CIRCLE OF SHADOWS by Imogen Robertson, detailing the life and times of Gabriel Crowther and his friend Harriet Westerman, is a very charming historical detective novel set in 1784. Mrs Westerman is a particularly attractive character in the novel. She is not exactly a textbook conventional lady of that time and her exploits, solving murders and handling dead bodies, mean that her reputation precedes her in most of the places that she goes.

This time she is summoned to help her sister and brother-in-law. Newly married, Rachel and Clode are spending a year travelling abroad and Clode has been framed for murder. More precisely, while visiting the Duchy of Maulberg he has been found in a highly confused state, hallucinating and not knowing where he is, in a locked room with a young woman who has been murdered. Clode is the only suspect and he is imprisoned, awaiting trial and certain execution. Crowther and Mrs. Westerman rush to the rescue and are soon caught up in the mystery. Convinced of Clode's innocence, they dig deep into the murky depths of the Duke of Maulberg's court and manage to uncover some very nasty secrets, not least of which involve the castratti singer Manzerotti – who ordered the murder of Mrs Westerman's husband and appears to have got away with it.