Two Weddings and a Murder by Alyssa Maxwell

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

Two Weddings and a Murder (A Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery #9)

Barbara’s rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Series: A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mystery #9
Publication Date: 2/25/25
Period: Inter-War (1922)
Number of Pages: 272

I enjoy reading historical mysteries and am always on the lookout for new-to-me authors. When I saw this book, I just had to try it and the author. I didn’t notice that it was the final book in the series, but that was not a problem. I had no trouble reading this as a standalone and following the characters and storyline.

Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her betrothed, Owen Seabright, are celebrating their wedding with friends, relatives, and servants and it is a joyous occasion for all. Eva Huntford, Phoebe’s lady’s maid, is especially joyful because she has served as both maid and close friend for many years – and she has a romance of her own. Speaking of Eva’s romance, why was he a no-show at Phoebe’s wedding ceremony?

Constable Miles Brannock finally arrives only to announce the murder of Chief Inspector Isaac Perkins had caused his delay. Oh! My! While Perkins was not well-liked, who would dislike him enough to murder him? Miles quickly begins his investigation only to be supplanted by a brutish Inspector from Scotland Yard – AND – that inspector quickly decides Miles is the murderer and arrests him.

Lady Phoebe and Owen quickly postpone their honeymoon to help Eva investigate because they are all positive Miles is not the murderer. There are many suspects – including Phoebe’s elderly aunt, Phoebe’s uncle Greville, a local farmer, a gypsy, and more. With many disparate suspects and no clues, the investigation is filled with twists, turns, and surprises.

I enjoyed the mystery and the characters, but, for me, the story seemed to drag. It was not a fast-paced, exciting mystery; but more of a slow-paced investigation. I also enjoyed seeing the storylines for the series all neatly tied up with the appropriate HEAs and good feelings all around. I would have liked to see a wrap-up for Uncle Greville and his wife Giovanna since they were front and center throughout much of the book. We learn the motives for their appearance in England, but there is no wrap-up. I would have liked to see Grampapa deal with them, but now we will never know.

While I enjoyed the mystery and the characters, I wasn’t inspired to go back and read the first books in the series. Perhaps that is because I wasn’t already invested in the characters due to that lack -I don’t know.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Murder in an Irish Garden by Carlene O’Connor

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Murder in an Irish Garden (An Irish Village Mystery, #11)

Barbara’s rating: 4.3 out of 5 Stars
Series: Irish Village Mystery #11
Publication Date: 2/25/25
Period: Contemporary Ireland
Number of Pages: 304

Siobhan O’Sullivan is NOT in a good place at the beginning of this book. She’s studying for her Detective Seargent exam; she is having a big spat with her husband, Macdara; the five siblings she’s raised since their parents’ deaths are growing up and leaving home; and she doesn’t feel well. She doesn’t need a murder to investigate on top of all that, but that is what she gets.

Kilbane’s Top Garden Contest is going strong with the five contestants busily preparing their plots beneath concealing tents. The contestants are all very competitive, very secretive, and very diverse in the gardens they are preparing and everyone is excited to see who the winner will be once the gardens are revealed and judged. Siobhan is excited to receive a VIP ticket to accompany the judge to each reveal. Then, maybe she’s not so excited when strange events start at the first garden and continue through the rest – right up to a dead body.

We have suspects of every variety and it is up to Siobhan and Macdara to untangle the twisted clues. They keep circling and circling until one suspect stands out amongst the rest. Is that suspect for real or are they being set up? If not them, who? Everyone seems innocent – and everyone seems guilty – yet it can’t be both ways. I enjoyed this mystery and though I had a suspicion about the perpetrator, I wasn’t sure until the very end. I did think bits of it were far-fetched, but it didn’t detract from my interest in the mystery itself.

I did not enjoy the conflict between Siobhan and Macdara because it seemed very childish on her part. I would have expected a higher maturity level than she displayed with all she has gone through – especially in raising her 5 siblings. To me, it was just a very silly thing to go off the deep end about. I assumed that was to display her current emotional state with all that was happening, so I let it slide. Another thing I didn’t enjoy was the book blurb’s first paragraph where it says Eoin hires a landscape designer so he can participate in the contest and generate business for his new restaurant. He did not it is plain as you read, so I fail to see why that is intimated in the blurb. None of that kept me from enjoying the story – it just nipped at my attention. Also missing is the ‘glossary’ of pronunciations included in some of the previous books. I loved that, but maybe most didn’t. I love those beautiful Irish names and hated butchering them before I found the glossary.

The final chapter in the book is one of the sweetest and most heartwarming I have ever read. I loved it! As a matter of fact, it was so heartwarming that it scared me for a bit because I kept thinking – ‘Is this the last book in the series?’. I cannot find anything that tells me that is the case and with all of the changes and growth that has happened with the characters – ALL of the characters – I can see several ways the series can continue with new and invigorated stories. Or, it can continue right along as it has been and I’ll be perfectly happy.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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