Dianne Freeman brings us A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder, a late Victorian murder mystery of manners. Frances, the widowed countess of Harleigh, orchestrates the early marriage of her sister Lily to Leo as Lily is pregnant. The setting is the home of George's brother which is having unexpected "accidents". Who is the target and whodunit? Enjoy the romance and mystery. Great read.

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder • Dianne Freeman
⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

Thank you to @netgalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.
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“The sedate English countryside can host - or hide any number of secrets.”
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👍🏼 Thumbs Up:
A lighthearted mystery (despite the murder) with lots of funny quips.
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👎🏻 Thumbs Down:
I don’t have any specific criticisms, but I just didn’t get into this one as much as I wanted to. I’ve read other mysteries I liked better. This one just didn’t keep my attention.
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🤓 For Readers WHO:
Enjoy mysteries or books set in high society England.
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👉🏼 This is what’s WHAT:
During a family wedding in the country, “accidents” keep occurring that give Lady Harleigh pause. An investigation ensues, in a ladylike way of course!
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⏳WHEN I read this book:
It made me want to have a cup of tea 🫖
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🚨WHERE you should watch out:
Murder, violence
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📍WHY you should read this one:
It’s an interesting English mystery.
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📚 HOW I read this book:
On my kindle thanks to @netgalley

Thank you to Netgalley and Manda Collins for my copy of A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem ( A Lady’s Guide #1) for an honest review. England 1865, Newspaper Columnist, reports on a murders happening London, and identifies the killer. Lady Katherine Bascomb, considers herself a bit of a detective and while reporting the story she might have jumped the gun, on calling out the killer. Detective Inspector Eversham, is the detective on the case and now backtracking to confirm or deny the real killer. His efforts keep getting thwarted by Lady Katherine. Her meddling needs to be stopped, the murders have to stop and a killer has to be identified. This is a cute story of love/hate and how working together might be the best option. Do these two find the killer? Do sparks fly? The only way to find out is to read this RomCom, who dun it. An easy, enjoyable read that was a four star read for me. I have recommended this to friends and family. I have also recommended it on my Instagram page. Please find my review on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I don’t think you will be disappointed, in a lighthearted, historical mystery.

This is the third in a series and although I read, understood and liked the second without having read the first, I would not recommend that here. One definitely needs the knowledge and overview of the chaos in the second book to have a semblance of understanding about the goings-on in this one.
We begin with an urgent need to plan a quick wedding. This is achieved by putting together a hurried hunting party together. My most favourite character has to be the leading lady’s brother and his hopes for partaking in English aristocracy’s pastimes. He was hilarious with the most minimal verbal input, which has to be some sort of record.
Frances is looking forward to the intimate wedding and the time to spend in a newly formed relationship. There is a big problem though, one that I saw coming even before they suspected, given the odd occurrences that start to happen around them. There is painstaking detective work done, with every avenue being investigated and alibis verified. The ending seemed unexpected but overall quite satisfying. The personal ups and downs were not as much in focus as in the last book, but some interactions did have their high points. I am not sure if the period is represented faithfully, but it is lighter fare, and I do not really expect it to be entirely historically accurate ( I would not really know even if it’s not). I liked the series and would pick up another given a chance, but I do not know if there is anywhere else to take the series from here.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this and the previous book.

The third instalment in the series and very entertaining. Frances and George head out to George's country estate for the speedy nuptials of Frances' sister Lily and her beloved Leo. Time is of the essence as Lily finds herself in an 'interesting condition'. There's some tension with the in-laws and some of the guests and tension between Frances and George as they haven't yet told anyone that they are engaged. Then the victims start piling up and the murderer has to be one of the assembled family and friends.
I found myself giggling a lot while reading this book - the characters are starting to become more interesting and I love the dynamic between the protagonists. Looking forward to the next one.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title

I had no idea this was a series until after I started. I really enjoyed this one so I will be going back and reading the first two soon.

A Lady’s Guise to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman
3/5
This is the third novel in a series and I had a chance to catch up in the series before reading this one. Each book has a certain mystery to it but it was nice to see all of the characters grow and develop – I think that it is ok to read these by themselves, but it is much more fun to see the characters grow and develop throughout the books. This third book in the series was a fun period-piece mystery with twists and turns. It was an entertaining read, and I enjoyed seeing the interactions between characters. I am hoping there will be another book that comes out because I want to know what happens with our main character and her love interest!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the gifted e-book.

This series keeps getting better with each book. An engaging historical mystery set on a country estate in England. Frances, Lady Harleigh, is a wonderful main character and I like how she respects all of the classes of people that she interacts with. She is very intelligent and sees things that others don't pay attention to. I also enjoy the other characters including her aunt Hetty, her sister Lily and George. I was kept guessing and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder
By Dianne Freeman

Feeeman writes this third installment of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series and is a historical mystery set in Victorian England- as always I had a fun time reading this series for its well written and well-researched story line, plot and a twisty mystery that is enjoyable and entertaining to read. I feel that readers new to the series would enjoy this read better if you start with the first book to follow and learn more about the characters as the stories are connected and build up from one book to the next. Though this could also be enjoyed as a stand alone. The writing was very well written and a read that is hard to put down. I love reading about the English country side for the setting and the enjoyable main characters and side characters too. Overall, this is a series that I look forward to reading and Dianne Freeman is a great cozy mystery writer whose writing I enjoy very much!

This book was a lot of fun. The mystery was intriguing and the character interactions were delightful. Absolutely love this series.

This was the first book in the series that I have read. I do not feel that you need to read the previous books to get into this, however I feel that if I had read the other books I would have felt more connected to the characters. The story is enjoyable and Frances is a smart female main character. I will read the next installment in this series when it comes out to find out what mystery Frances will solve next

This is a fun cozy mystery series. I was delighted to read more about George and Frances, who are quickly becoming two of my favorite spy/detective couples. I love the relationship they have, as they are the perfect complement to each other. This book’s wedding/house party theme was quite entertaining, especially with a little mystery and murder thrown in to keep the reader turning pages. There’s some twists and turns to solving this mystery, and I wasn’t sure of the mischief-maker’s identity for quite awhile. I’m hoping this series continues, as I’d love to see how the relationship works between George and Frances after they are married. They’re quite a team!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I jumped into this historical mystery/romance series at book 3, attracted to the cover and feeling like I needed one more engaging series in my repertoire of mysteries. I read at a leisurely pace, and ultimately enjoyed the story, the main character and decided to find Books 1 and 2 before the memory of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder gets away from me.

Frances, the widowed countess of Harleigh, is looking for a charming and private setting for her sister Lily's nuptials. Lily is three months pregnant and needs to tie the know away from gossiping eyes. Frances's secret fiance George Hazelton has a family estate in Hampshire, and agrees to host the wedding party. He and Frances will marry once Lily's wedding is complete. Family and close friends travel to the countryside for what should be a joyful ceremony, but are greeted with accidents and mysterious deaths. Frances and George try to figure out who is behind the mayhem and stop them before it is too late.

I liked Frances--she is my kind of detective/heroine. She is headstrong, sure of her self, and has evolved far beyond her era. Frances is definitely a main character I will enjoy knowing. The mystery was good and kept me guessing. This series would delight fans of the Miss Kopp books, the Poppy Denby series, and of course Maisie Dobbs followers.

I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This is the third book in this series. This historical fiction book is slow paced. I would recommend reading the first book in the series to get to know the characters better. But the characters are good. I didn't expect that to happen, you should get this book ro figure out what happened. This book is in stores now for $26.00 (USD).

Not horrible, not memorable but still decent. Middle of the road cozy Victorian mystery that was a very quick read for me.

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one in the series. Lady Harleigh is surrounded by a host of interesting characters and her relationship with George adds lots of fun to the story. These books feel a little like an Agatha Christie mystery, if she had added more romance and witty banter. I look forward to more adventures.

I had not read the previous books in this series, but this book can stand alone. A series of unfortunate accidents (or are they accidents?) threaten to derail the country wedding of Lily, the sister of widow Frances, the Countess of Harleigh. The wedding is being held at the estate of George Hazleton, Frances’ romantic interest. Murder and mayhem ensue in this cozy mystery including the arrival of Frances’ mother who is determined to marry Lily off to an aristocrat.

In the late 19th century, many American heiresses travelled to England and successfully found husbands amongst the aristocracy, thus ensuring that cash-strapped estates were secure for the foreseeable future. Frances Price was one of them. Unfortunately, her late husband Reggie Wynn turned out to be a cad. After his death, taking what was left of her fortune, and her daughter, Frances moved to London and, by coincidence, purchased a house next door to her best friend's brother, George Hazleton.

This novel opens with a tearful confession and a dilemma for Frances. Forced to bring forward her sister's wedding to avoid a scandal, the problem of finding a suitable venue is solved when George offers his family's country estate, combining the shooting party he is hosting with the wedding.

A series of events following the death of a footman arouses Frances' suspicions that the death was not an accident. Fearing that Leo, Lily's fiancé, is the target, Frances, with George's help, investigates but soon realises that there are too many suspects among the guests to make it an easy task.

Juggling wedding preparations with the investigation, Frances has to deal with her fault-finding, social-climbing mother, as well as the future bridegroom's argumentative family, Lily's emotional state and a secret of her own.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder has all the elements of a classic country house mystery: a restrictive setting, multiple suspects, a surprising plot twist and two lovable amateur sleuths. Written in a jaunty style from Frances' perspective, it immediately captivates and endears her to the reader. Full of wit, humour and charm, and a host of idiosyncratic characters, it is just the right sort of book to raise the spirits. Even the cover hits the right note.

Although A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder is perfectly satisfying as a standalone, it is much more fun to read the series in order and really get to know the recurring characters. This is another delightful episode in the life of the Countess of Harleigh and I'm eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

In this third Countess of Harleigh Mystery, the action moves to the country when the wedding plans for Frances Wynn’s sister Lily must be altered to avoid scandal. As accident follows accident and a death occurs at George Hazelton’s family home, the social and romantic entanglements both upstairs and downstairs amuse the reader while furthering the plot – aided in no small part by the arrival of Frances and Lily’s title-hungry mother.

It was as much of a delight to watch the bits of the puzzle that I could predict unfold for Frances and George as it was to follow along as new wrinkles appeared. And while there were plot points that felt cozily familiar, the author also crafted this as a story with multiple possibilities, resulting in an enjoyable read that did keep me guessing.

Each of these cozy Victorian mysteries has had a slightly different feel, though all charmingly narrated by Frances Wynn, American-born Countess of Harleigh. From the titles and covers to the development of Frances and George’s relationship and partnership over the course of these three books, all of the Countess of Harleigh mysteries have been a delight, and A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder may just be my favorite.

This review refers to a digital copy I voluntarily read, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

What happens when you get pregnant before your wedding in Victorian England?? You move up the date of the wedding! DUH. That’s the case that Frances’s sister, Lily, finds herself in at the beginning of the book. The problem is: where are they going to hold the wedding?

Luckily, Frances’s dude, George is lovely and offers his brother’s home for the wedding (his brother isn’t home, thank goodness). So off they go to Risings. The group includes Frances, Lily, her future husband, Leo, his sisters, his best man, and his brother-in-law. The parents are coming but they’ll arrive later. And let’s just say….Frances and Lily’s mother…makes an ARRIVAL.

So everything is good and fine and they are in the country and isn’t it calming and nice and picturesque and then BOOM! “Accidents” start happening. Or are they accidents? The more strange things happen, the more Frances thinks there’s something sinister going on.

Ok, let’s talk about these “accidents.” My favorite “accident” is when the group are having an archery competition (can we bring these back? you can do archery and social-distance, right?) and one of the men (I’m not giving it away because it’s too good) gets shot with an arrow in the ass. I laughed for five minutes. It reminds me of something that would happen in Emma (probably to Mr. Elton lol) or Mansfield Park. It’s perfect.

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But besides the light moments, there are plenty of dark ones as well. At first, Frances and George believe someone is trying to murder Leo. They don’t have a solid reason why but he’s in the vicinity at each of the “accidents”. Is someone jealous of him? Or does someone not want him to marry Lily?!

It turns out that something much bigger and more sinister is going on and it has nothing to do with Leo. NO SPOILERS!

Ok, here are the things I loved: the archery scene (obviously), Frances’s brother (omg I hope he gets a book or something), Frances’s mother (LORD HAVE MERCY) (she does something at the end that made me love her so much), and Frances verbally slapping George for keeping secrets from her. *smirks*

I could’ve done without George questioning Frances’s skills or why she thought the accidents were more than what they appeared to be. I’m guessing they worked together in the last two books. She’s proven herself. BELIEVE HER, DUDE! I also wanted the stakes to be a little higher before the murderer was revealed. But the scene with the fire…I was like “FRANCES GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF THERE!” so maybe I’m just being picky. Or maybe I wanted to feel more immersed in the fire. idk *shrugs*

Overall, I really liked A Lady’s Guide to Mayhem and Murder by Dianne Freeman. It was fancy and funny and I had no idea who the murderer was until the very end. I’m giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars. If you like historical fiction and/or mysteries, you should definitely check this out!