This series is always one I suggest to my patrons. This book is a great addition to the series. I enjoy the characters, the historical setting and the mystery. I liked meeting Frances's mother & brother. The other character's were interesting as well.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have not read the previous two novels in this series but can say I didn't have any problems at all in finding myself comfortably reading along and understanding the relationships between all the characters. Francis, Countess of Harleigh, is a young widow ( approximately 28 years old), the mother of an eight year old daughter and an American. Married for her dowry, Francis was not attached to her husband but she was able to bring an entrance into the British aristocracy which was much sought by her mother. Francis is helping with the planning of her sister Lily's wedding when it becomes necessary to move the date of the wedding forward. Luckily for Francis (as well as Lily and Leo) her very good friend George Hazelton can offer the ancestral home of his brother as a suitable, and quiet, location for the wedding. Of course, nothing could be simple with so many characters running through the pages so the wedding has to be planned among all sorts of excitements, even murder.

As a cozy mystery set among the rich of 1899 England this was an entertaining, light-weight read for me. I liked some of the characters more than others but that's not so very unusual. There are two previous novels in this series which I might decide to read eventually. Not going to be in a rush, but I never know what a rainy afternoon might put me in the mood to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-galley of this novel.

A fantastic addition to the Countess of Harleigh series. Dianne Freeman masterfully balances the comfort of a series with the unexpectedness of a standalone. No cookie-cutter mysteries here.

This is a delightful series in the cozy, historical mystery genre. This third story provides fans with more of the intriguing Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh. Frances is enjoying her freedom as a widow, still ensconced in the British aristocracy but able to maintain her American sense of self and her indefatigable curiosity. Frances is getting a reputation as a problem-solver, and she is ramping up her new found independence within her own family. Frances is asked to help her sister Lily plan a fast-tracked wedding. Aside from the difficulties in doing this without scandal, Frances find herself in a country mansion with guests falling victim to a series of fatal accidents. A very well written series with all the elements of appealing characters, charming, lush settings, and puzzling plots to satisfy readers who enjoy Victorian era mysteries. Thoroughly enjoyable!

This is the first book by this author that I have read. I found it a little slow in the beginning as she set the scene for the mystery but once the scene was set I found it very hard to put down. It was a lovely change from the usual historical romances I read. It is the third book in the series and although there wasn’t a lot of romance in this book, there was enough to keep it light-hearted. The romance of the main characters has happened in the previous books but not reading the past books doesn’t affect the storyline in this book. I felt the characters were well developed and the storyline had you guessing until the end although there are a few hints along the way. The story line was not confusing as some mysteries are. There was no sex in this book, which for reviewer was great. It was a very enjoyable read and I know I will be reading more. I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and freely give my review.

I didn't realise I hadn't read the series before, but I was able to jump right in without much confusion. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but thought it took accidents and coincidences a bit too far. Also, I could never shake my slight annoyance at the heroine. I'd recommend this to some friends, but I'm not sure that I care to read the previous books, not would I want to continue with the series.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder is such a catchy title! I don't usually read mystery, but I could not stop myself from requesting this one on NetGalley.

The book is part of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery Series but can be read as a standalone.

My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy.

Lady Harleigh, neé Frances Price, is a wealthy widow raising an eight years old daughter. She is secretly engaged to the lovely George Hazelton and about to marry her young sister Lily to a respectable and honorable man.

Things start to get complicated when her sister's wedding plans suddenly change, and people start to get hurt and even killed.

Throw an ambitious mother, a jealous best man, some bickering siblings, and a mysterious new neighbor to the mix, and the result is a fun, light, and engrossing story.

I especially liked how Frances' relationship with her mother changed as her views of life expanded. It is certainly not easy to confront a dominant parent.

The mystery is well woven. I had no clue about what was really going on until the very end.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder is a very entertaining read. I intend to read the other books in the series.

*This review will be posted on https://lureviewsbooks.com on 07/28/2020*

I enjoyed this book so much! I was drawn to it because of the late Victorian time period, with aristocracy and mystery at a house party held at a country estate. It reminded me a little of Agatha Christie's mysteries, except instead of Hercule Poirot twirling his mustache, we have Frances, Lady Harleigh, a widowed American countess who is extremely observant. Her love interest is George, the brother of the man who is hosting the house party. George and Frances have investigated other mysteries together in the first two books of the series.

Soon after everyone arrives, a series of dangerous accidents begins, affecting both staff and guests. Frances and George are watching everyone and everything as the injuries mount. Other than that, Frances also has to deal with her difficult mother, who has come for the wedding of Lily, her youngest daughter, which will happen sooner than was planned.

Although this is the third book in the series and the first I've read, it was fine as a standalone. I am planning on reading the first two books, and any others in this series. It was a comfortable, entertaining read with some genuine suspense and humor. I loved the ending - it left me smiling.

Another hit in Dianne Freeman's series following the Countess of Harleigh. We get to see our favorite characters (and some new faces) in the third installment of this mystery series. I enjoy that the author did not sacrifice the development of Lady Harleigh's character in favor of a cliche ending (without giving any spoilers.) Overall, this book will not disappoint new fans to the series or those that have followed the characters since day 1. I would recommend reading them in order.

I love everything about Lady Hartleigh. The character is fun and clever. The plot isn't clear enough to give away the ending but I appreciated that you never got too close to the wrong character either. I sure hope the series will continue.

This is the third book is Dianne Freeman's Countess of Harleigh Mystery series focusing on the adventures of Frances Wynn and George Hazelton. This fun historical couple encounter crime everywhere they go and work together as sleuths to solve murders in Victorian era London.

In a Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder, Frances needs to find a venue for her sister Lily's upcoming wedding. Her secret fiance George offers his brother's estate for the wedding. As the wedding party and guest make their way to the countryside mayhem ensues. Frances and George's banter, quick wit and delightful way of working together makes solving these mysteries fun and engaging.

This is a delightful book that is as much fun to read as Freeman's previous two editions in the series. Frances and George are great characters as are their families and friends. Each book returns with the same main characters and adds new ones along the way. This book is a delight and gives the reader a taste of Victorian era London through the eyes of recently widowed and mother Frances. This is a great series and I can't wait for installment #4!

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder is the first book I have read by, Dianne Freeman. I requested an ARC because cozy mysteries, especially those set in the Victorian Era, appeal to me. This one has a light, airy tone, and quite a bit of humor.


In spite of this, I had some difficulty getting into it. I had not read Books 1 and 2 of the series, and there were so many characters that had been introduced in those books, that I often got confused and needed to look back and reread to remember who they were. I also wanted to know more about Frances and George, and how they got together, and what was George's background in investigation. This is a dilemma for any author writing a series: How much background and recapping of previous books should be provided for new readers?
Another issue was that, at first, I didn't like the main character, Frances. She seemed to spend a lot of time observing and criticizing many of her friends and acquaintances. I did like George very much.

Finally, the author seemed to take a long time in setting up the series of accidents that comprised the majority of the book. It dragged, until Frances's mother, Daisy, came into the picture. Her appearance seemed to change the atmosphere and the book became more interesting. I enjoyed her character very much.

I think the book would have been much better (for me) if I had started from the beginning of the series, which I now will do.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." #ALadysGuidetoMischiefandMurder #NetGalley

Countess of Harleigh, Frances Win, is eager to see her sister married so she can focus on her own plans to marry George Hazelton. To avoid scandal, the wedding of Lily and Leo must happen in the country, but as soon as they arrive accident after accident occurs. Coincidence, Frances thinks not!

It was delightful to return to the fun of Frances and George. They are both eager to plan their own wedding, though Frances still has some reservations because of her disastrous first marriage. ALl they need is time to talk things over, but they keep getting interrupted. Accidents begin as soon as they step off the train and luggage nearly falls on Leo and George and escalate from there. Frances' suspicions are raised, but George is less eager to think there is danger.

The plot moves at a good pace. It was enjoyable to see characters we have met and be introduced to new ones. While the mystery was a bit predictable, it was enjoyable nonetheless. (Maybe I've just read too many mystery novels at this point?)

For readers looking for a light historical mystery with humor sprinkled in, I would recommend this.

I thought this book was well written and there were some scenes I enjoyed very much, particularly those with the squabbling sisters! I felt that most of the characters were a bit one-dimensional, though, with the exception of Frances's mother - she was great!

The plot plodded along and was quite predictable. I guessed early on whodunnit, although there is no way of guessing the motivation of the culprit as crucial information is withheld until very late in the story.

There were some amusing anachronisms, e.g. the order of the procession at the wedding.

This was an OK read, but it wasn't a page-turner and I didn't feel at all emotionally involved in it.

What a fun series! This is the first one I’ve read but can’t wait to catch up on the previous ones. This is definitely a series to binge. Perfect for fans of Sara Rosett, Rhys Bowen, Ashley Weaver, and Carola Dunn.

I was able to guess the ending, but that doesn’t bother me! It was a well-plotted mystery, with a fun, unique heroine. The love angle was enjoyable without overpowering the plot.

Overall, this was a thoroughly delightful historical mystery! Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for my free digital copy.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder is the third installment of the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries. I received this book from #NetGalley for my honest review, so I haven't read the first two installments. Although I didn't know the backstory of Francis, that I would have gotten from the previous books, this story was not hard to follow. And it was good enough that I think I will go back and read them.
In #ALady'sGuidetoMischiefandMurder, Francis' sister is getting married and needs a wedding venue, so they decided to join a hunting party at George Hazelton's family estate. George and Francis are keeping their engagement under wraps until her sister is married. However, during the planning of the wedding a number of seemingly accidents occur. As these accidents mount, they realize that someone might be trying to kill the sister's fiance, Leo. Or are they after George? This book wasn't as predictable as some, and it was refreshing not to know "who dun it" until close to the end of the book. However, I did find it annoying that they were still calling these situations accidents through 80% of the book. Much earlier than that, it was quite obvious they weren't accidents and the reader just wants them to get on with it. That said, overall it was an enjoyable book, that I would happily recommend.

I feel like the title of this book says it all. It reminds me of Julie Garwood's writing, mixed in with some mystery. A great book to curl up on the couch with and laugh!

Thank you to Kensington Books for an advance reading copy of this book.

I am a fan of mysteries, I am a sucker for a historical story, and a quirky main character. This book has all three. The book is an easy jaunt through the mysterious “accidents” that keep occurring around her sisters intended groom to be.

I have not read the previous books, I’m not entirely sure if it’s necessary too, as I felt all the characters were introduced enough that previous knowledge of them was not mandatory. I do wonder if I would know them more had I read the previous ones, and I’m definitely intrigued to know them more.

All in all this is the type of book that won’t press you to hard, but that you will enjoy with a cup of tea and a cosy spot to read. Like a warm hug with a bit of intrigue

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder is the 3rd book in the Countess of Harleigh series, and I'd recommend starting with the first two before reading this one. But definitely pick up the series - it's so much fun. I'm really picky about mysteries - I enjoy the "ordinary person as detective," but I don't like anything too cozy. (I don't like anything too violent or involving psychopaths, either.) These books really hit that sweet spot for me, and I find them to be engrossing reads. Frances, the Countess of Harleigh, is an American heiress whose mother married her off to a titled British aristocrat. After the death of her philandering husband she has discovered a great affinity for solving murders. In this book, Frances is planning her sister's wedding at her friend George's family estate when alarming accidents begin occurring. Of course Frances starts investigating. I always find these books really well-plotted with clues and red herrings, and this one was no exception. I also always enjoy the characters, and in this one we're finally introduced to Frances's mother. (I did wish for a lot more Aunt Hetty - she didn't get much page time.) I was surprised that one of the big plot points wasn't met with a lot more consternation from the characters considering the setting (Victorian England), and Frances has what seem to me to be contemporary sensibilities. But that didn't bother me, and if you enjoyed the first two, definitely read this one, it's just as fun. If you haven't read these before, I'd recommend them to fans of the Amory Ames mysteries or anyone who likes fun, fast historical mysteries. I'm looking forward to the next one!

I’m a big fan of the historical mysteries genre and when I stumbled upon Dianne Freeman’s Countess of Harleigh series I was ecstatic! I loved the first two books and the third instalment did not disappoint. Always a fun read, Freeman provides lots of twists and turns, leaving you hooked to see how the story will end. The wit and charm of our female heroine Frances is a delight as you turn each page and her partnership and romance with George gets sweeter with each book released. As I finished the final chapter all I could think was… “I can’t wait for the next one!”
Do yourself a favour, grab a cozy blanket, sit in your reading chair with a cup of your favourite drink and dive in.

A big thank you to Kensington Books for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #ALadysGuidetoMischiefandMurder #Goodreads