Ever since reading the first Lady Darby mystery several months ago and reviewing it on this site, I have since read and reviewed the second and now this week we’ll be looking at the third book of the series. It’s hard to believe that I book I picked up at random would become a series I hold near and dear and truly enjoy.

In A Grave Matter, Lady Kiera Darby is still trying to recover from the death of her good friend and mentor. She has returned to her childhood home with the hope that spending time there and visiting with her brother Trevor, she can begin the slow process of healing. Yet when an elderly caretaker is murdered and a grave is found disturbed at the nearby Dryburgh Abbey, Kiera is once more called in to help.

Kiera knows that helping in yet another investigation will further tarnish her already ragged reputation, yet she also knows that her knowledge of anatomy can be helpful. She also knows that to assist means teaming up with Sebastian Gage and dragging up old feelings. However when Gage brings news that the grave robbing was only the most recent in a string of such thefts, Kiera knows she must help at any cost.

This being the third novel in the Lady Darby series, we are once again meeting familiar faces as well as new ones. We are introduced to Kiera’s brother, Trevor, who resides over the estate where Kiera grew up. We have more glimpses in to Kiera’s past and this time we are given more information on Sebastian’s checkered past.

The mystery surrounding the who and why of the disturbed graves is meant to be the main plot, yet for me I found it more of a secondary plot. For me, the primary plot revolved around Kiera and Sebastian. These two characters have been dancing around one another since the first book and it is here where they are given a sliver of happiness. While it has been painfully obvious to the readers, these two are in love with one another but society and them both being so hard headed, they have held each other at arms’ length. Finally, they admit their feelings and hopefully we will see their relationship continue to grow in future books.

I really enjoyed A Grave Matter for the variety of characters included – some apparently lifted straight out of history albeit embellished a bit. Decent action, some a little bit on the over-dramatic side, but that can be easily forgiven. The descriptions of the abandoned abbey as well as other locales were amazing as usual. In this aspect Huber paints pictures with her words and brings the reader in to the setting.

A very good book and a good addition to the series. I loved it!