Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The first "delicious tale of scandal and villainy" in a romantic Regency mystery series starring two crime-solving aristocrats (Rhys Bowen, New York Times -bestselling author)

"This historical mystery will appeal not only to cozy readers, but also to lovers of Regency romances." -- Booklist

In 1814, Atlas Catesby, a brilliant adventurer and youngest son of a baron, is anxious to resume his world travels after being injured in a carriage accident in London. But his plans are derailed when, passing through a country village, he discovers a helpless woman being auctioned off to the highest bidder--by her husband.

In order to save her from being violated by another potential buyer, Atlas purchases the lady, Lilliana, on the spot to set her free. But Lilliana, desperate to be with her young sons and knowing the laws of England give a father all parental rights, refuses to be rescued--until weeks later when her husband is murdered and Atlas is the only one who can help clear her name of the crime.

Fortunately, Atlas is a master at solving complicated puzzles--with games as well as the intricacies of human motivation--and finds himself uniquely suited to the task, despite the personal peril it may put him in. But soon Altas learns the dead man had many secrets--and more than a few enemies willing to kill to keep them quiet--in Murder in Mayfair , the first in a new historical mystery series by D. M. Quincy.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

DEBUT Quincy's debut Regency mystery introduces adventurer Atlas Catesby, whose travel plans have been derailed by a carriage accident, which has forced him to remain in England until his broken foot heals. Passing through a small village, he witnesses a man auctioning off his wife. Atlas buys Lilliana Warwick and deposits her at his sister's home. But Lilliana, educated and self-possessed, begs to return home to her two sons and sneaks out to visit them. When her husband is murdered, both she and Atlas fall under the suspicion of a shrewd Bow Street Runner. Now Atlas has several puzzles to solve while he recuperates. Who killed Godfrey Warwick? And, why is Lilliana in hiding? VERDICT Regency London comes vividly alive in this atmospheric historical; the witty prose and well-developed characters will remind readers of Georgette Heyer and Charles Finch.-LH © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Set in 1814, this cleverly plotted series launch from historical romance author Quincy (Seducing Charlotte, etc., as Diana Quincy) introduces Atlas Catesby, a baron's intelligent youngest son with bad memories and time on his hands. On the way home to London from Bath, Catesby stops at a rustic country inn around the time crude tradesman Godfrey Warwick is auctioning off his wife, the well-bred Lilliana, in the inn's yard. His protective instincts aroused, Catesby "buys" the woman for £30, but both husband and wife have dangerous secrets, and he soon finds himself responsible for Lilliana in ways he never expected. Catesby's sleuthing skills impress as he seeks to solve a murder that occurs weeks after the sale, with several suspects in the running. Quincy on occasion slips into clichéd prose ("His blood turned cold"), but she does a good job depicting the class tensions and gender relations of Regency England. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

In the terribly class-conscious Regency period, Atlas Catesby, the youngest son of a recently designated baron, and his friend, the Earl of Charlton, are returning to London from Bath when they must stop in suburban Slough to repair a thrown horseshoe. Hearing a commotion in the public square, they investigate and Atlas ends up purchasing the wife of a local landowner, who had put her up for sale to the highest bidder. They continue on to London, installing Mrs. Lilliana Warwick at the home of Atlas' sister. Lilliana claims to have no family and desperately misses her sons, whom her husband had claimed, but she's oddly frightened when they pass a certain royal carriage in the park. Then Mr. Warwick turns up dead at his haberdashery off Bond Street. The Bow Street runner assigned to the case hints first at Atlas' guilt, then Lilliana's. Atlas loves a puzzle and works at this one, unearthing startling truths. The first of a new series, this historical mystery will appeal not only to cozy readers, but also to lovers of Regency romances.--Muller, Karen Copyright 2010 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

A gentleman traveler with a secret wound gallantly rescues a lady and uncovers the truth of a murder in Regency London.This is the mystery debut of author Quincy, though she has written romances as Diana Quincy (From London with Love, 2017, etc.). Stopping at a rustic inn, Atlas Catesby and his friend the Earl of Charlton are appalled at the barbaric sight in the yard: local merchant Godfrey Warwick is offering to sell his wife to the highest bidder. Her fine features and aristocratic bearing belie his slander, and Atlas cannot help but pay handsomely to protect her from the jeering crowd. The rescued Lilliana Warwick flees Catesby's protection to return home to her young sons, but her husband has the local magistrate threaten her with jail if she disregards his paternal authority. Stymied, Catesby takes Lilliana to the Bloomsbury home of his sister, amateur mathematician Thea Palmer. Suddenly deciding to reassert his claim on Lilliana, Warwick threatens to sully her reputation and Catesby's if she doesn't return. Fortunately, Warwick is dead by the next morning; unfortunately, Catesby is the prime suspect. To clear his name, he delves into Warwick's sordid affairs and finds gratifying layers of blackmail and abuse. An attempt on Lilliana's life renders the case both more complicated and more urgent but draws Catesby even closer to her and to the truth. Dashing and enjoyably melodramatic. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.