A Young Queen Victoria Mystery: Book 1
Publication Date: August 26, 2025
For fans of The Crown, Young Victoria, and all things British royalty is a new mystery set in 1830s London and starring none other than the young Princess Victoria – future Queen of England – as a rebellious amateur sleuth.
Destined for a life beyond her wildest dreams, born fifth in succession to the throne, and determined to get to the bottom of a most foul puzzle, the future queen vows to solve the mystery of a dead man scandalously discovered on the grounds of Kensington Palace—by her!
The young Victoria remembers nothing but Kensington Palace. Arriving as a baby, she has been brought up inside its musty, mold-ridden walls. Others may see the value of Kensington’s priceless artifacts and objets d’art, but the palace is a jail cell for young Victoria. Raised with an incredibly strict regimen to follow, watched at all times by her mother, the controlling, German-born Victoire, and Victoire’s prized advisor, the power-hungry Sir John Conroy, the bright 15-year-old is allowed no freedom at any time—except that which she steals or wheedles for, always in the company of Conroy’s resentful daughter, Jane.
But one fateful afternoon, Victoria slips away from her mother to ride out on her beloved gelding, Prince. With reluctant Jane in tow, the princess gallops out from the palace green. But what would normally be an uneventful trot around very familiar terrain presents the mutinous princess with a most bewildering sight—a dead man, and on the grounds of the palace, no less.
Determined to get to the bottom of the inscrutable puzzle, young Victoria is met with shocking disrespect and any number of obstacles. Sir John lies to her, her uncles and aunts join with her mother to stonewall her questions and curtail her movements. But Victoria will not be deterred. With Jane Conroy as a tentative and untrustworthy ally, Victoria’s first “case” is underway . . .
Among the British royalty, Queen Victoria offers a fascinating subject, particularly when it comes to her isolated childhood.
Author Darcie Wilde leverages this fact as the basis of an historical mystery starring the 15-year-old future queen in The Heir.
Young Victoria chafes under the rigid schedule imposed by her mother. With her only relief coming in the form of Jane Contoy, a reluctant companion, she stumbles upon a dead body while out riding.
To illustrate the teen’s sense of isolation, she hits roadblocks from every corner when asking questions about his identity. Victoria must leverage her innate abilities to find answers in spite of the discouraging efforts of those around her.
What ensues is a mystery with young Victoria serving as the sleuth. Her persistence and ability to draw conclusions, both skills evident during her reign, drive the storyline forward.
The Heir offers an unexpected mystery at the hands of the young future queen.
Darcie Wilde is the award-winning author of stylishly adventurous historical mysteries and romances, including the Rosalind Thorne Mysteries, a Regency-set series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen, as well as the Regency Makeover Trilogy. She has also written, under the name Sarah Zettel, Locus and Philip K. Dick Award-winning novels, including Fool’s War, a New York Times Notable Books of the Year selection. She lives in Michigan and can be found online at DarcieWildeRomance.com.
