Miss Mabel Canning has arrived in London in 1921 after FINALLY managing to convince her father that it was no longer scandalous for an unmarried woman to live on her own and support herself in the big city. She’s also running away from her whole village’s firmly held belief that she should marry the local vicar – who is also her best friend’s widower after the ravages of the Spanish Flu epidemic.

Mabel has always dreamed of going to London and living on her own, and she sees poor, dear Ronald as a brother and absolutely NOT a potential spouse. In her mid-30s, Mabel isn’t even certain she wants one of those. She’s certain she doesn’t want any of the available men back home in Peasmarch.

We meet her on her first assignment for the Useful Women’s Agency. She’s been tasked with helping newly declared widow Rosalind Despard at the wake for her late and much lamented husband. But Rosalind isn’t even certain that her husband Guy is actually dead. He’s been missing for seven years and has been declared legally dead so that his business affairs can be taken care of. It’s all about closure – a closure that Rosalind isn’t sure she’s either ready or even eligible for.

So it’s a very strange wake, under rather unusual circumstances. Circumstances that only get stranger and even more unusual when a dead man thumps into the front door with a seven-year-old letter from Guy Despard in his pocket.

No one knows who the dead man is. No one knows what the letter has only turned up seven years after Guy’s disappearance. No one is entirely certain whether the letter is real or merely an elaborate hoax.

But the dead body is certainly real enough to bring the police to the house and open up all the questions and insinuations that Rosaline Despard has been dealing with all these years.

This is certainly not closure, not for Rosalind and not for any of her friends and family. And not for Miss Mabel Canning, who has befriended the widow and is determined to help her get that closure – one way or another – while doing her best to keep her own body and soul together along the way.

Escape Rating A-: This was lovely, very much a case of the right book at the right time, as I’ve been in a bit of a murder-y mood this week – actually this whole entire year so far.

From the beginning, Mabel Canning’s situation at the Useful Women’s Agency reminded me of something, and it’s a something that very much fits. The ‘Golden Age’ detective series about Lord Peter Wimsey, written by Dorothy Sayers, is also set in the 1920s, and the world has some of the same feel even if Mabel is seeing it from much more towards the middle of the social strata.

But during the Wimsey series, Lord Peter funds an agency for independent women, very much like the Useful Women’s Agency. He hires Miss Katharine Climpson’s agency to investigate situations in various cases where women will have entry and he does not, much like Mabel Canning uses the Useful Women’s Agency to get herself involved in a murder investigation.

Unlike Miss Climpson, Miss Kerr and the Useful Women’s Agency really existed – without Miss Canning’s particular specialty – because there was a need for independent women to make their own livings after World War I followed by the flu epidemic wiped out much of the generation of men they would otherwise have married.

The mystery in The Body on the Doorstep is quite nefarious, multi-layered and much closer to home than anyone imagined at its beginning. Well, not the police as they ALWAYS assumed that the wife did it. An erroneous assumption, of course, otherwise we wouldn’t have a mystery on our hands.

The story is cozy without being twee, and its setting in London as seen through the eyes of a woman on the verge of ‘middle-age’ gives her perspective a combination of freshness and maturity at the same time.

There are plenty of murders, and they are often all too gruesome, and yet the details are smudged just enough that the reader ‘gets’ the gruesomeness without being bathed in the blood – so to speak.

But the story works well because we’re following Mabel Canning, and her opening herself to the city and all its possibilities for independence and purpose makes her interesting to follow. We empathize with her every bit as much as she empathizes with the characters who become caught up by the ever expanding tendrils of the murder and its cover up.

I listened to this one for about half its length, and the narrator gave Mabel just the right voice for her inner thoughts and outer expressions. But I got so caught up in the mystery itself that I had to see whodunnit and switched to text because it’s a)faster and b) a whole lot easier to thumb to the end. Although I resisted that temptation by simply finishing in one sitting.

I liked Mabel, I enjoyed her two steps forward, one step back, looking over her shoulder investigation through friendship and a sincere desire to help, and am happy to say that there are two more books in this series – at least!

Particularly because there’s a hint of a possibility of romance for Mabel in this first book, and I’m hoping that we’ll learn whether they will or they won’t in A Body at the Seance, which is out now, and A Body at the Dance Hall, coming in April.

This book was a wonderful beginning of a new series. I found it was very interesting how the author created the detective agency. I highly recommend this new series.

A lovely cozy crime novel. Characters are very well thought out and well written.

I had a very long car journey and this was the perfect easy listening audio book to keep me company

Some days I crave a good cozy mystery with a strong female main character that is unexpectedly confronted with a mystery. Interesting supporting characters add to the appeal. This book delivers just that and I can't wait to enjoy future books in this series.

Mabel Canning has moved to London in 1921 with the goal of being independent. She has a flat of her own and a job with the Useful Women's Agency and her life of independence is off to a good start. One of her first jobs is at a wake for a man that disappeared 7 years ago and has just been declared dead. She is to help his wife Rosalind get through the day. When a dead man falls at Mabel's feet she finds herself drawn into Rosalind's world. In between jobs Mabel is trying to help figure out the connection of the dead man to the disappearance of Rosalind's husband. Mabel enlists new friends from her building to help. Rosalind's brother, former detective Park Winstone initially has suspicions about Mabel but he is trying to figure out the connection too. Can Mabel and Park figure it out before it is too late and someone else dies?

A cute and cozy murder mystery. It was fun to read from the point of a view of a fiercely independent woman working in 1920s London. The narrator’s voice especially was lovely and easy to listen to.

Highly recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this debut novel!

This book was characterized as a "cozy mystery" and I'll be honest - I had never heard of this term prior to reading this book. Despite this, I requested the audiobook because I like mysteries in general and love historical fiction, so I was intrigued about the mishmash of the two genres. Having just completed the book, I would say that a cozy mystery is to the broader genre of suspense/mystery as a non-smutty love story is to the romance genre.

The novel is set in 1921. Unlike most women, Mabel is unmarried and desires to be self-sufficient, so she moves to London and finds employment at a "Useful Women’s Agency" that sends her to various short-term jobs throughout the city, similar to a personal assistant. Quickly into the novel, Mabel discovers a deceased body on the doorstep of one of her client's homes. She and the client's brother, a former detective, get roped into investigating this death. I did not find this plot very believable, and the killer was fairly obvious after a bit, but the characters were likeable enough, and I appreciated the feminist spin on the Mabel character.

Basically, I would recommend this book if you are looking for a light and non-stressful read, as you are not in the mood for anything too dark or gory. That being said, it wasn't really my cup of tea and I don't think I will continue to series, nor read other cozy mysteries in the future. I personally like more intensity and suspense in my mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Bookouture Audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my review.

I love Mabel! She is independent, hard working, and a loyal friend. She is pretty good at solving mysteries too! There are some wonderful supporting characters as well. I enjoyed this mystery even though I figured it out ahead of time. I look forward to reading more stories with Mabel.
I did read this as an audiobook and it was a bit frustrating. I had to start the book over several times because I just seemed to lose interest. I tried at multiple speed levels and different environmental areas with the same results. I ended up having to set aside time when I could sit totally alone and pay attention to nothing else. For future books, I will read the ebooks.
Thank you to NetGalley, Marti Wingate, and Bookouture Audio for the advance copy!

Thank you Net Galley for this arc. I was not able to finish the book. Listened half way and could not get into the story. I felt lost. The only thing that grabbed my attention was the author describing very vividly how Mabel is able to copy any signature because she hears it as music. It was repeated several times. Narrator was ok., her tone as good. Just could get into the story line.

This is the first book I've read by this author. I loved it! The story had a light, breezy, early 20s feel despite it being a murder mystery. I would call it a cozy mystery. I love a good cozy mystery. I read the whole thing today. I do love it when a mystery does not have to drag out into tomorrow. I don't do well with waiting for resolution. I also did not call the murderer until quite late in the story, a rarity for me. I was actively NOT trying to guess at who had done it. I wanted to be surprised. I think an average reader, one who isn't quite as steeped in mystery as I am, might actually be surprised, which is lovely. 

     I was immediately sucked into the story. I felt instantly invested in Mabel. She is a lovely character with a sharp wit and a decided streak of independence. Mabel is intelligent and kind. The Useful Women's Agency is such a clever idea! I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. 

     I also ought to mention, I had an audio ARC. The narration was splendid. It fit the story exactly. I could not have asked for a better narrator. In fact, I would like the get the whole series on audio, I think. 

     I highly recommend this book. I believe it is appropriate for mystery lovers from teen to centenarians. The engaging story and lovable characters are sure to capture the attention.

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"Sometimes even when you are faced with incontrovertible evidence, if you don't want to believe something you won't."

With a lot of clues and evidence to be had in the delightful historical fiction cozy murder mystery, A Body On The Doorstep (London Ladies Murder Club, Book 1), by prolific cozy mystery author Marty Wingate, we see the fiercely brave, "I want to concentrate on being an independent woman," Mabel tackle Scotland Yard, a 7 year old missing person case and a dead body left on a doorstep!

Mabel leaves her quiet country home to begin her independence in 1921 London, which is having a resurgence after WWI, to work for The Useful Women's Agency. They help people, mostly women, with everything from finding missing eyeglasses, hanging picture frames to answering an overwhelming amount of correspondence.

Her work takes a detour when she meets her wealthy client Rosalind who's still mourning her missing husband who disappeared seven years ago, never coming home from an outing. Rushing to answer Rosalind's doorbell she finds a young man dead on the doorstep. A few clues lead Mabel to believe there is a connection between the unknown dead man and Rosalind's missing husband. Of course, Scotland Yard disagrees with this nosy woman getting involved in their case.

Luckily, she gets help from Rosalind's handsome brother, once a detective, Park, and his loyal take no prisoners terrier puppy, Gladys. With humor, a wide birth of possible suspects, and a cast of quirky keep them around for future adventures characters, voice actress Naomi Frederick brings it all together, even during the slow middle part of the story, in this start to a new, perhaps future Masterpiece PBS historical cozy murder mystery.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from #bookoutureaudio via #NetGalley for a fair & honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Marty Wingate, and Bookouture Audio for the advanced audiobook copy in exchange for my review.

A Body on the Doorstep is a wonderful cozy, mystery, that I would recommend to anyone who likes this genre.

Set in London 1921, Mabel Canning has just begun working at the Useful Women’s Agency. She does odd jobs such as restringing pearls, arranging flowers, and helping at the wake of a man who has been missing for 7 years. While at the wake, Mabel answers the door and a dead body falls into the house. Mabel is then pulled into the mystery of missing Guy Despard.

Mabel is a lovable main character. She’s smart, kind, and brave. I liked how her confidence grew as the book went on, and how her relationships built with the other characters. I wanted to know more about the other characters at times, but I feel that many of them will be reoccurring in the series, so their stories will continue to unfold.

The mystery of the novel was intriguing, and not to obvious or forced. I had my suspicions for who the murderer was, but never felt that Wingate gave it away too early.

The real joy for me was the narrator, Naomi Frederick. She did a wonderful job with all the various characters, and kept me hooked the whole time. Narrators make or break an audiobook, and I felt that Frederick did a great job!

Overall, a wonderful start to a series that I plan to continue! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Arc received via NetGalley

This was such a fun story. Mabel who is the main character knows exactly what she wants and that is to be an independent woman and of course to be employed at the useful women’s agency. Through Mable’s adventures, we meet the characters as they spring to life. At her employment as a ‘useful women’ Mable meets the dead body at a wake with a letter from the dead man. I enjoyed the growing friendship between Rosalind (the widow), Park (who is likely a potential love interest further in the books), and others. I loved hearing all the tasks Mable performed as useful women as this developed her character, allowing us to see Mable determined to succeed. Will definitely continue this series alongside Mable.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio, NetGalley, Marty Wingate and narrator Naomi Frederick for the chance to listen to an advance copy of book 1 of the London Ladies Murder Club ‘A Body on the Doorstep’. If you love cozy mysteries set in the early twentieth century then this book is for you. This book reminds me of Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence series and the main characters in this book are adorable. I cannot wait for the next book. The characters and setting are built up well in this first book and the world of Mabel Canning and her friends will be one I look forward to visiting again.

A Body on the Doorstep

Author: Marty Wingate
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Publication Jan 11, 2024
Categories: Mystery

My rating: 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A charming Agatha Christie style mystery that is a fun read with good narration. It wasn’t a compelling mystery for me and I find it hard to follow a lot of characters in general, but it was a cozy read with likable characters and it has great reviews from those that really enjoy this writing and plot style, so I’m rounding up my rating.

A Body on the Doorstep, is the first installment of a series.

#book #bookstagram #books #bookreviewer#fiction #mystery#booksbooksbooks #historicalfiction #newrelease

A lovely start to a new series that I'm looking forward to following.

I liked the idea of Mabel working for the Useful Women's Agency as it meant that she was sent to do a wide variety of jobs and every day brought something different. These jobs introduce a variety of side characters and I'm hoping that a few of them will be recurring characters in the series. I especially enjoyed the antics of the little boy needing to be escorted to and from the train to boarding school.

The story is a little bit slower than what I would normally like but because Mabel is such a charming character and her jobs were a lot of fun I enjoyed the slower pace.

The narrator does an excellent job and makes the listening experience easy and enjoyable.

I enjoyed the mystery although I was surprised that Mabel didn't figure out the identity of the dead man a lot quicker. I liked Mabel and Park's new friendship. They were quite cute and endearing. It will be interesting to see how things develop there.

The scene is also set for The Agency getting involved in future investigations so watch this space.

This was kind of boring. The death wasn’t dramatic or chaotic, everyone just moved on, not really trying to figure out who he even was. Because Mabel is just a hired aid, it felt weird for her to look into the murder and what happened to Guy Despard. And because of her work the first half felt really disorganized and random because she’s going from job to job.

London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she takes an assignment to help for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she never expected to open the door & a dead body to tumble inside. As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. Then Mabel suspects she is being followed & another body is found.
A new author to me & a new series, which I thoroughly enjoyed I read the book as well as listened to the audiobook.The audiobook was well narrated & kept me both listening & reading. I loved Mabel who had travelled to London to start a new life, the supporting characters were well portrayed & I look forward to getting to know them more & especially to see where Mabel & Parks’ relationship goes. There were twists & turns as well as red herrings. I did work out who the murdered man was & towards the end guessed, correctly who the murderer was. A well written engrossing murder mystery, now onto the second in the series
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

A brilliant start to an exciting new historical cozy mystery series!

I love Marty Wingate’s storytelling. She has an incredible ability to create characters that are real and relatable and so easy to root for. Mabel is exactly that kind of heroine. And the fact that she considers herself at the young range of ‘middle age’ (she’s 32!) and therefore a perfect candidate for employment at the Useful Women’s Agency is so preposterously delightful!

But here we have Mabel new to London, fresh on the job and her first assignment leads to the discovery of a body on the doorstep! Gasp! Definitely not the kind of ‘gentlewoman task’ she set out to perform, but Mabel takes it all in stride and is soon enmeshed in her first investigation as an amateur sleuth.

The Golden Age vibes in this 1920s cozy hit just the right note. From social standards to the changing ‘modern’ times, this is London in transition at a pivotal time in history. I was just as excited as Mabel to experience all the wonders, drama and…yes, danger…this story provides. And just as intrigued by a cast of secondary characters who bring that much more depth and enjoyment to the story. Plus there’s the possibility of a romance brewing, which makes me all kinds of happy and eager to see what’s next for Mabel and her dashing former detective!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening the audio edition of this book. Naomi Frederick did a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life which increased my enjoyment factor that much more! Excellent storyteller paired with a talented narrator makes for an addictive listen!

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an audio book copy of A Body on the Doorstep.

A brilliant easy to listen series debut cozy mystery. . Loved the idea of modern women ideas in the 1920's. The main characters Mabel is qritten and narrated so well she came to life in my ears. I loved the way it had all the elements including romance woven inro a whodunit mystery. The plot was predictable at times but so enjoyabke to listen too. Modern women in 20s london with great detail given to clothing wtc. I loved tge way it ended with the seeds set for number 2. The narrator did well with the various characters . The dialogue at times seems strange but was well executed. The quality if the audio was superb .
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator for this cracking 4 star listen and i look girward to the next in thus series.