An American-born countess in Victorian London must navigate the social scene while solving her husband’s murder in this historical mystery. Frances Wynn, the wealthy Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York—for her first London … York—for her first London season.
But no sooner has Frances begun her new life than the Metropolitan police receive an anonymous letter implicating Frances in her husband’s death. Frances assures Inspector Delaney of her innocence, but she’s also keen to keep him from learning the scandalous circumstances of Reggie’s demise. As fate would have it, her dashing new neighbor, George Hazelton, is one of only two other people aware of the full story.
While busy with social engagements on Lily’s behalf, and worrying if Reggie really was murdered, Frances rallies her wits, a circle of gossips, and the ever-chivalrous Mr. Hazelton to uncover the truth. A killer is in their midst, and Frances must unmask the villain before Lily’s season—and their lives—come to a most unseemly end . . .
“This lighthearted debut tale of mystery, love, and a delightful sleuth will leave you wanting more.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Dazzling…Fans of witty, lighthearted Victorian mysteries will be enthralled.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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Lovely mystery and great characters. I also liked the second book in the series and look forward to reading the third.
I enjoyed the book. I like stories set in the Regency period and this one is a good depiction of the world of the upper classes in England at the time. A nice twist is that the heroine is an American, married into the British aristocracy, so her perceptions are colored by her background.
I loved A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder. Historical mystery at its best. Very witty with a strong female sleuth, my favorite! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
Frances, Countess of Harleigh, moves her small household to London to escape the demands of her in-laws. Almost immediately, her life gets turned upside down when police approach her with questions about how her husband died, her younger sister arrives to be launched into society, her bank account is frozen from her brother-in-law attempting to claim her money, and a string of jewelry thefts happening all over society.
I absolutely adored Frances. Her practical attitude in spite of whatever she faced won me over from the start. She took action for what she thought was right but accepted the advice of those closest to her.
The plot moved at a good pace, and the supporting characters were excellent at just that: supporting. I learned just enough of each one that I look forward to seeing each of them in future adventures of Frances…and a handsome, charming neighbor.
This is an exceptional historical mystery, and I would recommend it to any reader.
I received a free copy through NetGalley for reviewing purposes.
Loved it. Great women.
In many ways this reads more like a historical romance, but the romance element
isn’t very strong (and no HEA). I think it’s trying to be mainly a mystery, but the
mystery doesn’t really get going until halfway. Still, if you like either genre (or better yet both), it’s a worthwhile read.
A fun, light read.
Some interesting characters that I hope to read more about.
An excellent series.
Great story .. just fun to read
A mystery, hints of romance and a bit of gentle humor made this book a delightful summer read. I have read many, many mysteries set in England in this time period so I wasn’t expecting a new take on a female protagonist. However this displaced aristocrat was interesting and fiesty. I have already purchased the second in the series.
I loved and devoured both installments of this new series! I intend to read them all. Great characters and even better plots. Fast paced plots and decisive, well drawn characters are a must for me.
Loved this book! Can’t wait to read the next in the series.
Downton Abbey meets Stephanie Plum. Very enjoyable characters.
A good period book. The Victorian period was so restrictive for women. The characters were well developed.
The first novel in a fun new mystery series by Dianne Freeman. Lady Frances Harleigh is an American heiress who married into the British aristocracy. A marriage which she has since grown to regret as her husband has proven to be a grand disappoint. Both he and her in-laws have been wasting the money she brought to the marriage in order to fund their own endeavors. Her husband passes away in the bed of his mistress during a party in their own home, but she recruits the help on a friend and is able to avoid the public scandal and gossip. After her period of required mourning, she is ready to be free and escape her scheming in-laws. She accomplishes this by purchasing herself her very own townhome in London for herself and her daughter. But before she has the chance to fully settle into her new and more independent life, a man comes asking questions on behalf of the police regarding the circumstances of her late husband’s passing and her bank account is frozen in a legal battle with her brother-in-law. And those aren’t the only stressers in her life: her new neighbor just so happens to be the very man whom she enlisted to help move her husband’s body and she will be sponsoring her younger sister during her London season and will be having both her and her aunt as houseguests.
And when expensive trinkets begin to go missing during parties and gatherings, Frances is pulled in an becomes and amateur sleuth, enlisting the help of her neighbor, the handsome Mr. Hazelton.
There’s a lovely set of characters, all of whom are amusing and witty and there’s a good whodunit mystery on their hands. There is a bit of subtle romance, but it isn’t the large focal point of the story and Lady Hazeltine manages to retain her independence while still looking to others when she is in need of help or advice. I enjoyed this story very much and I’m greatly looking forward to the next in the series!
This is a truly delightful read-A loveable, American bride, recently turned young dowager countess, navigates dangerous plots, intriguing mysteries, and the high social season of the London elite in his historical cozy mystery, all with a grace that would make Cora Crawley proud. She even manages to catch the eye of a dashing eligible bachelor who once helped her navigate a terribly indelicate situation involving a corpse. So much fun to be had here. Can’t wait to read the next in the series!
This was my first venture into a reading a cozy Victorian mystery (truthfully, I wasn’t even aware such a genre existed) but it certainly won’t be my last! It was the perfect blend of historical and whimsical, with characters I came to adore– especially our heroine, Frances, and her Aunt Hetty. Despite the fact that it had been many years since I had read a novel set in Victorian times, I was immediately carried away by the culture and style of it all. I had my suspicions on the culprit — and was thrilled that I was only partially correct. There were definitely some twists I didn’t see coming, and I thought the mystery was beautifully paced, with enough developments to keep me fascinated but not so much that I lost the magic of the story.
My only complaint is that I now have to wait a couple of months for the next book in the series to come out, because I’m not quite ready to leave this enchanting world. I look forward to seeing what Dianne Freeman does next!
It is 1899, and the Countess of Harleigh, born as Frances Wynn in America, has just completed her year of mourning after the death of her husband. Reggie’s death was no great loss since he spent more time with other men’s wives then he did with Frances. In fact, it was only through Frances’s quick thinking that his death didn’t cause a scandal. Fortunately, Frances has enough money of her own that she can move out of her in-law’s home and set herself and her daughter up in a small place in London with a minimal staff. Unfortunately, trouble follows Frances to her new life when a detective shows up asking about the night Reggie died. Why is this coming up a year after his death?
Frances can’t spend too much time dwelling on this, however, since her sister, Lily, is coming to London for her first season with Frances as her chaperone. Between the balls and other social functions, Frances hears of a string of robberies happening in the London upper class. What will happen when those thefts begin to hit close to home?
I’d heard lots of good things about this book, so I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, I had some serious issues with the plot. I can’t get into any more without giving away plot spoilers, so I’ll just say I found several things under done. I’m sure some of it is my expectations when it comes to a mystery plot, but I still think there were some flaws. However, I really enjoyed the cast of characters. They are all lots of fun, and I enjoyed spending time with them. The setting is great as well. Who doesn’t dream of living the life of the English upper crust? I enjoyed this enough to consider reading the sequel when it comes out despite my issues with the plot.
A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman is the first edition in A Countess at Harleigh Mystery series. Frances Price Wynn, a widow, has just finished her year of mourning and is ready to embrace color once again. Frances is also ready to leave her money hungry in-laws behind and move to London. She has leased a place in Belgravia and is surprised to discover her new neighbor is George Hazelton. Only one of three people who know the truth of what happened the night her husband died. Frances has barely moved in when she receives a letter from her mother announcing she is sending Frances’ sister, Lily along with her Aunt Hetty to London. She wants Frances to usher Lily into London society and help find her a suitable husband. Luckily, she has included a generous check to help with the expenses. Her in-laws did not take her departure well and have filed a lawsuit. While her lawyer assures her that the case does not have merit, her account has been frozen until the case is settled by the courts. Frances is surprised when an Inspector Delaney pays her a visit. Evidently the police received an anonymous letter regarding Reggie’s demise and it points the finger at Frances. Lily gains several admirers at her first social event leaving Frances to figure out which one is suitable and who is just after Lily’s dowry. Frances learns that there is a thief attacking the homes of the wealthy and when a stolen item finds its way into her reticule, she sets out to discover the thief’s identity. Frances is in for a busy social season in A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder.
A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder is a light, historical cozy mystery. The story begins in April of 1899 at Harleigh Manor. There is a similarity to Downton Abbey with the big estates, London society, and Frances is from a wealthy American family who married a titled British aristocrat. Frances is an interesting character. This is the first time she is on her own without her domineering mother or her husband. She comes across as a typical lady of that time-period. I would have preferred her to be a little more out of the box. Lily, on the other hand, is outspoken, headstrong, smart but naïve in the way of men (and the rules of British society). Aunt Hetty provides levity to the story. There is quite a bit going on in the story (as you can see from my summary). Despite the number of storylines, there is a lack of action. More time is spent drinking tea and discussing the various issues. I could have done with less speculation and repetition. The beginning of the book did engage my attention, but it began to wane after a while as the pace slows down. Dianne Freeman is an overly descriptive writer. Frances’ daily life is described in detail. The mysteries lacked development. It was not a challenge to identify the guilty parties especially for the burglaries. I liked that the author did not push the romance between George and Frances. The attraction is there between them, but Frances is not ready for a new romance. My rating for A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder is 3 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy light-hearted, historical cozy mysteries, then pick up the debut novel in A Countess of Harleigh Mystery series A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder.
I really enjoyed this combination of cozy and regency. Look forward to next book.