A Novel Disguise is the first in A Lady Librarian Mystery series by Samantha Larsen!

We follow Miss Tiffany Woodall who has just buried her half brother in the yard. She didn’t kill him! But she can’t let anyone know he’s dead because what would become of her life? So what was she to do other than to assume Uriah’s identity and work as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian. While Tiffany is at Astwell Palace, a maid ends up dying in what seems to be the same way Uriah does. It’s up to Tiffany to figure out if it is murder! And who in the world would’ve murdered Uriah? And what are they thinking seeing “him” alive!?

This was such a fun story and I CANNOT wait for the next installment! I was lucky enough to read and early eARC and listen to an early recording of this story and I hope to continue series in audio format. The narrator was amazing!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me and early ARC and audio recording of this story! As always, all opinions are my own!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Crooked Lane Publishing for giving me an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Listen, I'm a simple person with messy taste. Romance book with a lot happening? Girl cross-dressing for a noble cause? Cozy mystery? I love all of these individually but when it's all together, I'm signing up.

This book didn't disappoint! I really enjoyed this book. Larsen has a gift at balancing Tiffany's struggles and the murder mystery. I never really felt like Larsen spent too much time on one or the other. It did feel a little tedious whenever she described the more mundane things of Tiffany's day like baking or the decor but if she had cut that out, the book would have felt too rushed. I enjoyed our key players and hope that some of the staff will return in future books.


I listened to this on audiobook so shout out to Marni Penning. She did a great job capturing Tiffany's complex emotions and in making the town Rector the grossest man on the planet. It really made me think of Burn Gorman in Bleak House and even Alun Armstrong at his most loathsome. I also appreciated the more subtle way they changed Samir's and Thomas' accents as they're the two POCs characters. It sets them apart without making it too othering or distracting.


It does get a little too "Not all white people" for me? Tiffany was always aware of the world's injustices towards the marginalized (As she's a spinster in the 1700s, living under her brother's thumb). However, her love interest is Indian-English and the prime suspect in the case is an African valet and as the book progresses, she laments and even apologizes for the cruelty of the world. It feels a little hamfisted. Still, I appreciate how she notes how the world really sucks for anyone not a Cis/Het white man, and doesn't make it a competition.


At the end, it does feel like it has a little too much, probably so Larsen can establish the needed characters for her next book. I think the book suffered a little from that and I wish she would have used that time. I also need to address something about one of the characters. I'll hide it so if you don't want to see, you won't. That said.....


</spoiler> SPOILER: Thomas who was an enslaved child who was then purchased by a wealthy white woman. It's eventually revealed that he's her adopted son and they have a loving relationship.

I mention this because unfortunately, history is full of BIPOC children taken from their homes and stripped of their culture under the guise of having "Better lives" when in reality, they were treated no better than animals. It's hard to remember that history when reading this plotline about this one nice white woman. Not when I remember just how many children weren't as fortunate.

I didn't personally mind this storyline. I feel like this was a good way of adding diversity to the book while adding to the mystery itself. I also appreciated that Larsen didn't wave off the cruelty and injustice Thomas would endure as an African man. Thomas is also his own person and not just an Emotional Support BIPOC person to prop up Tiffany.

That said, as a Black woman, I felt the need to talk about this and warn BIPOC readers who might be triggered by this. I also felt like ignoring this would be dishonest. I'm not saying it's badly done but even Michelin-starred meals with peanuts in it still need to warn folks with peanut allergies, you know?</spoiler>

Overall, I give 4 stars. It was a fun cozy mystery that balanced the personal and the mystery stuff well, even when it was handling a LOT of spinning plates. I look forward to the next book.


TW: Vomit, descriptions of dead bodies, racism, formally enslaved person as a child, classism, xenophobia, sexism, brief violence, brief discussion of infertility, shaming women, murder, brief mention of child abuse

I love the era, the murder mystery and the character switch. It made for a fun and interesting read.

However, the book kind of evolved into a political piece on racism and feminism. I think that was interesting to read about since it was definitely present at that time, but it kind of drowned out the original plot. I was kind of looking for a cozy murder mystery, not one with an agenda.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A Novel Disguise does not disappoint!

Though I missed my window to download via NetGalley, I found this on Hoopla and listened there the next day. Tiffany Woodall is a spinster who lives with her half-brother Uriah when Uriah dies suddenly in the night, to avoid losing her home and being destitute, Tiffany decides to dress as her brother whos he shares a remarkable resemblance too! She takes over his job as the Duke of Beaufort's librarian.

The hardest believable aspect of this novel for me was how easily Tiffany could seemingly be Uriah, but it is explained and developed in the book. I have recently developed a strong love of historical mysteries and as a "book person" this was a delightful book! I listed on audio and the narrator, Marni Penning, was fantastic as well!

I was delighted when I first read this book and I found the audiobook even more delightful! Tiffany was a mature, no-nonsense character, and it was fun to follow her through the story. She made the best decision she thought she could in her situation. I also enjoyed that she made mistakes as she put her clues together.

If there was one thing that I didn’t like was that I found it difficult to place the time period. The summary tells us this is in the late 1700’s, and descriptions of face powdering, powdering the hair, wigs, and patches on the face confirm this. But then we are also treated to scenes of Tiffany being laced tightly in a corset and feeling it difficult to breathe. Corsets of the time (stays) were not made in a way where that was possible. So I found this a bit frustrating and confusing.

The narrator brought each character to life brilliantly. I especially loved how she was able to voice men’s characters and make them distinct from Tiffany speaking as a ‘man.’

Overall, this was a fun beginning to a series and I would recommend it to readers looking for a historical mystery series. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.

Enjoyable mystery with unusual twists and turns. Tiffany is a relatable heroine constrained by society but uses her wits to piece together the mystery surrounding the untimely death of her half-brother and a ladies maid. The narrator is excellent and the story fun and engaging!!

3.5 stars rounded up

This book was a first for me: I’ve never listened to a regency, cozy mystery before!

I am a fan of regency stories despite the many problematic social outlooks of the time. There is something almost mystical about experiencing a story set in grand houses, with over-the-top clothing, manners, etc. In addition, I have a great appreciation for modern authors who write regency historical fiction and try to infuse some inclusivity into their tales. One author of which is Samantha Larsen, the writer of A Novel Disguise.

As mentioned, A Novel Disguise was different for me. This was a creative tale, and set within the timeframe, the stretch of a woman dressing passing as a specific man seem more plausible (though truth be told, still felt like a pretty lengthy stretch).

Because of this aspect of believability and some other minor issues, I thought this audiobook was good, not great. It felt like a lot of the characters ignoring obvious happenings to advance the story and a lot of unrealistic expectations of regency behavior when it is all said and done. The voice actor did a superb job, though!

If you like cozy mysteries or regency set adventures with some very light romance in the background, this is a unique one to try.

Well that started very gruesomely, with a messy death and backyard burial, setting the tone for whatever mess Tiffany was going to find herself in with the rest of the book!
I have read all the author's YA historical fiction novels and adore them completely so I was very excited to read her new adult historical fiction. I will say that I was expecting more mystery and less focus on romance when I started the story, but the two blended nicely to create a well rounded story.

Overall I found this to be a solid historical mystery with the characters as the stars of the book themselves. I was a little miffed with how the book ended since I was hoping for more (cough cough, a certain romance I was rooting for!), but I learned that this was a first in a series so that gives me hope that I can see what more will play out for this cast of characters in the future.

Miss Tiffany Woodall buried her half-brother in the backyard to maintain her cottage even though she didn’t murder him. The confirmed spinster now has to act as Uriah, the half-brother so as to not lose the house and earn some money.
Tiffany soon discovers that her secret isn’t the only one kept behind these walls when a body of a servant is discovered, died in a similar way as Uriah and another person develops an unexplained illness.

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun read, Tiffany is such a fun character to follow. I would highly recommend for a historical mystery.

When Tiffany finds her half brother dead in his bed she feels she has no choice but to impersonate him in order to keep her home.

She soon comes to realise his death was not natural and he was in fact murdered. Will she be able to catch the poisoner before they catch her?

A wonderful book set in regency era England. A time when women had no rights and were the property of their husband. I really liked Tiffany. A strong female lead who knows her own mind and is not afraid to show it.

It was fairly easy to work out the killer but the book keeps you gripped enough to keep you interested to the end.

This was a fun and fast paced Regency cozy mystery. I enjoyed the story and the twists and turns. I found the narrator easy to listen to and engaging. This is a fun and quick beach read or listen.

This was an engaging and entertaining historical cozy mystery that kept me guessing and wondering right along with the main character Tiffany. I enjoyed listening to the audio version of the book. The story was imaginative and I liked the setting and time period the author chose to set this cozy mystery in. While earlier than the Regency era, it brought out elements with the British Aristocracy that Regency readers often enjoy. There were a few elements that felt a bit before their time in a historical setting as far as content, but I think the author was trying to make a point with her choices. The narration was really easy to listen to and I was able to listen and follow along without issue.
If you are looking for a fun historical mystery and romp, I would recommend picking this up.
I received an advance listening copy from Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fun debut historical mystery with hi-jinxs, humor and a heroine who is determined to take charge of her life, but in an appropriate--if pretending to be your half-brother can be appropriate --for the time period way. In 1784, Tiffany Woodall, 40-year-old spinster, is dependent on her miserly half-brother for support and keeps house for him as he works as the librarian for Duke of Beaufort. One morning she discovers him dead in his bed. Determined not to lose the house over her head and the only place that has seemed liked home in a long time, she takes on the disguise of her dead brother. Of course mayhem follows. She must figure out a job she has no idea of how to perform; keep the local vicar from trapping her real self into marriage and find out who is poisoning people. And if she is discovered, she just might lose more than the house over her head....

The beginning is a bit slow but the set up requires some time. The mystery is good with historical details that let's you step back in time and place. The story really shines in the humor and the heroine. May Tiffany live long as a lady librarian.

The narrator does a good job. The delivery was lively.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC of this book. It was so fast paced and fun. I am thrilled that this is going to have a sequel. What a great, new heroine. Tiffany makes some terrible choices, but that is to be expected. She hasn’t had the chance to live yet. I love the commentary on race, age, gender, and faith.

The narration was excellent. What a great command of a HUGE cast of characters.

When Miss Tiffany Woodall assumes the identity of her half-brother after his death she has lots of problems to contend with and a murder to solve. This story kept me intrigued, there was a few annoying parts when she made some terrible choices. But I loved the story and how they incorporated women's rights, humor, romance and historical England. I would recommend this to anyone who likes historical fiction.

I actually really enjoyed this novel. I felt the mystery in this book was very light and integrated into the story well, which I prefer. There was no flag-waving to indicate this is a mystery. I find that other similar books end up overcompensating on the mystery components to make it clear to the reader that it is indeed, a cozy mystery.

The entire premise of the story and mystery itself was really unique, which in turned made it very engaging for me. Most of the characters were well-written and added value to the story, which is the least that the reader can ask for. I think there may have been a few convenient characters thrown into the mix to move the story forward, which isn’t my favorite literary device, but it’s forgivable as long as the other elements in the story remain strong.

It appears to be a co-written book, which surprised me since it flowed very well. I hope that the next one in the series keeps going with the elements I enjoyed from the first one. I’ll be on the lookout for it.

I Thought the narration was decent but the story wasn’t that great. I thought the main character Tiffany was a strong character but the pace of the story was a bit slow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A spinster assuming her dead brother's identity to survive AND a suspenseful mystery? What's not to love!?

I really loved Tiffany and her adventures. I cannot wait for the sequel!

A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen

This was a fun twist on the traditional cozy mystery. I enjoyed the setup and the cast of characters. It was a cute story that, surprisingly, touched a bit on a few more serious issues. I would read more from this author if I was in the right mood.

The narrator did a nice job with all of the characters.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #DreamscapeMedia for a free copy of #ANovelDisguise by Samantha Larsen. All opinions are my own.