ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND TREACHERY is the follow-up to Celeste Connally’s first Regency-era mystery, ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A LORD. There's a lot to like in this clever novel, which is filled with real historical facts, more than one murder to solve, a seductive romance, and plenty of royalty and intrigue.

Lady Petra Forsyth is the daughter of a wealthy earl who allows her to run his estate and live her life on her own terms. While unmarried, she is unencumbered by the usual restrictions placed on young single women. She takes advantage of this freedom to indulge in amorous relations with her fiancé, Emerson --- Viscount Ingersoll --- and then, after his untimely death, with his good friend, Duncan Shawcross. Petra and Duncan have been friends since childhood, and Duncan has been in love with her forever. Because of the plethora of names and characters, it does help to have read the previous book.

"Over the course of two books, we have come to like [Lady Petra] and enjoy her blunt attitude, her composure, and her determination to live her life as she desires without bowing to the strictures of societal expectations."

The sequel begins right where ACT LIKE A LADY, THINK LIKE A LORD left off, after Petra finds a note that implicates Duncan in Emerson’s murder. I was a bit disappointed that she was so quick to believe the contents of the note, which was written by someone who in the first book we learned was a horrible person. The setting then moves to Buckingham House, where Petra meets for breakfast with Queen Charlotte and Petra's godmother, the Duchess of Hillmorton, who is also Duncan's grandmother. Petra is informed of the murder that the Queen wishes her to investigate and becomes the novel’s central mystery. The homicide and its connection to the other events that take place is truly confounding.

Mrs. Huxton, the matron at the Asylum for Female Orphans, was found dead with a wound to her head. They believe she was killed but need the matter to be quietly investigated. Because Petra was to attend the opening of the new dining hall there later that day, it would be natural for her to be in a position to ask some questions while she is there. The Queen explains that time is of the essence.

The whole novel takes place over the course of just a few days. Each date, time and location is clearly labeled at the beginning of the chapters, so we are aware of the passage of time and what we are watching as the events occur almost minute by minute. There is a lot going on, and there are many people who are involved in Petra's circle of activities. The Queen and her own investigator are worried that with the news of Napoleon's defeat and the three days of celebration that will be announced, some agitators who want to get rid of the monarchy will take advantage of the melee and use the distraction to kill some members of royalty to start their own overthrow of the status quo.

We become reacquainted with Petra's friends, including Frances Bardwell, the apothecary who has a shop where she sells ointments and balms; Lottie, who trains dogs to perform incredible feats; Lady Vera, an old friend; Annie, Petra's maid and confidante; and Teddy, a street urchin who is loyal, intelligent and brave.

The narrative is both gripping and at times utterly bawdy as Petra and her good friend, Lady Caroline, enjoy "pleasures of the flesh" with their lovers. Connally does an admirable job using flashbacks to give us the history we need in order to grasp what is happening in the "present" of the story. And through some clever surprises and unexpected connections, we understand how all the seemingly loose ends come together in an intricate pattern of intrigue and nefarious design.

Unlike the first novel, this one does not end with a teaser for a new story. I hope that a third Lady Petra mystery is planned. Over the course of two books, we have come to like her and enjoy her blunt attitude, her composure, and her determination to live her life as she desires without bowing to the strictures of societal expectations. Petra is plucky, intelligent and kind, and she treats everyone --- commoner and royalty alike --- with courtesy. And she loves dogs. My kind of heroine.