It's another outing for the Duchess of Kesgrave as detective and it's another fun romp in regency London. Bea's already under pressure with the upcoming move to the country and for the house party she's expected to give. But there are matters closer to home with yet another murder needing her assistant. The difference this time is one of the previous villains is one who brings it to her attention and asks her to solve it. She has no intention of doing anything to help this man until a detail comes out about the identity of the victim. Soon the Duchess and Duke are up to their necks in dealing with fraud, antiquities and the art world.

I will note that there are quite a few references to a previous case from a book I haven't read yet. Having read many of the books, though, I was able to enjoy this just as well. It just makes a reminder to me to acquire more of the earlier books so I can enjoy these even more thoroughly.

As always, this was a fun read and I highly recommend it. Thank you to Book Whisperer and Netgalley for providing a free advanced reader copy. I have left this review voluntarily.

A Pernicious Fabrication is another delightful edition of the Beatrice Hyde Clare Mysteries by Lynn Messina. The reader joins Bea as she navigates two problematic events vying for her attention. There is the daunting prospect of hosting a summer house party at the ducal country estates and the mystery of Damon’s cousin Mortimer’s murder. Bea is reluctant to take on the investigation but that has more to do with her skepticism of the criminal mastermind Hell and Fury Hawes, who seeks their assistance to root out the killers from among his underlings. While Kesgrave shares her misgiving, he is intent on pursuing justice for his cousin.

The story involves forgery, murder, and fraud in the world of antiquities. It also explores Bea struggles to reconcile her perception of herself as the shy voiceless spinster with her new role as a self-assured outspoken investigator. This is a fantastic series with wonderful characters that you cannot help but love and this installment is no exception. Bea and Damon are such a great couple, and I adore their interaction. I highly recommend this series to those who enjoy historical cozy mysteries and to those who love this Beatrice Hyde Clare world. This is another great addition to the series.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Book Whisperer for an eARC of the book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I thank NetGalley and Potatoworks Press for an advance reader copy of “A Pernicious Fabrication.” All opinions and comments are my own.

“Oh what a tangled web we weave” indeed, as the Kesgraves (and readers) will discover, and you might need a scorecard to follow along as to the who and the what and the where when the “King of Saffron Hill,” London’s most notorious crime boss, asks them to find out who’s murdered one of his treasured minions.

Another personal tragedy is the catalyst for a convoluted mystery that will tests the talents of the Duke and Duchess of Kesgrave to the fullest, but one they will solve with their usual panache, while Beatrice does what she does best -- fret at dealing with her place in society. You’d think after thirteen books she’d have a better handle on this, and readers would be spared the hand-wringing a bit. Perish the thought. And Mr. T-T may have departed the field, but unfortunately there’s a new gossip-monger in town to contend with, alas.

With the usual detailed look at London and its inhabitants, and an ending that has Bea showing her mettle, “A Pernicious Fabrication” will keep you guessing as to whether new -- or age-old -- motives for murder are behind the death of a promising artist. The “murder duchess” can continue her activities for another day.

Bea, Duchess of Kesgrave was an unusual mix of personality. On the one hand she was the confident and successful solver of crimes and on the other questioning her ability to hold a house party in their country estate. I liked the way that Bea and Kesgrave worked together and the way he supported her, not something many gentlemen of the time would have done. I did like the close loving relationship and their affectionate banter with each other. This was a complex case with a number of different characters and it certainly had me guessing until the end. This was an engaging read and the ways of speaking and sensibilities of the time were apt for this era. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This series continues to delight with its combination of intrigue, history and romance. I love reconnecting with all the fascinating characters.

Another wonderful instalment in the Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mysteries series!
Though perhaps not as exciting or page-turning as some of the previous instalments, this book was a solid, enjoyable read.
Definitely worth reading if you enjoy a regency mystery.

An interesting mystery with very proper English. I had not read the previous books in the series which made it difficult to follow. Those who have read all of the books would probably enjoy it.

A cozy crime story set in Regency England from one of the queens of the genre, Lynn Messina (the 13th in her Beatrice Hyde=Clare Mysteries series). The writing has a light touch. An enjoyable read, perfect for a bit of escapism. I love the covers and titles of this series ❤️- they're very enticing.

Favourite line: "I am afraid I have no idea which. Mrs. Yeamond's Book of Etiquette: A Sensible Guide to Good Breeding and Comprehensive Directory to the Adherences of Society does not address the proper placement of heads on pikes."

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Another winner from Ms. Messina. I love historical mysteries and this didn't disappoint. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on. A great way to pass time. Looking forward to more.

This is such a fun series. Every character, dialogue, and scene is written with humor. The mystery is almost secondary to the scenes of characters with humorous flaws interacting with the two main protagonists, the Duke and Duchess of Kesgrave. If you’ve read the earlier works, you’ll know that Bea started off as a shy wallflower who happened to encounter the Duke when a murder happened at a country house party. Now they’re married, and the Duchess is still investigating murders with the help of her loving husband. They’re a great pair and I enjoy their interactions. This is another enjoyable entry in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Duchess Beatrice is reluctant to investigate a murder at the behest of a notorious criminal, even when the victim is her husband’s cousin. Despite his own distrust, the duke insists on uncovering the truth, drawing them both into a twisted and dangerous mystery.

I loved this story. The writing uses a formal style that I find requires intense concentration in order to understand it. The mystery was twisty and heart-wrenching, with an intriguing cast of characters.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Another great installment to the series. Bea is back on form to solve this complex and convoluted mystery after the last books where her pregnancy was affecting her thought processes in a negative way. This is a very sweet installment as they Duke and Duchess do most of the investigating on their own allowing us to see into their relationship again with the cheering each other up with lots of banter and humour. Can't wait for it to be baby time and see how things go with that. This is a go to series for me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Love, love, love this series! The funny part is my favorite characters were included but without Lark!

I love the whole universe of books and now I have to patiently wait for the rest.

I highly recommend you start at the beginning and read A Brazen Curiosity.

Messina is a fluid writer and I enjoy all of her Regency series of books.

I have to admit that it took me a little bit into the book to remember the previous storylines with Bea and Verity Lark in order to make sense of where things left off. Sometimes recaps go a bit too far but I could have used a little bit more info. Other than that, it was a great mystery with interesting and amusing characters and twists and turns that kept me guessing. I have to admit that my favorite part was probably the discussion of a string of bakeries devoted to Bea’s love of rout cakes and while she made the right choice turning them down, I would have enjoyed seeing them come to fruition. It was interesting to see a bit more of the human and soft side to the dowager duchess and her relationship with Kesgrave (and Bea). While I need a book to have an engaging mystery, I appreciated the abundance of amusing side characters to keep things interesting as well, especially the footman/butler/drivers expressing their opinions. I hope to see a more integrated crossover with Verity Lark and a shooting lesson in the near future as poor Bea needs a good instructor.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

If you are look for a binge-worthy cozy mystery series with witty banter and a whip smart heroine, look no further than the Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mysteries! In this latest installment, A Pernicious Fabrication, Lynn Messina once again pulls us into the world of Beatrice, Duchess of Kesgrave as she navigates yet another murder mystery.

Over the previous 12 books, we've watched Beatrice bloom from a wallflower into a Duchess and mother-to-be. This cozy mystery continues the story line, with the Duke and Duchess again working together, this time to solve the murder of the Duke's cousin. I always enjoy being immersed in the Duchess of Kesgrave's world, and appreciate that she has insecurities and worries, just like the rest of us. The Duke, as always, is a swoony yet realistic hero.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and BookFunnel for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.

Another comfortable cozy historical mystery, and furthering our look into the life of Beatrice, the Duchess of Kesgrave and how she is fitting into her role as a bride, a wealthy, socially prominent Duchess, a mother to be, and of all things, a woman becoming more noted and infamous for investigating murders!

As Bea tries to overcome her own lack of confidence in her role as Duchess, and what is expected of her social duties, she is given another murder to solve. She and her husband discover that his cousin, the son of the murdered Uncle Myles, is the latest homicide victim, and his demise was announced to them, by of all people, noted crime lord Hell and Fury Hawes. Not only is he the one to bring them this unexpected and unwelcome news, but he is exhorting them to solve the murder. It turns out that cousin Mortimer has been an active participant in a forgery scheme of Hawes, and Hawes wishes for the Kesgraves to solve his murder for Hawes to root out a traitor in his own organization.

Bea and the Duke are leery of being under the paw of the criminal kingpin, but nonetheless, they cannot allow the death of his cousin to go without a proper investigation and to find the culprit responsible. If not for the sake of justice, then also for closure and their own peace of mind, and for the sake of the Dowager Duchess, Mortimer and Kesgrave's grandmother as well.

A cozy murder mystery with an intriguing story of forgery, and fraud in the art and antiquities world of Regency England, mixed in with family grief and relationships, with some lighthearted moments and dialogue typical of Bea, Kesgrave, and her relations. I do love the affection and support between Bea and her husband as they try to balance their lives between what would be their normal social duties, such as Bea planning (or trying to avoid) social events as expected of a Duchess, and their unexpected roles as investigators, especially Her Outrageousness. Bea is still stuck between her perception of herself as a wallflower spinster, and her new self, as an investigator who is a woman of intelligence, perception, bravery, boldness, earning notice - she seems to have some difficulty reconciling the two, and is being gently supported and encouraged by her husband.

I am looking forward to how the planned house party and the cherub play into the Kesgrave future - even though this is book 13 - I have not yet had enough of the Kesgraves and want more.

4 stars out of 5

Another wonderful chapter in the murder investigations by Her Outrageousness, Beam Duchess of Kesgrave. As dedicated readers of the series will see, this book picks up very soon after that last murder that Bea and her husband Damien Duke of Kesgrave solved. Bea is pregnant (although that word is never uttered in nineteenth century Britain), still serving as the adult in her pre-marriage family, the Hyde-Clares and happily almost settled in her happy and unconventional marriage. While Bea is fearless in her pursuit of justice for a murder victim, she’s still very unsure of her abilities as a duchess even though Damien and the Dowager Duchess have love her completely and have absolute confidence in her. The parallel dilemmas facing Bea are the very scary prospect of holding a summer house party at the huge ducal country estate and the murder of Damien’s cousin Mortimer. Mortimer had fallen into a counterfeit antiquities plot with the king of London’s underworld. Oddly, the gangster asks Bea and Damien to find the killer…not to avenge Mortimer’s murder but to punish whoever it was who ended the lucrative counterfeit system…Mortimer was the skilled counterfeiter. While they know that they are being used by the gangster, Bea and Damien agree because Mortimer was Damien’s cousin and a favorite of his grandmother’s, the Dowager. This series is charming, funny and engaging.

Bea and Kesgrave are at it again
When Kesgrave’s cousin is found murdered in his secret art studio, he and Bea are called on to find the murderer by Hawes, the head of a criminal organization. As they proceed in their investigation layer upon layer of deceit and secrets. How high in society and how high in Hawes’ organization will they find themselves going in pursuit of justice? And what is their motivation? An entertaining read. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.

I adore this series and I've found that despite the twisty, outrageous mysteries, I crave the little moments when Beatrice and Damien are together or with families because they are so sweet and charming.

In this installment, Damien's cousin is murdered and a crime boss asks them to investigate. The cousin is an artist who turned to work on forgeries after years of rejection from the Royal Academy. The forgery business involves a web of people, described as a tree because the branches don't all know each other, so Bea and Damien have to trek around London to interview several suspects. The highlight is the denouement, which has Bea saving the day, but also taking a huge risk. There is also a beautiful scene with Damien's grandmother when he has to tell her that her grandson is dead. It's short, but emotional.

Beatrice continues to evolve as a character, becoming more comfortable in her role as Duchess with each book. In this installment, we see a big leap forward. It's almost as if a new phase could be coming.

I always look forward to the next installment of Lynn Messina's Lady Beatrice Hyde-Clare books, and this one was as welcome as each one before it. Ms. Messina had such a identifiable way of writing of the thoughts and thought processes of her main character -- with humor, irony, and insight -- so it is fun to go along with the storyline while following the whys and wherefores of Bea's internal deliberations. Again, there is a convoluted mystery for Bea to solve, with the delighted and admiring assistance of the duke. Personally, I generally get lost in the details of the twists and turns of the mystery itself, but it hardly matters to me when I am so entertained by Bea and her endeavors and adventures. Another recommendation from this happy reader. I voluntarily leave this review. #APerniciousFabrication #NetGalley