Albertine does not was a husband or children, she wants to be a private investigator. So she poses as a Countess. Someone is murdered, unfortunately, she becomes the number one suspect.

This was interesting and I liked it.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of this book for an honest review.

I would read something else by the author but it wasn't my favorite historical fiction novel. I enjoyed the dual POV writing style of this novel and I liked the main male character (Spencer) but I was annoyed with the main female character (Albertine).

Albertine and her brother always dreamed of being detectives in London like Sherlock Holmes. With her brother gone, Albertine convinces her friend Joan to leave country life and move to the city to become private detectives. One problem, every thing that could go wrong does in fact go wrong.

This is not your typically who-done-it mystery. While there is a mystery they are trying to solve, the book is much more of a historical romance in my opinion. The plot is fast paced and easily digestible while being very entertaining.

This book does not take itself too serious. (which is a relief) I giggled, laughed out loud, and rolled my eyes through this whole book. The characters are lovable, quirky, and slap stick funny. Joan was a personal favorite of mine.

I will be looking out for more books by Ava January. The audio-narrators where wonderful.

Thanks to Netgalley and DreamScape media for the audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced audio copy of this book. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. Albertine Honeycomb pretends to be the Countess Van Dagger. She inadvertently hires a detective of Scotland Yard to be the face of her detective business. Of course evidence seems to start piling up when she is accused of killing the Count Van Dagger as well as a peer of the realm. With her trusty maid and friend, Joan, in tow the adventures happen. It’s a happy ending and you will want more. Add this to your TBR pile ASAP! The narrators are spot on if you’d rather do the audio version. Thank me later.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ava January for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for The Mayfair Dagger coming out April 23, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve listened to by this author. I love Victorian era murder mysteries, so I really enjoyed this book. The narrators were fantastic. I loved there was a narrator for the male and female characters. Albertine was a strong heroine and I enjoyed her interactions with the Duke. It reminded me of the show Miss Scarlet and the Duke. The murder mystery part was the usual affair, but I loved the story. I would definitely check out other books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Victorian murder mysteries!

Special thanks to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, Ava January, and narrator Elizabeth Knowelden and Dennis Kleinman for providing this captivating ALC (Advance Listening Copy). My review is given willingly, and all thoughts expressed are entirely my own.

What occurs when a determined Victorian lady becomes a detective in the shadowy streets of 1894 London? Ava January weaves a story of mystery, murder, and complicated romance that's sure to captivate, frustrate, and delight. However, does it fulfill all expectations? In Victorian London, Albertine Honeycombe escapes a terrible situation only to be accused of a murder she didn't commit. Posing as Countess Dagga, she confronts a society that looks down on women. When Spencer, the mysterious Duke of Earleigh and undercover Scotland Yard detective, enters her turbulent life, their emotions and safety are at risk. Together, they rush to prove her innocence, facing obstacles of love, betrayal, and social restrictions. As a Victorian historical murder mystery, January's book can be compared to those by Anne Perry or Tasha Alexander. However, unlike those authors who focus on detailed settings and complex plots, January's story sometimes seems more like a romantic adventure posing as a detective story. It focuses more on romance and the characters' struggles than on the details of the murder mystery. Albertine is a complex character. Sometimes, her bravery and determination are admirable and fit the novel's feminist themes. However, her often naive and impulsive behavior can be annoying. Her relationship with her devoted maid, Joan, highlights issues of dependency and lack of appreciation, which might reflect her flaws or critique of Victorian servitude. Meanwhile, Spencer is generally more likable but is a somewhat typical heroic love interest. The main theme of women seeking freedom and acknowledgment in a male-dominated society is powerful and relevant. However, the way it's presented sometimes lacks consistency, with certain plot points, such as the coffin incident, seeming contrived or excessively dramatic. While the murder mystery keeps the story moving, the ending may feel too predictable and shallow for some readers' tastes, leaving them wanting more complexity. The pacing of the novel is inconsistent. Albertine's repeated errors and the romantic elements often slow down the story. Nonetheless, Ava January re-engages the reader with timely plot twists and tense moments. Her writing is clear and appealing, matching the historical context well. The audiobook's dual narration by Elizabeth Knowelden and Dennis Kleinman adds realism and emotional richness, enhancing the experience. Despite its flaws, the novel prompts reflection on women's challenges and resilience, particularly in eras with strict gender roles. Readers may feel a mix of frustration with missed opportunities in the story and satisfaction with its enjoyable aspects. Ava January's Victorian story has both bright spots and drawbacks, making it a bit of a mixed bag. It could serve as a decent starting point for newcomers to historical mysteries, though it's not without its faults. Seasoned genre fans might crave more depth and unpredictability. I suggest checking out other reviews or reading a sample chapter before committing fully. While not for everyone, the book does possess its allure and deserves consideration.

I really enjoyed that one. I'm impressed by how witty Ava January's writing is. The Mayfair Dagger is a historical mystery with fun and interesting characters, and a clever little romance.

January really did their research into the era, and fans of this genre are going to get a kick out of it. Really well done.

The audio version of The Mayfair Dagger is nicely performed by Elizabeth Knowelden and Dennis Kleinman.

Albertine Honeycombe has no other choice but to flee her country home for London. Her father died without making any provision for her in his will, so her odious male cousin Francis inherited the estate. He's decided that Albertine should be married off to a neighboring farmer so she can care for is 15 children. Shockingly, Albertine doesn't think this sounds like a good idea. She takes what money she has, "borrows" a cart, and with her trusty friend Joan sets off to make her own way in London. She had always had plans to do this in order to fulfil a wish she and her brother Algie made as children. They both loved detective stories and vowed to investigate crimes and solve mysteries when they grew up. Unfortunately, Algie died so it's up to Albertine to fulfil their dream. Once in London, she knows no one will hire a female detective, so she invents a title, Countess von Dagger, and an absent husband to give her an entrance into high society. While she does get a few assignments this way, the women who hire her don't have access to money (or claim they don't) so Albertine is quickly running out of money. She decides that she needs a man to act as the face of her detective agency. When a man answers her ad, she has no idea that he's a Duke as well as a policeman working for Scotland Yard. Spencer Sweetman presents himself to the Countess, unaware that he's applying for a job at her agency. Instead, he's there to investigate her. A man was found dead after a ball she attended and another man has accused her of theft. So Spencer decides to play along and try to catch Albertine in the act of dishonesty. He has no idea that their relationship will soon become more than a working one.

I enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook. She did a wonderful job of portraying the various characters, so that you forgot it was only one person doing the narration! The pace of the story was good and the plucky Albertine is certainly someone I hope will be seen again in a future outing!

The world’s worst detective meets the world’s worst duke in this historical romance mystery romp.

This is being marketed as a mystery, but it’s solidly a historical romance with a mystery subplot. Albertine and Spencer have strong chemistry and bring out the best in each other. The mystery subplot is engaging and kept me guessing. The audiobook narration was entertaining.

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

An action packed explosion of mystery, witty banter, maids who won't do as they are told, disgruntled dogs, coffins thrown into the Thames and all the Countesses, Dukes, Barons and Lords that you can poke a stick at!

What a gem of a book! It had me laughing and tearing up, smiling widely and furious with anger. All of the feels come out to play.

Ava January writes so smoothly and flawlessly that I never wanted to put it down. I heard the audiobook of this novel and think the narrators did an amazing job! The research done was spot on for the timeframe and the characters were such a mixed bunch from the lovely to the savage, the murderous to the innocent, the foul to the cheekiest.

Countess Dagga charms and delights those she comes into contact with, unless she foils your dastardly plans and you end up hunting her down, or you take her services but don't pay your way. Such a fun character and I really really hope that this is the first book in a series rather than a stand alone book. Sign me up for anything that Ava January has written or any future books! I loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Mayfair Dagger is a perfect summer read with more of romance than mystery. What I liked about this book is that romance is nowhere cheesy and though its set in 19th century London, its not just about Ballrooms, evening gowns, chaperones and a Duke and a Lady. But its also about appreciating someone for their maturity, brain, kindness and yes ofcourse good looks. All the romance books tend to have extremely good looking characters, where do we find such people in the real world :D

Its a subtle take at feminism in that time's London. A society where a woman needs to be 'cared for', she has no hope and safety without a man in her life. She is not even deserving to be paid for her services, just because she is a woman. It feels little disheartening to realize these society are not from very long back. Though the book never gets depressing or preachy. It treats the subject with wittiness and cute banter between Albertine, Joan and Spencer. There is humour and lightness sprinkled throughout the interactions between characters,

I liked the Audio book narration, it was engaging and very clear in its communication.

Good read for Bridgerton fans.

Very well written. I am not usually a "detective story" fan but I quickly fell in love with The Dagger.

Definitely a 5 star read!

This is a welcome new series to the cozy-historical mystery subgenre. Miss Albertine Honeywell is a compelling character who promises to provide many future adventures that will keep readers returning for more. In this first outing, she may just be a little too smart for her own good, devising plans that lead to completely unforeseen circumstances. Hoist with her own petard, as the bard might put it. Nonetheless, there is no denying the appeal of her predicament and the ensuing investigation. Purists might argue with the authenticity of the courtroom antics that serve as the denouement, but no one can deny the entertainment and satisfaction provided by such a scene. The characters are well developed, while retaining room for future growth, and the mystery is sufficiently intriguing to keep the reader engaged. I look forward to my next visit with Miss Honeywell and friends.

The narration is very well done and adds dimension to these well written characters.

This contains an audiobook review.

The Mayfair Dagger was my first book by Ava January. I had never heard of her before, so I was a but cautious before reading this book. I tried to get content warnings and couldn't find any. I finally DMd the author on IG to see if this was a spicy book. (I personally do not read spice.) She assured me that it contained no spice, so I requested a copy via Netgalley.

I am glad I asked in advance because the first chapter may have scared me away otherwise. There was a rather crude individual introduced in the beginning. Thankfully, his scenes are small and didn't corrupt the rest of the story.

This book contains a bit of mystery and a bit of romance. Neither of which lingered with me for very long after finishing the book, but they were fine while listening.

Although the audiobook is just over 8 hours, I listened to it in one day. I did listen at 1.5x and was cleaning and/or driving at the time. I found that I enjoyed both the male and female narrators. They helped to bring the story to life for me. I personally didn't have trouble understanding them, even at the faster rate I listened.

I received an audio copy of this book from Dreamscape media and Netgalley.

The Mayfair Dagger is a historical mystery that can’t decide if it’s a cozy mystery or a romance. The premise is really good and reminded me of the PBS series, Miss Scarlet and The Duke: a lady detective in 1894 London who befriends a Scotland Yard investigator (even if she didn’t realize he was one). The story starts off well with the heroine tasked with recovering blackmail letters. However, after she is denied payment by her employer, things turn bizarre. She soon becomes a suspect in the murder of the blackmailer, she steals the coffin of the dead man to see if there were evidence that Scotland Yard overlooked, and in doing so, she accidentally slips the coffin into the River Thames. For someone who is supposedly so smart, she acts quite naive and clumsy, especially considering she is an earl’s daughter. I did enjoy the investigator in the story, who seemed much more realistic and true to his character than the lady detective. I listened to the audiobook of this story narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden and Dennis Kleinman, both of which did an admirable job.

Lately, I’ve had to write a lot of reviews where I said, “This book isn’t for me,” but this book is the complete opposite of that. This book feels like it was handwritten for me.

I love the setting, I love the characters, I love the mystery. I love the fact that it’s the story of a girl striking out on her own and trying to make something of herself with the dream her and her brother had for themselves. It felt like Enola Holmes, all grown up, and much better written. Characters in this book is very clearly explained through their actions and words, and all of them are extremely likable. Even the characters you aren’t supposed to like are relatively likable, except for the truly bad guys. I really enjoyed this book.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that likes female, driven mysteries, and historical mysteries.

Okay, this was such a pleasant surprise! I've heard nothing about this book so I went in completely blind but it was adorable! I loved the audiobook too because we had two different voices! It had mystery, adventure and dash of romance! Absolutely charming and delightful! I was sad it was over so soon! Hope we get more of them!! It reminded me quite a bit of Veronica Speedwell books!

I listened to Ava January's Victorian historical murder mystery set in London on audio, it is approximately 8 hours and 20 minutes long, and is ably narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden and Dennis Kleinman, voicing the characters of Albertine Honeycombe and Spencer, who has recently become the Duke of Earleigh, respectively. They both did a stellar job, it was just that I found this to be a mixed bag of a read, and my issues primarily centred around Albertine, whilst I occasionally found her to be an engaging character, a lot of the time I was infuriated and irritated by her, she came across as so naive, silly, so headstrong she is unable to check her idiocy, as in the whole coffin debacle, and takes her wonderful maid, Joan, without whom she is nothing, far too much for granted, and I cringed at her romantic developments with Spencer.

It is 1894, with her beloved father dead, Albertine is devastated to discover there was no provision for her in his will, and the cousin who inherited has insisted she marry a local farmer with 15 children she will be expected to care for. To escape this fate, she flees for London with Joan, and becomes a private detective, in memory of the dreams she and her dead brother, Algernon, had. She becomes Countess Dagga, with a fictional Count as a absent husband, so that she can live the independent life that would otherwise be denied to her. However, she had not forseen that the rich and powerful who engage her would be so reluctant to pay for her services as she is a woman, as is the case when she retrieves some letters from a Lord Grendel using them for the purposes of blackmail. When he is discovered murdered, she becomes the prime suspect as the last person known to have seen him alive. As she sets out to prove her innocence, she employs an undercover Spencer, working for Scotland Yard, not realising who he really is.

As Spencer gets to know Albertine, he realises there is no way she is a killer, and falls in love with her, only to find their path to love is littered with obstacles. Will the real killer be unmasked and the truth emerge in time to save Albertine before she can be hanged for a crime she did not commit? There are many reviewers who liked this, the first of a historical mystery series, far more than I did, so I would suggest reading other reviews prior to making a decision as to whether to read or listen to this. Many thanks to Dreamscape Media for an ALC.

There were plenty of humor in a “everything that can go wrong will go wrong” king of way and I especially liked the canal scene but if you’re looking for a whodunit with clues and multiple suspects, this not really that kind of book.

This book kept me entertained but I like the first half better than the second. The ending didn’t really do it for me, too much sugar and a bit like watching a 00’s rom com and I was still hoping for more sleuthing.

4 stars due to the first half of the book.

This was such a fun listen with great writing and engaging narrators. With hijinks that seemed to inevitably ensue during every investigation the pacing was great and I loved getting to learn more about the characters throughout their journey. The audiobook narration was excellent with dual POVs and narrators who did a great job differentiating the voices of the different characters. The audio pacing and reading styles were very compatible between the two narrators and overall they really added to my enjoyment of this book.

Albertine has the biggest heart, Joan is hilarious and delightful, and their friendship and partnership really shine in this story. Seeing Spencer’s interactions and growth with them was really fun. I would definitely be interested in any future books with this fun and endearing cast of characters, especially in audiobook form.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing this ALC audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.