In another Beatrice Hyde-Clare mystery, the new Duchess works to solve amurder, this time accompanied by her cousin Flora, her husband Kesgrave, and Mr. Holcroft. Flying in the face of society writer Mr. Twaddle-Thum, “Her Outrageousness” Bea continues to thwart propriety and all the rules as the only lady Runner in London. Messina continues to bring Bea and her circle of friends and suspects to life, creating a dramatic mystery and adding nuance to Bea’s life as a married woman and a Duchess. Messina continues to successfully write her female characters in their respective historical periods, and her writing, syntax, and language choices keep the reader on their toes as Bea’s investigation progresses. While the ideal reader should already be familiar with the other Beatrice Hyde-Clare mysteries, a reader new to the series should be able to understand the characters and setting without prior knowledge. The story flows well, and the mystery keeps the reader looking for clues throughout the story. Messina’s familiarity with Bea and her writing style propel the plot forward, engaging the reader with a litany of clever characters and the strange death of a patriarch named Roger Dugmore.

This is an entertaining, if completely unbelievable, cozy mystery, with utterly ridiculous characters. The MC, Her Outrageousness, the Duchess of Kesgrave, reminds me a bit of Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell. The Duke and Duchess are a good couple, and while some of the over-the-top antics of the side characters were too much for me, I definitely like the MCs enough to want to go back to the beginning of the series to read their meet-cute. I’m guessing there’s a bit of snark in their meeting and courtship, and clever snark is my favorite thing. This is book 11 of the series, and the first I’ve read. It can be read as a standalone, clearly, but with all of the vague references to past events/cases, I would imagine reading the series in order makes for a richer experience.

In this continuing series, Beatrice Hyde-Clare and her husband, Duke of Kesgrave, are called to her cousins home. He wants Bea to clear his friend, Viscount Ripley, of murdering his grandfather. Ripley is overjoyed that the famous Duchess of Kesgrave will take on the case and set things right. At first it seems that it was an accident that caused Roger Dugmores death. But this time the Duke had noticed something amiss and because Bea had been distracted recently, had missed the obvious clue. And so the pair began in earnest to discover who in the Dugmore family wanted the grandfather dead.
A delightful historical cozy murder mystery with the return of the usual characters as well as everyone having secrets that are slowly revealed.
Thank you NetGalley and Potatoworks Press for this e-galley ARC of "An Extravagant Duplicity".

The Duchess comes through! With a little help from her friends!

A scintillating and baffling puzzle has Duchess Beatrice Hyde-Clare rather stumped and wondering just what’s happened. Roger Dunmore has been found dead on the floor of his bedroom. Seemingly he tripped and fell. His grandson, Viscount Ripley who aspires to social recognition figures if he can interest the Kesgraves in a possible murder, then this is the route to take. The stiir his murder would cause would mean Ripley might just have pulled off a social coup as he would then be mentioned by Mr. Twaddle-Thum.
Only it seems there’s more truth in his hazarded guess than first thought for Kesgrave has noticed a detail that had escaped Beatrice.
Meanwhile Beatrice is nursing a secret and is soulfully wondering if Kesgrave will curtail her investigations when she reveals it.
Flora is in high dudgeon over perceived slurs upon her capabilities as a certain Mr. Holcroft is the focus of her ire. Her determination to join the investigation is fully aroused.
Another fun read with our eccentric and unexpected Duchess.

A Book Whisperer ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher

Another great story from Lynn Messina!! I've been captivated by the adventures of Beatrice Hyde-Clare since the first book, and also love the spin-off series the author has started with the Lark's Tale.

In this book, we pick up fairly soon after the previous book ended; which is something interesting about this series in that all of the books take place within a relatively short period of time and not stretched out over years. This approach means that we can get to know Beatrice and Damian on an everyday level, and follow closely the immense changes Beatrice is going through as she continues to settle into her life as the Duchess of Kesgrave while also still solving murders. We can sense the uncertainty that Beatrice continues to feel in this new life, her hesitation to share her exciting news with her husband because of the further changes it will bring, but also the confidence that she gains in other areas, including dealing with her family. We also see the growing love Damian has for Beatrice, how well he understands her, believes in her, and just wants Beatrice to be Beatrice. It's lovely to see.

The murder mystery itself was done well, in my opinion, and did a good job of intertwining with Beatrice's life. Her mind caught up in other matters, she misses some clues until Damian points them out. As well, later on in the book, there is a lovely scene with the two of them when out investigating the murder, showing that while the solving the crime is important, so is nurturing and celebrating their love.
The clues for the crime were very subtly added in by the author, leaving a trail that once the murderer is identified, leaves the reader fully understanding how Beatrice arrived at the conclusion. It is always frustrating to me when a mystery book has a surprise conclusion for which a trail is not discernible in the book.

I'll continue to read this series, along with the spin-off and can only hope that Beatrice's and Damian's future adventures only see them happy and in love.

I was so excited to see a new addition to one of my favorite British Mystery series!! Yes, I am officially obsessed with with these and listen to audible on a lot of them- this being one so I hope to listen soon!

Bea is a delight and with her marriage to the Duke of Kesgrave, she finds herself in another murder mystery. What worries her is that she is in the family way and hopes he does not stop her in her investigative skills!!

Humor, mystery, wonderful characters and a page turning mystery that you don't want to end, because you know you will have to wait for the next installment by this amazing author!!!

I thank the author and The Book Whisperer for offering access to this ARC. This novel is #11 in the long-running Regency cozy series by Lynn Messina. Our heroine, the shy, charming Beatrice Hyde-Clare has settled into married life with the Duke of Kesgrave. She has made a name for herself with her unusual investigations into society murders.

The emphasis here is on a “cozy” detachment from the physical ugliness of this crime, first thought to be an accident. We spend much more time on Beatrice’s anxious internal monologues, which weave from her childhood trauma of losing her parents to her spinsterhood and ultimately her current extremely high status in the “ton” due to her marriage. She’s a worrier, which is charming at the beginning but I found myself losing patience as the story continued.

As Beatrice investigates the family of the dead man, the high-society male elites of London are portrayed as supremely silly, while the women chafe at their restrictions and lack of agency. The women are the center of this tale. The resolution of the crime was very sad to me, as the women were punished for their attempts to have a positive outcome. Okay, the murder was a bad thing. . . but he sure seemed to deserve it. We exit stage left with our heroine and her husband, before the ugly consequences for this family can be seen. Again, super cozy!

As a light Regency romance/mystery, this story succeeds as a comfortable, breezy read. Ms. Messina is a reliable storyteller and I will enjoy future installments. 3.5 stars.

The Duchess of Kesgrave, Beatrice is asked to investigate the suspcious death of a Viscount's grandfather in which he thinks his entire family thinks he caused. Bea and her spouse, the Duke of Kesgrave visit the deceased home on several occasions to interview the family members who each seemed to have a motive for murdering their grandfather. After listening to each family member's provide an alibi except the Viscount who asked her to investigate the incident, Bea and the Duke must determine who had a reason for doing away with their grandfather. This is my first Hyde Clare story by Ms Messina. I had a hard time following the storyline as she kept moving between Bea and her investigation and her cousin, Flora and her love interest, Mr. Holcroft. It is not my usual trope that I read but I would be interested in reading more from this author.

I received this story as an ARC from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving a review

This is my first read in the series, which made it a bit tough to jump into a continuing story. But it's no different than watching a TV series that has continuing storylines. The characters are well developed and fun. I loved the Cinderella dynamic between Beatrice and her cousins who used to look down on her as the family ward, until she married the Duke of Kesgrave. There's lots of reference to earlier stories in the series that introduced Beatrice as a smart, witty sleuth and helped me understand the continuing story. Ms. Messina packs her novels with lots of twists and turns, and I liked how she involved others (the Duke and Beatrice's cousin) in the storyline. I'm looking forward to going back and reading more of the earlier books now that I've been introduced to Ms. Messina and Beatrice.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Book Whisperer for the advance reader copy, I enjoyed reading this: three and half stars as a stand-alone, maybe more if I'd read the series from the beginning.

This series is such fun and An Extravagant Duplicity is a wonderful addition. Beatrice, Duchess of Kesgrave has settled into her marriage and huge change in circumstances to nobility from a orphaned poor relation and 26 year old spinster. She’s smart, insightful and funny….and Damian, the Duke adores her for all of it. Oddly, Bea continues to be drawn into murder investigations that currently make her the darling of the ton and the subject of fascination of a tabloid columnist. This time, she’s asked to exonerate Lord Ripley from his family’s accusations that he killed his grandfather. Ripley is a self centered dandy who wants attention and publicity and thinks Bea’s investigation will give him both. The rest of his family don’t really see him as a murderer because they think their grandfather simply fell from bed and hit is head….death by natural causes. Unfortunately, for Ripley, his aunt and his cousins, Bea’s investigation identifies a murder and the murderer. To complicate matters, Bea is pregnant and is worried the her husband will curtail her activities once he finds out. Will her way of life change forever, will her marriage suffer, will she be a good mother. All these self doubts plague her as she, once again, solves a case.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Book Whisperer for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
When I requested this book, I did not realize it was part of a series. I went back and read book 1 so I could become more familiar with the characters. Then it was on to number 11 (this book). I really enjoyed both and plan to read all the books in between. This series is a Regency Mystery series about Beatrice Hyde-Claire. In this book, she is solicited by the grandson of Mr. Roger Dugmore to solve a mystery. Mr. Dugmore has died, and some people in the family believe the grandson did it. Along the way there is several twists and turns, as well as some family news. Highly recommend for all mystery readers!

I'm back, Bea. I'm back! This book reminded me why I loved this series in the first place. I abandoned Bea after book 8 and this is book 11, so I have missed a couple of adventures which I DO already own and will now go back to read.

I was happy to see where Bea & Kesgrave were in their marriage (Bea is expecting their first child and has to tell her husband and decide if she wants to continue sleuthing). Plus, her cousin Flora (who ROCKED book #7) and HER love interest Holcroft are "on a break" which, since I missed the previous books, is even more intriguing because now, like Flora, I have no idea what's going on with him. I ship those two SO HARD.

The mystery revolves around the mysterious death of a patriarch of the ton. He falls and hits his head on a table.... or did he?! IDK, I didn't care, it's pretty lame. I'm gonna be honest, I skimmed a lot of it. The characters involved were annoying and It's not the reason I read the book. My reason is definitely the romance, the comedy, the teamwork and the greater story arch. If Bea & Kesgrave or Flora & Holcroft aren't hashing out their feelings, my mind checks out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Potatoworks Press for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “An Extravagant Duplicity.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Her career is over. So the Duchess of Kesgrave thinks, in “An Extravagant Duplicity,” the latest in the Beatrice Hyde-Clare series of historical mysteries by Lynn Messina. Because she’s a few months away from having a “cherub,” as she calls her pending pregnancy. Such an event will mean the duke will put a halt to all her detecting activities. And beset as she is with worrying about this, she misses the clue that the duke sees -- that a man has indeed been murdered.

You would think that this would be a satisfactory investigation. There’s plenty of suspects, for instance (a whole bunch of unlikeable characters, none of which I cared about one whit.) It was because the book was so taken up with spending an inordinate amount of time going on about family matters; not just the pregnancy, but there’s cousin Flo and her love life to worry about, too. And if I had to hear one more time about a certain gossip columnist, well, let me just say that all of that was tedious in the extreme, and detracted from what was actually a finely drawn murder enquiry. And never mind the heavy hints over the actual identity of that columnist, and whether “he” actually exists. At this point, I don’t even care.

Bea and her duke come up with the reason -- and the perpetrator -- why a family patriarch had to die, of course. “Actions have consequences,” as the author reminds an unhappy family -- and us readers.

Ms. Messina’s understanding of the time period is exemplary, as always. But this entry in the series was disappointing to me, too full of folderol. I found the circumstances of the “case” rather saddening, and at the end just wanted the whole thing over, although we do get one plot point to be happy about, at least. Hopefully the next book in the series will pick up the pace a bit.

I have to start by saying I am completely new to this author, and did not even realize this was a part of a series until I had started reading, so my review may be colored by my unawareness. That said, here goes!

This is not a book to be binged. It is not a book where you start reading as a nightcap and then stay awake past your bedtime to cram it in. No, this is a book that has to be read slowly - and savored - because every sentence in this book is pure gold and worthy of full concentration. Obviously, it is hilarious, and enjoyable and so, so fun!

I grew up reading mystery books but have veered away from the genre for a while. This book reminded me just how much I adore typical whodunits. This book has all the best parts of a mystery book, mixed in with my current favorite - historical romance plus a little of the all-time favorite- humor! And just when I was beginning to think the book is solely light hearted fun, there is a touch of angst, which serves to give an added depth to both characters and plot. Very nicely done!

Bea is an amazing character, and sometimes the duke felt very insipid next to her (this may be a consequence of my not having read the previous books).

My only little issue was that at places, it started feeling a little too repetitive. Otherwise, in terms of plot, humor, prose, characters - it is top-notch!! Most importantly, I seem to have found a new series and new author to love, and I am very excited to read some other books by Lynn Messina!

My thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the authors for a chance to read this wonderful book!

As usual, this author has provided us with an entertaining and well-crafted read. Our murderer is among an insanely dysfunctional family that will almost remind you of the old Keystone Cops movies. When you add Bea’s wild and wooly family into the mix, you have a recipe for total and utter chaos – along with some witty and humorous banter. As always, we have a lot of Bea’s internal dialogue to know what she is really thinking – and most of that internal dialogue centers around the fact that she is expecting a ‘cherub’ and is afraid she’s going to have to curtail her investigating. Oh! My! I sure do hope that isn’t the author actually thinking of ending the series.

Roger Dugmore, a man who is old and feeble, died when he was trying to get out of bed, fell, and hit his head on a table. Or is that what happened? You’ll know for sure after Bea and Kesgrave finish their investigation. Dugmore’s grandson, Viscount Ripley, asked for their help – mostly as a lark. You see, Ripley is very young, very naïve, very immature, and very determined to come to the notice of Mr. Twaddle Thum so he can be featured in his gossip column.

Bea is distracted by the news that she is 'with child' and initially misses an important clue. Thus, she believes this really is just a horrible accident – until Kesgrave shares what he has noticed. So, murder it is, and there are plenty of suspects with several grown grandchildren and a daughter all living in the home.

As the investigation progresses, they learn that grampa wasn’t the nicest of men. He ruled his family with an iron hand and had no compunction about blackmailing or otherwise coercing his own family into doing his bidding. With so many suspects and alibis floating around it seems almost impossible to find the solution. But, of course, they do.

While murder is a serious subject, the author always manages to slip in plenty of wit and humor along with side stories to make the darker topic more tolerable. As always, this story was rife with Americanisms – just in case you needed to know that. The characters are engaging and fun, and the side stories keep it really interesting. Again, as always, there is a lot of self-dialogue on Bea’s part – sometimes that causes me to skip some paragraphs – sometimes it doesn’t. At any rate, it is an enjoyable read and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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

This book was just okay for me. I would definitely not recommend jumping into the series here. The beginning was confusing and difficult to follow, especially as characters were introduced. The dialogue in the book felt very clunky and unnatural.
The mystery itself was fine and I did enjoy some of the discussion on how women were viewed within this time period.
Ultimately I am not going to purchase this book for my store. I think this book may only be enjoyed by people who have been following the series from the beginning.

When I say I was excited to receive an ARC of this book.. I mean that I checked daily for it on NetGalley. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have read all of the Beatrice Hyde Clare books and loved every single one. There's just something about a Regency cozy. Particularly this series features a smattering of clever ladies and of course, the Duke of Kesgrave.

When the Duchess of Kesgrave has a murder handed to her by her cousin, Russell, she investigates quickly and discovers it was just an accident. Upon a reexamination of the facts, she uncovers a much more sordid set of family squabbles than she'd first bargained for. At the same time, Bea is trying to find the right moment to tell the Duke that she's with child.

A stand-out book in a series that I love. Would recommend to anyone who loves regency cozies.

What a charming and delightful Regency period mystery this is. Although it is the eleventh installment in the Beatrice Hyde-Clare novels by gifted writer, Lynn Messina, I did not find myself asea trying to track the characters and the cumulative story. There was sufficient background provided, that one could leap into this book with both feet and not miss a step. There are a few enticing references to scenarios from previous installments which only make the desire stronger to go back to the beginning and get the full story and all its developments.

From page one, the story read like a Mozart comic opera - absolute shear farce! But after a few chapters, the gravity of the situation begins to take shape. It would appear that a murder has taken place after all, and the Duchess of Kesgrave will do whatever it takes to sort the clues and deliver her assessment as requested. Although many of of the character are far from perfect, their flaws reveal their humanity resulting in this reader's empathy for the characters and a touch of sorrow for the situations in which they find themselves. The moral messages threaded throughout the book give one cause to ponder.

Ms. Messina has done a terrific job of capturing the social mores of the aristocratic class of Regency England. She pokes a bit of fun at all the rules by which one must live one's life. She also brings to light the struggles which women particularly faced back in those days and the social constrictures placed upon them. Heaven forbid that they should step out of line. Any such action will only land them in the tattle sheets of the local newspaper - as well they do in this story.

Ms. Messina's writing is clear and concise. The mise-en-scène is spot on. The mystery proffers a number of red herrings with any number of the characters having a motive for the murder. This was certainly an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more by this fine writer.

I am grateful to Ms. Messina and her publisher, Potatoworks Press, for having provided a complimentary advance reader copy (ARC) of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

An Extravagant Duplicity is full of witty dialogue. It is less of a mystery than I realized, and more of a drama filled with back-and-forth of the characters. I think I really missed a lot and had a hard time getting into the book because it is part of a series and I jumped in too late to understand who the characters were at the beginning. However, it is a lovely book overall and I would recommend starting earlier in the series to get your bearings and then you can relax and enjoy the characters.

An Extravagant Duplicity is the 11th book in the Beatrice Hyde-Clare series by Lynn Messina. This instalment is based around both Bea having to investigate a new case: Roger Dugmore seems to have been killed in his sleep, is the killer his grandson? Is there another killer to be found? Or did Roger simply die of natural causes? Whilst Bea is investigation though she is also dealing with her own personal troubles based around her identity and also about having a child.

When I was offered the book by the publisher I didn’t know that this was part of a series; therefore in the first part of the book I had to catch up with who was who and the relationships between the characters, although I was quite lost and didn't fully grasp everything (such as references to previous books so I was slightly confused in some parts). However the book as a whole was well written and there was lots of twists and turns. I also enjoyed that Bea is a strong female character but is also presented as having troubles and worries, and this is normal. This allowed me to connect more with the main characters and the story and I enjoyed the mystery elements involved.

Personally, I don't think you can read this book as a stand-alone and I would recommend reading from the beginning of the series. I also think when I read from the beginning I will enjoy the story much more as everything apart from being confused about the characters worked perfectly.