Category: Regency Era (1811-1820)

The Regency in Great Britain was a period when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent. On the death of George III in 1820, the Prince Regent became George IV. The term Regency can refer to various stretches of time; some are longer than the decade of the formal Regency which lasted from 1811–1820.
Preceded by: Georgian era
Followed by: Victorian era
Monarch: George III, George IV, William IV

The Bones In The Orchard by Patricia Rice

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The Bones in the Orchard (Gravesyde Priory Mysteries #3)Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Series: Gravesyde Priory Mystery #3
Publication Date: 3/19/24
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 322

I am really loving this series and I hope you will as well. I love the mysteries and I love the characters, but I think what I love best is the process of making a family from such disparate backgrounds – and, yes, they really do become a family. You really do need to read the series in order of publication to get a true appreciation for each family member and their relationships – and where they fit in within the whole. They are a delightfully eclectic mix of eccentric characters – and you will love them all. You see, the Earl of Wycliffe died and left Gravesyde Priory to all of his kin – and that certainly creates a tangled mess. After much searching of the family tree, invitations were sent out to the various and sundry members asking them to come to Gravesyde Priory, take up residence (or not), and join the clan. Those who do show up are in desperate need, in hiding, irritated, etc., and all of them – on whichever side of the blanket they were born – find a home, acceptance, and family. They also find a mystery, several dead bodies, and romance along the way. Yes, it is a lovely series – and now – something about this book.

Weddings! Yes, three couples are sorely irritated because – well – how can they be married when there is no church and no curate to read the banns or perform the ceremony? Then, miraculously, a curate and his family show up – and he claims to hold the tenancy as curate for life. Well – where the devil has he been? At first, the folks at Gravesyde Priory dismiss his claim, but when he and his family move into the parsonage and begin to restore it and the church – and the people of the village remember them – maybe the curate really is who he claims to be.

The curate doesn’t appear to be well-loved by many in the village, and the folks at the Priory soon discover why. Then, they discover the curate’s body. Oh, goodness. Now they have a murder to solve and no weddings to plan. Since the curate’s son is also a man of the cloth, he’s just there to get his parents and sister settled, perhaps they can convince him to stay on as curate. Or, is he the one who murdered his father?

With many very old secrets and lots of suspects, the residents of the Priory will have to tread carefully to solve the curate’s murder – and the others that came after. Yes, multiple murders, many secrets, unwilling witnesses, and a villain that will surprise you!

I loved the book. The writing, as always, was excellent, and the characters – old and new – are so very likable. We did finally get one wedding – and we got a new romance, so maybe there are three more weddings to come rather than just the two remaining. I can recommend this series and this book and I hope you will love them as much as I do. Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Petteril’s Portrait by Mary Lancaster

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Petteril's Portrait (Lord Petteril Mysteries Book 4)

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Series: Lord Petteril Mysteries #4
Publication Date: 2/22/24
Period: Regency
Number of Pages: 167

I loved this latest addition to the Lord Petteril Mysteries series. The characters are very likable and quirky and the mysteries (yes, more than one) are interesting and the resolution is surprising. I will mention that I believe you should read the books in this series in the order they are published rather than starting in the middle. There are character developments you need to follow as they happen to fully understand the characters.

Piers Withan, newly elevated Viscount Petteril, has spent the first few months in his new title dealing with family issues and visiting the various properties – and solving mysteries along the way. He and his assistant April are on their way to one of those properties, Sillitrees, but first, they will stop by the home of his good friend Sir Peter Haggard (Haggs) because there is a small mystery to solve.

A portrait of Haggs’s father has been defaced and Haggs has asked Lord Peteril to discover who did it. Luckily, the artist who painted the portrait, a Frenchman named Claude St. Etienne, is also there to paint a portrait of Haggs. The artist can repair the picture, but why would anyone deface and damage the portrait in the first place since Haggs’s father was beloved by all who were in attendance?

Solving the mystery of the portrait doesn’t take long at all – but then there is a murder. Oops! Did the person who defaced the portrait also commit the murder? Surely not! If not, who else might it have been and were the two things related?

This was a fun, entertaining read with two lovely mysteries and equally lovely characters. I would have liked to see more progress in April’s language skills after several months, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot happening there nor in her ladylike behavior. So, it will be interesting to see what happens in the next book, Petteril’s Wife, which will be released later this spring.

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