Death on the Lizard, by Robin Paige

The newest (and last) addition to the Victorian Mysteries by Robin Paige (husband and wife team of Susan Witting Albert and Bill Albert) find our heroine Kate and her husband involved with the politics and competition in the new world of wireless communication, particularly with Marconi and his wireless company's competitors. Accidental deaths among wireless operators and maintenance men turn out to not be accidental, after all.

I found this an interesting and entertaining glimpse into the competitive world of early telegraphy. In fact, one of the reasons I have enjoyed the 12 books in this series is their look at historical events and people. Though fiction, they do portray the times (and the tenor of the times) in an informative but entertaining way. Kate and her husband are likeable characters, and their "brushes" with historical figures, such as the Prince of Wales, Marconi and other people famous in Victorican times, lend an air of authenticity to the tales. (The authors do seem to do their research on the times and personalities.)

This is the last book in the series--or, as Susan Wittig Albert phrases it in her blog post about it, the series is being discontinued. However, if you like this series you can also read her series with Beatrix Potter as the sleuth (ss charming as you might think a Beatrix Potter mystery should be!) and her mystery series featuring China Bayles, a current-day Texas herb shop owner (and former criminal attorney). I'm sorry to see this series discontinued, but happy that I'll be able to continue reading the authors' other series.