What a deliciously fun Victorian cozy mystery this sixth book in the "Countess of Harleigh Mystery" series was.

Our plucky protagonist, newlywed Frances Hazelton, (former Countess of Harleigh), has been requested to present to the Queen, the Devon country niece of an aging acquaintance, Lady Winstead. Frances embraces the task, heads off to the Ashley home to meet with Lady Winstead and her new charge, Miss Kate Stover. While taking tea, Lady Winstead collapses and is carried to her room. By all accounts, Lady Winstead's health has suffered tremendously in the few short months since her husband's death. Meanwhile, Frances' husband, George Hazelton, has been tasked with recovering Lord Winstead's expedition diary on behalf of the British Museum. The journal is to accompany the Egyptian collection which Lord Winstead had amassed on a number of expeditions. The new Lord Winstead had been hesitant to release it and recently found that it was stolen. By observation, Frances finds the behavior of all of Lady Winstead's stepchildren unsettling and it raises concerns regarding Lady Winstead's welfare. A sudden death occurs and Frances is soon on the case with George.

Author Dianne Freeman does a spectacular job of spinning a yarn replete with many red herrings, twists and turns. Her discussion of the pitfalls within polite society resulting in scandal is well laid out and based in historical fact. The double standard between the sexes of Victorian England as to what passes as acceptable behavior among aristocrats is well illustrated. The constrictions placed on polite society are also well described and most informative. Ms. Freeman's writing is engaging and well crafted, carrying the reader toward a satisfying conclusion of this twisted tale.

I am grateful to author Dianne Freeman and Kensington Publishing Corps. for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Pages: 304
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
ISBN: 978-1496731623

Dianne Freeman does it again! There is a reason I grab and binge when ever a Lady Harleigh mystery comes out. This one was really good - maybe one of my favorites. I thought for sure who the perpetrator was and of course I was wrong. Well done!

I just reviewed A Newlywed's Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman. #ANewlywedsGuidetoFortuneandMurder #NetGalley

Frances, Lady Harleigh and now Mrs. Hazelton, is an American living in London in the year 1900. She is a widow (although not very broken up about it) who is much happier in her second marriage to George Hazelton, a man who works for "the Home Office" in some unspecified job. Frances also has a young daughter Rose, from her first marriage. When Frances and Rose were still living out in the country (before the death of her first husband), they were on friendly terms with an elderly neighbor, Lady Winstead. This lady has also recently become widowed and moved to London. Frances is contacted to see if she will agree to "sponsor" Lady Winstead's niece, Kate, when she is presented to the queen. Frances arrives at Lady Winstead's home to meet Kate and is shocked at what she finds. The formerly energetic and acerbic Lady Winstead is now in a wheelchair and basically in a stupor. Her step-children, with whom she shares the house, seem unconcerned. They have hired a nurse to look after the elderly lady, but they seem curiously unmoved by her health. Kate eventually gets Frances alone and tells her that she is afraid someone in the house is poisoning her aunt. Thus Frances is thrown into a delicate investigation -- who would benefit from Lady Winstead's death? Is Kate really a devoted niece, or could she be the one who is eager for an inheritance? With everyone looking shady, it's up to Frances to hide in plain sight and get to the bottom of the mystery. There is an added mystery where Frances is also supposed to be searching the home of Lady Winstead for a diary left by her recently deceased husband. It was supposed to be donated to the British Museum, but it has gone missing and George has been tasked with investigating where it might have gone. Good think he has an "inside woman" who can snoop around the house when she's there on other business.

I enjoyed the setting and the characters. Kate could be a bit "uppity" in her dealings with Kate, the young lady she was supposed to be helping into society, but other than that, she was pleasant enough. It was an interesting time period, when both horses and cars were sharing the streets of London. A fun mystery with no unpleasant violence!

A Newlywed's Guide to Fortune and Murder is the sixth in the Countess of Harleigh cozy mystery series, set in London in 1900. In this story, the reader finds Frances, the Countess of Harleigh sponsoring the dowager Viscountess Winstead’s niece for presentation to Queen Victoria. The Viscountess has been out of sorts for some time, and Frances is certain someone is trying to poison the dowager. Add to that the disappearance of an important item related to a donation of Egyptian artifacts to a museum that is being investigated by George, the Countess’s spouse of two months.

The book is cleverly plotted with the usual broad array of potential suspects. As in the rest of the series, the delightfully witty relationship between Frances and George, the insight into Victorian conventions and social mores, not to mention the intrigue and mystery, enliven the series. I was interested to see just how frequently laudanum (a tincture of opium) was used to sedate and control women, particularly “inconvenient” women and how astoundingly rigid society in general was. This sixth in the series is as enjoyable a romantic mystery as the other five.

This is the 6th book in the Countess of Harleigh series and just like the others it did not disappoint. I love the characters and the setting. Dianne Freeman knows how to tell a story.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC!
I do love this series by Diane Freeman, her characters are very individual and well-deveoped. This book sees Frances trying to settle in to married life while trying to extricate her brother from a possible murder charge.
The author also explores the treatment of older relatives, and the reality of life for serving staff.
The puzzles are complicated, and you don't really know until the end who the guilty party is, which I really like in a mystery.
Characters from earlier in the series return too, like Frances' parents and her very quirky aunt.
Fans of historical cozy mysteries should enjoy. Good solid entry to this series.
(my only quibble is that the author doesn't solidly anchor the action in time with descriptions of settings, customs or clothing - pretty well the only real nod to the time period here is that one of the characters has a motor car)

Another amazing book in this series. As George and Francis are settling into married life, George receives a job from the British Museum to find a missing journal that was supposed to be included in the artifacts they received. Meanwhile Francis receives a request to prepare a young lady to be presented to the queen. Little do they know that their tasks will lead them to the same place. As Frances prepares to meet her charge for the first time another lady shows up and demands to go with her as she is friends with the Aunt of her charge and is concerned that something has happened to her as she has not been allowed to see her. What Frances finds is a hostile household and a woman who is in dire health and seems to be drugged. As Frances investigates she find there are too many suspects and no real way to weed them out.
This book as an absolute page turner. Great pace and a twist at the end that I did not see coming. A must read.

The sixth book in the series finds Frances agreeing to help a young woman with her debut in society. A fun story which dragged a bit in the middle but had a satisfying ending. Frances and George have a lovely relationship, and the author's details about life at this time -how the aristocracy lived, the role of women in society - are fascinating and informed.

A good cozy mystery set in the early 1900s England. Lots of intrigue and greed leads to poison and murder. Set in the manor houses with lots of characters and red herrings this was an enjoyable read. Would recommend.

A Newlywed's Guide to Fortune and Murder is the sixth book following the Countess of Harleigh solving a mystery. In this story the dowager Viscountess Winstead needs someone to sponsor her niece, Kate, for presentation to Queen Victoria. Obviously, Frances is the perfect person to do so. But it seems that someone is trying to poison the dowager, so mystery ensues. What follows is yet another delightful cosy mystery with a wonderful main character. This series also contains one of the very few romances I don't dislike. Frances and George are just great together and their banter actually works. The mystery itself is entertaining, though I did feel the story dragged a bit at times. Overall, this wasn't the strongest book in the series, but still a great read.

I have devoured this series in practically one swallow. It is such a fun series and Frances is a positive, smart character. In this book she finds herself on the same case as her husband George. Although he doesn't want to involve her, her status in society opens more doors then his. Lots of twists and turns and the reader is not sure who to believe. Looking forward to the next in the series.

With Dianne Freeman’s A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder, I was delighted to spend time in the world of the Countess of Harleigh once again. In the first of the series, A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder, we meet Frances Wynn, an American heiress who was married off into the British aristocracy with disastrous results. That novel, along with all five that followed, feature witty dialogue, mystery and intrigue, and insight into the social norms and conventions of the upper classes in Victorian England.

A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder takes place in 1900. Frances has been married to her second husband, George Hazelton, for two months. The repartee continues to sparkle between the two, but the newlyweds are finding some bumps along the way in merging their two households. In the midst of sorting out their domestic arrangements, they both are occupied with different tasks. George, who does “something” for the Home Office, often secretive in nature, is charged with investigating the disappearance of a valuable artifact. Frances is asked by an acquaintance to sponsor her niece for a presentation to the queen. Both of their obligations will intersect, and the couple will end up investigating a murder.

Along the way, the reader gets an absolute sense of what this era was like for women, both upstairs and downstairs. We meet Floradora girls, see how often laudanum was used to sedate and control women, and understand how rigid society was. Throw in aristocrats behaving badly, squabbles over money, and an Egyptologist or two, and the reader cannot help but be entertained and enlightened. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and eagerly await the next one.

I received an EARC from Netgalley and the publisher of this book, #6 in the series, and now I plan to start with #1because I enjoyed the characters so much and I want to see how Frances and George became a couple. The mystery was excellent and the author does a really good job of evoking the time period. This is a fun, cozy mystery and I will be looking forward to the next one, after I read 1 thru 5 of course.

This is a delightful series, and while this is a standalone book, I suggest starting at the beginning to experience the character development. The mystery is well crafted, but the witty characters make both this book and the whole series. I would have tightened up some of the dialogue in this one, but overall I enjoyed it.

This is the sixth installment in the Countess of Harleigh series. Frances is finally married and settling in with George. She’s been asked to help with the presentation of Lady Winstead’s niece. The first visit to meet Kate Stover she finds Lady Winstead unwell and unable to communicate. Then there is a murder. The entire household are suspects and Frances must find the murderer. I love this series. It’s cozy with a little romance. They are adorable and enjoyable. I can’t wait to see what happens next to Frances and George.

The latest in the entertaining Countess of Harleigh series does not disappoint. Newlyweds Frances and George Hazelton find themselves dealing with projects that bring them both in contact with the Ashley family, including Jonathan, Viscount Winstead; his stepmother, Lady Augusta Winstead, the dowager Viscountess; and Augusta’s niece, Katherine (Kate) Stover.

George is on assignment to the British Museum to recover a lost or stolen journal written by Jonathan’s recently deceased father, Peter, who was married to Augusta. Peter was a well known explorer and collector of Egyptian artifacts. His journal was willed to the museum along with other objects in his collection and the museum wants it to confirm the provenance of the collection. Frances has agreed to Lady Winstead’s request to help prepare her niece for presentation to the queen, the first step in Kate’s entrance to society.

When Frances goes to the Ashley home to meet Kate, she finds that Lady Winstead’s health has recently deteriorated significantly. The once formidable dowager seems frail and confused, and Kate is concerned that someone in the house is drugging her.

#ANewlywedsGuidetoFortuneandMurder is cleverly plotted with an assortment of possible suspects. As a potential heir to at least some of Augusta’s fortune, is Kate responsible for her aunt’s diminished health? Or is Jonathan, or another member of the Ashley family responsible for drugging Augusta enough to keep her addled but alive so that she can continue to support the household? Why is Peter’s journal missing, who took it and does its disappearance have anything to do with Augusta’s situation?

In addition to answering these intriguing questions, the story is enlivened by the warm and witty relationship between Frances and George as they navigate their status as newlyweds. This sixth installment is a welcome addition to a dependably enjoyable series.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for the ARC!

Loved the story! A great addition to the series! Suspenseful until the very end. A must read for historical fiction fans!

The Countess of Harleigh is back with new hubby George and I am so glad! I love the countess series. Francis is a strong woman who despite being a proper "lady" has a mind of her own along with a independent streak a mile long. She is not afraid to go against societies "proper eitquette rules when the need arises. I have loved every one of these books in the series and this one does not disappoint. Filled with the usual cast of delightful characters it is like coming home to friends when I open one of these books. George and Francis find themselves knee deep in a mystery before there honeymoon is even started, and of course they must investigate to the end.
I recommend to all historical mystery fans, Francis and George never fil to entertain.
Thank you to Kensington Books and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Diane Freeman’s A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder brings readers the sixth installment of the Countess of Harleigh series.
The entire series has been fantastic and the sixth book does not disappoint.
This time Lady Harleigh now Mrs. Frances Hazelton has been asked to prepare country lady Kate for her presentation to the Queen. However, Kate’s aunt, the dowager Viscountess Wingate, is not well at all. It seems as though someone might be poisoning her. Then there’s a murder….

A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder is fantastic. I’ll be honest. I worried that when Frances married George she would lose the leading lady role in the series. Wrong. Frances is a force to be reckoned with as she outsleuths her investigator husband and the police yet again. Frances and George are fantastic partners, but she is still the star of the show. The cast of repeat secondary characters help make the series even stronger.

Diane Freeman has delivered a strong female sleuth for the ages in this series that provides hours of reading fun.

This series is always on my must read list so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this when offered the chance. The mystery's always have great characters, a fast paced and interesting plot. Frances & George's ongoing romance adds to the story and I have enjoyed following their romance as it progresses. Loved it as always. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.