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katreader's review against another edition
5.0
A FIANCEE'S GUIDE TO FIRST WIVES AND MURDER by Dianne Freeman
The Fourth Countess of Harleigh Mystery
Moments after Frances, the Countess of Harleigh, sees her mother and daughter off for a trip to Paris Inspector Delaney shows up her door with a young woman in tow. The woman makes a variety of outrageous claims, the most shocking being that she is the wife George Hazelton. The very same George Hazelton to whom Frances is engaged.
In A FIANCEE'S GUIDE TO FIRST WIVES AND MURDER readers are introduced to Irena. What a character! Her revelations had me stunned and slack-jawed. And angry. Angry that Frances was forced to deal with her. And stunned again when Irena was murdered! (I guess I didn't read the back cover.) As bad as she made Frances' life, her death made it even worse. In order to remain a respectable member of society, Frances and George must sort out the truths in Irena's stories in order to identify her killer. Considering that most people who spent more than five minutes with Irena, or even five minutes reading about her, would want to kill her, their task is quite difficult.
I've always loved reading novels set in Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian England, but I am quite glad not to have actually lived back then! Even if I was lucky enough to be born into the upper classes, I don't think I'd deal well with with the social mores and rules. The Countess of Harleigh did nothing wrong, if anything, she was wronged, and yet she was almost made a social pariah. How Frances is able to weave her way through society, despite its pitfalls, is admirable and smart. There are plenty of surprises in this fourth Countess of Harleigh Mystery, keeping readers on their toes.
A FIANCEE'S GUIDE TO FIRST WIVES AND MURDER is a thoroughly enjoyable, compelling, page-turning mystery that focuses on appearances, societal rules, and the consequences of ignoring them. A delightful book, providing many laughs, it ignited my emotions making me at times angry, worried, and ultimately happy.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
The Fourth Countess of Harleigh Mystery
Moments after Frances, the Countess of Harleigh, sees her mother and daughter off for a trip to Paris Inspector Delaney shows up her door with a young woman in tow. The woman makes a variety of outrageous claims, the most shocking being that she is the wife George Hazelton. The very same George Hazelton to whom Frances is engaged.
In A FIANCEE'S GUIDE TO FIRST WIVES AND MURDER readers are introduced to Irena. What a character! Her revelations had me stunned and slack-jawed. And angry. Angry that Frances was forced to deal with her. And stunned again when Irena was murdered! (I guess I didn't read the back cover.) As bad as she made Frances' life, her death made it even worse. In order to remain a respectable member of society, Frances and George must sort out the truths in Irena's stories in order to identify her killer. Considering that most people who spent more than five minutes with Irena, or even five minutes reading about her, would want to kill her, their task is quite difficult.
I've always loved reading novels set in Regency, Victorian, and Edwardian England, but I am quite glad not to have actually lived back then! Even if I was lucky enough to be born into the upper classes, I don't think I'd deal well with with the social mores and rules. The Countess of Harleigh did nothing wrong, if anything, she was wronged, and yet she was almost made a social pariah. How Frances is able to weave her way through society, despite its pitfalls, is admirable and smart. There are plenty of surprises in this fourth Countess of Harleigh Mystery, keeping readers on their toes.
A FIANCEE'S GUIDE TO FIRST WIVES AND MURDER is a thoroughly enjoyable, compelling, page-turning mystery that focuses on appearances, societal rules, and the consequences of ignoring them. A delightful book, providing many laughs, it ignited my emotions making me at times angry, worried, and ultimately happy.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
berlinbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
Another fun one. I like what the author did with Alicia Stoke-Whitney. A bit too much driving pointlessly from one fruitless talk to another for my taste, but after the halfway point the action picks up more and I liked it better from there.
lswilliams3007's review
4.0
In this latest edition of these "guide" books, Frances and George are investigating another murder, and this time scandal and intrigue are hitting close to home. Needless to say, they are very motivated to unmask the killer quickly. There are plenty of suspects and motives to sift through before they finally reach the correct solution. The story did keep me guessing until almost the very end, and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way.
This is an above average mystery with interesting characters and a well-developed plot. I highly recommend it for fans of historical mysteries looking for a nice diversion.
If you have not read the other books in this entertaining series, I recommend starting at the beginning. They will make more sense if read them in order, and they are all enjoyable.
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
This is an above average mystery with interesting characters and a well-developed plot. I highly recommend it for fans of historical mysteries looking for a nice diversion.
If you have not read the other books in this entertaining series, I recommend starting at the beginning. They will make more sense if read them in order, and they are all enjoyable.
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
sunflowerfoxglove's review
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
renn20751's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
fluffyturtle's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
drpig's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
laurenjodi's review
3.0
A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder
3 Stars
Frances, Countess of Harleigh, and her fiancé, George Hazelton, are enjoying their engagement until Inspector Delaney arrives with a young French woman claiming to be George's wife. Irena Teskey also asserts that she is a member of the Russian royal family and that someone has been following and threatening her. While George denies their marital status, he does confirm her identity as the illegitimate daughter of the Russian Grand Duke. Unfortunately, Irena is murdered soon after, and George and Frances become the prime suspects. Which of Irena's many tales is true and who would have wanted to kill her?
Unfortunately, this installment in the series does not live up to expectations. To begin with, the victim is exceedingly self-absorbed and irritating, which makes it difficult to care about her demise or the search for her killer.
The actual investigation is slow-paced as Frances and George with the help of Aunt Hetty, search for clues. There are some entertaining moments here and there, but the ultimate motive for the crime is quite convoluted and the culprit manages to, which is infuriating.
While Frances and George are a delightful couple who love and respect one another, there is very little character development for them or any of the other recurring characters.
Overall, this is a disappointing addition to the series and I can only hope that the next one returns to the quality of the first few.
3 Stars
Frances, Countess of Harleigh, and her fiancé, George Hazelton, are enjoying their engagement until Inspector Delaney arrives with a young French woman claiming to be George's wife. Irena Teskey also asserts that she is a member of the Russian royal family and that someone has been following and threatening her. While George denies their marital status, he does confirm her identity as the illegitimate daughter of the Russian Grand Duke. Unfortunately, Irena is murdered soon after, and George and Frances become the prime suspects. Which of Irena's many tales is true and who would have wanted to kill her?
Unfortunately, this installment in the series does not live up to expectations. To begin with, the victim is exceedingly self-absorbed and irritating, which makes it difficult to care about her demise or the search for her killer.
The actual investigation is slow-paced as Frances and George with the help of Aunt Hetty, search for clues. There are some entertaining moments here and there, but the ultimate motive for the crime is quite convoluted and the culprit manages to
Spoiler
escape justice by committing suicideWhile Frances and George are a delightful couple who love and respect one another, there is very little character development for them or any of the other recurring characters.
Overall, this is a disappointing addition to the series and I can only hope that the next one returns to the quality of the first few.