Category: Historical Mystery

The Hanging Cheat by Elizabeth Bailey

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Georgian Era (1714-1837), Historical Mystery, Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

The Hanging Cheat (Lady Fan Mystery Book 10)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Lady Fan Mystery #10
Publication Date: 11/24/23
Period: Georgian
Number of Pages: 335

I completed my read of the last book, The Vengeance Trail, in a very sad mood because Francis had a lot of emotional suffering in that book, and it was not over by the end. That left me wondering how things would change for this book – and the rest of the series – to work. I have my answer now – and if you were wondering the same thing, you’ll have your answer as well.

A very pregnant Ottilia Fanshaw, Lady Fan, and her husband Francis are at her brother’s home for the funeral of his wife who had been ill for a very long time. Francis cannot wait to leave so he can get Ottilia back to their home and coddle her before the delivery of their child. Just as their departure is approaching, their two nephews come running into the house announcing they’ve discovered a dead body in the woods. Is it natural causes? Is it suicide? Is it murder? Lady Fan – and even Francis – are sure it is a murder staged to look like a suicide. Poor Francis – because we all know Ottilia will want to stay and solve the crime.

There is a plethora of suspects because the victim is the most hated man in the district – not a single soul has anything good to say about him. They speak with suspects throughout the district, but few have real alibis which makes the elimination of them all but impossible. How can Lady Fan work through it all and solve the crime before her pregnancy makes it impossible for her to do so? With time of the essence, she decides to divide and conquer. She enlists her two nephews and Francis to help interview suspects, chase down clues, and help puzzle out the events, so surely she’ll identify the murderer soon.

This is an excellent mystery that will keep you guessing till the end. Just when you are absolutely sure who the culprit is, there is a revelation that makes you doubt it. When we finally wind through all of the clues and suspects and find the culprit – you’ll be surprised – at least by part of it.

I enjoyed this addition to the Lady Fan series and am already looking forward to the next one. I hope you’ll enjoy it as well.

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Petteril’s Ladybird by Mary Lancaster

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820)Leave a comment

Petteril's Ladybird (Lord Petteril Mysteries #3)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Lord Petteril Mysteries #3
Publication Date: 10/3123
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 157

Piers Withan, the newly minted fifth Viscount Petteril, has been at his country estate getting the lay of the land – and solving a murder – when he (and his assistant April) is urgently called back to London by his good friend, Sir Peter Haggard. It seems their mutual friend, Percy Austen, who is a very non-violent and amiable man, is about to be arrested for murder. Austen is the former protector of the victim’s mistress, and Percy’s gun was found beside the body.

Piers needs to quickly find the real murderer to spare Austen’s family the scandal of his arrest. Who would want to frame sweet, gentle Percy Austen? Or, was it someone else the murderer wanted to frame? The investigation takes them everywhere – from Seven Dials to Mayfair and everywhere in between. Could it be the mistress who did it? Maybe it was the victim’s brother. Is it someone from Austen’s past? Is it someone from the victim’s past? Is it someone from the mistress’s past? Is it the victim’s spouse? Possibilities abound, and time is of the essence!

I have enjoyed this series with the quirky, highly intelligent, bookish Viscount, and Ape the street urchin who turns out to be a girl named April. April’s growth and transformation have been a joy to watch, but her insecurities about showing herself as a female have been touching. This story features a fair amount of April because the victim’s mistress is someone we’ve heard April mention before. There are also some interesting developments in the relationship between April and Piers and I have to wonder where that will go.

If you enjoy a fast-paced, interesting mystery with quirky, endearing characters, then this is the series/book for you. From a mystery standpoint, this book can be read as a standalone – however, to understand the characters and their relationships, I suggest you read the books in order.

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