A Stranger in Mayfair by Charles Finch

Stranger is from the middle of the excellent Charles Lenox series, which I'm reading totally out of order. In this one, Charles and his true love, Lady Jane, have just returned from their honeymoon, when an acquaintance named Ludovic Starling shows up and asks Charles to investigate the death of his footman. Charles is a new member of Parliament so he doesn't really have time, but the lure of solving mysteries proves too strong so he and his friend Dallingham start investigating. At the same time, Charles is pining for a baby, particularly after his best friend's wife has a baby. But Lady Jane is not on board. (Spoiler alert: I've read one of the later books, in which Jane was pregnant, so I guess he convinces her to go for motherhood.)

I really like this series. The characters are appealing and the mysteries are interesting, and it's fun getting a look at life in a bygone era.