What a unique gem of a novel!
Imagine being a woman in regency England…not the wealthy ones but the poor ones who only rely on male relatives for everything. Now imagine your source of security dies, leaving nothing for you except poverty and uncertainty. This is where we meet Tiffany our protagonist. I thought this was a fantastic new angle on a popular theme! I loved the multicultural characters which are often missed in regency novels. This novel has something for everyone, part historical mystery, part comedy, and part mystery. There are also some amazing stories about the people some of the characters are based on. So if you love mysteries with brave intelligent female leads and dashing booksellers then this is the perfect read for you.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Review to be published on Goodreads in November and Amazon in May 2023.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I was initially interested in the story of a middle-aged woman in Georgian England (1784) who from one day to the next has to become independent and 'take over' her (almost) twin brother's job at a nearby ducal estate.
I was hoping for a sort of Shakespearean role-switching plot, and it's not a common period for fiction.
The author has clearly done some research - there were numerous descriptive passages that read a lot like museum catalogue entries. That's fine - it's often hard to describe things that you've never seen in a naturalistic way. The characters however, I found pretty stiff and stereotyped - the nobles were selfish and unfeeling, the 'ordinary' people were reasonably helpless pawns.
I found it pretty unbelievable that a 40 year old woman who had been dependent all her life, could all of a sudden take on impersonation and detective work in the blink of an eye. I didn't really understand where she got her enlightened ideas either, as her brother is depicted as a conservative prig, and she was totally dependent on him.
One of the key points of the impersonation was that she changed between her clothes and his in just a few minutes several times, and while this might have been possible about 20 years later, I'm fairly sure that mid-Georgian women's fashion would have made this unlikely. It also rang quite false when the protagonist kept talking in a very contemporary way about 'evidence' and 'motive, means and opportunity''.
I think that this might have worked better if it had been set in the 1920s or 30s? Many of the quibbles I have with the historical era would have been solved.
2.5 / 5 - I really think this book needs a good going-over by an editor experienced in the historical period and the characters need to be more than one-sided for there to be a sympathetic centre to this book.

Okay, so I'll admit to being pleasantly surprised by this book, in a good way! I thought this was going to be maybe a queer story where a woman dresses as her brother and becomes involved with another woman in some way and I was very excited for that. This story is not that at all (other than Tiffany dressing as her brother), and while I was disappointed that it wasn't the gay story I expected, I still really enjoyed what the book turned out to be.

Reading a book where the main character is forty was incredibly enjoyable, even though I'm only in my late 20s, it was nice to read about a woman settled into life even if it's not the best life, and then getting to read about her making strides to improve her life and help those around her. Even though I figured out the murderer and the secret the duchess kept right away, the ending of the book surprised me for what it didn't do and that was really what sealed my enjoyment of it!

I also thought this was a great commentary on the way that women and people of color were/are treated and the way that society, both its rules and people, are quick to judge them.

***SPOILERS***

My only real grievance was that the character who was being blackmailed for being gay was also tried and hung for providing the duke with the poison. Obviously I know that he was just as in the wrong and gay people can do bad things, but it just didn't sit right with me considering the tone of the book, he could have been blackmailed for a different reason

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

This was such an intriguing read. I will be recommending this to the mystery book club. This book moves along at a steady pace and it was super enjoyable!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the review copy of A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen

Basically I only read part of the blurb for this book before I hit request on Netgalley

I saw that it was a historical about a woman who takes on her brothers identity and for some reason I thought it was a Twelfth night retelling... it actually isn't.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it's a murder mystery...I love a good historical murder... and that the main character is FORTY. I had to put 40 in caps because usually in historical fiction the over the hill old maid is about 26 and I have to roll my eyes.

Tiffany lives with her older half brother Uriah who is super stingy and basically treats her like a servant and second class citizen. When he dies suddenly and rather grossly in his bed Tiffany is about to become homeless and penniless as the cottage they live in is provided by Uriah's employer.

Tiffany decides to take on his identity, put on his clothes, wig and face powder and go to work at his job as Librarian to the local Duke. By necessity she also needs to quietly bury him in the backyard in the middle of the night so no one knows he's dead.

To keep up the appearance of both of them still living at the cottage Tiffany has to live the lives of both siblings and as Uriah she gets to see a different side to a lot of the local people. The staff at the Duke's palace where she now works as Uriah, some are decent, some are awful. The creepy widowed local minister with 14 children who wants to make her wife number 3, apparently Uriah was all for this match but never bothered to mention it to his sister. The kind, half Indian bookseller who is also the local constable and ends up investigating when a staff member at the palace dies is suspicious circumstances.... circumstances very much like how Uriah died. But if Uriah's death wasn't of natural causes then who ever killed him must of course think they failed and might try again on Tiffany as Uriah.



The book is set in rural Georgian Era England, approx 1780s. Pre Jane Austen, The French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars and the Regency Era. I dont think I've read much if anything set at this time but have read lots of Regency Era fiction. There are lots of mentions of men in powdered wigs, face powder, rouge and stick on beauty marks.

There are lots of unpleasant smells, lice, snorting of snuff, sexism, racism and other injustices. The criminal justice system was pretty bad at the time.

I really enjoyed watching Tiffany come into her own. From drudge with little rights and no autonomy to independent woman.

The author also writes as Samantha Hastings and I'd be keen to read more of her stories.

This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. I highly recommend this fun and quick read! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

I loved this one immensely. Captured my imagination and immersed me in the story straight off. Fun characters, unbelievable story, great atmosphere, beautiful writing all combined into a wee bit of magic.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley for this ARC. I really, really enjoyed this book! Its a definite page turner. Its great as a one off novel but i really hope it becomes a series. The characters are great and the story was really good and very funny.

A delightfully, fast paced romp through 18th century England. When Tess discovers her half brother dead in bed, she has little option but to assume his identity in order to remain at her beloved cottage and continue on in his employment as librarian for the Duke De Beaufort. All is not well at the Duke's palace however, and murder and intrigue seem to be around every corner. Tess soon finds she might have bitten off more than she can chew and the handsome bookseller Mr. Lathrop can only complicate matters. A well woven tale, a great summer read. Published in May 2023 by @crookedlanebooks

This was an interesting story that was notably different from most historical romances/fiction I've read on this period. I liked that it followed the life of a servant, not a Lord or Lady as these books often do. I appreciated the diversity of characters in the book. Too often, historical stories ignore the well documented racial diversity that existed in England.

I do think the story wrapped up too quickly and easily. It felt rushed and unfinished. While I understand that the author wanted a neat conclusion, it betrayed a lot of the world building done earlier in the book.

This was a strange but enjoyable book. It reads like a debut book but a good one! I think comparing it to The Lady Sherlock series (as the blurb does) is a bit of a stretch as the character & relationship development is not as complex in Novel in Disguise as the Lady Sherlock series BUT I can easily see this author getting there in upcoming books. It’s a good start, nice cozy-style gothic mystery with a feminist & race conscious lens, the characters of color seemed (to me, though I am white & not an expert on representation) well & respectfully handled (not always a given in historical fiction written by a white personal, as this is). Loved that the main character is an unmarried woman in her 40s, a confirmed spinster! We dont get that kind of rep very often so that was wonderful. I think there is a little bit more character & relationship building needed and a better balance on how many historically accuracy but graphic descriptions are needed (I didn’t need as much description of the smell of vomit or the continuous references to louse, fewer religions on those would have been fine). I appreciated very much that the undesirable potential suitor was not described as fat, it’s incredibly common for books to have the bad guy or the undesirable suitor be fat and it gets tiring to have those connotations made all the time so I greatly appreciated the lack of fat phobia in this novel. An enjoyable & fairly unique historical mystery with a kind of protagonist I haven’t often seen cast as a stand-alone main character. Refreshing.

Tiffany Woodall is a woman in a really bad situation. She lives in a time period, the late 1700's, when a woman's rights are extremely limited. But her only lot in life is to work for her oppressive brother. He's a librarian who has just taken a new position with a Duke and Duchess. Luckily, they haven't gotten to know him well.

Why? Because her brother passes away in a grueling death. But here's the thing. Tiffany is similar in size and features to her brother. In desperation not to lose her lovely cottage, Tiffany launches a bold plan. After burying her brother outside the cottage, she assumes the role of her brother. Thankfully for her, she isn't recognized by the staff of the palace. Except one of them. And the local rector wants to make her his wife. In constant tension, she tries to balance the role of both brother and sister.

But then members of the staff begin to be poisoned. One dies and the other almost does. But the method of death is eerily similar to how her brother died. Are the deaths related? Tiffany sets off in a race to find the murderer before she is discovered. Or worse.

I love period pieces and this one is exceptionally good. We get a wonderful glimpse of life during this time. The writing is really well done. The characters are very well developed. You'll love this charming story.

I loved this story from start to finish. I could not put it down! This story touched on some very poignant topics such as gender and racial prejudices. Not your average historical fiction, or murder mystery. I never guessed who the killer was.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Books for allowing me to read this ARC for an honest review!

This was such a cute and fast historical mystery read! I loved the protagonist Tiffany Woodall and her thought process. The story is well written and a great fluffy read to get you out of a slump!

The writing was witty and the plot was solid!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Crooked Lane Books and #NetGalley. Thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Charming and beautifully crafted.

I had a lot of fun with this! This was a whole new concept and I loved the idea of a mystery and library. I thought the title was so clever! I'm hoping this is a start to a new series because I can't wait to get more!

Thanks to Netgalley + Crooked Lane Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was just. a solid book? I don't have a lot to say in it beyond it just being a solid regency mystery-romance and delivering on exactly what it is. I really did appreciate a middle-aged protagonist, and the mystery was a fun little adventure to go through. I also generally enjoyed the small town drama that came with everything.

While I have some small quibbles against the things that the book did accept regarding nobility and punishment, not every book is going to be revolutionary in that way and honestly!! Love a fun mystery where a woman has to disguise herself as a man to survive for a bit. It was a solid, solid story and I'm glad I got a chance to read it!

A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen is a great historical fiction and mystery is the first in A Lady Librarian Mystery series.

This murder/mystery takes place in 1784 in London, England. This centers around a rural village and country estate called Astwell Palace.

I loved the main character, Miss Tiffany Woodall. Misunderstood and ignored by her less than favorable sibling, Uriah, she finally experiences purpose, adventure, and love when finding her brother’s body, and dresses as said brother to keep his current position and her newfound dwelling on the estate (and a much needed source of income). She attempts to conceal these unfortunate changes, juggle being in two places at multiple duties as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian while being ensnared into mystery, a missing family item, romance entanglements, and secrets that abound from left and right.

Can it all be solved with a positive and satisfying outcome for Tiffany and all involved? I loved finding out.

A great start! Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Crooked Lane Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/16/23.

This was a great start to the Lady Librarian Mystery series, it does what I was hoping for in a mystery novel. The characters worked in this universe and it was a great historical elements. I enjoyed going through this and Samantha Larsen has a great writing style that left me wanting more.

"Tiffany couldn’t help but peek into the room to see what had surprised the woman. Blinking, it took her a few moments to realize precisely what she was seeing. Miss Doddridge and the second footman, broke apart. Their clothes were rumpled, and it appeared as if they had been interrupted at a most inopportune time."

This woman wanted to keep her cottage and library and the only way was when her half brother gets murdered she obviously didn't do it. I couldn't stop flipping the pages to find out who did the murder. It was such a good read, She was also a spinster but I see that she did like this man but she had this crazy idea to dress up as her half brother so she can keep her cottage an they cant take it away from her and half the time act as him hoping she doesn't get caught. I liked the relationship between her and Samir it was warm. It was sad to see that Miss Doddridge died as she was another character in the story. It was great to see her towards the end tell Samir the truth about what happened really to her half brother and that she was the one who went to bury him in the back garden. He thought he saw her brother but she was the one that was dressing as him/impersonating him. But over all the story was so good i couldnt stop reading it.

Thank you for the arc!