3.5 stars. This mystery, set in London during WWI, centers on the death of Adeline Treborne, a much-hated socket gossip columnist, who turns out to have been a blackmailer as well, leaving numerous possible suspects in her murder. The team of investigators, who we meet in book one, Murder in Belgravia, is a secret team that uses women to assist the male police officers, some of whom were wounded in the war. With amusing characters and a compelling mystery, this held my attention the whole way through. I still have the same complaint I had about the first book--that I just don't feel like I really know the characters very well, but that may be a consequence of having such a large ensemble cast--there are no fewer than nine people working on the case, five of whom are core members of the task force. With as many possible suspects as there were, all with juicy secrets they would like to keep hidden, this book was packed with action, and a very fast-paced read. Would recommend to all fans of historical mysteries who don't require a lot of deep character development.

A Death in Chelsea bu Lynn Brittney is the second installment in A Mayfair 100 Murder Mystery series.

Not having read the first book I had a hard time connecting all the names, titles and roles with the names of the people.

This is the story about a half secret group of people, consisting of amateur female detectives and professional policeman, brought together to solve crimes. The premise seemed intriguing and it piqued my interest.

Young woman from a titled family, who is believed to be a journalist for a gossip magazine is found hanging in her Chelsea apartment. Her mother insist that she didn't commit suicide and ask for a complete discretion. Hence the special team is called to assist.

The story started very well, with the performed autopsy, the question asking just as police procedural should. However then it somehow lost steam and became too slow paced for my liking. At the end is gained pace for a quite satisfactory finish.
There are a lot of reference to the war and they are pretty unsettling. Also I learned many fascinating facts about that time period.
Characters were not developed enough for my liking. It showed great promise but unfortunately fell flat. However it is a solid mystery.

A delightful historical murder mystery with a great cast of characters set in London during World War I.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. A Death in Chelsea is the second title in the Mayfair 100 series. Set during the war, the Mayfair 100 is a special group of woman and police officers who have been created to handle the most sensitive and out of the ordinary cases. After a successful first case, the group is at loose ends awaiting their next case. The apparent suicide of a duke's daughter and notorious gossip columnist fits the bill. Thrilled to be of use, the group visits the crime scene to determine if it was suicide or murder.

What I liked: the author does a great job at giving readers a look into World War I England which is going through enormous changes. Woman are working in large numbers and in jobs normally reserved for men and the lines between the aristocracy and the rest of Britain are starting to lessen. The characters are interesting overall and very likeable.

What I didn't like: There were almost too many characters and I struggled to keep some of them straight. The story did move a little slow at times.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and would pick up the next title. I think the series has a lot of promise if the author continues to develop and expand her writing as she gets more books under her belt.

This is a fairly quick easy read that takes place in London during WW 1. The characters are an elite group of investigators, mostly women, who work on very hush hush cases. The author creates a good sense of the period through description and the use of language that is technically not outdated but is no longer in common usage. I found the characters however, not to have a great deal of depth to them. This may be because their back stories are told in the first book in the series, which I haven’t read. I also found a great deal of emphasis placed on class and hierarchy, with a rigid line drawn between servants and employers. There were moments when this helped in revealing the plot and other times when to my mind it served no purpose. There are enough twists and turns as well as misdirection to make this a good entertaining read. This is not a book with great depth but I don't think it was meant to be.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the second book in a series, I didn’t read the first book so I wasn’t familiar with the many characters. I think this works as a stand alone but I had to go back several times to reacquaint myself with who each character was. The story takes place during WWI in Britain. With many men off at war, Scotland Yard and the police force have enlisted a secret talented female crew, called Mayfair 100, to assist with cases. Mayfair 100 is a group of women that include a doctor, a pharmacist, a lawyer and other woman with various talents. They help Chief Inspector Beech with his investigations. This story begins with an apparent suicide of an aristocratic daughter of a duchess. The duchesse is not convinced that her estranged daughter, Adeline Treborne, has killed herself but doesn’t want a scandal. She was found hanged in her apartment. It becomes apparent that she was disliked by many because she wrote a scurrilous tell-all newspaper column about members of high-society. The women investigate and determine that she was murdered and that she was blackmailing quite a few people. There is no shortage of suspects as the investigation continues and reveals deception and corruption with twists and turns in many directions. I enjoyed this book. It was a well thought out mystery with well developed characters and a good representation of the era in which it takes place. I probably won’t go back and read book one but might read the next books in the series when they become available. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It was a bit of a disappointment, but not a bad book nonetheless. It left me a bit indifferent. I didn't click with the writing style and that was why it took me so long to finish.

The story was ok, an old classic mystery, but I had trouble differenciating the characters, they kind of blended all together in my mind.
Had I had a physical copy, it might've a been a bit better, but not much so. It was simply not for me...

I really enjoyed this book but I am a little annoyed with myself that I did not make the effort to find and read book one first. Although A Death in Chelsea does work as a stand alone I think it would have been even better if I had already been familiar with the lead characters.

Anyway this was still a very good read. Set in London in 1915 it features a team of people set up to deal with crimes which need special treatment. Led by Chief Inspector Beech the team includes regular police officers and civilian specialists. Due to the fact that the country is at war and the men are away fighting, the civilian specialists are women, something previously unheard of.

I enjoyed all of the characters especially the extras like Aunt Sissy. I needed more background on the main characters but realise that is my own fault for jumping in at book 2. The story was good, the mystery intriguing and the historical content excellent.

Now I must go find myself the first book.

This book was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I loved the ensemble 'cast' and the twists and turns in the story. Its always fun to try and work out whodunnit and have to admit that I just didn't get there this time. Nothing is quite what it seems. Well done indeed!

The historical context was also very interesting. Unsurprisingly some of the lead characters have been impacted by the war (it's 1915) and this impacts both the mindset and some of the choices.

I hope I have the privilege of reading another one in the series.

My thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Publishers and the author for my advanced copy. The views expressed in this review are entirely my own

This was a great historical mystery, full of great characters and twists. I love the era for the setting and the descriptions of the decline of the aristocracy.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

In a book world full of historical fiction set in World War II, Lynn Brittney centers her cozyish mysteries against the backdrop of World War I England. A Death in Chelsea is the second in the series that features male police officers working with strong female characters to solve crimes. Brittney highlights the necessity of women to operate daily elements of business and municipal functions when the men are away fighting a long war. She does not shy away from the dark elements of society in London that flourish during wartime. The relationships between the men and women that make up the secret task force are sweet and promising. There is no rush to romance between any of the participants and Brittney has developed the characters in a manner that will survive a multi book series.

My primary concern starting this book was I haven't read book 1 of this series, so I'm not familiar with the characters. However, reading the book, I had no trouble following who's who. This starts with the apparent suicide of a duchess's daughter. The family is not convinced she killed herself, but also do not want a scandal. So enters the "secret" team of Mayfair 100. They are a group of women including a doctor, pharmacist, and lawyer helping with Chief Inspector Beech's investigations. Of course, this is during a time when the men are at war, so women are filling the traditionally male jobs. However, females still face major barriers and discrimination.
As the investigation into the suicide turns into investigations of murder and blackmail, we are given glimpses into the societal problems of that era. There's issues on race and social classes. We see how Britain had to cope with the consequences of WWI. It's wonderfully-written and I found drawn into the investigations.
My favourite TV shows include Murdoch Mysteries and Frankie Drake Mysteries. This book reminds me of those shows. The setting and the tone feel very similar. Looking forward to more books in this series.

**Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.**

This was a wonderful novel with a mix of mystery and history!
The character development I found to be slow but overall the story was interesting and well written.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy to read and review.

Lynn Brittney, the author of the successful YA Nathan Fox series, has now created a series for adults who love historical mysteries. Set in London during World War I, the team is composed of both police and agents who
assist both the police and the intelligence community. A Death in Chelsea is book 2 in the Mayfair 100 series.

It is now July 1915, Chief Inspector Beech is restless. He fears that his team is being under utilized. The Great War now global scope, seems to be not going well for the allies. His relationship with Victoria, a team member and former flame is moving slowly. He hopes a new case will offer greater proximity. to her charms. His hopes are rewarded when he is handed a new and very delicate case involving the death of the daughter of the Duchess of Penhere.

Was this a suicide? The daughter was a notorious individual known for writing a lurid gossip column. How will the Mayfair 100 team be of use? Actually the strengths of the team, that they are comprised of professional women, help enormously. They bend the conventions of the time to be able to go undercover more easily.
This is significant as the crime involves more that murder, it is infused with both blackmail, and worse with infanticide. They are a group that welcomes people from all social classes, allowing the solution to come from many minds. They are a delightful group of crime solvers, one that I hope to hear from again.

A good fast paced read for historical mystery fanciers.

Full disclosure: I received an ARC copy form Netgalley and Crooked Lane Publishers in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for the opportuntiy.

A Death in Chelsea by Lynn Brittney, the second in the Mayfair 100 Murder Mystery series, named for the telephone number 100 Mayfair for the crime-fighting group based in Mayfair in 1915.

I read Murder in Belgravia, the first in the series last year and enjoyed it. Chief Inspector Peter Beech has assembled an unusual team that (gasp!) includes women.

A society gossip columnist has been found hanged in her room. The death isn't a suicide, as first suspected, and the fact that Adeline Treborne's defamatory and scandalous column has maligned some wealthy and powerful people means that the suspects are plentiful.

This book has the same strengths and weaknesses as the first book: an interesting plot and well-researched details...and characters who are a bit too good to be true.

Nevertheless, it was entertaining, and I would read the next in the series.

NetGalley/Mirror Books
Historical Mystery. March 14, 2019. Print length: 326 pages.

This Book!! I wanted to read something both light but also fit for October's spooky/mysterious mood and A Death in Chelsea was the perfect choice. I especially loved the twists. They were so well-written and well thought of. I also loved the characters and their dynamics. Overall, I'd recommend it to all Sherlock Holmes lovers because although this is rather about a WHOLE team of investigators and the leader isn't as aloof and mysterious as Holmes, the work of the Mayfair team kept on reminding me of Sherlock Holmes adventures.

I was so happy to have the opportunity to review A Death in Chelsea. Thanks go out to @NetGalley and author Lynn Brittney for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first Lynn Brittney novel and although at the very beginning I had some difficulty getting into it, I persevered and I'm thankful I did. I love the characters, I loved the mystery. The fact that it's set in 1913 when the great war is going on is a plus for me. This is a period in time, where roles and classes were redefined. Women took on roles, that they would not have otherwise. The story revolves around the daughter of a duchess (sister of a duke) who writes gossip columns about society. She is found hanging and her death a suicide, until her mother asks a friend in Scotland Yard for a favor, that the death be investigated - so the mayfair 100 team is called in and of course we find out that she was murdered. The story is enjoyable and I recommend it as a nice cozy mystery.

A Death in Chelsea is a good historical mystery with interesting characters. A bit far fetched at times and easy to figure out.

While this mystery falls into the category of historical fiction, it’s more recent history as it takes place in London during the first World War in 1915. The mystery surrounds a suicide…or was it murder??… of a prominent society gossip columnist. It’s a delightful read with interesting characters throughout. Chief Inspector Peter Beech and his motley team, including several women of varying social levels, try to solve this mystery. Women's roles in society were changing, as was the nature of class and customs, so it's more believable that a group of women from various backgrounds could come together to solve crimes than it would have been, say, 100 years prior.

I enjoyed the strong women characters who were part of the secret police task force assigned to the murder case. From a story standpoint, the plot was well designed and executed. I am a fan of allowing the dialogue to tell the story and I felt the author did that well. It kept the story moving forward at a nice pace.

I recommend A Death in Chelsea as a fun, clean mystery read. Especially for those folks that enjoy either/or history mysteries and cozy mysteries.

too much editorializing, in my opinion.

The year is 1915.A young woman of an entitled family is found hanged in her bedroom. Her mother insists she wasn’t the self-murdering kind. The idea of a disgrace to her family, but incapable of suicide. Adeline Treborne, our murder victim, had several enemies to choose.

It’s discovered at the autopsy Miss Treborne didn’t die from the hanging.

The plot slows way down and it is hard to read.
At least the epilogue ties it all up very neatly, explaining what happened to basically every participant in the crime.



Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for this review.