An Honorable Deception

October 15, 2024
Lavinia Hemming's world is shattered after her mother's betrayal, leaving her to question the truths she once held and her own worth. Circus strongman-turned-detective Yates Fairfax would do anything for Lavinia, but his failing estate and past wounds keep him from declaring his heart to her again. When Lavinia is enlisted to help at Yates' secret investigative agency, the pair is pulled into a case far darker than imagined. The search for a missing woman uncovers a hidden evil lurking beneath the social elite's glittering facade, and the only way to reveal the danger is through some deceit of their own. In the third installment of the Imposters series (Beautiful Disguise, 2023; Noble Scheme, 2024), White weaves a difficult yet discerning tale of justice, family, and redemption set in 1910 in London that addresses, with directness and grace, the heartbreaking topic of the abuse and exploitation of women and children. It shines in its elegant and thorough exploration of the multilayered theme of deception and balances the darkness with an illuminating message of God as refuge and redeemer.

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Starred review from November 1, 2024

Being attacked by an unknown gunman in a confessional booth is not how a proper British gentleman's day begins, but it is not so out of the ordinary for the young Lord Yates Fairfax, head of the super-secret private investigation group known as the Imposters. When he brings the wounded Lady Alethia Barremore to the English countryside for protection, things get stranger--even for the already eccentric Fairfax Tower, which is home to former circus performers and boasts its own trapeze gymnasium. The search for Lady Alethia's former ayah leads the eccentric crew into the underbelly of polite society, where sexism, racism, and all manner of vices are alive and well. All hands are on deck in the conclusion to White's "The Imposters" series (following A Noble Scheme), bringing in beloved characters from the author's past works. VERDICT With witty banter, a crusade for social justice, and a not-so-cookie-cutter romance, this novel has a lot to love. Readers will want to binge the whole unique turn-of-the-century series.

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 9, 2024
A missing woman, an attempted murder, and a cache of secrets keep detectives Lord Yates Fairfax and his sister, Marigold, busy in the hair-raising third installment of White’s Imposters series (after A Noble Scheme). In early 20th-century London, Lady Alethia Barremore enlists Yates to help find her children’s nurse, Samira, who’s recently gone missing. Bigger problems arise when two masked men burst into their meeting and shoot Lady Alethia. Yates whisks the badly wounded Alethia to a house in the country, where a pregnant Marigold and their childhood friend Lavinia are staying. As the three investigate who might want Alethia dead and why—and whether the culprit might also be responsible for Samira’s disappearance—clues point them toward the Empire House, a charity for women and children that’s linked to a ring of high-profile male aristocrats. Meanwhile, Yates develops feelings for Lavinia, and the case forces Lady Alethia to confront a secret that’s been haunting her since childhood. White seamlessly balances the high-energy, twist-filled plot with fine-grained character development as the three sleuths harness their faith to expose the dark underbelly of London society. The result is a thrill ride with surprising depth.