Caught in Time

Murder seems to dog FBI Forensics Specialist Kendra Donovan's footsteps, even in Regency England.  Caught In Time (#765), Julie McElwain's third entry in this time-travel mystery series strands Kendra and her nominal guardian, the Duke of Aldridge, in a small town near Manchester while en route to one of the Duke's smaller estates.  Fog has interrupted their journey, but hasn't stopped a group of Luddites from smashing equipment at the local mill.  The manager of the mill is found beaten to death in his office there.  Kendra and the Duke offer their assistance investigating the murder.  The locals are quick to blame the Luddites, but after viewing the crime scene, Kendra knows that they are not responsible.  Other gruesome murders soon follow.  Alec Morgan, the Duke's nephew and Sam Bell, Bow Street Runner are summoned to East Dingleford to aid in the investigation.

Kendra is slowly adjusting to life in the early nineteenth century, but she is still not reconciled to spending the rest of her life there.  The constraints on her behavior weigh heavily on her when the local constable and doctor address all of their questions and concerns to the Duke instead of to her.  This time she may be dealing with a perpetrator who is more like her than she would like to admit.  Apparently their paths have crossed before...  In the end, she is given two choices: join him or die.

Murders past and present play a big role in Caught In Time.  Motivation is the key to solving the puzzles here.  But equally important, how can justice be best served?  Intriguing twists abound in this series.