Review - Scandal in Mayfair

I enjoy this series so much and look forward to each new release.  Let's see how the fifth in the series measures up.  Check out the previous reviews of this series I've done:

1) A Body in the Garden (click here) 

2) Silence in the Library (click here)   

3) Death at the Manor (click here) 

4) Murder at Midnight (click here)  

Release date is August 20, 2024

Author: Katharine Schellman

Copyright: Aug 2024 (Crooked Lane Books) 320 pgs

Series: 5th in Lily Adler Mysteries

Sensuality: Mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy Historical, historical amateur sleuth

Main Character: Lily Adler, young widow who helps society members discretly deal with problems

Setting: 1815 Regency London, England

Obtained Through: Publisher via Netgalley for honest review

 

Book Blurb:  "London, 1817. The London Season is beginning once more, and Lily Adler’s return to her home on Half Moon Street feels different this year. No longer a recent widow, she has a life and friends waiting for her. Lily also has new responsibilities in the form of her protégée Amelia, the sister of her longtime friend Jack Hartley, who is escaping her own brush with scandal and murder.

It doesn’t take long for Lily’s growing reputation as a lady of quality who can discreetly find what is missing or solve what is puzzling to bring a desperate young woman to her doorstep. But helping her means unraveling a tangled web of family secrets. Soon, a missing will, a dead body and the threat of blackmail leave Lily facing danger every way she turns. 

The glittering society of Mayfair conceals many secrets, and the back alleys of London hide even more. Lily Adler will need to find the connection between them quickly if she wants to stop a killer before it’s too late."

MY Thoughts:

Lily Adler is a delightfully intelligent, witty, and independent young widow taking her life into her own hands. In this addition to the series, she faces a blackmail and  a most challenging case.  Captain John (Jack) Hartley was her late husband's best friend which has been a barrier to them becoming closer.  But in this outing, that situation may change.  The Captain's younger sister, Amelia is staying at Lily's for her aid in being presented during the "season".  Miss Ofelia Oswald of West Indies is the witty side kick again.  The Bow Street Runner, Mr. Page and his family get more attention in this book, which I enjoyed getting more time with him.

The pacing was spot on as I hated putting the book down. The slow-burn between Captain Hartley and Lily gets a little more heated (yeah!), adding to the overall pleasure of this story.  The killer reveal was exceptionally well done and satisfying. A quite unexpected killer. 

A stellar addition to the series with a fine mystery, hints of romance, and delightful characters.  Thoroughly entertaining and highly recommended.

Rating:  Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. 

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Review - The Bride's Guide to Marriage and Murder

 I have come to love this delightful series and started with the first in the series.  Here are the prior books in the series and my reviews.

1)  A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder (click here)

2)  A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder (no review)

3)  A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder (click here)

4)  A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder (click here)

In this outing it is Frances and George's wedding and you can bet there is murder and mayhem.  Read on to find out more.

Author: Dianne Freeman

Copyright: June 2022 (Kensingtom) 322 pgs

Series: 5th in Countess of Harleigh Mysteries

Sensuality: Mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy Historical

Main Character: Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh 

Setting: 1889, London England

Obtained Through: Publisher via Netgalley for honest review

 Book Blurb:  "On the eve of her marriage to George Hazelton, Frances has a great deal more on her mind than flowers and seating arrangements. The Connors and the Bainbridges, two families of American robber barons, have taken up residence in London, and their bitter rivalry is spilling over into the highest social circles. At the request of her brother, Alonzo, who is quite taken with Miss Madeline Connor, Frances has invited the Connor family to her wedding. Meanwhile, Frances’s mother has invited Mr. Bainbridge, and Frances fears the wedding may end up being newspaper-worthy for all the wrong reasons.

On the day itself, Frances is relieved to note that Madeline’s father is not among the guests assembled at the church. The reason for his absence, however, turns out to be most unfortunate: Mr. Connor is found murdered in his home. More shocking still, Alonzo is caught at the scene, holding the murder weapon.

Powerful and ruthless, Connor appears to have amassed a wealth of enemies alongside his fortune. Frances and George agree to put their wedding trip on hold to try and clear Alonzo’s name. But there are secrets to sift through, not just in the Bainbridge and Connor families, but also in their own. And with a killer determined to evade discovery at any cost—even if it means taking another life—Frances’s first days as a newlywed will be perilous indeed . . ."

MY Thoughts:

Frances Wynn, soon to be Hazelton, is one of my favorite sleuths with her quick mind and intrepid spirit.  I've loved George Hazelton from the instant he was introduced and they were always perfect for each other.  

Add in Frances' mother and father bickering, aunt and her beau helping the investigation by scouring financial documents, her brother's impatience and stubborness as just some of the complications, plus her deceased husband's brother being a suspect.  Frances has her hands full. Naturally their wedding would have plenty of Frances' family drama and a murder, but this takes the cake.

I read this through easily as the pace was quick even with everything and kept my interest. The plot had plenty of viable suspects that presented a challenge in itself without the family complications.  I do have to say I figured out the murderer, more lucky guess than anything.  The killer confrontation was suspenseful and harrowing while the denoument was sweet.

If you want a historical cozy with a believable yet independant woman with a good mystery, enjoyable story, and a sweet romance then this if for you.

Rating:  Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. 

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Review - Speculations In Sin

I think I've probably read a few more than I've reviewed, but here is the one prior in this series I reviewed: 

3rd: Death in Kew Gardens (click here) 

Author: Jennifer Ashley

Copyright: Mar 2024 (Berkley) 319 pgs

Series: 7th in Below Stairs Mysteries

Sensuality: Adult topics, mild romance

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Amateur Sleuth, Cozy Historical

Main Character: Kat Holloway, a Cook for the Mayfair household  

Setting: 1883. London, England

Obtained Through: Publisher via Netgalley for honest review

 Book Blurb:  "Kat Holloway is distressed to learn that Samuel Millburn, husband of the woman who looks after her daughter, has been accused of embezzling funds from the bank where he works as a clerk. The accusation is absurd, and Samuel’s wife fears that her husband will not only lose his post but be imprisoned. Kat vows to uncover the truth.

When she discovers the bank is involved in shockingly murky business dealings, Kat realizes she’s treading in dangerous waters. She turns to her confidante and handsome suitor, Daniel McAdam, for help. To exonerate Samuel, Kat and Daniel may have to expose the unseemly financial dealings of prominent aristocrats and government officials, and even those working to bring down the royal family. Kat will risk everything to protect the man who has sacrificed so much for her daughter, even if it means endangering herself and the friends she has come to love."

MY Thoughts:

Superlative cook Kat Holloway struggles being a single mother at a time when it is unacceptable.  Flirty Daniel McAdam is courting Kat. He has a eighteen year old son who often is looking out for Kat on Daniels request.  There relationship is adorable and makes a little progress.  Also, we get a glimpse into Daniel's rough past before he became the dear he is now.

Joanna Millburn, wife of accused Samuel, is the woman who takes care of Kat's daughter, since Kat could lose her job if her employer knew she had a daughter.  That was the old mentality and because Samuel could go to prison, Joanna and Kat's daughter could be homeless.  Grace, Kat's daughter, is a delightful child who understands the situation and tries to be of help all around.

Lady Cynthia, sister-in-law of Kat's employers, assists in the investigation and maybe moreimportantly in helping Samuel obtain legal representation.  Mr. Thanos is a brilliant mathematician who also helps with the investigation. 

The plot has several twists to figure out what all was happening with the murder and the embezzeling.  The pacing kept me turning the pages. The climax was tense and had some thrilling moments which I so appreciate.  The wrap-up was heartwarming. 

This is an excellent historical cozy that never fails to entertain. It has a solid mystery with plenty of heart and spunk that I recommend.

Rating:  Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Review - A Grave Robbery

 This is one of my favorite historical mystery series and even though I have missed two books out of the nine, I always come back to this series.

1. A Curious Beginning (click here) 

3. A Treacherous Curse (click here) 

4. A Dangerous Collaboration (click here) 

5. A Murderous Relation (click here) 

6. An Unexpected Peril (click here) 

7. An Impossible Imposter (click here) 

Author: Deanna Rayburn

Copyright: Mar 2024 (Berkley) 334 pgs

Series: 9th in Veronica Speedwell Mysteries

Sensuality: Adult topics, no gore

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Amateur Sleuth

Main Character: Veronica Speedwell, an amateur entomologist 

Setting: 1889, London England

Obtained Through: Publisher via Netgalley for honest review

 Book Blurb:  "Lord Rosemorran has purchased a wax figure of a beautiful reclining woman and asks Stoker to incorporate a clockwork mechanism to give the Rosemorran Collection its own Sleeping Beauty in the style of Madame Tussaud’s. But when Stoker goes to cut the mannequin open to insert the mechanism, he makes a gruesome discovery: this is no wax figure. The mannequin is the beautifully preserved body of a young woman who was once very much alive. But who would do such a dreadful thing, and why? 

Sleuthing out the answer to this question sets Veronica and Stoker on their wildest adventure yet. From the underground laboratories of scientists experimenting with electricity to resurrect the dead in the vein of Frankenstein to the traveling show where Stoker once toured as an attraction, the gaslit atmosphere of London in October is the perfect setting for this investigation into the unknown. Through it all, the intrepid pair is always one step behind the latest villain—a man who has killed once and will stop at nothing to recover the body of the woman he loved. Will they unmask him in time to save his next victim? Or will they become the latest figures to be immortalized in his collection of horrors?"

MY Thoughts:  

Veronica is irrepresible, determined/stubborn, whip-smart, sharp tongued, a huricane, and a hoot.  Stoker (Mr. Ravelstoke Templeton-Vane) is Veronica's reclusive and cranky love and sleuthing partner who looks like a pirate but has a vulnerable heart.  They have settled into their couple status and their feelings for each other which has some tender moments.  

Fearless journalist J.J. Butterworth, the British version of Nellie Bly, joins the team again.  Detective Mornaday, often complaining and put-upon, is the only policeman they trust and though he is having a personal rough time, he jumps into the investigation.  A new addition is a golden Marmoset monkey who adores Stoker-but Rose, daughter of their benefactor, likes to dress up the monkey and put bows in her hair, which provides comedic relief throughout.  And this book has laugh-out-loud moments.

The plot is to find out the identity of this poor girl, which becomes a hunt for justice for her.  Both quests take the team on a journey with several twists.  I'm not a fast reader, but I read this quickly (for me) since I was so captivated by the story.  

Ms Rayburn digs up some of the most interesting historical tidbits and in this outing she introduces us to a funeral train which carries the coffin and mourners to the gravesite for internment.  The London Necropolis Railway was the name of the system real life train.  In this book we have an underground version, which provides a great creepy setting for a few scenes.  Fantastic job for a really macabre and chilling backdrop.  Also the world of physically accurate wax models, Anatomical Venuses, for medical training adds to the disturbing and even surreal atmosphere of the investigation.

The climatic killer confrontation was wonderfully tense and hair-raising.  I have to give kudos for every climax in this series has been unique and exciting.  Besides the creativity of a murder victim embalmed as a wax figure!  The wrap up sees things resolved satisfactorily on most every thread.

Now for a note on the writing style. Not only does Ms. Rayburn write historical fiction with accuracy but she inflects the style of speaking without loosing the reader.  I'm not one to rapsidize on beautiful sentences or turns of phrase, but she adds to the time period and Veronica's character with her writing style.

I have read most of the books in this series and I felt this was one of the top three so far.

Rating:  Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. 

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Review - The Mayfair Dagger

 The tagline for the book is: "A witty, feminist mystery set in the heart of nineteenth-century London, this daring adventure featuring an intrepid woman detective will thrill fans of Deanna Raybourn and Katharine Schellman."  Since I love both those authors, I couldn't wait to read this book.  It is available for preorder now with a release date of April 2024.

Author: Ava January

Copyright: April 2024 (Crooked Lane Books) 304 pgs

Series: Mayfair Dagger Standalone? Series?

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy, Amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Albertine Honeycombe passing as a Countess

Setting: 1894, London England

Obtained Through: Publisher for an honest review, Netgalley

 Book Blurb:  "Albertine Honeycombe never wanted a husband and certainly not the one with fifteen children that her cousin, Aubrey, is trying to marry her off to. She reinvents herself as Countess Von Dagga, a private detective aiding the upper echelons of women in society. As the Countess, she is a married woman, with a conveniently absent husband who doesn’t exist, which allows her far more freedom than being single.

When Lord Grendel, from whom she has recovered blackmail letters, is murdered, Albertine is suspect number one—having been the last person to see him. And when the Duke of Erleigh comes looking for her utterly fictitious husband, she realizes she has landed herself in hot water, without a tea bag. When Albertine also becomes the prime suspect in her fictional husband’s death, things are looking grim.

Unless Albertine can prove who murdered Lord Grendel and clear her name, her choices are stepmothering enough small children to start a school or hanging from the end of Her Majesty's rope."

MY Thoughts:  Albertine Honeycombe, aka Countess Von Dagga, is determined, smart, a bit naive, and kind hearted.  She is still grieving the death of her beloved brother while trying to make her own way as a detective.  Her best friend and maid, Joan, is a hilarious flirt.  Spencer Sweetman, Duke of Erleigh, is a Scotland Yard Detective who investigates her.

The mystery wasn't that complicated but provided the background for laugh-out-loud situations, romance, and a young lady with good intentions learning some hard lessons about navigating the world she was unprepared for. I know there are those out there that don't like much emphasis on the romance part of mysteries, so take note that this has a stronger romance element than most.  It is still a mystery, but it has a strong romantic element.  

The killer seemed pretty obvious even with a few red herrings, but the journey was worth it since I became vested in Albertine. I was hooked early and read this pretty fast for me.  It kept my interest through the entire book.  The climatic reveal was tense and different from any other reveal I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope this will be a series.

Thank you for reading this blog and please recommend to friends and family who will enjoy it.

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 

Review - Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Lord

 Author Celeste Connally is an Agatha Award nominee, and a former freelance writer and editor.  This is a brand new historical mystery series and the debut sounds fascinating. It's being billed as "Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie." Let's take a trip back to the early 1800s London for an adventure.

Author: Celeste Connally

Copyright: Nov 2023 (Minotaur Books) 301 pgs

Series: 1st in Lady Petra Inquires series

Sensuality: moderate- era references to intimacy and period treatment of women

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy, Amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Lady Petra Forsyth, 24yo indepedant daughter of an Earl

Setting: 1815 (Regency Era). London, England

Obtained Through: Publisher for an honest review, Netgalley

 Book Blurb:  "London, 1815. Lady Petra Forsyth, daughter of the Earl of Holbrook, has made a shocking proclamation. After losing her beloved fiancé in an accident three years earlier, she announces in front of London’s loosest lips that she will never marry. A woman of independent means—and rather independent ways—Petra sees no reason to cede her wealth and freedom to any man now that the love of her life is gone. Instead, she plans to continue enjoying the best of society without any expectations.

But when ballroom gossip suggests that a longtime friend has died of a fit due to her “melancholia” while in the care of a questionable physician, Petra vows to use her status to dig deeper—uncovering a private asylum where men pay to have their wives and daughters locked away, or worse. Just as Petra has reason to believe her friend is alive, a shocking murder proves more danger is afoot than she thought. And the more determined Lady Petra becomes in uncovering the truth, the more her own headstrong actions and desire for independence are used against her, putting her own freedom—and possibly her life—in jeopardy."

MY Thoughts:  Lady Petra is likable (a good daughter, a kind employer, and she's good to animals), a feminist when men were ruled. Her mother died when she was young, but left her a sizable inheritance that allows her more freedoms.  But she can be naive at times in her priviledged world and too trusting of her own safety. I like Duncan Shawcross, Petra's childhood playmate and confidante who is also the illegitimate son of Marquess of Langford.  They make a great team and he is a good potential romantic interest since he understands her well.  Her best friend Caroline is in a marriage of convenience does as she pleases which makes her a bad influence in many ways, but a good friend.  Lady Petra's personal maid, Annie, is a wonderful side character and a street urchin Petra has befriended, Teddy, as well.

This book had a slow start and took many chapters for the murder to happen.  But once it did the book really took off.  I realize this is the debut and thus had to setup the world and Lady Petra's reality, but the slowness combined with an onslaught of characters with titles and a bunch of gossip just weighed down the beginning.  I read this occasionally trying to slog through until I finally got to the murder and then it took off like a race horse and I couldn't put it down.  

Sadly, this is based on actual practices historically.  I know some may think the sending of unwanted wives to an asylum, as presented in the book, is an exageration, but it happened fairly often and with just a husband's say-so in far too many cases.  At the time this is set, men ruled and women had no standing in and of themselves.  Men of the day thought little of such practices because it was all legal strictly speaking.  

Historically, Lady Petra wouldn't have been afforded so much freedom by her father and Duncan Shawcross's being illegitimate would have kept him from being so well regarded in society. I didn't mind those liberties with the storyline, but some might take exception to them.  

The book is more about the journey than the mystery to solve. We follow Lady Petra and she does end up in a harrowing situation in the well done and tense climax.

Rating:  Good - A fun read.  Slow to start but it develops and gets really good.

Review - A Counterfeit Suitor

 This is a favorite series, a "must read" on my list.  I have missed it and caught up with it here.

First book "A Useful Woman" (click here), 

Second book "A Purely Private Affair" (click here)

Shird book "And Dangerous To Know" (click here)

Fourth book "A Lady Compromised" no review

Two guest posts (click here and here) 

Author: Darcie Wilde

Copyright: Nov 2021 (Kensington Books) 442 pgs

Series: 5th in Rosalind Thorne Mysteries

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy

Main Characters: Rosalind Thorne

Setting: Early 1800s (Regency,) London

Obtained Through: library

Book Blurb: "Among the ton of Regency London, one breath of scandal can be disastrous. Enter Rosalind Thorne, a young woman adept at helping ladies of quality navigate the most delicate problems—in this charming mystery series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen . . .

It is every mama’s dearest wish that her daughter marries well. But how to ensure that a seemingly earnest suitor is not merely a fortune hunter? Rosalind is involved in just such a case, discreetly investigating a client’s prospective son-in-law, when she is drawn into another predicament shockingly close to home.

Rosalind’s estranged father, Sir Reginald Thorne—a drunkard and forger—has fallen into the hands of the vicious scoundrel Russell Fullerton. Angered by her interference in his blackmail schemes, Fullerton intends to unleash Sir Reginald on society and ruin Rosalind. Before Rosalind’s enemy can act, Sir Reginald is found murdered—and Fullerton is arrested for the crime. He protests his innocence, and Rosalind reluctantly agrees to uncover the truth, suspecting that this mystery may be linked to her other, ongoing cases.

Aided by her sister, Charlotte, and sundry friends and associates—including handsome Bow Street Runner Adam Harkness—Rosalind sets to work. But with political espionage and Napoleon loyalists in the mix, there may be more sinister motives, and far higher stakes, than she ever imagined..." 

My Thoughts:

Rosalind still reminds me of a proper British version of True Grit's Mattie Ross. I enjoyed the warming in the very slow burn beween Rosalind and the Bow Street runner, Adam Harkness.  Harkness is reserved but clearly devoted to Rosalind.  Alice Littlefield, Rosalind's best friend, joins her again and proves her worth.  Rosalind's sister, who had run off with their father years ago, is back and their relationship is strained at best.  In this book Rosalind must face a very personal challenge that has her emotionally off balance and is affecting her abilities on her case.  Very well done.

Her past family issues also seem to come to a resolution plus a long standing enemy, in a surprising twist, reaches out to her for help.  The plot has plenty of twists and the climax was great.  Rosalind really steps up on many levels in this novel. Perhaps my favorite of all the books thus far.   

Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.