine later returns to Dower House, the home of Lady Fan's mother-in-law, announcing she has killed her guardian. Lady Fan and her husband Lord Francis have doubts about the confession, but are determined to get to the truth behind Sir Joslin Cadel's death.

"The Opium Purge" is the third book in this series. I have read the prior two books, but it has been a while. It was easy to become reacquainted with the main characters within the first chapter or two. The book is full of strong, female characters who aren't what you would expect in England in 1790. Lady Fan is delightful. She is clever, funny, and determined, and her husband Lord Francis is patient, understanding, and doesn't get in his wife's way when she is investigating Joslin's death. His mother, Sybilla, is opinionated, outspoken, and wise and doesn't put up with nonsense from anyone. Lady Phoebe, who hopes to be Lady Fan's sister-in-law someday, is younger so not quite as outspoken, but just as strong and capable as the others and makes a meaningful contribution to the story.

Tamasine is an unusual character. She is sometimes a character to be pitied, but often someone to be feared. I was as unsure of her involvement in her guardian's death as Lady Fan. However, Lady Fan was able to put all the clues together and solve a complex mystery, while I was still in the dark until the very end. "The Opium Purge" has an intriguing plot and likable characters, but what makes this such a great book and excellent series is the heartwarming love between Lady Fan and Lord Francis. Now that I've read this book, I'm really looking forward to the next one in the series.

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Sapere Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series and really liked this book.
It's a great historical mystery, it reminds me of the book of the Golden Age even if it's set in the Regency era.
I liked the style of writing and the well developed and realistic characters.
The mystery was great, no plot, and it kept me guessing till the end.
The book is fun to read, enganging, and entertaining. I read it as fast as could and couldn't put it down.
A great discovery, I look forward to reading other instalments in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC

One morning Lady Ottilia Fanshawe and her husband Lord Francis wake up to a winter wonderland. The garden of his mother's dowerhouse is covered with a thick layer of snow and in the snow an angelic woman is dancing. She seems to be wearing a sparkling dress and a red cape flies around her thus creating the vision of a fairytale princess. When Lady Francis runs downstairs to see who it is she discovered the child inside the house after having broken into it. The young woman is very beautiful but seems a bit strange and childlike.

Not long after that, the first dead person shows up and Lady Fan, as Ottilia is called by many, helps her husband and her brother with finding the cause of death. When that is clear she uses all her detective skills to find the killer.

The book is situated in the countryside in mostly either the Dower House of the estate of an earl, her brother-in-law, or a three story country house that is the direct neighbour. The era is the end of the 18th century but the only clue to that is a hint to the violence of the French Revolution.

Due to the links to Barbados and mad women in the attic it had a strong Jane Eyre-influence.

The use of laudanum and the effect of opium are a key element in the story. Slavery is discussed as well.

Although several deaths occur none is described in a very violent manner and there are no bedscenes to worry the prudish readers. It is a classic style detective novel.

What I noticed was the higher level of English used in the book. A lot or contemporary, now a bit archaic, words but also just words I had to look up in my Kindle Dictionary. My excuse is that English is not my native language but I can imagine some American readers complaining. I did find it making the story more believable and thought provoking.

I was very impressed and as this was book 3 I think in a series and I had not read the other ones I ordered the first one in the series immediately after. Ok I will know she will marry the lord but the who-done-it in the earlier novels is not spoiled by flashbacks in this one.

The world of Jane Eyre in a detective setting


GREAT READ: 5 STARS

This is my first book by Elizabeth Bailey and all I can say it is a great mystery set in London. Now that I found it I will read all the books from this series. Lady Fan need to solve Sir Joslin's death.
Thank you Netgalley for this wonderful copy.

The Opium Purge
By: Elizabeth Bailey
Publisher: Sapere Books
Published On: November 01, 2018
4 Stars


“The cloak splashed red against the pristine snow. Arms uplifted to the heavens, bare fingers catching at fresh flakes, the girl twirled on the vanished lawn of the Dower House, her countenance alight with pleasure.”

After taking in this scene, Lady Ottilia Fanshawe feels like she has witnessed a fairy dancing in the snow. Soon after, Lady Fanshawe decides to go for a walk, but when she arrives at the front parlour, she finds her dancing fairy in the middle of the room with a bloodied hand. It becomes apparent that the young girl has broken the glass in the door to gain access to the room. From her initial interactions with the girl, Tamasine, Lady Fanshawe realizes she has some sort of mental illness. Tamasine’s guardian, Sir Joslin Cadel, and Tamasine’s companion, Lavinia, arrive soon after in search of her. They apologize for the disruption, and they take Tamasine back to their adjoining property. Not long afterwards, Tamasine is back tapping on the glass to be let in. She comes in and announces she has pushed Joslin down the steps in the garden, and that he is dead. Lady Fanshawe can’t help but investigate Sir Joslin’s death. Although she is hesitant to believe Tamasine’s version of events, she does suspect that he has been murdered.

The Opium Purge is the third book in the Lady Fan Series, and the relationship between Lord and Lady Fanshawe continues to be one of the charms of the book. Lady Fanshawe is a strong-minded, intelligent woman who is determined to seek out truths. Lord Fanshawe’s gallant efforts to protect his wife and her honor, all while giving her the space she requires to carry out her investigations, is nothing short of regal. Throughout the story, they both show their love for each other in subtle ways, often by just a touch or a gentle word.

One of the interesting aspects of the story, and one that I found humorous, is that Lady Fanshawe asserts herself into Sir Joslin’s household under no one’s authority but her own. She is accosted by members of the household staff who question her authority to be snooping through the house. She lets their objections roll off her shoulders, and continues her investigations. It’s so Lady Fan of her :) !

Her investigation starts with a death that was apparently caused by a fall but is eventually ruled a death by opium overdose. This is but the first twist in this intriguing tale. The house is full of secrets and Lady Fanshawe must work through each of these secrets to understand the truth behind Joslin’s death. One of the secrets is Tamasine herself. Should we love her innocence or fear her twisted thoughts? Are those that surround her there to support her or take advantage of her?

The story kept me absorbed right until the very surprising ending.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to Net Galley and Sapere Books for an ARC of this book. #NetGalley #TheOpiumPurge

The Opium Purge is a unique fantastic series. This is the first I have read and I plan to go back and read the rest. The characters are well developed and I love the storyline.