"Heiress Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter are about to become more than partners as investigators - they are to be wed at Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan. But a killer has designs on ruining the wedding as well as their lives...

AUGUST 1891: Prudence has her heart set on wearing her mother's wedding gown on the happy day, but she soon discovers the material has deteriorated so badly that it cannot be refurbished. With time running out, she decides to seek out a new American designer, a woman who trained in the House of Worth, the makers of the original dress in Paris, who now has a shop in New York City.

The gown is nearly complete when the expert seamstress overseeing the project is found dead in the studio, with Prudence's wedding dress slashed to ribbons and scattered over the body. The murder incites a scandal, as client after client deserts the now struggling designer. Now not only must Prudence find the murderer, she must rescue the talented young couturière's reputation - all while another gown is being hastily sewn.

The police suspect the seamstress's disgruntled lover. Prudence wonders about other designers competing in the cutthroat world of high fashion. But when additional wedding plans start to go awry, it's clear there is an elaborate campaign of sabotage and that either Prudence or Geoffrey or both are being targeted.

Once again they must work as a team to expose whoever is determined to ruin their lives - before the future they've so long dreamed of is left in tatters..."

You know, restoring one's reputation easily equals the price of one's wedding dress.

Rosemary Simpson has a strong writing style and was excited for more as I really enjoyed the previous entries in the series. this as a tenth entry in the Gilded Age Mystery series, it does a great job in creating that mystery element and was hooked from the first page. The characters worked well in this setting and thoroughly enjoyed the concept and how they were used. I thought the use of the time-period worked in this mystery-adventure and was glad it was so well done and left me wanting more.

Prudence, the daughter of a judge whose family is of The Four Hundred in NYC society is also newly admitted to The Bar in New York state. Geoffrey, a former Pinkerton man is her partner as a Private Investigator (along with their secretary, an ex-NYPD cop, and others). They are to be married shortly and the dress is under construction (that's another story) by the seamstresses in an up-and-coming new fashion house. They come to see the seamstress, but find her bludgeoned to death, the dress slashed, and blood everywhere. Then the investigating begins and is all I hoped for from this marvelous author! Excellent mystery read and a glimpse into early problems of establishing oneself as a fashion designer. Riveting!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected electronic proof copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Oct 28, 2025 *****review #bookbub #goodreads #thestorygraph #librarything
#InDeadlyFashion by #RosemarySimpson #GildedAgeMysteryBk10 @kensingtonbooks #cozymystery #historicalfiction ##goldenagemystery #murderinvestigation #privateinvestigators

While I found the historical setting of 1891, Gilded Age New York interesting, I found the mystery somewhat unsatisfactory. While Prudence MacKenzie and her fiancé Josiah Gregory as well as their many friends who assist them do slowly untangle the mystery, readers know much more than they do and will have figured out the guilty parties much sooner than the investigators. Plus, I did not enjoy the somewhat surprising denouement. This will probably appeal more to readers whose taste in mysteries leans more to suspense than mine does.

Someone listened to the reviews that we wanted more Geoffrey and Prudence spending time together and solving mysteries. I like how the ensemble cast supports here without stealing the show.

There were a few out of character moments where Geoffrey acted stupider than was believable, but this was still well-plotted and the pacing was great. I hope this sort of pacing and heavy Geoffrey and Prudence page time is continued. I’m already eager for the next book. If they’re still on their honeymoon, maybe they’ll have to solve that murder on their own.

It was strange that the younger sister was named Nessa and was in a wheelchair. It’s not like Wicked is obscure. And then Alexander Hamilton was mentioned for no reason at all. I’m not a theatre buff, but these distracted me at me. Maybe there were more musical Easter eggs I missed.

LIKED IT .A more extensive review will follow.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Hell hath no fury in this 10th Gilded Age Mystery installment.

Prudence MacKenzie and Geoffrey Hunter, partners in business as well as personal, are planning their wedding … finally! as fans of the series breathe a happy sigh. But when Prudence’s custom designer gown is found in tatters, scattered atop the body of the young seamstress working on it, the two weeks before the wedding become frantic indeed. To further confuse, a vintage, expensive gold necklace is found at the scene of the murder. But not just any gold necklace, as remnants of Geoffrey’s past in post-Civil War North Carolina come into frame. And my, do they come into frame. To say more would be a bit of a spoiler.

All beloved main and supporting characters band together to not only solve the murder, but also deduce who is intent on sabotaging the wedding. And why. Throw in the nuances of Knickerbocker society during the gilded age and the highly competitive world of haute couture fashion and the result is a fast-paced, engaging read.

With a happy ending, especially for fans of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Prudence and Geoffrey are busy preparing for their wedding, but someone is very much against it. A new adventure in which our heroes will have more ups and downs than Manzoni's Promessi sposi (betrothed couple), but in the end they will succeed and this novel ends on a high note, again....

Prudence e Geoffrey sono alle prese con la preparazione del loro matrimonio, ma qualcuno é molto molto contrario. Una nuova avventura nella quale i nostri eroi avranno piú peripezie dei promessi sposi di Manzoni, ma alla fine ce la faranno e anche questo romanzo finisce sul piú bello....

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

The 10th installment in the series might be one of the better ones as the wedding of Prudence & Geoffrey approaches and the past comes back to haunt them. We've heard bits and pieces of Geoffrey's past growing up in the South but now a former romantic entanglement threatens the wedding and their lives. This threat brings ALL of their friends together to solve the mystery and protect each other. While we get a point of view from various villains in the story, it is not until the end that we find out which one was responsible for the murders. Nothing is going to stop this pair from getting to the altar. I can't wait to see what happens on the honeymoon!

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

In Deadly Fashion is the latest mystery in the Gilded Age mystery series. In this mystery, Prudence and Geoffrey are getting ready for their long awaited wedding, but of course things don’t run smoothly and there is a murder almost as soon as the book starts. I think I say this with every book in this series, but this one was my favorite in the series so far. The plot was complicated and very cleverly done. The suspense and well plotted story made it almost impossible to put the book down and what an ending! The resolution of the murder(s) and crimes was very well done and the final chapter of the book was just what long-time readers will want to read about Prudence and Geoffrey. I love how much women are helping women in this book and how they wield power where they can in an era where that wasn’t easy. I also liked how the ending of the book seemed to be setting up a possible start of the next book. Please keep writing, Ms. Simpson. Your books are a wonderful escape and a joy to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

In my opinion this is the best book in the series, it has it all: mysteries, intrigues, murders and deranged people.

Just when I thought all was going according to schedule for Prudence and Geoffrey, a murder disrupts their plans.

I loved how several of the characters we came to know show up in this book and how they all rally to help Prudence and Geoffrey.

As usual the book is beautifully written and engaging.

I received an advance copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily, thanks to the author for it.

I love this series. I started reading it when the 7th book in the series came out and then I went back and binged the first six books in the series. I was so excited to get this ARC from Netgalley. I highly recommend the series to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries. If you’re a fan of The Gilded Age on HBO, you’ll enjoy this series about a wealthy heiress in 1890s New York, Prudence, who has escaped the traditional role for a young woman in that era. She studied law with her father who was a prominent judge before he was murdered. That led her to pair up with Geoffrey Hunter, a private investigator, lawyer, and former Pinkerton agent. Together they investigate the various murder mysteries that they encounter. And they also fall in love and are now preparing for their wedding.

This story revolves around the brutal murder of the seamstress who was working on Prudence’s wedding dress. As they investigate that murder, they follow clues leading to top fashion houses in New York. It’s all very exciting and I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend 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.

This was such an engaging mystery! I love that we get a POV of the villain, which leaves us trying to figure out why they’re doing what they do. We also got to revisit a whole cast of characters, and enjoyed some long awaited forward momentum amid personal relationships. The whole thing was just really, really good! Thanks to Kensington for the ARC.

This is my first by the author but it won't be my last! I was gripped by book 10 in the series, which can be read solo, as heiress and lawyer Prudence MacKenzie and her partner and fiancé ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter are preparing to be wed. But when her mother's wedding gown, which Prudence had hoped to wear, is too deteriorated to be repaired, she seeks a new designer who creates a nearly finished gown, which is left in tatters over the lead seamstress' body. Oh my! The mystery's twists and turns will keep you rapt as you cheer for the couple to overcome all the chaos and finally wed. Lovers of hist-mysteries and fashion will adore this!