Death at the Emerald by R. J. Koreto

Thirty years ago Lady Beatrice Torrence and her husband disowned their daughter when she became an actress. She comes to Lady Frances Ffolkes for help finding her daughter before she dies. The mystery will take her into the world of the theater and into a myster decades old.
Frances once again teams up with her maid Mallow but this time her husband-to-be also plays some part. I like Hal; he seems like the progressive sort of husband a bicycle-riding suffragette would need.
This was a nice addition to the series. It was a little over the top in places but mostly an enjoyable book that I think regular readers will enjoy.

Three stars
This book came out November 7
ARC provided by NetGalley

Death Among Rubies by R. J. Koreto

Lady Frances is again caught up in murder. This time, she has been asked by two of her friends to attend a house party. The two ladies are fellow suffragettes and lesbian lovers who have just been threatened with death because of their lifestyle. Instead of the ladies ending up dead, it is the father of Gwen, Sir Calleford. Unlike most mysteries, it doesn't seem like he has a lot of enemies. Rather, it seems he had few and it will be a strain to find them. Another complicating issue is the fact that, though everyone was gathered together after dinner, they all left the room at varying points and no one seems to be able to provide a concrete timeline.
I like Lady Frances, she's charging ahead into the new century but isn't an anachronism. I'm looking forward to the next book.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out on October 11
Follows Death on the Sapphire

Death on the Sapphire by R. J. Koreto

Lady Frances has some history in solving mysteries. Even though she is a peer's sister and a peer's daughter, she doesn't act like the rest of her contemporaries. She doesn't live at home, she's a suffragette, and she doesn't shy away from talking to the police. Case in point, when her friend's brother (apparently) commits suicide and his manuscript about fighting in the Boer War disappears, Lady Frances jumps in to help. In trying to solve the mystery, Frances accidentally uncovers a truth about the war that several prominent men would rather remain hidden.
This book got off to a slow start for me. Took awhile to get into it and continued to be a bit like trading water but I overall enjoyed it in the end and hope to read the next book in the series.

This book came out June 14
Three and a half stars
Followed by Death Among Rubies