Cara Devlin Archives - Mostly Mysteries

Method of Revenge Why are children dying when wallpaper from Henderson and Company is hung in their bedrooms? Could there be something wrong? But why aren’t any parents talking about it?

In Cara Devlin‘s Method of Revenge, Leo Spencer is at a nightclub with her friend, Dita Brooks, when Gabriela Carter, the wife of a mob boss, dies from arsenic poisoning. Who would want her dead and is her death related to the deaths of various children?

Jasper Reid is assigned the case of Mrs. Carter’s death. As usually happens, since Leo Spencer is peripherally involved as a witness, she insinuates herself into the investigation, much to Jason’s consternation. But, since Leo’s observations move the case forward, he is secretly glad of her help.

As with the other two entries in Cara Devlin’s Spencer and Reid series, Method of Revenge, the second mystery in the series, is tightly written, with a plot that propels the reader forward. In addition to the mysterious deaths, Devlin also highlights the burgeoning, but slow-moving interest and love between the protagonists. Their relationship is under stress from certain aspects of their shared past, which causes sparks to fly. A solid fascination about which way their love will flow lures me to wait eagerly for the next installment.

Enjoyable Read

Devlin created two likeable protagonists, both having strengths and flaws. Spencer is intelligent, as evidenced by her work at the morgue with her uncle, and her insightful tips to Reid on aspects of his cases. Impulsive and stubborn, Spencer gets herself into situations from which Reid and his partner, Detective Sergeant Lewis, must extricate her. Reid is honorable and hard working. However, he has kept certain facts about his past hidden, both from Spencer and Scotland Yard. When these facts come to light in his dealings with Spencer, tempers simmer and sparks fly.

I enjoyed the three offerings in Devlin’s Spencer and Reid series so far. I look forward to reading her Bow Street Duchess mystery series.

Method of Revenge
by Cara Devlin
© 2025
First Cup Press

With Shadow at the Morgue, Cara Devlin has created a strong opener to her new Spencer and Reid series. With a splendid start like this, the series is bound to go from great to outstanding.

Devlin sets both Leonora (aka Leo) Spencer and Jasper Reid apart from ordinary humans. Leo is intelligent, savvy and outspoken. And, as Jasper readily agrees, impulsive and stubborn. Jasper is portrayed as a bit straitlaced, but good at his job of Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard.

A cryptic case draws Spencer and Reid in when a body of a woman run over by an omnibus is brought into the morgue run by Leo’s Uncle Claude. Why does a man come into the morgue to steal the woman’s necklace? Why does a witness to the accident say that a man was chasing the woman prior to the accident? How is the woman connected to two criminals recently released from prison?

Scotland Yard assigns the case to Detective Inspector Reid, and, of course, Leo is intrigued and does her own behind the scenes snooping. She unearths important information that helps solve the case, much to the consternation of Reid.

Nicely Done

Devlin balances the mystery nicely with the burgeoning romance between the main characters. Reid and Spencer have a connection from their youth – they were raised by the same guardian for a short while. But Spencer is a bit standoffish with Reid, thinking he doesn’t like her, or is uninterested at the very least.

The story is told from the viewpoints of both Spencer and Reid. This works well, as the reader is immersed in the workings of both characters’ minds. With this debut in the Spencer and Reid series, Devlin creates a cozy historical mystery universe set in 1884. She includes historical facts that enliven the plot, such as the roles women can and cannot undertake during that period. For example, Spencer’s work at her uncle’s morgue is frowned upon or thought to be strange and “unwomanly.” I will be reading the rest of this series as well as Devlin’s other works.