Interesting mystery, a winning heroine and dapper hero.

SUMMARY:

Spoiler

Lady Darby was vilified by society after her late husband forced her to sketch as he dissected cadavers; 1800s Great Britain did not think this appropriate behavior for a woman, so obviously she's also a cannibal, etc., etc. Kiera is a talented painter but also shy - she flees to her sister's husband's estate to hide from the world, taking the occasional anonymous portrait commission from the Borders. Her sister holds a dinner party; one of the female guests is found murdered, throat slit, in the garden. Party attendee Sebastian Gage is known as an investigator, and while the messenger goes to fetch the local law enforcement, Phillip (Kiera's brother-in-law) enlists Gage's help to solve the murder. Kiera is told to help, as she has anatomy knowledge. The murdered lady was pregnant and the murderer cut out the fetus - no murder weapon or fetus is found. OK. So Gage and Kiera set out to solve the mystery, and Kiera manages to do so.

A few twists, a creative premise, and a bit of romantic entanglement. Excellent introduction to a series!