Category: Historical Mystery

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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The Proof of the Pudding by Rhys Bowen

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, George V - 1910- 1936, Historical Mystery, Interwar Period (Nov 1918 - Sep 1939), Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

The Proof of the Pudding (Her Royal Spyness #17)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Her Royal Spyness #17
Publication Date: 11/7/23
Period: 1936 -Interwar England
Number of Pages: 304

The books in this series are always delightfully entertaining, filled with eccentric, unique, and unforgettable characters, and there is always a head-scratching mystery to go along with all of that. This time around, we even have a character who seems perfect for a book that is released so close to Halloween! We do, of course, have some wonderful cameo appearances by famous people of the time – such as author Agatha Christie and film star Laurence Olivier.

Georgie may be the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and the 35th in line to the throne, but she and her dashing husband Darcy are poor as church mice. With their first child due within a few weeks, they are confined to Eynsleigh, the estate on which they live. They are immensely grateful to Sir Hubert, Georgie’s Godfather, who has requested they live at Eynsleigh and see to its care – and part of that care is to see to its staffing, mainly acquiring a chef who can cook for gatherings. That chef – a FRENCH chef – is on his way and they cannot wait for a decent meal.

The trouble all began when Sir Hubert wanted to have a dinner party to show off Chef Pierre’s skills. And goodness, did he have some skills! Attending the dinner party was the gothic author Sir Mordred Mortimer, a long, thin man with long silver hair. Sir Mortimer loved the meal and wanted to borrow Chef Pierre to cook for a charity dinner he was hosting. Yep – dark, dreary home – a host who could be Dracula – and a poison garden – what could go wrong there?

After the charity dinner, several people sickened – and one died. The police – and everyone else – blame Chef Pierre. He is an easy target – especially since he speaks very little English, but Georgie is determined to prove him innocent. So, if not the chef – who? More importantly, how and why?

You’ll love Darcy and Georgie working against the clock to identify the murderer and the method while constantly dealing with unwanted family and guests arriving to witness the impending birth. Yes, for Georgie, the birthing process will be a rest!

I loved this book! It is witty and entertaining and still delivers a first-class mystery. If you have read previous books, you will be familiar with many of the characters and if you haven’t read previous books, it doesn’t matter because you can pick right up with the characters and story. I hope you’ll 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.

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