In the Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander

The book opens with a body. Emily and her husband Colin have traveled to Pompeii with their friend Ivy and they are the ones to discover that one of the bodes is from rather more recent times than nearly 1800 years ago. Their friend Jeremy also shows up as does someone from Colin's past, someone who will change the course of Emily's life.
Regular readers of the series will probably enjoy the book; we get alternating stories between Emily and a woman from before Vesuvius erupted. We also have the normal sort of mystery that you would expect from a Lady Emily story though the surprise that changes Emily's life will definitely be a sticking point for some readers (as it was for me.)

Three stories
This book came out January 7th
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own.

Uneasy Lies the Crown by Tasha Alexander

With her dying breath, Queen Victoria asks Colin Hargreaves to be a protector to the crown. This becomes very important when it seems that a serial killer may be after the new king; bodies are turning up all over London dressed as dead kings. It seems fairly obvious. And Colin and Lady Emily, along with her friend Jeremy are on the case.
The "historical" story interwoven with the "current day" story is stronger than the last couple of books but the ties between the two seems a bit weak. An okay addition to the series but not my favorite.

Three stars
This book came out October 30
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and the publisher

Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander

Every time I open a new Lady Emily book, I get nervous. This is such a wonderful series but outside of the cozies that I usually stick to. Will I like this book as much as the last one?
Following the pattern of the rest of the series, we get chapters following Lady Emily interspersed with chapters following a non-series character. In this case, it's a ballet dancer. More specifically, Katenka, the dancer who steps in to dance Swan Lake when the woman who was set to become the next big thing, Nemetseva, doesn't return. When she is found dead outside the theater, Lady Emily is the one who notices the Faberge egg near her body. Could it be that the notorious thief, Sebastian, is in Russia as well?
But who would want to kill a rising star? Nemetseva, like many ballerinas, has a lover who is part of the aristocracy. And she has other lovers she has left behind, but few enemies. Lady Emily is ostensibly in Russia to visit Camille but also to be near her husband as he works but she agrees to find the killer so that Nemetseva's lover can be at peace.
Oh, this was a wonderful story. I was on vacation in a beautiful place but could hardly put this book down to pay attention to the scenery. I didn't love the ending but it was an enjoyable read and I a very much looking forward to the next one.

Four stars
This book comes out October 10

A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander

It was only a matter of time until Lady Emily's first marriage reared its ugly head. In this case, it's in the form of her first husband. It seems that he wasn't really dead after all and, now, on a vacation to Greece, he has decided to return to Emily's life. Of course, Emily doesn't believe it's him; but the man knows Philip's childhood stories. And he recounts the tale of the first time he met Emily.
As with many of the other Lady Emily books, the main narrative is interwoven with someone else's history, in this case, Philip's. It is here that we learn that Philip has been spending his time at various archaeological digs and has gotten involved in the black market. And it's this involvement that is leading someone to try and kill him.
I'm generally still enjoying the Lady Emily mysteries and I think regular readers will like this book but I feel that they are starting to get just a little repetitive.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out October 11

The Adventuress by Tasha Alexander

Jeremy, the Duke of Bainbridge, Emily's dearest friend has finally gotten engaged. To an American heiress no less. But Emily's not sure she can like the girl. Not because she's an American, rather because the woman can't seem to hold an opinion of her own. Instead, Amity (the fiancee) transforms to agree with whoever is talking to her.
The book opens with the death of one of Jeremy's closest friends. The authorities presume suicide but Emily isn't so sure. And there seems to be some darkness lurking underneath the cheerful facade of this honeymoon party.
The story is told in alternating first person (Emily, in the "present") and third person (Amity, snippets of the months leading up to the party). It's an interesting way to sow some red herrings quite nicely into the story.
I think regular Alexander readers will be quite satisfied with this book.
This book comes out next Tuesday, October 13, 2015.