My only books were women's looks

I picked this up without realizing that it was the second book in the Lady Emily series, but it provided enough explanation of what went on in the first book that it didn't matter much.I don't really read mysteries (I can probably count the mysteries I've read on one hand) but I love the Edwardian period, so I thought I'd give it a chance. I certainly didn't guess either of the mysteries in the book, but I have to say that more than the desire to see who dunnit, I kept reading because I thoroughly enjoyed Emily as a heroine and Colin as her romantic hero.Aside from a few bits of dialogue that seemed a bit modern to me, the author seemed ot have a very good grasp on society and fashion etc of the period. More importantly (since this is the part that a lot of writers of historical fiction neglect) I thought she also did a very good job of staying true to the tone and mores of the times. Like most heroines in historical fiction, Emily has some 'unlady-like' hobbies (the study of Greek) but what I liked about this book is that it actually showed how these hobbies would reflect on her character to the rest of society. In fact, a good deal of the plot turns on how her unconventional hobbies (including sleuthing), desire for independence and lack of desire to get married to Colin, despite how much she love (and is attracted) to him all combine to give her a pretty scandalous reputation, which she shes repercussions for. I also like how the author managed to portray some really nice UST between Emily and Colin while staying true to the conventions of the times. (Colin decides that he shouldn't kiss her (any more) until she's agreed to be his wife, for example.)I would definitely pick up the next volume of the series.Also, I want to say how much I LOVE the cover of the book. It fits perfectly, and kept me wanting to pick it up again.