As the dowager Lady Darling, I now have very few responsibilities, and after my fifty years of life, I quite prefer it that way. I’ve raised and married off—extremely well, in fact—four children, one of which is the Marquess of Darling. As he has taken over the reins of the estates and title, and his lovely wife (whom I quite admire) is managing the households of all of the properties (except for my dowager house here in St. James), there is very little left for me to do.
My dear husband Edward, with whom I had a long and passionate marriage (but a marriage, nonetheless, that scandalized the ton due to the fact that I did not come from the gentry—quelle horreur!), passed away seven years ago. I miss him dreadfully, but as I am still on this side of the lawn, I have found solace in my gardens, my books, my children and their spouses (no grandbabies yet)…and my pets.
Mr. Timms is my African gray parrot, and he is remarkably intelligent and funny. I’ve been cautioned that his comments and exclamations are only just mimicking what he’s heard (and my youngest daughter, Jane, was mischievous enough to teach him some strange phrases), but I don’t believe it for one moment. A person has only to look into his eyes and see the gleam of sentience therein.
Watson is a very large dog of uncertain breed. Some people have likened him to a woolly, black bear, but that’s nonsense. He’s as sweet as can be, although he does have a drooling problem. He also made a name for himself at the Spangler musicale (of course I brought him with me. I’m the Marchioness of Darling.) when he attempted to join in with the piano and vocals being provided (not very expertly, might I say) by the Spangler sisters. Incidentally, Watson was named after the companion of Sherlock Holmes, the stories of which are written by my dear friend Mr. Conan-Doyle.
And then there’s my darling Beatrice, who is the color of champagne and could very nearly fit into a glass of it. She is the tiniest poodle I’ve ever seen, which is quite convenient because she can come along with me wherever I go by riding along in my reticule. She also has the appetite of a horse and takes loud exception to anyone wearing feathers (which is part of the reason I have not brought her along to a ball. Yet.).
Speaking of balls…you may have heard about what happened at the Enfield ball some years ago. Yes, it was a terrible scandal, but contrary to what people might think, that is not the reason I have been as absent from society as I have done. I prefer to be ensconced with my pets in my gardens in the country. Wouldn’t anyone?
However, one’s plans are always prone to going awry, and sadly, mine have done. I have agreed to return to London to help introduce into Society—and find a husband for—my dear friend’s daughter Priscilla.
Thus, my days are no longer my own, and although I do not begrudge Priscilla her chance to find a husband, I do think she is setting her sights too high.
Anyhow, I shall handle that task with the aplomb I always do…even though I stumbled over a dead body at a dinner party.
So now I shall be required to engage in another project: to discover who killed Mr. Tripley.
Sadly, the work of an intelligent, powerful woman is never finished.
Lady Darling Inquires After A Killer – A Lady Darling Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Historical Mystery
Release: September 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
Lady Bridgerton meets The Thursday Murder Club in the first of a charming, Victorian-set mystery series from bestselling author Colleen Gleason.
Lady Darling is a woman “of a certain age.” Fifty, to be specific—which, in the eyes of London society, makes her uninteresting, eccentric, and a little intimidating.
She’s a widow.
An empty-nester (all of her children very successfully married-off).
She’s titled, influential…and very, very rich.
Now she just wants to be left alone to enjoy her pets and her gardens and her books.
Until someone turns up dead at a dinner party, and Lady Darling is on the scene.
What’s a smart, responsible, capable woman to do?
Find the killer, of course!
A thrilling, witty romp of a mystery series, the Lady Darling books will find fans with readers of historical cozies, Bridgerton, and The Thursday Murder Club.
About the author
Colleen Gleason, who also writes historical mysteries as Colleen Cambridge, is the author of over fifty full-length novels in a variety of genres. Her preferred time period is anything in history, and she loves mixing historical elements with murder and romance.