A mystery author is charged with murder–and the plot thickens faster than anyone can turn the pages–in USA Today bestselling author Callie Hutton’s new series debut, perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ellery Adams.Bath, England, 1890. Mystery author Lady Amy Lovell receives an anonymous letter containing shocking news: her fiancé, Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, has been dabbling in something illegal, … dabbling in something illegal, which causes her to promptly break their engagement.
Two evenings later, as Lady Amy awaits a visit from Lord William Wethington, fellow member of the Bath Mystery Book Club, her former fiancé makes an unexpected and most unwelcome appearance at her house. She promptly sends him to the library to cool his heels but later discovers the room seemingly empty–until she stumbles upon a dead Mr. St. Vincent with a knife in his chest.
Lord Wethington arrives to find Lady Amy screaming and sends for the police, but the Bobbies immediately assume that she is the killer. Desperate to clear her name, Lady Amy and Lord Wethington launch their own investigation–and stir up a hornet’s nest of suspects, from the gardener who served time in prison for murder to a vengeful woman who was spurned by St. Vincent before he proposed to Lady Amy.
Can they close the book on the case before the real killer gets away with murder?
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An engaging murder mystery set in 1890 with a hint of romance. Whilst it is obvious that the author plans to make this a series, I could have wished that the romance element had moved along a bit faster. I see no reason why their future partnership could not be that of an engaged or married couple.
Lady Amy Lovell is a published author, under a pseudonym, of murder mysteries and so when she finds herself the chief suspect after the murder of her ex-fiancé and the police only seem to be looking at her as the culprit, she has no qualms about beginning an investigation of her own. In this she is helped by her long term acquaintance and fellow mystery enthusiast, Viscount Wethington.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
cosy-mystery, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, family-dynamics, friendship
What happens when the lady mystery writer in the days of Conan Doyle becomes the, basically, only suspect in the eyes of the Bath constabulary?
Finding the body of her recently ex fiance in her home was bad enough, but that the police know about his business in the opium trade yet appear to have no interest in following that as a lead to a more plausible suspect is beyond tolerance. What else is she to do but investigate for herself with the help of a fellow book club member? Well done cosy mystery with excellent characters and a plot that draws the reader to finish promptly.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Unputdownable! A fun and gripping cozy mystery!
I love cozy romance so Callie Hutton’s new book ‘A Study in Murder’ was perfect for me! It had all the elements to hold my interest until the very last chapter, an intelligent and independent heroine, lots of suspense with many twists and turns. A real page turner as we follow Amy, a mystery author who stumbles in her library on her fiancé with a knife in his chess. Since she is now suspected of murder, she will have to begin her own investigation and discover the culprit. Along with her book club friend William, they will embark on a journey of clues that will help find the guilty person. Spending time together, love will be in the air for Amy and William. Ends on a touch of suspense for the following stories in the new series ‘A Victorian Book Club Mystery’!
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a review copy of Callie Hutton’s book!
A Study in Murder by Callie Hutton is a historical cozy mystery that was an entertaining story set in Bath, England in 1890.
Ms. Hutton’s description of Bath at that time made the town come alive as I read. Lady Amy and Lord William are friends who belong to a mystery book club in Bath. When Amy’s ex-finace is murdered in her home, Amy vows to find the culprit since she is the police’s number one suspect. Amy is very intelligent and logical and William seems to admire her and joins in the hunt. A smoothly paced plot with a few twists, several suspects and red herrings keep the plot moving forward. Fans of historical cozy mysteries will enjoy this new addition to the genre.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
“A Study in Murder” by Callie Hutton is the first instalment in the ” Victorian Book Club Mystery” series. A great start to a new series by a new to me author! I was enjoying the story so much I read in one sitting. I found myself becoming invested in what happened to Lady Amy, as she was super likeable, smart and independent for Victorian times. I also liked her relationship with William.
The setting of Bath, England was also a nice place to visit. The mystery was well plotted, entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises.
I can’t wait for the next instalment, definitely a author I will be following in the future.
I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
Even though what I’ll describe as Regency or Victorian times is not my favorite period setting, this was an easy and enjoyable read. It had all those rules of having a chaperone present, losing one’s reputation for not wearing gloves and…it had a sassy female. Wait, maybe that’s what I identified with 🙂 .
The characters here were well-defined but one of the aspects I really enjoyed was that it wasn’t just the main characters. It seemed as if Callie Hutton made me able to see so many of them…strong, loving and occasionally grumpy Aunt Margaret, nosy Mrs. Ambrose, handsome Lord Wetherington, dastardly Mr. St. Vincent, Amy’s ex-fiancé. Even the Lovell house cook. The author did another thing really, really well. She had me guessing about and suspecting everyone til the very end.
Speaking of this author, she writes a good deal what is not my favorite genre, romance, regardless of the time period. Yet, she made this such a good mix of mystery, a little sweetness and a little murder. Everything a good mystery needs. Hope she’s writing the next book in this series.
In looking online I found Callie Hutton also has many other books published and I couldn’t find anything but good reviews.
I really enjoyed this cozy. It is a mixture of Anne Perry and her Victorian mysteries but lighter like Ellery Adams or Kate Collins. So fun. Lady Amy Lovell has just kicked her crooked fiance to the curb. Shortly thereafter, he turns up dead in her home! This is 1890 and Ladies don’t write murder mysteries nor do they solve them, but this one does. The constables believe she killed her ex-fiance, but there are many more suspects. With the help of her friend Lord William Wethington they set out to prove her innocence. Lots of suspects along with some red herrings make this a throughly enjoyable read. It kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read this book and offer my honest opinion.
This book was a good solid read. I’d totally try another future book by this author!
You can check out my booktube video review at https://youtu.be/jOIkBRw81gc
or read my review on my blog at https://lisasiefert.com/cozy-escape-book-club-chat-a-study-in-murder-by-callie-hutton-a-victorian-book-club-mystery/
Lady Amy Lovell is an author of murder/mystery books. She writes under an alias because in Victorian times a “Lady” shouldn’t be interested in such things as murder. She soon finds out that writing about something is very different to actually being involved.
Lord William Wethington is a fellow member of our heroine’s book club where they gather to talk about mystery books. He finds himself dragged into a real murder/ mystery.
Both our lead characters are a lot of fun. They will get into all sorts of danger and trouble to find the killer themselves.
Really good fun.
I have been an avid reader of Callie Hutton’s and love her historical romances. In this book she takes a journey into murder mystery, and what a journey it is. The storyline continues a bit of everything, intrigue, murder, plenty of suspects, danger, a bit of humor and a bit of romance. Lady Amy Lovell prefers Victorian era Bath to London, enjoys her mystery book club, doesn’t wish to marry, but is engaged. By the way she also writes murder mysteries under a pseudonym. Her father pressured her into the engagement, but she is not so sure about marrying Mr. St. Vincent and breaks the engagement. Unfortunately, several days later he ends up dead in her library, a knife to the chest. Who does the police suspect, Amy, of course. And of course, the police do not seem interested in finding any other suspect. What is a good murder mystery author to do? Along with her friend, William, Viscount Wethington, they start their own investigation. What follows is a really good story. The two come up with a credible list of suspects. In the next to last chapter, I thought I had the right one, but the author very cleverly tosses in the real one at the last minute. I had to chuckle every time someone called Mr. St. Vincent her fiance to which Amy quickly responds, ex-finance! The epilogue suggests the Amy and William team will continue murder investigations. Love it! I received this ebook from NetGalley for an honest review.
I enjoyed reading this first book in a new cozy series. The story takes place in Bath, England in 1890. Lady Amy finds her ex-fiance dead in her library and she becomes the prime suspect. Knowing that the police are not looking for any other suspects she sets out to solve the crime herself. Assisting her is William, who was also in the house dropping off a book, her best friend and her unmarried aunt. The mystery is good and there are a lot of suspects. I was surprised by the who-did-it. The author does a wonderful job with the setting and time. There is some romance. I look for word to reading the next book. Enjoy
From Callie Hutton and Crooked Lane Books comes the first book in the new “A Victorian Book Club Mystery” Victorian-era series, A Study In Murder.
For those who enjoy all things Victorian, this series will be right up their alley. The attitude towards women and the conditions of the day comes through with perfect clarity. The main character, Amy, has to hide who she is and take orders from the men in her life. However, Amy is learning ways of getting around the male-oriented society and living her own life, mostly on her terms. This was common for all women in the Victorian era, and in some ways, is still predominant in several countries.
Characters in this series are provocative and compelling. William is a delight and a man ahead of his time. I also liked the small glimpse of Amy’s father and brother and would love to know more about her aunt. I found the Victorian side of the book more fascinating than the mystery itself. There were plenty of suspects and evidence, but it takes some work to figure out who the killer is and reveal the perpetrator. The twists and turns were good as well as plausible. The ending was exciting and, as is usual, filled with last-minute answers. The setting was well done described in enough detail to help the reader see Amy’s home and other locations.
A Study in Murder is a wonderfully written Victorian book with hints of romance. I did not find the mystery itself detailed enough, or the police investigation to be viable. I would like to see more interaction between Amy and her aunt and learn the story of why her aunt never married. Overall, this first book was a good beginning for the series. Readers who enjoy historical’s or Victorian mysteries will enjoy this book.
Callie Hutton writes a great mystery story! Amy (great name for a heroine by the way) is trying to clear her name in the murder of her ex fiancé. Her friend Lord William helps her in the investigation. We see their friendship grow closer and hopefully we will see more of that in the next book in this Victorian Mystery series. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
A Study in Murder earns 5/5 Pomeranians…Intriguing Delight!
Callie Hutton has penned a delightful first-in-a-series in her Victorian Book Club series making me a fan! It’s 1890, the era of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, in and about Bath, England, with a…mystery book club? Ok, that hooked me immediately! Hutton’s third person narrative follows Lady Amy Lovell, a “gently reared young lady” and only daughter of the Marquess of Winchester, but, wait for it, her “other self,” known only to her father and her childhood friend Eloise Spencer, is that of mystery writer E.D. Burton. She is also betrothed to Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, more like “harangued.” It was far from a perfect match, and she has been rethinking her decision with good reason since receiving an anonymous letter about St. Vincent’s involvement with illegal activities making him totally unsuited. Nowadays, a broken engagement is a thrown ring and stomping off, case closed, but St. Vincent’s warning “you will be sorry for this” backfires when he himself is found dead…in the library…with a knife in his chest. “Clues” are plenty, but the detective still casts suspicion on Lady Amy due to her “reason, place, and time.” A saving grace in all this is her friendship with the Viscount William Wethington, who is not only her aunt’s choice as a suitor but a member of the same mystery book club to which she belongs. Together, like the Sherlock and Watson characters by which they are intrigued, they set to uncover the truth. But, it is curious; who is leader Sherlock and who is sidekick Watson?
Callie Hutton’s writing style is engaging, very entertaining. She fills the drama with descriptive language bringing to life the late nineteenth century society from fashion and behaviors to defined roles and pre-suffragette attitudes. Even in the cadence of her writing, it invokes a different time when language, especially used by women, was guarded and proper. The dialogue does well to illustrate personalities, but also class and education. Limited slang. The mystery, which lead to murder, was well-planned and paced, with contemporary overtones in the investigation…the drug trade. However, there are other avenues of inquiry making this a page-turner well worth being top of my “2020 Best Reads” list. I enjoyed the love/hate banter between Lady Amy and William, supportive and condescending at the same time, yet offering insights into who is a more suitable match for Lady Amy. Not quite Downton Abbey meets Murder, She Wrote, but elements of English society, class differences, and a strong female lead are excellent!
Of all of the mystery genres, historicals are at the top of my list. The minute I saw this debut of a series set in 1890 Bath, I had to give it a try. I was not disappointed. Lady Amy Lowell is a great character, a young woman who believes in equal rights and pushes against the societal norms, much to her father’s displeasure. It’s a good thing that they have two residences and her father spends much of his time in London while Amy resides in Bath. Her Aunt Margaret tries to shepherd her through society in the hope that she will not become a spinster. To that end, her father had made arrangements with Mr. St. Vincent for her hand in marriage. Not long into the engagement Amy receives a note telling her of his illegal dealings and Amy calls it off. Amy is fine just as she is – a very popular mystery writer. At her father’s insistence she writes under the pen name E. D. Burton and has, by now, done a lot of research into the crime of murder. Little did she every expect that she would have one dropped at her very feet. Within days of calling off her engagement, her ex shows up unannounced and while Amy is letting him cool his heels in the library somebody sticks a knife into his chest.
It’s a good thing that Amy is clever and intelligent because that, coupled with her research will be needed to keep her out of prison. The local constabulary has decided that she is the killer and are just going through the motions. Time for Amy, with the help of her fellow book club member, Lord William Wethington, to put her knowledge into a real life case and track down the killer.
Besides the lovely setting of the City of Bath, one of my favorite places to visit, the characters of Amy, William and Aunt Margaret are well developed and the puzzle had me engaged to the last page. Now I’m ready for the next mystery Amy has to investigate. With William, of course.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
“With a breezy style and alluring, low-keyed humor, Hutton crafts a charming mystery with a delightful, irrepressible sleuth.”
—Madeline Hunter, New York Times bestselling author of Never Deny a Duke
When Lady Amy Lovell breaks her engagement, she doesn’t expect to find her former fiancé a few days later in her library, dead. Now, with the help of her friend Lord William Wethington, she will use her skills as a mystery writer to attempt to prove her innocence and solve the murder.
This is a delightful story. The mystery plot is well crafted and has enough twists and turns to make you think you know the murderer several times and surprise you with the real culprit at the end. There are moments of humor and some hints at a budding romance. The characters are quite entertaining. Amy and William are loveable and fun. Both are intelligent and independent. The book club members were interesting. Lacey, the parlor maid, Aunt Margaret, and the rather snarky and serious detectives add humor to the story. I really enjoyed the story, and Rosie Akerman’s narration was fantastic. She brought the characters and their personalities to life. I usually read romance now, but I have made my way through Holmes, Miss Marple, and Murder, She Wrote. Now I can add the Victorian Book Club Mysteries to my list.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.
This is a solid, exciting first in the new Victorian Book Club Mystery series with characters I quickly grew to like, a quaint setting of 1890 Bath, England, and a stunning mystery. To me, it had a little bit of a slow start as characters are introduced and the setting established, but it quickly escalated, and I didn’t want to put it down! The characters are well-defined. I really enjoyed learning about Bath, including the history of the area.
Lady Amy Lovell is a suffragette. She writes mysteries under a nom de plume, at her father’s request; and nobody outside the family knows she pens the popular novels. Amy is member of the local Mystery Book Club. William, Viscount Wethington, has been a friend of Lady Amy’s for a few years; he is also a member of the Mystery Book Club. Amy is betrothed to a man, not for a love match but a contract between her fiancé, Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, and her father. At 25, her father is concerned she will be a spinster.
There is something about St. Vincent Amy didn’t trust, and she certainly did not sit around mooning over him. Amy was quite surprised when she received an anonymous note that St. Vincent ships and sells opium for those unfortunate souls in Bath who are addicted to the stuff. She was able to confirm his drug selling through her contacts. Amy summoned him to her home, at which time she broke up with him rather than waiting until her father returned from his businesses in London. St. Vincent was very angry, made excuses, and threatened to sue for a broken contract.
A few evenings later, Amy was expecting William to bring by a book she wanted to borrow when St. Vincent came without invitation or notice. When she went to see him in her father’s library, the French doors were open to the garden and she didn’t see her ex-fiancé. Until she tripped over his body, fell on him, and saw the knife in his chest and the blood on her hands. Her scream brought William running to the room just before she passed out.
The detectives believed that Amy did it. She broke up with him, he was in her house, and her shoes were wet from when she stepped outdoors to call for him. William believed she was innocent, and the cook said they never had a knife like the one at the scene. As a woman who solves murders on paper all the time, Amy decided to take matters into her own hands. She will find whodunit herself, before she is hung for murder. William, afraid for her safety, chose to help her. Until her father found out, at least.
This mystery was very well-planned and executed, with intriguing twists and turns. They find suspects, but not proof, and I admit to being stumped. I did not figure out who did it and was as surprised as Amy and William were! I would have liked to see a small glossary of Victorian terms included; some words were obvious based on use, but others weren’t. The resolution was very satisfactory, but the very end left me unsettled. I am not a fan of cliffhangers, even if it will be a good lead-in to the next in series. Overall, I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys well-written cozy mysteries set in Victorian England and women who went against the tide both professionally and personally.
From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
A Study In Murder is the first book in the A Victorian Book Club Mystery series.
Bath, England – 1890. Lady Amy Lovell is active in a mystery book club and also a published mystery author although no one knows. Her father feels that if she is married she will have to give up her writing and finds a young man, Ronald St. Vincent, whose proposal of marriage, Lady Amy accepts. After a while, Amy comes to the conclusion that she likes her life the way it is and decides to break her engagement with St. Vincent. Shortly before telling St. Vincent, Amy receives a note telling her the St. Vincent is dealing in opium. She breaks the engagement, but a couple of days later he makes an unannounced visit. Just before St. Vincent’s arrival Lord William Wen, an acquaintance and fellow book club member of Amy arrived to lend Amy a book on unsolved murders. So, when St. Vincent arrives, Amy has her maid put him the library to “cool his heels”. When she goes to the library to find what he wants he doesn’t seem to be there. She notices that the french doors to the garden are open and she goes out to see if he might be in the garden. When she returns she trips over his dead body. Hearing her screams William goes to see what the trouble might be. They then send for the police. Detective Marsh and Carson don’t seem to be too interested in looking to others that Amy for the stabbing of St. Vincent. With the help of Lord William and some of his contacts, they set off to clear Amy’s name.
They will soon find out that St. Vincent was on the brink of bankruptcy, the gardener has gone missing and there was a young lady who thought he was on the brink of proposing to her. What with the police seemingly concentrating on proving Amy guilty, they need to continue searching for the killer before Amy is charged with murder.
This a wonderful start to an interesting and exciting new series. The book is well-written and quite accurately describes the time period. The characters are well-developed, likable, and believable.
I will be watching for the next book in the series to see what adventures are in store for Amy and Lord William and if there might be the beginning of some romance for them.
4.25 Stars
Bath, England, 1890. Mystery author Lady Amy Lovell receives an anonymous letter containing shocking news: her fiancé, Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, has been dabbling in something illegal, which gives her one more reason to break their engagement. Two evenings later, as Lady Amy awaits a visit from Lord William Wethington, fellow member of the Bath Mystery Book Club, who is lending her a book, her former fiancé makes an unexpected and most unwelcome appearance at her house. She promptly sends him to the library to cool his heels but later discovers the room seemingly empty–until she stumbles upon a dead Mr. St. Vincent with a knife in his chest. Lord Wethington arrives to find Lady Amy screaming and sends for the police, but the two detectives immediately assume that she is the killer. Desperate to clear her name, Lady Amy and William launch their own investigation–and stir up a hornet’s nest of suspects, from the gardener who served time in prison for murder to a vengeful woman who was spurned by St. Vincent before he proposed to Lady Amy.
This is the author’s first cosy mystery & it’s a good one. I loved both Amy & William who were acquaintances from the Book club but as they continued their investigation I could see their friendship growing as well a budding romance. The pace wasn’t the fastest but it did hold my interest all the way through, there were plenty of twists & turns as well as red herrings. I look forward to the next book which was hinted at in the epilogue, there were a couple of loose ends which I would have liked resolving but they were only minor issues so didn’t impinge on my enjoyment
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read