In a case of art intimating life Lady Amy Lovell, secret mystery author and lover of books finds herself the prime suspect in the murder of her ex-fiancé. Finding the detectives on the case unhelpful and too focused on her for the crime she decides to put her skills to work to clear her name. Along with her, quite reluctantly, for the investigation is her friend William, Lord Wethington. They are part of a murder mystery book club and poor William had only been dropping by to lend Amy a book when he was drawn into the mess. His desire to keep Amy safe and out of jail has him assisting her.

Days before the murder Amy broke off her engagement after recurring some anonymous information about what he was up to. As she hadn’t exactly wanted to marry Mr. St. Vincent in the first place she’s happy to have an excuse to end things. Why he showed up at her home only to be murdered she has no idea about. So together with William they dig into the life of a man she was supposed to marry but didn’t really know at all. Were his illegal and immoral activities to blame for his death? Or was it the nephew that would inherit upon his death? Or many the woman who believed they would marry only to find that he was engaged to another? The lost of suspects grows and the body count increases and it’s pretty clear someone knows Amy and William are investigating.

Stubborn Amy can’t trust her fate to others and is determined to see this thing through to the end. But real life isn’t like one of her stories and in the real world consequences can prove rather fatal. And not everybody is who they seem to be. And in the end the murderer is the last person she expected it to be...

I liked Amy and appreciated that unlike a lot of these types of character she wasn’t the type to sneak off somewhere alone to get herself killed. Yeah she was stubborn and refused to tell the police everything but to be fair they didn’t seem like they were doing much though obviously they were doing way more than she thought/knew. I only sort of guessed who the killer is I had assumed that person was involved but not that they were the one that did it. It was a good story an interesting mystery and the only bad part was the way it ended. I NEED to know what trouble Amy and William might get up to next and I’m assuming their story continues from the way it left off. Also the two of them are rather adorable together, even if they aren’t exact together. I like them together and I couldn’t help but to like Aunt Margret and Eloise and even the rather eccentric Persephone.

Once I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down not even to sleep that’s how good it was to me.

A Study in Murder is the first in A Victorian Book Club Mystery series by Callie Hutton. Set in 1890 Bath, England, readers are introduced to Lady Amy Lovell, a famous mystery author writing under the pseudonym E.D. Burton. When her ex-fiancé is found dead in her library she becomes the prime suspect. Lady Lovell with the help of her friend and fellow book club member, Lord William Wethington, must find the killer and clear her name. Readers of historical cozy mysteries will enjoy this new series.

I received this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lady Amy and Lord Wm. Wethington investigate the murder of Mr. St. Vincent, Lady Amy's ex- fiance. With a cast of characters as suspects, this intrepid duo uses their standing in society, and Lady Amy's prowess as a mystery writer, albeit incognito as fitting the times; to find the truth of the matter. Often humorous and quite often dangerous, this time example of cozy mystery was a delight to read and I will eagerly await the next in series. Author has set the stage for more. " Don't be a ninnyhammer... " Read this book.

This was a delightful turn back in time to the 1890's. This is the first in series by author Callie Hutton. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own. I enjoyed this historical cozy mystery which is a different era that I usually read.

We are introduced to our protagonist Lady Amy Lovell . She is a forward thinker for a time when women were expected to only be wives and Mothers. She is a suffragette and mystery writer who has been published. Her Father is appalled at her "hobby" and wants her to marry of course being that they are in the 1800's. Her fiance Mr. Ronald St. Vincent is not really someone she is remotely interested in but to appease her Father and meet the expected societal norm she agrees to marry him. Then she gets word he has some very underhanded dealings and breaks the betrothal. When he is found dead later in the library of Amy’s home, she is the main suspect so it will be up to Amy to solve the murder.

This was a charming read and a good sleuth I enjoyed to conclusion.

A Study In Murder is the first book in the A Victorian Book Club Mystery series.

Bath, England – 1890. Lady Amy Lovell is active in a mystery book club and also a published mystery author although no one knows. Her father feels that if she is married she will have to give up her writing and finds a young man, Ronald St. Vincent, whose proposal of marriage, Lady Amy accepts. After a while, Amy comes to the conclusion that she likes her life the way it is and decides to break her engagement with St. Vincent. Shortly before telling St. Vincent, Amy receives a note telling her the St. Vincent is dealing in opium. She breaks the engagement, but a couple of days later he makes an unannounced visit. Just before St. Vincent’s arrival Lord William Wen, an acquaintance and fellow book club member of Amy arrived to lend Amy a book on unsolved murders. So, when St. Vincent arrives, Amy has her maid put him the library to “cool his heels”. When she goes to the library to find what he wants he doesn’t seem to be there. She notices that the french doors to the garden are open and she goes out to see if he might be in the garden. When she returns she trips over his dead body. Hearing her screams William goes to see what the trouble might be. They then send for the police. Detective Marsh and Carson don’t seem to be too interested in looking to others that Amy for the stabbing of St. Vincent. With the help of Lord William and some of his contacts, they set off to clear Amy’s name.

They will soon find out that St. Vincent was on the brink of bankruptcy, the gardener has gone missing and there was a young lady who thought he was on the brink of proposing to her. What with the police seemingly concentrating on proving Amy guilty, they need to continue searching for the killer before Amy is charged with murder.

This a wonderful start to an interesting and exciting new series. The book is well-written and quite accurately describes the time period. The characters are well-developed, likable, and believable.

I will be watching for the next book in the series to see what adventures are in store for Amy and Lord William and if there might be the beginning of some romance for them.

4.25 Stars
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 gives her one more reason to break their engagement. Two evenings later, as Lady Amy awaits a visit from Lord William Wethington, fellow member of the Bath Mystery Book Club, who is lending her a book, 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 two detectives immediately assume that she is the killer. Desperate to clear her name, Lady Amy and William 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.
This is the author’s first cosy mystery & it's a good one. I loved both Amy & William who were acquaintances from the Book club but as they continued their investigation I could see their friendship growing as well a budding romance. The pace wasn’t the fastest but it did hold my interest all the way through, there were plenty of twists & turns as well as red herrings. I look forward to the next book which was hinted at in the epilogue, there were a couple of loose ends which I would have liked resolving but they were only minor issues so didn't impinge on my enjoyment
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This was tedious, ridiculous, and if you are looking for a good historical mystery, there are MUCH better books out there than this one. The characters are very one dimensional [if she had said "ex-fiance" one more time, I might have lost my mind], you can see the "romance" coming a mile away and by the time the reveal happens, you'd have to be a dunderdunce or a newbie to the "crime novel" to not have seen who the "baddie" was. And the reveal was the most tepid, meh experience ever.

Truly, look elsewhere for a better historical mystery. There are many out there. You will not find a good mystery here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I never read books from the future or past, but accidently requested this one. I was pleasantly surprised. It was really a great read!

It takes place in Bath, England, 1890. Lady Amy Lovell receives an anonymous letter containing news that her fiancé, Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, has been dabbling in something illegal, which causes her to promptly break their engagement. She truly didnt care much for him anyway.
Two days later he arrives unannounced for another visit. She's unhappy that he's visiting so she takes her time going downstairs to greet him. By the time she does, he is a lying in her library with a knife in his chest.

Lady Amy feels the need to solve this murder since the police clearly feel that she is the murderer. Very entertaining story and I would enjoy reading more by this author.

Series: A Victorian Book Club Mystery #1
Publication Date: 5/12/20
Number of Pages: 320

This is the first book in a new series by Callie Hutton, and I believe it is also her first cozy mystery. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it because historical mysteries are my favorite sub-genre and she is one of my favorite authors. It sounds like a marriage made in heaven doesn’t it? The mystery is interesting, well-plotted, and well-executed while the characters are very believable and relatable. The story was a bit slower moving and less exciting than I normally like, but it was still an excellent read. The groundwork was laid for a future relationship between the two main characters and possibly the set-up for the next murder to solve. I believe I have read that the series is set to be limited to just a few books (maybe 3 or so), but I enjoyed the characters so much I would like to see many more books in the series – à la Stephanie Plum.

Lady Amy Lovell is an independent thinking suffragette and mystery writer, much to her father’s chagrin. Amy’s father, the Marquess of Winchester, won’t stop her from writing her books, but he insists she write under a pseudonym – and not tell ANYONE she is the actual writer. He had despaired of ever getting his daughter wed, but when Mr. Ronald St. Vincent travels to London and offers for Amy, her father sees his chance to get his daughter ‘settled’. He cajoles and persuades until finally, Amy agrees. Of course, she immediately has second thoughts about it but lets the betrothal continue – until – she gets word of some underhanded dealings of St. Vincent –then she immediately summons him to her home and breaks the betrothal. When St. Vincent is found dead just a few days later, in the library of Amy’s home, she is immediately the main suspect of Detectives Edwin Marsh and Ralph Carson. The detectives don’t seem inclined to look for any other suspects, so it will be up to Amy to solve the murder.

Viscount William Wethington has known Amy for many years and they have had a distant friendship. Not close, but cordial. They are both members of the Mystery Book Club of Bath and they have danced a few times at assemblies. When he arrives at her home to drop off a book she had asked to borrow, he heard her screaming and rushed into the library to find her, covered in blood, with a dead body at her feet.

Amy is the driving force behind their investigation and William is more the unwilling partner who keeps trying to get her to let someone else handle it. However, he goes along with whatever she asks and assists in the investigation. They are thrown together more and more and begin to have respect and regard for each other that hasn’t been there before, but it doesn’t develop into a real romance.

Just when you think you know who the culprit is – the investigation shifts and you think – Well maybe not. It is fun to figure out who is connected to who and how they are connected – and to finally learn who the real villain is.

I enjoyed the read and I’m looking forward to the next one. I did, however, think things moved a bit slowly. Perhaps we could leave out how many times they wiped their mouths after eating or how Amy was tired and took naps, etc. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy those things – they just seemed extraneous and didn’t move the plot along. I would also have enjoyed more of the romance to develop in this book rather than seeing just the hint of it – that it could go either way. I’m sure the romance will get there, but, for this reader, I like heavy doses of romance along with my mysteries.

Again, I thoroughly enjoyed the read and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When a lady becomes prime suspect in a murder case, she must take the lead to find the real perpetrator...

« How dare St. Vincent come here uninvited and then land on the floor in her library with a knife in his chest? »

I do think this one quote reflects the spirit of this book. While I enjoyed the investigation, I savored as much the banters and witty retorts between the protagonists.

I know Mrs Callie Hutton for her historical romances, so what a pleasure to have an historical mystery to add to my reading list, after historical romance, they are my favorite, even more when there is a burgeoning romance building up along the pages and books as it will be a series.
So the story is from one point of view, Lady Amy, the Marquess of Winchester’s daughter, and under some pen name, the author of gruesome mystery novels. Yet she will soon discover than writing and investigating murders are far different business, even more when she is the main suspect.
It was a very fun read with many possible culprits, dead ends and the limitation of the time period, as no DNA, fingerprints nor blood test were available. So it is only by slowly assembling what looked like clues one with another that the duet of amateur sleuths follows one way before an other. While in the same time, they must respect society’s conventions, and realize they are only human with their own flaws and limitations.
Lady Amy is no Wonder Woman, thus she acts like most in her situation she screams, fears, falters when troubles but she also considers and ponders when on the hunt.
She is a woman a bit ahead of her time, wanting more for the womankind, still she lives under some strict rules and while she thwarts them as much as she can, she is still a woman and viewed as inferior.
Her association with Lord Wethington is charming, he recognizes she has a brain and know how to use it, he also allays her impulsiveness. When she would run, he talks her to rethink her actions. Still he is always there, her second in her every decision.
It is no modern mystery, things take time like during this area, one can’t run and jump to conclusions, they need to collect witnesses informations and physical clues.

Now I am very eager to read the second in this series.
5 stars for this first foray by Mrs Callie Hutton in the sleuthing world.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Crooked Lane Books, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

An engaging murder mystery set in 1890 with a hint of romance. Whilst it is obvious that the author plans to make this a series, I could have wished that the romance element had moved along a bit faster. I see no reason why their future partnership could not be that of an engaged or married couple.
Lady Amy Lovell is a published author, under a pseudonym, of murder mysteries and so when she finds herself the chief suspect after the murder of her ex-fiancé and the police only seem to be looking at her as the culprit, she has no qualms about beginning an investigation of her own. In this she is helped by her long term acquaintance and fellow mystery enthusiast, Viscount Wethington.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This mystery stars Lady Amy Lovell who is secretly an author of mystery books. She's proud of her achievement but her father bullies her into keeping her career secret. He wants her married and doesn't think her career makes her an eligible spouse. In fact, he bullies her into an engagement with Mr. St. Vincent.

When Amy learns that St. Vincent has some involvement in the opium trade, she takes that as an excuse to break the engagement she never wanted in the first place. But when he turns up dead in her house a couple of days later, she finds herself the primary, and only, suspect in his murder.

Amy decides that her skill as an author of mysteries makes her the perfect person to solve the case of who really killed her unwanted fiance. She is assisted by Lord Wethington who is a long-time acquaintance and fellow member of the Bath Mystery Book Club. Together they uncover a number of suspects and more information about her former fiance.

There is a running joke through the book. Every time someone refers to St. Vincent as her fiance she quickly corrects them by calling him her ex-fiance. This happens quite frequently throughout the story. When finally, near the end of the story, she refers to St. Vincent as her fiance, everyone in earshot - the police, Lord Wethington, her maid, and the butler standing near the door - all chime in with "ex-fiance."

I liked the story in that Amy is not some sort of superhero. She faints when she discovers St. Vincent's body in her father's library. But she is smart and determined to solve the crime. Lord Wethington is sort of a mysterious character. Amy has known him for quite a while but actually knows very little about him. He isn't quick to answer questions about himself. I like the way their relationship deepens during the story and becomes a romance by the end.

The ending telegraphs that another adventure for Lady Amy and Lord Wethington is planned and I can't wait to read it.

I first wanna say thank you to NetGalley for this lovely free advice copy.
I was in a mood for cozy mystery and you easily can pick one by the cover, so i went blindly to this one.
Set in 1890 in Victorian era,Lady Amy a mystery writer is change with murder of her ex fiance.
This is very well written, the storyline was perfect and the characters was very likable.
Definitely recommended 😁

This book is set in 1890 England and although I don't usually like books set in this time period I really liked this one. Good characters and a great plot line. It kept me guessing. The story moved along fairly fast with no unneeded words used just to fill pages. If you like reading in this time period I would say you'll love it.

This book takes you back to a different era and with a mystery that will have you wanting to read more! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

3.5 stars

This amiable series debut takes place in Bath, England in 1890. It features a feisty and feminist female lead, Lady Amy Lovell who has a secret identity as a writer of mysteries. Lady Amy has just broken off an unwelcome betrothal arranged by her father. Three days later, to her surprise, her ex-fiance calls on her. When she comes downstairs to find out what he wants, she discovers his body, stabbed to death.

It doesn't take long for Lady Amy to involve herself in the investigation. Despite her title and social status, she is the prime suspect of the local police. Assisted reluctantly by Lord William Wethington, a friend from her book club, the two attempt to track down other suspects.

Naturally the police resent the intrusion of amateurs and naturally Lady Amy ignores their and her father's extreme disapproval. This is a pleasant and lively read, with touches of humor. For those interested in strictly accurate historic detail, this might fall a bit short, but for the rest of us, a fun and quick read.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book. I love the cozy mystery vibe this book portrays. I really liked the victorian era setting. It's something new I haven't read before. I'm excited to see where the rest of the series goes.

I enjoyed A Study in Murder. It was a fun read, especially during a pandemic, when my brain won't focus on anything too heavy. The mystery itself was well done and I liked the main characters. As a whole, it was a little predictable and I would've liked to see a little more of the secondary characters. It's a decent start to a new series and I'll probably pick up the next instalment when it come out.

I really liked the Victorian setting of this novel. Lady Amy stumbles over her ex-fiancée dead in her library. She thinks the local constabulary are fools and sets out with her friend Lord Wethington to prove her innocence. I really look forward to Lady Amy’s further adventures. If you like Jane Austen and Sherlock Holmes you will love Lady Amy.

This series debut is a serviceable historical cozy that has a few parallels to Charlaine Harris' Aurora Teagarden series, centering on a club (in this case a Victorian book club) whose members discuss mysterious murders, albeit, in this case, fictional ones.

The characters are a bit superficial with the writer heroine espousing 21st Century sensibilities and views that, while admirable, are a bit anachronistic. The mystery is well done and the narrative features a cliff hanger ending that those wanting to continue in the series will appreciate.

Full Disclosure--NetGalley and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.