FOR RICHER, FOR DEADER
Is the Wedding Between Sir Hewitt Willoughby-Franklin’s Step-Daughter and Billionaire’s Son Off?
Rumours are that the recent death of Kelley Lindsell (29), the personal chef of tycoon Rudy (68) and Sheri Trotman (65) at Sir Hewitt’s Fawstead Manor country estate in Fenshire, has spooked Sybil Bransgrove (36) so badly she’s considering cancelling her nuptials.
Meanwhile the bride and her mother, Lady Grace (61), are being supported by family friend Lady Beatrice (36), the Countess of Rossex, who, alongside her business partner Perry Juke, is currently managing the project to refurbish the Manor House and Lodge on the estate.
Not again! Now that Lady Grace has asked Lady Beatrice to liaise with the police during the investigation into Kelley’s death, she’ll have to cooperate with boorish Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitzwilliam whether she likes it or not. Her only relief will be solving the murder with the help of her friends Perry and Simon and her dog Daisy to get rid of him faster. But with so many wedding party guests staying on-site, any one of them could be the killer. Can they find out who it is before Sybil calls off the wedding…
Purchase Links
AUTHOR BIO
Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in a small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.
I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.
It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes
Social Media Links –
Barbara’s Review
This new author is keeping her readers jumping (happily I’m sure) with her rapid release of the first three books in her debut series. In October, we had Spruced Up For Murder; In November we have For Richer, For Deader; and in December will be Not Mushroom For Death. The series features a delightful cast of recurring characters – especially Daisy, Beatrice’s dog.
Lady Beatrice, seventeenth in line for the British throne, along with her new business partner and friend, Perry Juke, are happily working on their next project. They are redecorating/refurbishing The Lodge – a seven-bedroom house on the grounds of Fawstead Manor. The Lodge will be the UK base for Sybil and Otis Trotman once they are married – or – maybe we should say IF they are married because it seems someone is determined to see it called off.
The threats begin with a dead rat bearing a note demanding that the wedding stop – then more animals and more notes. However, finding a dead body is what really focuses everyone on how dangerous the situation is. Everyone is frightened – especially the American contingent of the wedding party – because it was one of them who was murdered. Should Sybil and Otis just postpone? Can they even accomplish that at this late date?
There is a special security bureau charged with keeping all members of the royal family safe. Since Lady Beatrice is working at the location where all of that mischief is taking place, the PaIRS bureau is called in to handle the investigation. Of course, that means DCI Fitzwilliam will be the one in charge and he and Lady Beatrice don’t have the best of relationships. DCI Fitzwilliam wants Lady Beatrice to keep her nosey little self out of his investigation even though she was a help in his last case and that really sets her off. She is absolutely determined that she and Perry will solve the case first and she can thumb her nose at him then.
As with the first book, I found this one to be a tad slow in spots, but it wasn’t anything that precluded me from enjoying the book. My biggest issue with this book is something Lady Beatrice’s mother does. I can’t/won’t say much about it because it would spoil it and I wouldn’t want to do that. Then, she forgives much too quickly and too easily. Had my mother done that to me and/or my family/friends, I would still love her – but I would be living someplace different. I understand the reasoning given in the book – but I just don’t buy it and don’t like it.
I always need some romance to go with my mysteries – I always want either a married couple or a couple with a committed relationship. I assume we’ll end up with that in this series, but I’m not sure where it is going at the moment. We have two candidates at the moment for Lady Beatrice – One I don’t care for, but I think he’ll be gone after the next book, and the other I would like but if it goes forward, I’ll be interested to see how the author will handle/explain the large differences in social class.
I can recommend this book and hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Flippin' Pages Book Reviews 