Can fine bone china tea set be deadly? Well, apparently it can. Or rather everything to do with making fine bone china can be deadly to evaporating degree.

Renshaw siblings set out to Crown Lily china factory to order anniversary tea service for their grandparents. They end up with not one but two tea services, a new family member, a dog and some puppies. Sounds dangerous? Well, if you look closer you'd see a couple of dead bodies, a conspiracy and industrial espionage, a fight for women' rights, a copywright issue and fight for inheritance to boot. Yes, and all of these set against picturesque English country. What more could you want?

A Sinister Service is 6th installment in the series about Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady's maid Eva. Even though I am very picky with my cozy mysteries, these series found me wanting to read more. Coming at 6th installment it was a bit tricky to keep a track on who is who and why (author does give brief backstories). However, I need to know more. And A Lady and Lady's Maid series have been put on my TBR list.

I am really glad that I decided to read this series [even with the troubles with all the different narrators - note to publishers: this jumping around of narrators within a series is disconcerting and jarring. When you listen almost exclusively to audiobooks, it is difficult to get a feeling of the characters when different people are doing the voices. It is just an thought. Thank you].

This was the best in several books and I really enjoyed it. I felt the characters were closer to what they were when the series was first introduced and a lot of the snipping was kept at bay [the previous book was rather tedious with all of that, regardless of the circumstances]. The end was a little flat for me, but I am hoping that the printed version is cleaned up a little and that will make it a little less flat and abrupt. If not for the end, it would have been a 5 star read for me.

There was plenty of action, TONS of information on how china is made [and now I want to go to Staffordshire to tour a china factory] and the dangers that accompany some of the jobs there. I will say I was fairly certain who was going to be killed and thought I knew how [I was wrong there, but I am not sure it was much better IMO] and by the middle of the book I knew who the killer was, though it honestly didn't take away from the story or mystery as a whole, because, even though I thought I knew, I HAVE been wrong in the past, so the waiting for the reveal was good. I liked having all four of the siblings together and seeing Julia become a little more human again and assert herself was a joy. So, overall, this was very good read. I am looking forward to the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alyssa Maxwell, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Most people fund picking a chins pattern a little challenging but the Renshews- well, they find a murder! Lady Phoebe and her maid (and BFF) Eva are in Staffordshire in 1920 along with the rest of the family. When the owner of the factory is murdered, suspicion immediately falls on his son Trent but Fox Renshaw doesn't believe it. They decide to send Eva in to work in the factory (I was happy to learn a bit as a result) while they sleuth. Cozy readers know to look for multiple suspects (not the dog though). The charm of this series lies in the family interactions and in this one Julia is close to giving birth, hopefully to a boy so that the child can inherit her dead husband's estate. While Maxwell does give back story, this is likely more enjoyable for those familiar with the characters because the family is so complex (a good thing actually). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I love the post WWI setting and the fact that this series moves about the UK as well as the dynamic between Phoebe and Eva. A really fun read.

An excellent historical cozy, well written and entertaining.
I liked the fleshed out and interesting characters, the vivid historical background and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was such a great historical cozy! I loved the characters, the setting, and an ending that left me surprised yet satisfied. This is the first I've read in the series, but it functioned well enough as a standalone and made me want to try more from this author.

November 1920 the Renshaw daughters have decided to buy a tea service for their grandparents anniversary. So they visit the Crown Lily Potteries. Soon the body of the Head of Design, Ronald Mercer, is found dead. Lady Phoebe and maid Eva Huntford investigate when D.I. Hugh Nichols arrests the son.
An enjoyable well-written cozy historical mystery with some likeable characters
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like the relationships between the siblings. Things have improved between them since the first book. I also like the one between Lady Phoebe and her maid, Eva. The mystery kept me guessing and like all cozy's everything worked out in the end. I also like that the characters travel around so that not all the murders happen in one location.

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

The Renshaw siblings are into intrigue again in the latest installment in the Lady and Lady’s Maid mystery series. A Sinister Service comes out on Jan 21, 2021, and if you want to follow the Renshaws into another cozy mystery with an unexpected ending, you won’t be disappointed with this book. My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advanced copy!

Lady Julia, Lady Amelia, Lady Phoebe, and Lord Fox are on a mission to buy their grandparents a set of anniversary china from a well-known company. While they’re picking out their patterns, a tragedy arises in the form of the murder of one of the owners of the company, and the father of one of Fox’s old school friends. When the police pick out the son as the likeliest suspect for his father’s murder, and appear to stop investigating in favor of his arrest, Lady Phoebe and her loyal maid, Eva, set to work trying to clear an innocent boy. The trip is not without its domestic squabbles, as well, as the siblings are staying at Lady Julia’s husband’s property – along with those that may inherit his estate, dependent on the gender of Lady Julia’s unborn baby.

While the Lady and Lady’s Maid mystery series can get a little tacky (mostly in the attitudes the characters show towards each other), it is a comforting and cozy series that won’t get readers’ heart rates up. It could, if it wanted to, but Maxwell writes in a true Cozy fashion where nothing is too explicit and most things are softly stated. For me, it’s one of those series that isn’t my favorite (I like intensity), but that I enjoy picking up and reading when I’ve just read a few tense books in a row. It’s nice knowing that everything is going to turn out to be okay for the Renshaws and that (apparently) murders don’t affect them emotionally.

One thing that I may have noted before about this series is that Lady Phoebe and Eva’s attitudes can grate on me a little bit after a while. Phoebe is generally kindhearted, and cares about her siblings, but she tends to order them about and try to be their mother, which annoys me. She has that attitude because her father charged her with looking after the family during the war (and after, as he never came home) and she really took that to heart. Little does she seem to realize that a. Her siblings are people with brains and are capable of change b. Her attitude of feeling responsible due to her father’s command is a psychological issue (that I don’t think is) likely to get resolved. Phoebe’s self-righteousness gets a little old and I wish she would treat her siblings more like siblings than charges in her care.

Eva’s attitude towards Phoebe and her sisters is just over-the-top, for me. In any moment of peril, she’s ready to sacrifice herself so they might survive, and is outraged to the point of fury when they’re not addressed as their titles command. It’s this extreme that I don’t understand – there’s being fond of, proud of, and caring for your employers, but it’s a whole other thing to sacrifice yourself for them. Eva is determined not to marry until her ladies don’t need her anymore, and it just seems to me that she’s too smart (think of all the mysteries she’s helped solve) to live her life for someone else all the time.

I think both Eva’s and Phoebe’s attitudes really stood out in this book, for whatever reason, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the read. It was relaxing, engaging, and I definitely didn’t see the end coming. It also had enough of the personal drama woven into the plot that readers received a well-rounded book about the Renshaws. I am eager to read the next book to see whether Julia’s baby will be a boy or a girl, the drama that unfolds from that, and what the siblings will get into next.

It was so nice to become reacquainted with the Renshaw siblings and their lady’s maids, Eva and Hetta. Julia, the eldest daughter, now seven months pregnant, has become just a bit less prickly but a definitely a force with which to be reckoned. Phoebe hasn’t changed much, still as determined to right all wrongs in her line of vision and to tackle whatever is amiss. Amelia has grown into a sensitive, concerned and eloquent young woman. Fifteen year old Fox is settling into his future as a major player as the heir apparent of Foxwood Hall.

It’s is November 1920 and they are off to the small town of Langston which is in the county of Staffordshire which is known for its fine china. Their goal is to order a new set of china for their grandparents as an anniversary gift. It appears to be a rather pedestrian outing to the Crown Lily China Factory until it all goes wrong and a murderer crosses their path. Besides a murder, there is an ongoing underlying tension concerning the sex of Julia’s unborn child and whether it will allow her to inherit her late husband’s estate. So, there is a murderer, a gaggle of nasty marital relatives and loads of plotting and planning and mystery abounds.

Alyssa Maxwell always gets it just right and when I have turned the last page I am smiling, thankful for the time I have spent with her characters and hoping for the next installment sooner rather than later.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp.

It is always a pleasure to check in with the Renshaw siblings. Their characters continue to evolve with the times and the circumstances as they mature. The three sisters and little brother have embarked on a road trip to pick out a new china service for their grandparents' anniversary. Optimism abounds at the thought they can all agree on a shape and pattern. Eva, friend and lady's maid, is also there along with Lady Julia's lady's maid Hetta. Their good cheer disappears when the china factory's chief designer is killed and his son, Fox's school friend, is arrested for the murder. And to add to the upset, Lady Julia's estate is not ready to receive her as freeloading inlaws have waylaid the notice of her impending visit. It is a treat to watch the family pulling together to solve the problems.

3.5 stars

This is a readable, if implausible, series. Post WWI England is the setting, and the main characters are a family, particularly Lady Phoebe, and her maid Eva. We are asked to believe that the class barrier is mostly disregarded between these two. Clearly Eva is not comfortable with this despite her vast affection for Phoebe and her sisters.

The family is visiting the married family home of Lady Julia, Phoebe's pregnant widowed sister. The back story is complicated, and I believe this book would be fairly confusing to those who have not read earlier series entries.

There is animosity between Lady Julia and her late husband's family and great uncertainty as to anyone's future -- which depends on whether Julia gives birth to a son or daughter. In the meantime, the family goes to a local china manufacturer to find a gift for their grandparents. The factory has problems, which are highlighted when one of the principals is found gruesomely murdered. An immediate suspect is the victim's teenage son, who was a classmate at Eton of Julia and Phoebe's brother.

Lady Phoebe and Eva have previously become involved in investigations. Their not quite believable intrusion becomes dangerous as they get closer to unveiling the truth. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Who would have thought making fine bone china could be deadly. Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her sisters decide to purchase an anniversary set for their grandparents. When her sister Julia decides they need to visit the Crown Lily pottery plant, Phoebe knows better than to argue. When they arrive though there is an argument brewing and before long, someone is dead in a horribly gruesome manner. The police believe the resentful son of the victim is the murderer, but Phoebe's brother Fox knows that can't be true. He had been at Eton with Trent and knows he wouldn't have killed anyone. The police think otherwise and arrest the teenager. Phoebe and her maid Eva plunge into the investigation and discover many irregularities at Crown Lily nearly leading to their own deaths. An entertaining series.

I never knew the world of china making was such a cut throat world. These ladies seem to find chaos and murder wherever they go! I love it. They are a great team and becoming better and better at solving mysteries. But I do wonder how long it will be before Phoebe and Owen get to marry. And I’m dying to know about Julia’s baby! Please keep the stories coming.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “A Sinister Service.” All opinions are my own.

Who would have thought that something as simple as choosing a china pattern would lead to murder? Well, it does, in “A Sinister Service,” the latest in the post-WWI series written by Alyssa Maxwell featuring the Renshaw sisters, their brother Fox, and Eva Huntford, their maid, who helps out where and whenever she can.

The sisters are at a china factory choosing a design as an anniversary gift for their grandparents. Not simple for these folks; they’re arguing from the get-go on what that design should be. In addition, Phoebe, the eldest sister finds out that women aren’t allowed to be designers (this plays heavily in our plot). Tradition still reigns at Crown Lily China.

If this wasn’t enough, there’s the continuing family troubles involving Julia and her dead husband’s estate. She’s two months from having an heir. If it’s a boy, then the inheritance is secure. Otherwise… The dead man’s relatives are causing no end of trouble, and the stress is really wearing on Julia. Which makes her more disagreeable than ever. Phoebe bears this brunt of this, as usual.

Well, pretty soon the head designer’s dead, and the son, a friend of Fox, is suspected and arrested. Too bad the son’s dog can’t talk, but then the book would be over pretty quick. The Renshaws aren’t satisfied with what the police have decided (although someone should have mentioned getting a solicitor for the boy – author missed something there, I think). Time to find the real culprit. And here’s where Eva comes in, in a clever and inventive way, with Phoebe and her policeman friend (he'd like to be more than that, definitely) leading our investigative efforts. Have to give the author points for illustrating how things are slowly changing, how Phoebe considers Eva a friend, how the barriers between classes were coming down. Because women were considered “surplus” after the war, forced to make their own way, in a way that men were not. Changing this was a hard slog though, as we know from history. Still know.

Pretty soon there’s another dead body, and things get really serious for the sisters with a big rescue scene, but at least it reveals a murderer. And there’s changes afoot in the china business. Modernity has come at last it appears.

Then, there’s a puppy. But no baby. We’re still waiting for the blessed event. I for one definitely want to know what’s going to happen with Julia. I feel like she has become the center of these books, that her story is what is important, never mind the bodies strewn about. I must assume that Ms. Maxwell will satisfy my curiosity next time.

This was the first book by Alyssa Maxwell that I've had the pleasure of reading, and it won't be the last. Lady Phoebe and her maid join forces to investigate murders and are able to cover upstairs and downstairs society in their hunt for clues. The book captures the ambience of the post-WWI period and blends it with an interesting mystery. This is book six in an ongoing series, but it's not necessary to have read the preceding books to enjoy it (but I'm adding the earlier books to my TBR list now!).

This series is getting better and, most importantly, the rather unpleasant main characters are getting deeper and more sympathetic. There is still not enough development of the investigative relationship between Lady Phoebe and her maid Eva, as it is diluted with the constant dynamics from all the other family characters. Eva's dialogue doesn't ring true, being too sophisticated for an uneducated maid. In addition, the bulldog attitude of the maids (Lady Julia's and Phoebe's) is tiresome and a bit repulsive. More dimensionality is needed. However, Maxwell does a good job in forming interesting plots with fascinating settings and new characters. Readers will find plenty to enjoy in this story, particularlly, the setting of a famous porcelain factory, the making of china and its designing, and the horrific murder. The series has a lot going for it, and the gradual maturity of the characters is a decided plus.

The Phoebe Renshaw and her siblings are in Staffordshire to meet with designers at Crown Lily Pottery and discuss the potential purchase of a special tea service for their grandparents' upcoming anniversary. Phoebe’s brother Fox is surprised when he finds his friend Trent Cameron working at the pottery. Trent isn’t at all happy about it, since he was forced to leave school by his father, who is Crown Lily’s senior designer, and learn the pottery business from the ground up. When, the following day Mr. Cameron is murdered, Trent becomes the prime suspect and is arrested. The Renshaw’s are convinced of Trent’s innocence and Phoebe, along with Eve, her lady’s maid and partner in detection, sets out to prove it.

This is the sixth in Maxwell’s Lady and Lady’s Maid Mystery Series. I’ve read them all and enjoyed each and every one, and A Sinister Service is no exception. The mystery is extremely well plotted with an investigation that is intelligently done by amateur detectives Phoebe and Eva. And while there are only a few potential suspects, the true culprit remains hidden by some well-placed red herrings. Maxwell also does very well weaving in a great deal of fascinating information about the pottery industry in Staffordshire, and the continuing stories of Phoebe, Eva, and the Renshaw's, without overshadowing the main plot.

Another great read in what continues to be one of my favorite historical mystery series. I’m already looking forward to the next book.

Lady Phoebe and her maid Eve are once again involved in murder. While ordering a set of china for their grandparents, the 4 siblings become involved when a youth is accused of murdering his father, the head designer. Suspects abound, but how to prove that Trent is innocent? A nice addition to this series.

I enjoy Alyssa Maxwell's A Lady and Lady's Maid Mysteries very much and A Sinister Service did not disappoint! Lady Julia is still dealing with the family of her late husband while she waits for her baby to be born so the siblings take a trip to Staffordshire to buy an anniversary gift for their grandparents and check out one of Lady Julia's properties. The family dynamics are always interesting with the Renshaws and Eva is so good as their assistant sleuth. I look forward to the next one!

This series just gets better with every book!. I love the two main characters, Phoebe and Eva and both are clever and fun. Tightly plotted with witty dialog and the occasional twist and turn, this cozy does not disappoint. I learned a lot about the making of fine china/pottery and Scotland. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.