The Heir

This week Darcie Wilde released the first in her Young Queen Victoria mystery series, The Heir. Set in 1835, it follows 16-year-old Princess Victoria when she stumbles upon a dead body. Who was this man, and why is his death being covered up? Was it truly an accident, or is something more sinister afoot? As she rebels against her mother and overbearing advisor, John Conroy, Victoria has few allies to help her solve this mystery. Can she trust his timid daughter Jane to help?

What I Liked:

• Seeing Princess Victoria as a rebellious teenager—before she became queen. We also get a glimpse into her restrictive upbringing and the “Kensington System” designed to keep her that way.
• Her contrast with Jane Conroy, a shy and reluctant companion whose own father may be covering up something terrible.
• A strange web of family secrets, power-hungry advisors, and medical malpractice.
• Ghosts of her ancestors! This aspect lends a slightly gothic air to the otherwise realistic historical mystery.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• The reveal was a tad underwhelming for me. But it was surprising!

Audiobook:

Marian Hussey does a great job narrating The Heir. I especially enjoyed the German accent she gave to certain characters. This was engaging and a quick listen.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed getting to know Princess Victoria in The Heir. Who knew teenage rebellion could turn to solving crimes? The mystery is winding and mired in secrets, and I liked seeing Victoria and Jane work together to find out the truth. Beyond murder, there is depiction of physical abuse, gaslighting, and manipulation, so readers should take care. This was a great start to a new series, and I’m eager to see what Princess Victoria gets up to next!

Special thanks to Kensington, HighBridge Audio, Darcie Wilde, Austenprose PR, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy The Heir here – it’s available as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

The Heir by Darcie Wilde
Series	Young Queen Victoria (#1)
Audiobook Narrator	Marian Hussey
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Mystery
Setting	England
Number of Pages	384
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	August 26, 2025
Publisher	Kensington

Official Summary

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 . . .