A Plethora Of Motives…
The ninth in the Lady Hardcastle series of mysteries finds our protagonist enjoying a birthday treat at the theatre. Surely all will go well in such tranquil surroundings? Not so, as tragedy is about to strike. After all, what would Lady H do without a murder or two - and what could really be a better treat for a Lady’s birthday? Can the killer be caught? With a plethora of motives and alibis the game is afoot. Enter Inspector Sunderland ready to take the centre stage - and the glory. Another delightful and enjoyable entry in this engaging, long running series.

Lady Emily Hardcastle and her companion, Florence Armstrong were celebrating Lady Hardcastle's birthday with their Bristol friends at the Duke's Theatre. But when the second act started, one of the actors was found dead. Since Inspector Sunderland was on the scene, he started the investigation but was assigned another case and so asked Lady Hardcastle and Flo to keep him up to date on the case. And so the two infiltrate the theatre company and start to piece together what happened. In the meantime another murder takes place and then Flo's twin sister, Gwen comes to visit and is pulled into their investigations.
Another enjoyable cozy mystery in this series with their snappy dialogue and the behind-the-scene look at the goings on in a theatre company.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-galley of "An Act of Foul Play".

Another fabulous mystery featuring Lady Emily Hardcstle and Flo Anderson. The crimes are always good but the relationship between these two is the best. This story adds in Flo's sister Gwen and is terrific.

Another fast-moving and comic romp with Lady Hardcastle and ostensible maid Flo (this time, joined by Flo's twin sister). I came across this series on Kindle during the pandemic and quickly read all installments. The series is clever, breezy, and entertaining. Though the crime-solving duo has a somewhat improbable history, egalitarian relationship, and skill set, and their village and its surrounds have an uncommonly high murder rate (a la Cabot Cove), you will be too amused to dwell on the details. This book can easily be read as a standalone, but reading the full series is a delight.

I’m always thrilled when author T.E. Kinsey returns with another fun and funny cozy featuring Emily, Lady Hardcastle, and her sassy maid and sidekick Florence Armstrong. I love the spin-off Dizzy Heights series, as well, but there’s nothing like the originals Emily and Flo!

In this ninth entry in the series, the indomitable duo are at a Bristol theater when the curtain opens on the second act only to reveal the leading man, dead with a knife in him. Yikes! Of course, the pair ending up investigating, and there are plenty of surprises along the way — including a revelation about Flo’s family that I won’t reveal. The motive for the murder is a bit off, but I loved the novel anyway.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Emily and Flo solve the murder of an actor - that happens while they are in the audience - in the latest cozy mystery in the series. Witty dialogue, clever but not overly complicated plot, and if you have read the earlier books in the series, like meeting old friends again. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Amazon Publishing UK and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


A wonderful cozy mystery that fans off the genre will enjoy.

T E Kinsey has written another winner in the Lady Hardcastle series. The story starts with a celebratory trip to enjoy an evening of theatre and dinner for the birthday of Lady Hardcastle. However, the evening is marred by the murder of one of the actors. While, Inspector Sunderland is in the Lady's party, he does not get assigned to this case. Sadly Inspector Wyatt is assigned and begins bungling the case immediately. However, Lady Hardcastle and her trusty "tiny servant," Florence go undercover to see that justice is served. Or that is what they are hoping for. Will this be the last in the series? Will one of our protagonists finally be caught out by a killer?

I found the book highly entertaining - and for me, very appropriate as I read it will preparing to be in a play. The scene is set so well and the actors are characterized quite well. The story kept me interested from the very beginning, as have all of Kinsey's books that I have read. If you love a cosy mystery, I feel certain that you will enjoy this book.

Another great entry in the Lady Hardcastle Mystery series, it's great that this series is still going strong nine books in. It still felt fresh and had a interesting mystery going on. The characters were spot on and I enjoyed trying to solve this mystery with them. I enjoyed the way T E Kinsey wrote this, and I was hooked from the first page.

‘Until I’m able to take charge of the case, you mean?’ said the inspector as he tucked eagerly into the lavish breakfast. ‘That’s the main reason for my visit, actually. I was hoping you might do what you do best and continue to poke your noses in for me. See what you can find out before I swoop in and take all the glory.’

Did not enjoy this one. Uninteresting stock characters prattling on about this and that. A very interesting premise for a murder—an actor found stabbed on stage—gets lost in discussions of buns, the suffragette movement and household accounts

I chose this book because I typically enjoy cosy mysteries, and the Lady Hardcastle mysteries had been recommended to me previously by some other readers.

I enjoyed this book. It was a light-hearted cosy mystery story, and I found the characters quirky and amusing, as well as a little bit eccentric, perhaps. It didn't take too long to read, and the storyline held my interest.

I think it would have been preferable to read the other books in the series prior to this one, because if I had, I might be more familiar with the characters, and of course, if you read a series, it makes sense to start at the beginning. Having said that, I would be interested in reading more of the books in this series.

This is the first cozy mystery I've ever read, so I had very little idea of what to expect going into it. As a result, my review will probably be more helpful to other people who, like me, aren't familiar with the Lady Hardcastle series and are curious to know if it's the right choice for them.

I liked the period setting of the story. The two amateur sleuths of the story, Lady Hardcastle and her maid Florence Armstrong, live a very characteristic English life. A significant portion of the book was dedicated to their everyday activities unrelated to the murder mystery itself: dinners, afternoon teas, hanging out with friends, etc. It helped to set the "cozy" atmosphere, and if that's something you like, I think you'll enjoy the book quite thoroughly as that style is consistent from beginning to end.

For me, however, I was not expecting that in a murder mystery at all. It just feels too "normal" to me. I struggled with the fact that there was absolutely no tension in this story -- a murder happened, yet no one seemed troubled by it. No fear, surprise, or worry whatsoever. The main characters' only reaction to the murder(s) appears to be: oh, how interesting, let's poke our noses in it! In fact, they seem so unbothered by this that over half of the book is actually focused on their typical daily lives, instead of the murder-solving. I mean, I get it, these people are used to seeing murders, but I suppose this is where the concept of "cozy mystery" gets me. Does no one else find it strange that a murder can be treated in such a lighthearted and carefree way?

The solving part of the mystery also felt very amateur to me. Yes, I get it again, they <i>are</i> amateurs sleuths. But the investigation still seemed too easy even for that. Everyone was trusted to be telling the truth, and all the evidence was in plain sight. One just had to actually see it. Maybe this is also typical for cozy mystery... I just found it too convenient for my taste, and in a way, it makes the whole story seem very staged.

Once again, I admit that cozy mystery is new to me. Given my lack of familiarity with the genre, I'm not going to hold these letdowns against this particular book, though I do feel like the whole thing could've been more natural to read if it wasn't a murder. Something more mild, like a betrayal or loss of memory in a typical domestic suspense, would work better with a laid-back atmosphere like this.