Scan barcode
sarah_moynihan's review against another edition
5.0
'London is known for its bustle and intrigues, but the sedate English countryside can host—or hide—any number of secrets. Frances, the widowed Countess of Harleigh, needs a venue for her sister Lily’s imminent wedding, away from prying eyes. Risings, George Hazleton’s family estate in Hampshire, is a perfect choice, and soon Frances, her beloved George, and other guests have gathered to enjoy the usual country pursuits—shooting, horse riding, and romantic interludes in secluded gardens.
But the bucolic setting harbors a menace, and it’s not simply the arrival of Frances’s socially ambitious mother. Above and below stairs, mysterious accidents befall guests and staff alike. Before long, Frances suspects these “accidents” are deliberate, and fears that the intended victim is Lily’s fiancé, Leo. Frances’s mother is unimpressed by Lily’s groom-to-be and would much prefer that Lily find an aristocratic husband, just as Frances did. But now that Frances has found happiness with George—a man who loves her for much more than her dowry—she heartily approves of Lily’s choice. If she can just keep the couple safe from villains and meddling mamas.
As Frances and George search for the culprit among the assembled family, friends, and servants, more victims fall prey to the mayhem. Mishaps become full-blooded murder, and it seems that no one is safe. And unless Frances can quickly flush out the culprit, the peal of wedding bells may give way to another funeral toll. . . .'
________________________________
A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder is the third book in Dianne Freeman's Countess of Harleigh Mystery series and is a historical mystery set in Victorian England.
I love the author's writing style in that she very clearly has done much reasearch into the time period and sets the tone of the book appropriately in such a way that it doesn't distract from the plot itself and the characters' interactions. Needless to say, I continue to love this series.
There was the perfect level of danger in the book to be exciting but still feel realistic. I knew who the villain of the book was quite early, but the red herrings along the way worked well to throw suspicion onto multiple characters to keep readers guessing. For me, I just found that there was just one character that just seemed too conspicuous to me throughout the book.
I was so happy to see Frances have the spectacular moments she did in terms of the conclusion of the case, it just really outlined what a great character she is. She's definitely one of my favorite protagonists from any historical mystery series. I won't give any more details on those moments though because I don't want to risk any spoilers.
I think the one thing that bothered me about the book is how many 'accidents' had to occur before the characters began to put them together and consider the fact that there might be something more sinister at work. I found it shockingly obtuse for characters so adept at sleuthing. But that's only a minor thing and didn;t really affect my enjoyement of the book itself.
I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Will that the book where we get to see a wedding between George and Frances?? Here's to hoping. I recommend The Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder as well as the previous books in the Countess of Harleigh series to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries. And I do recommend that you read them in order as the connections between the charcters continue to be built upon as the series progresses.
_____
I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for sharing an eARC of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman. This is my honest review.
But the bucolic setting harbors a menace, and it’s not simply the arrival of Frances’s socially ambitious mother. Above and below stairs, mysterious accidents befall guests and staff alike. Before long, Frances suspects these “accidents” are deliberate, and fears that the intended victim is Lily’s fiancé, Leo. Frances’s mother is unimpressed by Lily’s groom-to-be and would much prefer that Lily find an aristocratic husband, just as Frances did. But now that Frances has found happiness with George—a man who loves her for much more than her dowry—she heartily approves of Lily’s choice. If she can just keep the couple safe from villains and meddling mamas.
As Frances and George search for the culprit among the assembled family, friends, and servants, more victims fall prey to the mayhem. Mishaps become full-blooded murder, and it seems that no one is safe. And unless Frances can quickly flush out the culprit, the peal of wedding bells may give way to another funeral toll. . . .'
________________________________
A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder is the third book in Dianne Freeman's Countess of Harleigh Mystery series and is a historical mystery set in Victorian England.
I love the author's writing style in that she very clearly has done much reasearch into the time period and sets the tone of the book appropriately in such a way that it doesn't distract from the plot itself and the characters' interactions. Needless to say, I continue to love this series.
There was the perfect level of danger in the book to be exciting but still feel realistic. I knew who the villain of the book was quite early, but the red herrings along the way worked well to throw suspicion onto multiple characters to keep readers guessing. For me, I just found that there was just one character that just seemed too conspicuous to me throughout the book.
I was so happy to see Frances have the spectacular moments she did in terms of the conclusion of the case, it just really outlined what a great character she is. She's definitely one of my favorite protagonists from any historical mystery series. I won't give any more details on those moments though because I don't want to risk any spoilers.
I think the one thing that bothered me about the book is how many 'accidents' had to occur before the characters began to put them together and consider the fact that there might be something more sinister at work. I found it shockingly obtuse for characters so adept at sleuthing. But that's only a minor thing and didn;t really affect my enjoyement of the book itself.
I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Will that the book where we get to see a wedding between George and Frances?? Here's to hoping. I recommend The Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder as well as the previous books in the Countess of Harleigh series to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries. And I do recommend that you read them in order as the connections between the charcters continue to be built upon as the series progresses.
_____
I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for sharing an eARC of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman. This is my honest review.
emeraldrina's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The mystery here was less predictable than the first books, and all the family secrets revealed along the way were quite fun. However it was kind of lame that the killer was not someone were knew about until the end. Also Lily is ungodly annoying in this book. And I was very confused by the fact that the engagement took place entirely off page… we ended the last book with a “hint” about how George could convince Frances to marry him, and then began this book with “oh and we’re secretly engaged” - why didn’t we see that happen?!? Very disappointed to miss that conversation.
magdalenahai's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
Leppoisa murhamysteeri, jossa dekkarit ei pitkään tajua rikosta edes tapahtuvan. Murhaajakin on niin käsi, että saa tapettua vain yhden väärän ressukan. Ihan hauska, joskaan ei perinteisin ratkaisu. Murhaaja paljastui tosin mysteerin virittelyyn nähden todella helposti ja paljastumisen tunnelataus jäi verrattain pieneksi, kun murhaaja ei ollut kukaan hääseurueesta.
ptaradactyl's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Light and fun, with some red herrings throughout. The ending was a bit rushed and silly, but the story and characters are always nice to visit
dandelia's review
3.0
3.5⭐
The plot was a bit messy and there wasn't as much romance as I had hoped for but I enjoyed it nonetheless
The plot was a bit messy and there wasn't as much romance as I had hoped for but I enjoyed it nonetheless
littletaiko's review against another edition
4.0
Lily and Leo's wedding plans need to be accelerated and fortunately George is quite happy to help out by offering a family estate for the event. There will already be some people there for a shooting party so what's a few more people? A series of accidents throws a wrench into the plans. How can there be a wedding when people are being poisoned, shot with arrows, etc...? Fortunately Frances is there to help sort it all out. Fun as usual and a series I enjoy.
melissasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Fun historical mystery series that continues to be enjoyable. In this book, Lady Harleigh's sister needs to get married quickly. To the rescue comes George Hazelton. George's brother has a beautiful estate that George is heading to. He invites Lady Harleigh and her family to have the wedding there. When they arrive, strange things begin to happen that leaves one man dead and others injured, but are they connected? As Lady Harleigh and George investigate, they also discuss their engagement.
Love these characters and enjoy the time period. The dialogue is crisp, witty, and yet heartwarming. The story was compelling and kept me reading. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
Love these characters and enjoy the time period. The dialogue is crisp, witty, and yet heartwarming. The story was compelling and kept me reading. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
acaticha's review against another edition
I loved the other books in the series but simply couldn’t get into this one. Didn’t even finish the book after trying to go back to it over the course of a year… might try and start the next one in the series & see if the series can recover.
colorfulleo92's review
3.0
A Victorian murder mystery third in a series. Wasn't detailed that this was the third in my book app and maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I'll read them in order, but this was an okay book. Have an slight issue with historical murder mystery, don't know why really but I don't seem to get invested in the story as I would like.