A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder is the third book in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series by Dianne Freeman. Set in late Victorian Engalnd, the stories revolve around Frances, the widowed Countess of Harleigh.
Title: A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder
Author: Dianne Freeman
Series: Countess of Harleigh Mystery #3
First Published: July 28, 2020
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher via NetGalley
*** Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Books, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***
London is known for its hustle and bustle, but the quiet English countryside can host—or hide—any number of secrets. Frances, the widowed Countess of Harleigh, needs a venue for her sister Lily’s wedding, away from prying eyes. Risings, George Hazleton’s family estate in Hampshire, is a perfect choice. Soon Frances, George, and their family and friends have gathered to enjoy the usual country pursuits—shooting, horse riding, and romantic interludes in secluded gardens.
But the quiet setting harbors a menace, and it’s not simply the arrival of Frances’s socially ambitious mother, Daisy. Above and below stairs, mysterious accidents start happening to both guests and staff alike. Before long, Frances suspects these “accidents” are deliberate, and fears that the intended victim is Lily’s fiancé, Leo.
As Frances and George search for the culprit among the assembled family, friends, and servants, more victims fall prey to the mayhem. Mishaps become full-blooded murder, and it seems that no one is safe.
Love (and mischief) are in the air (***warning – teeny spoilers ahead!)
Love is definitely in the air! Not only is Frances’ sister, Lily, about to get married to Leo, but Frances is secretly engaged to George! I’m so excited about this development because I think they’re a great pair. While sometimes Frances is a bit distracted with solving crimes, George is very patient with her and doesn’t expect her to change after they get married.
But while there’s lots of love flying around, there’s a lot of mischief too. After a series of accidents (one resulting in the death of a footman), Frances starts to believe that someone is trying to kill Leo and vows to stop the would-be killer.
Speaking of mischief, Frances and Lily’s mother, Daisy – WOW. What can I say? She is a social-ladder climber of the first degree. With Lily and Frances both *technically* single, Daisy is on a mission to make sure they both find rich, titled husbands. She doesn’t seem to care that Lily is on the verge of marrying Leo or that Frances cares for George. Yes, this woman is still trying to set Lily up with single nobles on her wedding weekend! Yeesh.
Fun character development and good pacing
This is the third book in the Countess of Harleigh series and, while it reads very well as a standalone, it’s much more fun if you’ve read the first two books in the series.
The setting is a new one (moving from urban London to the English countryside) and there are lots of new characters introduced. It’s a fun “country house murder” where all the suspects are in the same place and there’s a lot of suspicion flying around. Of all the new characters, I think Daisy will be the one that we see the most of in future stories. Her growth throughout this book is really nice to see and she makes for an interesting addition.
Of course, the important characters are all back. Along with Frances, George, Lily and Leo, we also see the adorably klutzy Lottie and the competent Aunt Hetty (although not enough, if you ask me). It’s great to see a lot of character development of the main characters and I hope this carries on to the next book.
With all the character development, plus two romantic storylines, the story zips along at a great pace. Plus, all the “accidents” ensures that there is never really a dull moment. It was a super fun and quick read and I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Read A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder for yourself
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Well, that’s another book for my #AtoZCozy2020 Reading Challenge!
I’m so happy to add Dianne Freeman as the letter “F” to my 2020 year-long alphabet challenge – only 15 more letters to go! Since I love historical fiction almost as I love cozy mysteries, finding cozy mysteries set with a historical setting is like a super bonus for me. This is a favourite series of mine so I’m glad that the series is continuing to go strong.
If you’d like to learn more about the challenge, have some suggestions or want to join in, check out my blog post about it here.
