Tag: Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Frances and George head to Paris during the Exposition Universelle in order to spice up their dull routine and visit Frances’ sister, brother-in-law, and new niece. And so George can help his Aunt Julia. An artist, Paul Ducasse, recently died, and Julia thinks it wasn’t an accident.

But when George and Frances arrive, Julia refuses to talk with them about her suspicions. And then she is murdered. George and Frances must dig into the very private Julia’s life to see who might have killed her, and what might have really happened to Paul Ducasse.

Review

A great mystery in a fantastic setting! This is book 7 in the Countess of Harleigh historical mystery series which I have adored since book one. I loved seeing George and Frances do their thing in a new city. Their partnership – in life, in marriage, and in investigations – is delightful. I love how they give and take together, with love and respect for what each brings to the case. It’s excellent.

The case this time was twisty, and I had no idea how things would play out until they were done. Everything was wrapped up in a satisfying way – but the implications for the next book are up in the air, giving the author some room to play going forward.

This was all I hoped it would be – a cozy mystery with familiar characters that I could fall into easily. I haven’t kept up with too many cozy series in recent years, but this one continues to deliver every time. If you enjoy historical fiction and cozy mysteries, I highly recommend this series. I would read them in order so you can enjoy the relationship between Frances and George as it develops.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: A Newlywed's Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Frances and George are settling into married life and ready to get back to their respective work. George has recovered from his injury and is taking on a new, secret assignment. And Frances is supposed to be handling a young woman’s presentation to the queen.

Miss Katherine Stover is the niece of Lady Winstead. When Frances goes to meet Miss Stover, she discovers Lady Winstead is very ill. And one of her oldest friends, Lady Esther, finds her friend’s condition alarming – and suspicious.

But before Frances can get a handle on Lady Winstead’s condition – and investigate a couple accusations of theft in the household – someone is murdered, leaving Frances and George with more questions than ever.

Review

This was a fun addition to the Countess of Harleigh mystery series, and the conclusion of the book was excellent. I enjoyed spending time with Frances and George as always, and the set up for this story was great. The middle dragged a bit where everything seemed to just spin in place without any progress forward. Thankfully there was a nice twist toward the end that I enjoyed, and it propelled the rest of the story forward to a fantastic end.

I have enjoyed this historical mystery series since the beginning, and I’m thrilled to keep up with it. This is book 6 in the series, and I think newcomers could start with this book without much difficulty. But for the full Frances and George experience, you’ll want to go back to book 1, A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder where it all began.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

 

REVIEW: A Bride's Guide to Marriage and Murder by Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases next week on June 28th.]

Summary

Frances can’t wait until her wedding day. Not only so she can begin her life with George, but also to escape her mother’s meddling and battles over guest lists, seating charts, and feuding aristocrats.

But before Frances and George can escape on their wedding trip, her brother is arrested for the murder of one of those feuding aristocrats. Alonzo may have been found with the murder weapon, but the man had plenty of enemies. And the path between the man’s home and the wedding reception site was well travelled over the course of the day. Frances and George will have to team up again to find the truth before they miss out on their entire honeymoon.

Review

What a great mystery! This one is super twisty, so it kept me guessing all the way through. The pacing was great – I never felt like things were dragging. As Frances and George investigated, there were new clues discovered, more questions raised, and a different suspect to consider. The mystery was highly satisfying!

I was as over Frances’ family as she was in the book. The author does a great job of making them a pain without making the reader miserable. There were lots of lovely Frances and George moments to offset her family as well as moments with some of the other series regulars.

Other than tracking the various relationships, I think newcomers could start this series here without any major difficulty. While I love the journey Frances and George have been on, I don’t think readers have to know all the backstory to follow the action here. But I’ve loved all 5 books in this series so far – and I hope there will be many more! I recommend these for historical fiction fans as well as mystery lovers. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Frances is already in mixed moods. She’s happy to send her mother away for a few days’ break while she visits Paris. But her mother is taking Frances’ daughter, Rose, and she will be missed. But it turns out for the best when an inspector arrives with a French woman who insists she is married to Frances’ fiancé, George.

Irena Teskey is the illegitimate cousin of the Grand Duke of Russia. She was detained when she tried to get the man’s attention by throwing a rock at him. She insists someone is threatening her, but her stories circle around and go nowhere. She seems wholly unbelievable. But George is called on by the prince himself to check out her story.

George insists the dramatic Irena is prone to extremes, but he is definitely not married to her. Yet he is required to look into her claims while she stays with Frances. Unfortunately, a murder makes it quite clear that Irena was not imagining that she was in danger.

Review

Another fun Countess of Harleigh mystery! I love Frances and George together – as a couple and also as investigators. It’s not often in cozies that the love interest/law enforcement character encourages the sleuth. I think it’s especially unusual for this time period. But it’s refreshing, and I enjoy that aspect of this series.

The case here was stressful. Irena’s claims caused a lot of trouble for Frances and George. And her penchant for drama was getting on my nerves. I enjoyed the ending which caught me by surprise in all the best ways.

Fans and series readers should not miss this one. If you’re not familiar with the series, I think you *could* start here but maybe shouldn’t. There’s some history between Frances and one of the characters that gives their relationship some extra nuance that newcomers might miss. But I don’t think you HAVE to know that history to enjoy the main characters and the mystery here. As I was reading this, it brought to mind the Rosalind Thorne series – fans of those books should check these out, too.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Frances, the Countess of Harleigh, is enjoying some quiet days. No murders or investigations. Sure, she’s helping her sister plan her wedding, but otherwise she is just dealing with the day to day things and enjoying her secret engagement to George Hazelton.

Then she finds out her sister needs to move the wedding up. Immediately, if you catch my drift. Thankfully, George is heading to his family’s estate. It would be the perfect place for a small wedding. Lily and Leo could be married within a week and no one would have to know why the date changed. And of course, George is gracious and compassionate and welcomes the wedding party into his plans at the estate.

But from the moment their party gets on the train, there is no shortage of trouble. Leo’s younger sisters are constantly arguing and bickering. His best friend is making eyes at Lily, and she is not doing enough to dissuade him. Leo’s brother-in-law is bitter about feeling left out of the family business, and he isn’t quiet about it. And strange accidents keep happening. When several people are injured and one person ends up dead, Frances starts to think someone might want Leo dead.

Review

I fell in love with this series when I first read A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder. And it has never disappointed me. This is the third book in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series, and it’s as strong as ever.

As much as I say I dislike historical fiction, the characters in this are what bring me back over and over. I have loved watching Frances’ growth over the last three books, finding both her confidence and true love.

The mystery in this particular book was especially twisty. I couldn’t settle on who I thought was the culprit. My choices all made sense. And were completely wrong! It was so fun to sit back and watch it all play out until the end.

Whether you love late 19th century London society stories, mysteries with a side of romance, or mysteries that leave you guessing until the end, be sure to pick up A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder. While you are at it, pick up the first two books in the series as well. I don’t think these have to be read in order, but if you like to see the evolution of the relationships in a series, you should start with book one.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

In 1899 England, Frances was fortunate to have her own money. With her husband dead for over a year, she was out of her mourning period. She had the means to leave the family estate – and her in-laws who only wanted her money – and set up her own house for herself and her daughter. But things were not going to be that simple.

First of all, her new home is next door to a man who had been part of the most devastating and embarrassing moment of her life. Second, her sister was coming from America for the London Season, and Frances was to be her chaperone for finding a suitable husband. Third, her brother-in-law decided to sue for Frances’ personal funds, saying it became part of the estate when she married. The suit freezes her accounts and puts her independence in jeopardy. And if all that wasn’t enough, throw on a theft, a break in and a murder!

Review

This was perfect from start to finish! It lived up to all of my highest hopes when I first saw that cover. This book delivered everything I want from a new mystery series.

I adored Frances. She has great strength and courage. She’s learned a lot from her time in London society, and she uses that to her sister’s benefit as well as her own. She has a fantastic assortment of supporters – friends, family and staff – to help with the personal issues as well as the criminal ones.

The mystery was excellent – interesting and twisting. I was guessing all the way through. There were so many layers to this, my attention never wavered. I can’t wait to read through this again.

This is everything I love in a great book! I can’t wait to read more in this series. Book two – A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder – releases next summer.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥