Skip to content
  • Authors Database Preview
  • Book Database Preview
  • Full Database Access
  • Shop
  • For Authors
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Login
  • Authors Database Preview
  • Book Database Preview
  • Full Database Access
  • Shop
  • For Authors
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Login
AUDIOBOOK
KOBO
Amazon
Audible
Kobo
Barnes and Noble
Apple Books

A Lethal Engagement

by April J Skelly

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense

Publisher

Crooked Lane Books

Series:

Standalone

Point of View

Dual First Person (both MCs)
arranged marriageassassincelebritychildhood friendsdangerdetectivehistorical settingmysteryshipforbidden romance

Found a trope you love? → Tap it to explore more ❤️

Content Guide

This guide helps readers understand the content of this book.
Click the ⓘ icons to see how each level is defined.

Intimacy Level

Level 1: Basic Kissing

Innuendo Level

Moderate

Swearing Amount

Zero

Violence Level

Severe

Age Recommendation

Adult

LGBTQ Content

None

Trigger Warnings

Death of Parent, Grief, Alcohol Abuse, Injury, Blood, Murder

Synopsis

An airship bound for London is thrown off course by a murder on the first night of its transatlantic voyage in this locked-room historical mystery debut, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Katharine Schellman.

1890. American heiress, Cora Beaumont is celebrating her engagement to Terrance Tristan, the second son of a duke. Their union will solidify Cora’s place in British society and put her in a rare position of power, but as they embark on the Lady Air’s maiden voyage to England, Cora soon finds that not everyone in society is accepting of her recent engagement, and tensions fly as high as the airship. When a body is discovered the first night on the ship, with a calling card for Cora on the victim, she’s determined to find the killer hidden among the passengers before they come for her next.

As Cora tries to solve the murder without attracting unsavory attention, her fiancé’s wandering eye may cause even more problems for her position in society. Gossip travels fast aboard the airship and bad news could sink the Lady Air, as well as Cora’s own social status, before they reach their final destination. When more bodies are discovered, Cora teams up with her soon-to-be brother-in-law, Nicholas, as they scour the ship for clues. If she fails, it won’t only be her reputation visiting the undertaker.

No one is who they seem in this Gilded Age locked room historical mystery, perfect for fans of And Then There Were None and Alyssa Maxwell.

Audiobook

Narrators

Chris Tester and Caroline Hewitt

Narration Type

Dual

Reader Reviews

Have you read this book? Help other readers by leaving a review.

No reader reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Leave a Review

Reviews help other readers know what to expect from a book.
Please avoid spoilers and be respectful in your review.

More Books to Explore

An Unexpected Legacy

An Unexpected Legacy

My Cosplay Escape

My Cosplay Escape

Whispers of Hope

Whispers of Hope

The Perfect Deal

The Perfect Deal

The Hunted Heir

The Hunted Heir

For the Love of Donuts

For the Love of Donuts

Rose Colored Glasses

Rose Colored Glasses

King Arthur and Her Knights: The Complete Series

King Arthur and Her Knights: The Complete Series

Now That We Don’t Talk

Now That We Don’t Talk

Yellowstone Yondering

Yellowstone Yondering

A Goblet of Guises and Gooseberries

A Goblet of Guises and Gooseberries

A Heartbroke Farmer

A Heartbroke Farmer

Featured Author Picks

Rhyme, Riddle, and Romance

Rhyme, Riddle, and Romance

Malformation

Malformation

Adrift in Time

Adrift in Time

Leather and Lies

Leather and Lies

Coasting Into Love

Coasting Into Love

My Heart to Keep

My Heart to Keep

Waves of Redemption

Waves of Redemption

A Dream of Magic

A Dream of Magic

His Christmas Wish

His Christmas Wish

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive

Line of Fire

Line of Fire

Screenshot

Whitney & Freddy a Boyfriend Dilemma

Find Your Next Closed Door Romance

Stop guessing — find books that actually match your preferences
Filter by intimacy level, tropes, and more in seconds

Find books you'll love

600+ books • Filter by exact content levels • Built for closed door readers

Facebook Instagram
  • Authors Database Preview
  • Book Database Preview
  • Full Database Access
  • Shop
  • For Authors
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Login
  • Authors Database Preview
  • Book Database Preview
  • Full Database Access
  • Shop
  • For Authors
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Login
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Cookie Policy

Site design by Peak Creative Design

  • Authors Database Preview
  • Book Database Preview
  • Full Database Access
  • Shop
  • For Authors
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Login
  • Authors Database Preview
  • Book Database Preview
  • Full Database Access
  • Shop
  • For Authors
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Login
Facebook Twitter Youtube

Physical Intimacy Levels

Level 1

  • Holding hands or affectionate touching
  • Compliments or confessing love
  • Low-description kissing
  • Tender embraces or cuddling
  • Blushing and sighing
  • Non-descriptive discussions of sex
  • Established relationships
  • Fade to black if married
  • Any sexual encounters are only referred to from the past, not described or shown on page
 

Level 2

  • Touch that signals attraction
  • No touching in the underwear zone
  • Long kisses, lightly descriptive
  • Deeper kisses, tongue implied but not described
  • Feeling warm or flushed
  • Gasping, deep sighs, light growls or groans
  • Thinking or speaking about desire in a non-descriptive way
  • Fade to black for established relationships after a scene that matches this level, though this may be unpopular if they are not married
 

Level 3

 

  • Hands moving, still not in the underwear zone
  • French kissing with tongue described
  • Make-out sessions that still follow these guidelines
  • Feeling hot or sweaty
  • Heavier gasping, groaning, deep growls, or panting
  • More frantic moments and some loss of control
  • Male shirt may come off, but nothing else
  • Leg may straddle waist, but no mention of arousal
  • If characters lie down together, there should be little description of contact or movement
  • May happen in a bedroom or on a bed, but should be interrupted or end with a fade to black scene
  • Focus stays on the emotion
  • Fade to black should still happen between married couples or at the end of the book between engaged or committed couples

Innuendo Levels

Level 0 — None

  • No sexual innuendo
  • No suggestive humor
  • No crude or sexual jokes

Level 1 — Minimal

  • Minimal innuendo or double meanings
  • Light teasing
  • Mild crude or dad humor
  • Not frequent or strong

Level 2 — Moderate

  • Moderate suggestive humor
  • Double meanings
  • Sexual tension
  • May include crude or sexual jokes

Level 3 — Heavy

  • Heavy innuendo
  • Strong suggestive dialogue
  • Frequent crude or sexual humor

Swearing Levels

Zero

  • No swearing

Mild

  • Up to 10 uses of “hel*” or “dam*”

Moderate

  • 10+ uses of “hel*” or “dam*”
  • And/or use of bodily swear words like “shi*,” “as*,” etc.

Severe

  • 30+ swear words
  • And/or any use of the F-word one or more times

Violence Levels

Zero

  • No on-page violence

Mild

  • Violence is present without detail or only referenced vaguely
  • May briefly mention blood or injuries
  • Comparable to a G-rated movie

Moderate

  • Violence is more frequent and/or more detailed
  • Can be more intense
  • Injuries may be lightly described
  • Comparable to a PG-rated movie

Severe

  • Violence is more detailed and frequent
  • Blood may be mentioned and injuries may be described in detail
  • Comparable to a PG-13-rated movie

Intimacy Levels

Level 1

  • Holding hands/Affectionate touching
  • Compliments/confessing love
  • Low-description kissing
  • Tender embraces/cuddling
  • Blushing and sighing
  • Non-descriptive discussions of sex
  • Established relationships
  • Fade to black if married
  • Any sexual encounters from past only referred to, not described or on-screen

Level 2

  • Touch that signals attraction
  • No touching in underwear zone
  • Long kisses, lightly descriptive
  • Deeper kisses, tongue implied not described
  • Feel warm/flushed
  • Gasping, deep sighs, light growls and groans
  • Thinking/speaking about desire non-descriptive
  • Fade to black for established relationships after a scene that matches this level – but may be unpopular if not married

Level 3

  • Hands moving, still not in underwear zone
  • French kiss with tongue described
  • Make-out sessions still follow guidelines
  • Feel hot, sweating
  • Heavier gasping, groaning, deep growls, panting
  • More frantic and lose some control
  • Male shirt may come off, but nothing else
  • Leg may straddle waist, but no mention of arousal
  • If they lay down together anywhere, use little description of contact/moving
  • May happen in a bedroom or on a bed, but should be interrupted or end with fade to black scene. Keep focus on the emotion.
  • Fade to black should still happen between married couples or at the end of the book between engaged/committed couples.