Reviews

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman

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sunflowerfoxglove's review

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adventurous 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

4.0

fluffyturtle's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

3.75

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder
3.5 Stars

A house party in the Hampshire countryside is beset by a series of nasty accidents that Lady Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh, suspects are anything but accidental. Convinced that her sister's fiancé is the intended victim, Frances and her new beau, George Hazelton, are determined to find the culprit, especially when one of the mishaps turns into murder. Who amongst the assembled family, friends, and servants is a killer?

This installment in Freeman's historical cozy mysteries series is somewhat slower in pace as readers are introduced to various new characters and their possible reasons for staging the "accidents". There are several red-herrings with plausible motives, and Freeman manages to keep the reader guessing mainly due to the fact that much of the information needed to ascertain the culprit's identity is provided only toward the end - some earlier foreshadowing would not have been amiss.

The highlight of the book is actually the characterization. Frances and George have taken their relationship to the next level, but she is struggling with the changes the future might bring. Lily and Leo also have to deal with a life-altering surprise, but Lily's questionable behavior does not present her in a good light. Frances' overbearing and social climbing mother also appears on the scene. She is none too happy with either of her daughters' choices in men; nevertheless, she does have her moments and is very handy with

Spoiler

a pitchfork

.

Overall, this is not the best book in the series, but it is still a lighthearted and enjoyable read.

keeri's review

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

elephantshoes4's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.0

ergative's review against another edition

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2.25

I was engaged by this, but I figured out the importance of the undrunk sherry well before Frances did, and I would have preferred for the various red herring suspects to be suspicious (and then cleared) for more interesting reasons than I was given. Treadwell in particular seemed like the author couldn't decide what to do with him, and the plot arc with Frances's mother was too rushed and unconvincing--and, for that matter, not interesting enough that I wished it longer. Just overall a little limp. A book to listen to while doing the dishes, but not a book that will make me want to do the dishes, if you understand the distinction.

kittykornerlibrarian's review

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4.0

This book was tremendous fun but I *still* can't keep the characters straight... who's Lottie? Who's her husband? There are only so many times I'm willing to stop and go back and try to figure this out. Anyway... Lily and Leo are getting married, and Frances' secret fiance George offers to host the wedding at his older brother's country estate. The house party is plagued by accidents and misadventure... but are they accidents or are they connected? Lots of love story subplots and the mystery is very well done. I will continue with this series.