Deanna Raybourn writes a Romantic Mystery

Silent in the Grave  by Deanna Raybourne was a long book, but it was well-written and kept me engaged. Lady Julia Grey is investigating the death of her husband, although the local doctor dismissed it as a natural death due to his poor heart condition. She gets more involved with the seedier side of London in the Victorian age, dressed in her widow weeds and rich enough to dismiss the rumors about her and her acquaintances. She meets Nicholas Brisbane on the night her husband dies, but he remains a mystery to her, private and sometimes volatile. Her attraction is understandable, but what is she to do about it since he remains aloof. This the the first of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries and is a good introduction. Deanna Raybourn is from Texas, graduated with a degree in English literature with a specialty in Shakespeare. "Silent in the Grave" won the 2008 RITA for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. I like the cover on the hardback book more than on the paperback book which emphasizes the romance