The books of this series should be read in order because they build upon each other. Soon after returning home to London, John Pickett is sent to the home of Lady Washbourn. Because of some unsettling accidents, Lady Washbourn has reason to think someone wants her dead -- namely, her husband. She married an aristocrat and provided the money (her dowry) for him to rebuild his estate and life. However, he wanted to marry another, who had no large dowry. When Lady Washbourn sees them together, she feels her husband wants to get rid of her and marry the other woman.

Lady Washbourn hires John Pickett to attend (with his wife) a masquerade ball and watch for any efforts to eliminate the lady. During the party, a maid suddenly dies after drinking one of the abandoned cocktails. When the coroner's jury labels the death as a death by natural causes, John is disturbed that someone will get away with the murder. This is continued exciting reading because Lady Washbourn married above her station, as John Pickett has. There are lots of corollaries in this story.

John Pickett Total of 10
0.5. Pickpocket's Apprentice (2015)
1. In Milady's Chamber (2006)
2. A Dead Bore (2008)
3. Family Plot (2014)
4. Dinner Most Deadly (2015)
4.5. Waiting Game (2016)
5. Too Hot to Handel (2016)
6. For Deader or Worse (2017)
** 7. Mystery Loves Company (2018) --
8. Peril by Post (2018)
9. Into Thin Eire (2019)

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