Category: Historical Mystery

A Fire at the Exhibition by T.E. Kinsey

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, George V - 1910- 1936, Historical Mystery, Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

A Fire at the Exhibition (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries #10)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: Lady Hardcastle Mysteries #10
Publication Date: 9/5/23
Period: 1912 – Littleton Cotterell, Gloucestershire (United Kingdom)
Number of Pages: 332

Oh! I do love this series! Lady Emily Hardcastle and her lady’s maid Florence Armstrong are former spies who have retired to the country – but cannot help themselves when a mystery or murder presents itself in the area. They just have to help. Their witty banter is very entertaining and will keep you smiling, if not laughing out loud, throughout the book. While they take their investigations very seriously, they don’t take themselves seriously at all, and that is what makes the combination of humor and murder investigation work so well.

The quiet, picturesque village of Littleton Cotterel is holding its May Day celebration with a festival and art show. The art show features artistic endeavors from local artists as well as art loaned from a museum, a bound book of the complete works of Shakespeare (with jewels and gold leaf, and…), and a painting by a famous artist, loaned by Sir Hector Farley-Stroud. The entire village and surrounding areas are all looking forward to participating in the events – even the bicycle race.

Even in the best-planned events – things seem to go astray, which is certainly the case with their festival. As soon as the opening ceremonies were over and the doors opened to the exhibition building, everyone rushed inside to see the exhibits – only to rush right out again because the building was on fire. OOPS! However, the fire wasn’t really a fire – but there was plenty of smoke – and when it cleared, the book along with Sir Farley-Stroud’s painting was missing. How in the world did anyone manage to get outside with that huge book and not be seen? Then, a few days later there is a murder connected to the festival. What is going on?

So many crimes to investigate! However, Lady Hardcastle and Flo decide not to be involved – except maybe to help find the painting for their dear friends, the Farley-Strouds. Let the insurance investigator handle the book, the police handle the murder, and they can help the police with the painting. Right, we know how that will go.

There are lots of red herrings for each of the crimes and you’ll have lots of fun evaluating those and tossing them aside before you finally realize what has been going on and why. Oh! Did I mention there is also a treasure hunt? Yes, Indeed. There MIGHT be buried treasure on the Farley-Stroud property. If there is, and they find it, it would save them from financial ruin.

You’ll smile yourself silly as Emily and Flo banter themselves through the investigation and fling the red herrings aside before they finally reveal all. It really is an excellent, entertaining read with several mysteries to keep you guessing before the final reveal. I highly recommend it and hope you will love it as much as I did. Happy reading!

I read and listened to the book and I can say I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth Knowelden’s narration. She captures Lady Hardcastle and Flo perfectly. You can hear the humor in their voices as you listen. She’s perfect for this narration role.

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Petteril’s Thief by Mary Lancaster

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

Petteril's Thief (Lord Petteril Mysteries #1)Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Series: Lord Petteril Mysteries
Publication Date: 9/5/23
Period: Regency London
Number of Pages: 161

This first book in Mary Lancaster’s new historical mystery series is an outstanding addition to the genre. It was so very good that I read it in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down.

The character of Lord Petteril is wonderfully complex, nuanced, and built layer upon intriguing layer. I believe he is one of the most interesting and likable characters I’ve read in a very long time. Ape, the thief, is also an excellent choice as a main supporting character. Ape has survived by his intelligence and wits his entire life in St. Giles. He’s not a thief by choice, he works for the “Lord”, and if he wants to survive, he does as he’s told. When Ape is given the choice to change his life, he jumps at it and never looks back. (Can you picture an urchin who actually wants to take a bath?)

Absolutely nobody wants Oxford don, Piers Withan to be Viscount Petteril: Certainly not his estranged family and certainly not Piers himself. However, the point is moot because there is no choice for any of them. During the months it has taken Piers to wrap up his affairs and assume the title, his family has taken full advantage of draining the coffers of the title as much as they can get away with. Piers has an affliction and his family – even his father – took the opportunity to bully him and ridicule him. They assume that will continue now that he is back. Hmmm, I wonder how that will work out for them.

On his first night in the Petteril townhouse, he encounters a young thief who has just emptied the safe of the few contents in it – and he lets the thief go – and he lets the thief keep the contents. That encounter changes Piers’s life in untold ways. When it turns out that a very valuable family heirloom ruby necklace is missing, Piers is sure the little thief didn’t take it. He’s also equally sure that a family member or a member of the staff did.

His family is expecting the old Piers – the one they could bully and intimidate. What they got was something quite different and it was an absolute delight to watch Piers show those nuanced, stronger, layers to his family as one by one he eliminates them as suspects in the necklace theft but holds them accountable for other pilfering. Then, there is only one suspect left and Piers handles that with dignity and aplomb.

While all of the necklace and family drama is going on, Piers is leaving his darkness behind, dealing with his affliction the best way he can, saving his young cousin from a terrible fate, and doing his best to guide Ape in dealing with his big secret. You’ll quickly come to admire Piers and wish you could meet him in real life. He’d be an extraordinary friend to have.

As you can tell, I loved this book and highly recommend it. The mystery is interesting and there are plenty of red herrings to keep you wondering. Lots of opportunity, lots of motives, so who can it be? You will just have to read this excellent first book in the series to find out.

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