Spring, 1909, and Lady Hardcastle, amateur sleuth and all-round eccentric, is enjoying a well-deserved rest. But a week after a trip to the cattle market, Spencer Caradine, a local farmer, turns up dead in the pub, face-down in his beef and mushroom pie. Once again, it is up to Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence, to solve the case.Armed with wit and whimsy, not to mention Florence’s mean … mean right hook, the pair set out to discover what really happened and why. Was it poison or just ill luck?
As they delve further into their investigation, they encounter a theft where nothing is stolen, a séance with a troubled ghost and an ever-increasing number of Spencer’s family and friends who might just have motive for murder. One thing’s for sure: Lady Hardcastle has a mystery on her hands.
Revised edition: Previously published as The Spirit is Willing, this edition of In The Market For Murder includes editorial revisions.
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fantastic book. Great characters. I love all the books in this series.
I love these mysteries. Lady Hardcastle and Miss Armstrong are the heroines who solve murder mayhem. Totally fun!
In the Market for Murder
(A Lady Hardcastle Mystery Book 2)
by T E Kinsey
Another great mystery for Lady H and her maid Flo. A murder, a robber, a mystic is all something to solve.
I enjoy the style of writing and the social aspects of that time. Fun read!
Entertaining! I enjoy the ladies’ banter & interactions with their quirky neighbors. Sometimes I lose track of the mystery they’re solving–especially when the make me laugh.
A fun series. The relationship between the narrator and her employer is very well done – affectionate, cooperative, and mutually appreciative. The Edwardian feel is also well crafted.
The mysteries are not especially complicated, but are still enough to keep you entertained.
I like books that leave me eager to read the next one. Far too rare, but this series is firmly on the list.
I’ve not read any of the other books in the series, but this is a bit of a ‘jolly hockey sticks’ tale, if they were still alive I could just imagine Dame Margaret Rutherford and Joyce Grenfell playing some of the characters. It’s a light-hearted amateur detective story, involving a sort of Miss Marple character and her maid set in 1909. I found the twee writing style and language took a bit of getting used too, another reviewer described the writing style as clunky and I know what they mean and I tend to agree. The story is set in a charming English village with a Grange, a place where people have cooks, chauffeurs, and butlers, and there are lots of words like ‘hellish’, ‘by jingo’, and ‘toodle-pip’. Along with an awful lot of eating, tea, and brandy drinking. If you like this type of lightweight, period, murder mystery story? It’s certainly worth a read. 3.5 stars.
Lady Hardcastle and Flo, her Lady’s Maid, are at it again, and in this wonderful novel, they have three different mysteries to solve, so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth, and the puzzles are excellent! Set at the turn of the century in the early 1900’s, the author’s characterizations and descriptions of everyday life in a quaint English village are spot-on and often quite hilarious. He also authentically brings to life the day-to-day livelihood of people on country farms during this era and describes a typical “market day” when farmers gather to sell their animals. In this particular novel, he also touches on spiritualism, which was paramount with many in England during this period. This second novel in the series is definitely a winner! Lady Hardcastle and Flo are, as ever, constantly indulging in an on-going commentary about every possible scenario and following their “detecting skills” and antics is a delight. I’ve just got to buy the rest of the series! I’m absolutely in love with these two wonderful ladies and this author!!!
I have read all of the books in this series and have the next ordered.
Lady Emily Hardcastle and her faithful sidekick Flo are at it again. Brings a smile to your face while they work solving the crime.
Always love this author
I love the Lady Hardcastle stories. The characters are wonderful and lively with witty dialog. The crime scenes are realistic and the sleuthing comes off as authentic.
I love these ladies.
What wonderful characters. I will read any new books by this author. Great independent women.