Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: A Lady Fan Mystery #6
Publication Date: 3/23/20
Number of Pages: 353

England 1791 – Lord Francis Fanshawe (Fan) and his wife Lady Ottilia Fanshawe (Lady Fan/Tillie) are in Tunbridge Wells at the request of Francis’ mother, Sybilla. As it happens, Lady Wem and her family are there as well. To say that Sybilla hates Lady Wem is being very delicate about how she feels. Lady Wem is a despicable, vile, hateful, spiteful, manipulative woman who rules her family like a despot. You’ll just have to read the story to get a feel for this woman – I don’t think I have the words to describe her. The Fanshawe’s certainly plan to avoid any interactions with Lady Wem and her family.

While on an outing with their niece, Lizzie, tragedy finds them. A lovely young woman plummets from the top of High Ricks and lands almost at Tillie’s feet. Did the young woman slip? Jump? Was she pushed? Given what Tillie hears, she believes the young woman was pushed. The young woman is a member of Lady Wem’s family and Tillie knows they won’t welcome her asking questions.

Tillie gets sucked into investigating and as more and more bodies turn up – and the family refuses to cooperate, Tillie begins to believe that the murderer will never be unmasked. Tillie brings in family and servants to aid her in the investigation and they unearth more and more details. Finally, the mystery is solved and the culprits confronted. Who did it? Why? Will they get their just punishments? You’ll just have to read the book to see.

I love the mystery. It is well done and has enough red herrings to keep you guessing right till the end. That said, I thought it was a bit slow-moving – and that is why I didn’t give it 5-stars.