Lady Amy Lovell discovers her fiance has been involved in illegal drug trade and breaks off the engagement. Days later he is found dead in her home after unexpectedly calling on her. Lady Amy is a rather forward thinking woman and sets off to investigate to clear her name. She already is a writer of murder mysteries and she's part of a book club that reads the same. She enlists the assistance of Lord William Wethington, another book club member, and soon they seem to be spending much more time together.

This is a nice cozy mystery with likeable characters and a few villains along the way. There's the ongoing response of Amy of correcting everyone that it's her ex-fiance, not fiance. The mystery is fairly typical of this sort and it's enjoyable to unravel the story along the way. It's quite an enjoyable read and I would be happy to read more in the future.

I'd like to thank Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I give this 3.5 stars.

I found this book irresistible! A new series in a Victorian Book Club, what is not to love about this? I liked the main characters and the budding reluctant relationship between Amy and William. I will look forward to the next installment!!

This cozy mystery takes place in Victorian England. Lady Amy and Lord Wethington are on the case to determine who murdered her ex-fiance. It doesn't help that the ex-fiance is murdered in her home with her standing over the body!

I enjoyed the historical aspects of this novel. The society events and setting described throughout the mystery were interesting to read.

I did find Lady Amy a little frustrating as a character which made me not like her. She is determined to be a tough female, but comes across as more fragile (lots of almost fainting spells or not feeling well). All the other character were well written and were easier to like or dislike than the main character.

At the conclusion, I felt some topics were not properly wrapped up or not told at all. The blooming romance between Lady Amy and Lord Wethington seemed one sided most of time (with Amy) and felt forced.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this book for an honest review.

A Study in Murder by Callie Hutton is the first book in A Victorian Book Club Mystery series.

This is a historical cozy which is one on my favorites, and it is about Lady Amy Lowell who upon receiving an anonymous letter about her fiance's shady deals breaks up her engagement only to find him dead in her house few days later. She is a mystery writer, who is writing under a pen man and only two people know her secret, Lady Amy is a woman ahead of her time in many ways and her life in noting like a life of an ordinary lady of that time.
As she is a police's main suspect she resolves to try to find out what really happened with the help of her friend Lord Wethington. As they set out to look for the killer they will encounter many suspects, find themselves in many dangerous situations and break many many rules of conduct of that time.

I really liked the premise of secret mystery writer being accused of a murder and was looking forward to seeing how she will work her way out of that situation. I also like historical mysteries as they add another different dimension when problem needs to be solved only by engaging one's wits.
There are many likable characters who support main protagonist.
There are also a few things which do not agree with what I know of that time that did not seem plausible and that is the main reason I didn't like this book as much as I hoped I would.
All in all this was a decent first book and I will be looking forward to reading more.

Lady Amy Lovell lives with her aunt in London. She is a member of a mystery book club that meets in a bookstore once a week. Unbeknownst to the others in the club, she herself writes mysteries under the name E. D. Burton. She considers herself to be logical and believes that women can solve mysteries as well as any man can. And then she becomes the main suspect in a murder mystery.

Amy works to solve the case with the help of a fellow club member Vicount William Wethington.

The author adds humor into the story in that the victim is a man to whom Amy had been betrothed until she broke the engagement several nights before he was found murdered in the library of her home. Throughout the book whenever mention is made of Mr. St. Vincent as her fiancé, Amy responds with "ex-fiance." As the book goes on, she has more an more opportunities to say "ex-fiance" s much it becomes laughable. The reader anticipates the line before it even is read!

The ending of the book leaves a promise of more to come. And I can hardly wait to see what will happen next with Amy and William!

I really enjoyed this book! The premise was new and refreshing, I loved the characters and the setting. I eagerly look forward to reading more books in this series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A cozy set in Bath, England in 1890! Lady Amy is a mystery writer (yes, quite unusual for her day) who just broke with her fiancé, Ronald St. Vincent. Good thing because when he's found dead in house (!) she discovers just what a rat he was. Luckily, her friend Lord William Wethington is happy to help her solve the mystery and avoid arrest by the police who are somewhat too bumbling. Readers of cozys know that the victim often has enemies others didn't know about but in this case, well, St Vincent had a long list. The mystery is sufficiently twisty (you like me might guess before the identity is revealed). More importantly, I liked Lady Amy who is, well, spunky. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. A nice start to a new series.

Victoria England, books, murder, intrigue... who could ask for anything more? Transported and immersed which is all I ask of novels these days.

I couldn't wait to start this new book the Victorian Book Club mysteries. Lady Amy Lovell is a writer in 1890 which a lady should not do in those times. So she has to hide the fact with a pseudonym.

Amy receives a letter revealing dark secrets about her ex fianace, but when he is murderer in her library she becomes the only suspect. The police won't look any where else. So she asks William another book club member to help her solve the case. With Williams help they dig in to her ex's past and come up with a number of suspects. Amy is a very intelligent lady and William admires her for it.
This is a fast pace read and has many twists and turns that kept me interested.

With the ending as a cliffhanger I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next with Lady Amy and the book club..

This book surpassed my expectations!
I was anticipating a typical "cosy" mystery, somewhat formulaic and not too challenging.
While I enjoy exactly that type of read, this book delivered just that little bit more.
Lady Amy is an active member of the Mystery Book Club of Bath and a secret mystery book author herself. When her ex-fiancé is found stabbed in her library, days after her calling off their engagement, she becomes the main suspect in his murder. She has to put all her research skills and powers of deduction, learned from her writing, into practice to clear her name!
Lady Amy was a likeable main character with just enough gumption to be admired (and appropriate to the Victorian time setting of the novel) but not too much to be unsympathetic or unbelievable.
The circumstances of the murder increased and became deeper than I expected whilst touching on some interesting problems of the time.
The setting of Bath gave the novel a nice sense of place and I found the combination of characters to be endearing and colourful.
All in all a good read, fitting the cosy mystery mould nicely.

I completely failed to read the series title and was expecting a current day cosy so imagine the shock I felt when I found myself in 1890's Bath, England. I love historical mysteries though so I was actually delighted.

This is the first in a new series and I will definitely be following it up. The main character, Lady Amy Lowell, is unusual for the times in that she is still unmarried at 26 and is the secret author of a number of published murder/mystery novels. When a real murder occurs in her own house she is determined to investigate it herself with the aid of her friend Lord William. Things get dangerous for the pair and as they get closer to solving the mystery romance blossoms as well.

It was all very enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next book. I also discovered that Callie Hutton has written loads of books already and I have not come across one of them before. Time to fix that!

A Study in Murder: A Victorian Book Club Mystery by Callie Hutton is book one in this cozy mystery series. This author usually writes historical, Regency and Victorian, romance and is her first foray into cozy mysteries and she did not disappoint. The characters were well developed, almost to the point of slowing down the story a bit. However, this groundwork of relationships should help the future books in the series greatly by giving the reader the much-needed context missing from many books. I was surprised by who the bad guy was, and I like the suspense of trying to guess throughout the entire book. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

This is the start of a new series set in Victorian Bath. Lady Amy Lovell (who is secretly a murder mystery writer) is a member of a mystery book club. Early in the book she has decided to end her betrothal, but following on that decision the fiance is found dead in her home. The police focus on her as their only suspect, so with her friend and fellow book club member Lord William Wethington she is determined to discover the real murderer. As they work together Amy starts to see William as more than a friend, and it is likely their relationship will develop in subsequent books in the series. The book was mildly entertaining but I don't think I will read the rest of the books in the series. The characters and the mystery itself were not particularly compelling and I was puzzled how the police discovered things Amy was determined to keep them from knowing about. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my my honest opinion.

Amy and William seemed to be clueless or let me put it this way, Amy was clueless about their growing attraction. William didn't act like he was obtuse, nope, this guy was smart, he stayed close to her, slowly drawing her into his willing arms. Their attraction grew even more as Amy manuever her way around the clues surrounding the circumstances of the murder of her former fiance. He was killed in Amy's home, in her library. Now she has become the prime suspect and was in a race against time to find the real killer.

This one is set in 1890 and is the first book in the A Victorian Book Club Mystery series by Callie Hutton. I am new to the author but thrilled I took a chance since this was such an enjoyable read.

Lady Amy Lovell is mystery novel author who has to write under a pseudonym because her father disapproves of her writing. Remember this is set in 1890 when women just didn't do this sort of thing. If that wasn't exciting enough she is also prime suspect in the murder of her ex-fiancé. The police didn't even bother to look at anyone else. when the police aren't looking at any suspect but you then you get pretty motivated to figure out who the real murder is.

Who better to figure that out than a mystery writer. Along with fellow book club member, Lord William Wethington they begin making a suspect list. I will say that the longer the list got the more intrigued I became. The police were fools at best and I honestly would worry if I lived here.

the book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger which is why I took off a half star. While I will certainly read the next book to find out what happens, I hate cliffhangers!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. If you're a fan of historical cozies, you'll like the pretty, feisty heroine who claps back against the societal mores of her time. The story feels just like a Regency romance with a strong mystery which is what I want in this type of mystery. The writing is good (as it should be from a multiple published author), the pace fast and the characters well-developed. The dialogue is sharp and pleasant.

I really enjoyed this story and will continue to read the series.

Title: A Study in Murder
Author: Callie Hutton
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

I don’t think I’ve ever read any of Callie Hutton’s novels, but I found this one charming and engrossing. Amy—and her aunt, too—is a fascinating, quirky character, independent and strong-willed, but smart enough to know sometimes she has to fulfill conventions.

I was just as invested in their unofficial murder investigation as Amy and William were, and I disliked the police just as much, too. I’ve always enjoyed characters who flout convention and society’s rules, so Amy was a great, fun character, and I recommend this delightful read.

Callie Hutton is a bestselling author. A Study in Murder is her newest novel, the first in the A Victorian Book Club Mystery series.

(Galley courtesy of Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.)

RATING: 3.5 STARS
2020; Crooked Lane Books

A Study in Murder is the first novel in the Victorian Book Club Mystery series. The novel takes place in Bath, England in 1890. Lady Amy Lovell is a mystery novelist, although no one knows it. She also attends a mystery book club with a few others in the peerage. One day Amy receives an anonymous letter revealing that her fiancé is involved in the opium trade. Amy decides to call the marriage off, but her EX fiancé comes to see her in her home. She makes him wait to show how little she cares for him, but when she goes to talk to him, he's found dead. Amy is the main suspect, so she decides to investigate that case to find the real murderer and why he came to see her.

It is a cute fun cozy mystery, but did have some dragging bits and a bit cheesy humour. It is a first in a series, and has a lot of promise. I am looking forward to the next novel!

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

"A mystery author is charged with murder - and the plot thickens faster than anyone can turn the pages - in USA Today bestselling author Callie Hutton's new series debut, perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ellery Adams.

Bath, England, 1890. Mystery author Lady Amy Lovell receives an anonymous letter containing shocking news: her fiancé, Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, has been dabbling in something illegal, which causes her to promptly break their engagement.

Two evenings later, as Lady Amy awaits a visit from Lord William Wethington, fellow member of the Bath Mystery Book Club, her former fiancé makes an unexpected and most unwelcome appearance at her house. She promptly sends him to the library to cool his heels but later discovers the room seemingly empty - until she stumbles upon a dead Mr. St. Vincent with a knife in his chest.

Lord Wethington arrives to find Lady Amy screaming and sends for the police, but the Bobbies immediately assume that she is the killer. Desperate to clear her name, Lady Amy and Lord Wethington launch their own investigation - and stir up a hornet's nest of suspects, from the gardener who served time in prison for murder to a vengeful woman who was spurned by St. Vincent before he proposed to Lady Amy.

Can they close the book on the case before the real killer gets away with murder?"

Victorian murder mystery in BATH!

A Study in Murder earns 5/5 Pomeranians...Intriguing Delight!

Callie Hutton has penned a delightful first-in-a-series in her Victorian Book Club series making me a fan! It’s 1890, the era of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, in and about Bath, England, with a...mystery book club? Ok, that hooked me immediately! Hutton’s third person narrative follows Lady Amy Lovell, a “gently reared young lady” and only daughter of the Marquess of Winchester, but, wait for it, her “other self,” known only to her father and her childhood friend Eloise Spencer, is that of mystery writer E.D. Burton. She is also betrothed to Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, more like “harangued.” It was far from a perfect match, and she has been rethinking her decision with good reason since receiving an anonymous letter about St. Vincent’s involvement with illegal activities making him totally unsuited. Nowadays, a broken engagement is a thrown ring and stomping off, case closed, but St. Vincent’s warning “you will be sorry for this” backfires when he himself is found dead...in the library...with a knife in his chest. “Clues” are plenty, but the detective still casts suspicion on Lady Amy due to her “reason, place, and time.” A saving grace in all this is her friendship with the Viscount William Wethington, who is not only her aunt’s choice as a suitor but a member of the same mystery book club to which she belongs. Together, like the Sherlock and Watson characters by which they are intrigued, they set to uncover the truth. But, it is curious; who is leader Sherlock and who is sidekick Watson?

Callie Hutton’s writing style is engaging, very entertaining. She fills the drama with descriptive language bringing to life the late nineteenth century society from fashion and behaviors to defined roles and pre-suffragette attitudes. Even in the cadence of her writing, it invokes a different time when language, especially used by women, was guarded and proper. The dialogue does well to illustrate personalities, but also class and education. Limited slang. The mystery, which lead to murder, was well-planned and paced, with contemporary overtones in the investigation...the drug trade. However, there are other avenues of inquiry making this a page-turner well worth being top of my “2020 Best Reads” list. I enjoyed the love/hate banter between Lady Amy and William, supportive and condescending at the same time, yet offering insights into who is a more suitable match for Lady Amy. Not quite Downton Abbey meets Murder, She Wrote, but elements of English society, class differences, and a strong female lead are excellent!