Wow this book was really awkward. That's the best term I can come up with. The Maggie Hope series is not Shakespeare, but at least the other books are somewhat believeable. This book had noticeably stiffer dialogue than the others. While the historical background is interesting, it is poorly integrated with the plot. In short, it feels like a rush job. I hope that more care is taken with both the writing and editing of the next Maggie Hope mystery.

Side note: Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante includes several references to previous books in the series, therefore, I would not recommend it as a standalone. In fact, since it has been some time since I read the earlier novels, I would have appreciated a line or two of explanation of these references myself.