“A real murder, a real family and a brand new crime fiction heroine are woven together to make a fascinating, and highly enjoyable, read. I loved it.” –Julian Fellowes, creator and writer of Downton Abbey and Belgravia The first in a series of thrilling Golden Age-style mysteries, set among the Mitford sisters, and based on a real unsolved murder, by Jessica Fellowes, author of the New York … by Jessica Fellowes, author of the New York Times bestselling Downton Abbey books.
It’s 1920, and Louisa Cannon dreams of escaping her life of poverty in London.
Louisa’s salvation is a position within the Mitford household at Asthall Manor, in the Oxfordshire countryside. There she will become nursemaid, chaperone and confidante to the Mitford sisters, especially sixteen-year-old Nancy, an acerbic, bright young woman in love with stories.
But then a nurse–Florence Nightingale Shore, goddaughter of her famous namesake–is killed on a train in broad daylight, and Louisa and Nancy find themselves entangled in the crimes of a murderer who will do anything to hide their secret…
Based on an unsolved crime and written by Jessica Fellowes, author of the New York Times bestselling Downton Abbey companion books, The Mitford Murders is the perfect new obsession for fans of classic murder mysteries.
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I love a good cozy English house mystery, and this one had great history, the Mitfords as characters, and a protagonist I really wanted to come through. I didn’t guess the ending–and I REALLy didn’t guess that the murderer and the victim were also real historical characters. As a writer, I thought that was an interesting approach–since it’s still an unsolved crime in the history books. Daring, but it works. (Maybe as long as your murderer doesn’t have angry descendants…)
This is the first book I’ve read by this author; she’s built quite a following over her “Downtown Abby” books. I love historical mysteries primarily set in post-war Britain. This book did not disappoint; the way Ms. Fellowes weaved the facts of the case with her own brand of fiction made this a terrific mystery. I must confess, I had no idea this book was based on a true story until I finished the book and read the author’s notes.
Florence Nightingale Shore was a war nurse whose God Mother you guessed it was the famous nurse Florence Nightingale. Ms. Shore was a kindly woman who dedicated her life to helping others, she had decided to retire after the war and enjoy the rest of her life. She was on a train headed to the coast to visit a dear friend of hers when she was murdered. Her murder caused quite a stir, it was shocking that someone could be murdered on a train during the mid-day without any one noticing anything.
Several other plots were going on throughout the book that kept the storyline from lagging. The Mitford family was introduced into the book when Lady Redesdale employed a young woman, Louisa Cannon to assist the loveable overworked Nanny Blor who needed more help caring for the ever-growing Mitford clan. Louisa was only 19 years old and running from her past and she was relieved to be hired to work for Lord and Lady Redesdale as a nanny. She had no experience and it was a dream come true when Lady Redesdale hired her. It gave Louisa a chance to start a new life for herself but one that she would have to take extra care that her past didn’t follow her to their home. The oldest child of the Mitford’s was the precocious Nancy Mitford who was 16 years old and was more than thrilled to have the young Louisa as a nanny. The two young girls became quite close, Louisa had her hands full trying to reel the headstrong Nancy in from getting them both into some serious trouble.
I liked the characters of this book; they were well developed and believable. David Mitford who inherited the title of Lord Redesdale after his oldest brother died during the war, David Mitford was an officer during the war that claimed his brother’s life.
The mysterious death of Florence Nightingale Shore was a constant during the entirety of this book. It was a major cause of contention and speculation between most of the main characters. I was glad to see that this is the first of a series and the second book is already in the works. I’ll be purchasing that one for sure.
Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinion I expressed above regarding this book is my own.
I loved this book! I am a big fan of historical fiction, especially in the early 1900’s. It had me captivated from the very beginning and I am looking forward to reading the next one. Super enjoyable and a must read for historical fiction lovers.
Very entertaining, a page turner.
I listened to it on Audible. Good story with interesting take on the Mitfords. I enjoyed it and will more than likely get the next installment.
loved the period setting and the use of historical people in a work of fiction.
One of the best books I’ve read in quite a while. A page turner, and based in actual history, I’m now very intrigued by the Mitford girls and their nursemaid Louisa Cannon, and I hope that Ms. Fellowes will write more books about them. Very highly recommended.
An incomparable ‘who-dunit’ that was a true delight to peruse! Without giving anything away, this is a definite “can’t-put-down” story that demands it be read in one sitting!
This book takes a real-life unsolved crime from shortly after the end of WWI (the murder of nurse Florence Nightingale Shore, a retired army nurse and goddaughter of the famous Florence Nightingale), and adds a well-known notable English family, the Mitfords, to create a mystery that “solves” the crime. Although a fun read with several plot twists and one red herring that sends law enforcement down a rabbit hole, there were several plot points for which it was difficult to suspend disbelief. My biggest problem with the book, though, was the stereotypical way law enforcement officials were portrayed, completely incapable of entertaining any clues or suggestions that didn’t fit the narrative they had settled on. If you can get past these issues, you might enjoy this book.
While I gave this book 4 stars [I really like the characters, the mystery {based on real life} was very good and the narrator is excellent], I feel it could have been about 150 pages shorter. It really bogged down in the middle and it was hard to stay focused on what was going on [because I didn’t really CARE about what was going on]. Ultimately, it was an very good read and I found out who the murderer was at the same time as Louisa and that made it all worthwhile. I also liked how the author handled the threat of physical and sexual abuse especially in the time frame of this book – resources for women in that situation were practically nil and this book does a good job reflecting that [and the horrors of it – there are some very uncomfortable scenes in the book around this subject] and how Louisa reacted and the feeling of partial relief at her new job felt very real and compatible with the time frame.
I recommend this book, but be ready for some slogginess towards the middle of the book. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy the ride.
With two of my special interests being the notorious Mitford sisters and British crime dramas, I couldn’t wait to get my hot little hands on this, the first novel by Jessica Fellowes.
The plot follows Louisa Cannon, a young woman of meagre means, desperate to escape the criminal activities of her dangerous uncle. By a series of lucky coincidences, she becomes a nursery maid to the six Mitford children at the end of the First World War.
Forming a friendship with Nancy Mitford, the clever and well-read eldest daughter, Louisa and Nancy soon find themselves wrapped up in solving a brutal murder that has the country baffled.
Fellowes is a skillful author, with her expert handling of plot and pacing, and this is one of those books I rushed through as I wanted to know how the end would turn out. The Mitford girls were, of course, real people and weaving elements of fiction into the lives of people who actually lived, is never easy. But Fellowes does a marvellous job, having obviously done lots of thorough research on the family and the way they spoke and behaved.
I like the idea of fictionalising the Mitford girls because if they hadn’t actually lived, surely some author would have invented them. Beautiful, glamorous and charming, the women of this aristocratic family have cast a spell over generations of readers with their rackety lives and, well, dubious politics.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, just perfect for reading on a cold night with a hot cocoa by one’s side.
Great read and I am looking forward for more from this author.
I enjoyed reading it
Did not hold my interest.