A review by mg_in_md_
The Masque of a Murderer by Susanna Calkins

4.0

Nominated for the 2015 Historical Fiction Agatha, this is the third book in this series. While I have not read the first two, I was intrigued by the plot when I heard the author describe it at a mystery conference I attended last year. The series is set in 1660s London, around the time of the Great Fire and plague. This was a time of great turmoil and great opportunity. In this installment, Lucy Campion, a printer's apprentice and former ladies' maid, is drawn into a mystery involving the tight-knit, secretive Quaker community. She accompanies her friend and the magistrate's daughter, Sarah, who has become a Quaker contrary to her father's wishes, to the home of a severely injured Quaker man. She captures his dying words, which include a shocking revelation that the accident that resulted in his death was no accident at all. Fearful for her friend's safety, Lucy partners with the magistrate's son and the local constable to unravel the mystery before the murderer can strike again. I always enjoy reading fiction in which I learn something new, which was definitely the case with this book, and felt that the author did an excellent job of weaving in historical facts to tell the story. I felt that each element that was included helped propel the story in a believable way. I liked learning more about this time period, the writing, and the main characters, and would be interested in reading the earlier books in the series based on this offering.