Another great addition to this series; little did I know, back when I got the first book in a Kindle First choice that I'd still be here, twelve books later, absolutely loving the series, the characters, and their little corner of England.

This book finds Lady H and Florence getting ready for the cold weather and just enjoying life. Naturally, that means a murder must occur [and what a mystery this is]. Wild animals, an unexpected crush [this part of the book is hilarious], and very nefarious "badduns" and you have a completely fantastic read. The mystery was very good [I absolutely smacked myself on the forehead at the reveal; sometimes I cannot see the forest for the trees LOL], the reveal satisfying, some fantastic food mentions [I SO want to have a starter breakfast brought to me each day] and just some really good adventures. As always, I learned things that I never knew before and that just was the cherry on top. It was just the read I needed and it was fantastic.

I absolutely love Elizabeth Knowlden as a narrator and I highly recommend listening to her read this series. Her narration truly adds to the story and her portrayal of Florence especially always has me cracking up [Florence is hilarious, with a very dry sense of humor]. I 100% percent recommend this audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley, T E Kinsey, Elizabeth Knowlden - Narrator, Amazon Publishing UK, and Brilliance Publishing/Brilliance Audio for providing both the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Hardcastle and her faithful maid Florence Armstrong are solving mysteries again. This time, strange animals are sighted in the woods surrounding Littleton Cotterell. Farm animals are ripped apart and finally, one unlucky farmer falls prey to the beast. But is it really a panther or just a wild dog? Or is something else going on?

Just as in the former books of the series, Lady Hardcastle and Florence have a wonderful relationship filled with witty banter and gentle ripping. The often quirky villagers are as heartwarming as ever. The small English village setting gives this a wonderful cozy vibe.

The duo are once again solving a big murder mystery and a couple of small mysteries. While I enjoyed the premise, i knew the basic solution of said mysteries very quickly and figured it all out at the 66 percent point. I still enjoyed reading of Lady Hardcastle and Florence's daring acts, but wasn't as gripped anymore. At the same time I was proud I figured it out myself, so...

Elizabeth Knowelden narrated the audiobook and gave Lady Hardcastle and Florence very distinctive voices infused with a lot of warmth when they were talking to each other. I had a wonderful listening experience.

All in all a great addition to the series! 3.75⭐

Thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Audio for the download of this audiobook!

I listened to the audiobook version of The Beast of Littleton Woods by T.E. Kinsey, which is the 12th installment in the Lady Hardcastle mystery series. It is set during the early 1900's in a small Cotswolds village. Although I did not read or listen to prior books in the series, I could easily discern that Lady Hardcastle and her Lady’s maid, Florence Armstrong, were former investigators in London. Now in retirement, they continue to investigate murders and mysterious occurrences. In this story, the pair investigate what appears to be an accidental killing by a black panther, even though panthers are not native to England. Along the way, they encounter other exotic animals and mishaps in the village while looking into two killings. While I figured out why the sightings and killings occurred, the who caught me by surprise. I am now interested in listening to the other books in the series. The narrator was Elizabeth Knowelden who performed varying voices for all the characters and demonstrated emotions in all the right places. I've bumped up the rating by one star to reflect this.

I am impressed by this author. After 12 books I still love the series, the characters, and the clever story. I’m also now obsessed quokka.

In a cozy village of Littleton Cotterell, Lady Hardcastle and her Lady’s maid, Florence Armstrong, learn about the demise of several individuals at the hand of a mysterious beast roaming their woods and countryside. Those who survive to tell the tale, claim a giant cat is the culprit though few people are convinced since large cats, such as panthers, are not native to the English countryside.

Lady Hardcastle and Florence are on the case. Though they are amature sleuths, they are the closest thing to local constabulary and tend to do most of the leg work before turning over the information to a real police officer. I love that the author included a quokka and actually chuckled out loud at the character’s interaction with the adorable creature. I am so pleased it was included.

Though this is my first Lady Hardcastle story, I can happily say they seem to stand alone with their content. I could tell based on conversations throughout that there were other mysteries previously, but they were not required to understand the characters. I thought it was a good story, enjoyable characters, and highly entertaining.

Lady Hardcastle and her ever-resourceful assistant, Florence Armstrong, return in another delightfully puzzling case—this time involving a mysterious creature that’s been terrorizing the countryside, attacking both sheep and unsuspecting villagers.

As always, the banter between Flo and Lady Hardcastle is a highlight. Their sharp wit and mutual affection shine through, making even the grimmest moments entertaining. I especially enjoyed their teasing rapport, which adds warmth and humor to the mystery.

The resolution genuinely surprised me—perhaps a testament to my limited knowledge of quaint English villages and vintage train lore (chalk it up to being an American!).

Narrator Elizabeth Knowelden once again delivers a pitch-perfect performance. Her voice captures the characters’ personalities with finesse, especially the clever, plucky exchanges between the leading ladies.

Many thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars.
A series of deaths attributed to a large wild cat kick off this latest instalment in the long running Lady Hardcastle series. There is also chaos in the post office, with people receive the wrong mail, a new vet in town, a pampered pooch, and wild stories about strange animals.

Of course neither Florence nor Lady Hardcastle attribute the fantastic to the proceedings, and begin slowly investigating by chatting with villagers, relying on their understanding of routines and relationships, and using their skills knowledge of history, among other things, to figure out what is going on.

The suspect was suspicious the moment they entered the story, and I kept waiting for the investigating pair to tumble to what was going on. Which they did, eventually. They do involve their colleague Sunderland, and things are put to rights in Littleton eventually.

These stories are very cozy, as much of the story is devoted to the two women wandering around the village talking to their friends and drinking tea. They assemble what seems to be disparate facts are to figure out that big time crime is occurring in their village, causing much disruption and a few deaths.

I went back and forth between the prose and the audio, and voice actor Elizabeth Knowelden does a nice job inhabiting the various characters and accents. Her Flo is a delight.

It's light and easy reading, and listening, and while not presenting a challenging mystery, is still a nice diversion.

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK and to Brilliance Publishing for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

This series has been awesome. Is there a panther killing people instead of a human? The story is a fun read with some humor, a murder and it's over before you realize it. Highly recommend. The narrator did an awesome job.

A series of gruesome attacks terrorizes a 1912 Gloucestershire village. Lady Hardcastle and her maid must unravel a mystery: is a vicious beast on the loose, or is something far more sinister at play?

It’s such a pleasure to visit Littleton Cotterell again! I loved this twisty and clever mystery, along with its fun and quirky cast of characters. The audiobook narration by Elizabeth Knowelden is a pleasure. While this book can stand alone, the series is more enjoyable if read in order.

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

4 stars

Elizabeth Knowelden, the narrator that you ARE!!!!

The Beast of Littleton Woods, the 12th installment in the Lady Hardcastle series, is another delightful installment in what has now become the only cozy mystery series that I regularly keep up with. Set entirely in the quaint villages of Gloucestershire, I could practically taste the cider and feel the cool breezes of the English countryside on my face as I walked alongside our heroines as they untangled the nest of mysteries that Kinsey has crafted for them. Am I going to remember anything about the actual plot in a month's time? No. Did I have an absolutely fabulous time just getting to hang out with these characters in this particular setting? 100% yes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This series is amazing and continues to deliver and entertain. Florence and Lady Hardcastle have such a lovely partnership. They goad each other, support each other and there are many times you'll roll your eyes with a smile on your face.

The mystery was also nicely done and I was kind of rooting for the villian for Florence, so I guess I was pretty blindsided. Elizabeth Knowelden was a great narrator for this series and did a fab job with the various accents and tones.

Cannot wait to read the next book.

#TheBeastofLittletonWoods #NetGalley

1912 and a panther has killed a poacher at Littleton Cotterell. Where can it have come from and are there more exotic creatures about? People are in fear and turn to Lady Hardcastle and her maid Florence Armstrong to discover the truth.

Well written and well narrated cosy crime novel (I listened to the audiobook). Lovely quirky characters who live in a village where murders have occurred before. The ladies are well respected and will investigate the strange sightings to uncover the truth. Lots of cake too. Enjoy.

This latest addition to the beloved series is just as entrancing as the others. The detective duo is just as funny and quirky, the mystery is both finely dosed and satisfactorily resolved. There are a few surprises of the animal persuasion sprinkled along the way with a nod to other classics, such as The Hound of the Baskervilles, while the actual resolution reflects the details and mentality of the era.

The narrator was a total delight as always, especially the unusual voices were brilliantly pulled off. You'll have to listen to discover what they are. 😁

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC.

Review based on an ALC provided by the publishers.

I admit, I came for the banter. I love the relationships between the characters and this is one of my favourite pick-me-up series when I have had a trying week.

The mystery wasn't too mysterious for me, but as I said above it's the verbal sparring I enjoy the most.

The audiobook narration was chef's kiss, Elizabeth Knowelden did an excellent job with all the different accents.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. I was first drawn to the cover and finding out it was a period novel I was so excited. I absolutely loved all the characters! They were so funny and witty! The book just flew by! I could not stop listening to the audio book. Perfect little cozy murder mystery set in 1912. All the ladies are so funny and just compliment each other and they don't annoy you. High recommend! I found out this was part of a series so I cannot wait to read the previous books and also any up and coming novels!

Another fantastic book in the series. The characters are such a comfort that when you listen to the audiobook one feels like you’re back together with friends. It was very interesting turn with the use of animals in this one.

'The Beast of Littleton Woods' is the twelfth book in the 'A Lady Hardcastle Mystery' series.

The book is delightful, filled with endearing characters and many twists. The mystery is also a puzzle of smaller mystery cases that the two main characters had to solve. And even though I never read the rest of the books in the series, the author did an amazing job making sure that the reader knew all the details one must know about the previous adventures of the two ladies.

Finally, the audiobook was well narrated and produced.

As always, this was delightful!

I absolutely adored being back with Lady Hardcastle and Flo. Their banter was top-notch, as always, and the mystery felt fresh, and like something we haven't done before. I have also realized that I like the mysteries that take place in the village best!

Once again, I have to emphasize how amazing these audiobooks are - if you're looking to start this series, I highly recommend taking the audiobook route! I always look forward to these books, and will continue to pick them up!