Book Review :: A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen

A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen, Samantha Hastings
Series: A Lady Librarian Mystery #1
Published by Crooked Lane Books
on 16 May 2023
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads

When Miss Tiffany Woodall assumes the identity of her half-brother after his death, she realizes she isn’t the only one with a secret to hide in this historical series debut, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Sherry Thomas.

1784 London. Miss Tiffany Woodall didn’t murder her half-brother, but she did bury him in the back garden so that she could keep her cottage. Now, the confirmed spinster has to pretend to be Uriah and fulfill his duties as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian while searching Astwell Palace for Uriah’s missing diamond pin, the only thing of value they own. Her ruse is almost up when she is discovered by Mr. Samir Lathrop, the local bookseller, who tries to save her from drowning while she's actually just washing up in a lake after burying her brother.

Her plan is going by the book, until the rector proposes marriage and she starts to develop feelings for Mr. Lathrop. But when her childhood friend, Tess, comes to visit, Tiffany quickly realizes her secret isn’t the only one hidden within these walls. The body of a servant is found, along with a collection of stolen items, and someone else grows mysteriously ill. Can Tiffany solve these mysteries without her own disguise being discovered? If not, she’ll lose her cottage and possibly her life.

Last updated on 20 August 2023

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What is A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen about?

A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen is set in 1784 London. When Miss Tiffany Woodall’s half-brother, Uriah, dies suddenly and dramatically, instead of calling the authorities and giving up the cottage that she and her (now late) half-brother shared, she assumes his identity and takes on his role as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian.

As she moves through the halls of Astwell Palace, Tiffany’s main goal is to locate Uriah’s missing diamond pin—the only valuable possession left to her and her half-brother. Her charade is nearly exposed when she crosses paths with Mr Samir Lathrop, the local bookseller with a keen eye and a gentle manner.

Tiffany’s life starts to get rather complicated when she huggles being herself and being Uriah. And to top things off, the rector’s unwanted marriage proposal (despite the fact she’s a ‘confirmed spinster’), just throws a spanner in the works, as does the visitation of Tiffany’s childhood friend, Tess. Meanwhile, other people have died suddenly around her and she needs to put her sharp wits to the test as she tries to put together the pieces of these deaths (suspicious? or natural?).

My thoughts on A Novel Disguise

A Novel Disguise was a fun read! It was light-hearted, for the most part, but also tackled some harder topics along the way.

I liked Tiffany as a main character, and her gumption to simply disguise herself as her horrible half-brother so she didn’t have to leave her home. The fact that she loved books a reading was, obviously, relatable, and I liked how we followed her interactions with the books and being able to borrow them from the library when she’s posing as the librarian.

The classic drama that comes with being two people was fun in this era, with its own 1700s challenges to deal with, but the murder mystery side of the story wasn’t great.

While I thought it started off well, it sort of slowed down in the middle quite a lot and then raced towards the end. That pace was a little jarring at times, or snore-worthy when it was too close. I think it could have been fleshed out a little more, and the pace could have been adjusted a little.

But! It was a really fun book and I had a good time reading it. It was a short, historical fiction book, with a dash of romance, a bit of murder, and some family and friend drama along the way.

Have you read A Novel Disguise? What did you think? 

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Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Netgalley. This does not affect my review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.