A LADY’S GUIDE TO MISCHIEF AND MURDER by Dianne Freeman is the third novel in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. The novel will be published on July 28th 2020 by Kensington Books.
Frances Wynn, the widowed Countess of Harleigh, needs a venue for her sister’s imminent wedding. When Frances’ secret fiancé, George Hazleton, offers his brother’s country estate for the wedding, Frances and her sister, Lily, happily accept. Frances, Lily, and the rest of the wedding party have only just arrived in the countryside when a series of unfortunate—and sometimes deadly—events befalls the group. At first, the incidents appear to just be accidents. But, when a footman dies of poison and a guest is injured in an archery-related incident, Frances begins to suspect that someone is trying to kill Lily’s groom before the wedding. And, as if a killer in their midst isn’t scary enough, Frances’s and Lily’s mother is on a tear. If the killer doesn’t take Leo out first, Daisy seems determined to do whatever it takes to prevent her youngest daughter from marrying him.
I am a huge fan of Frances Wynn, and I was very excited to find out what she was up to in A LADY’S GUIDE TO MISCHIEF AND MURDER. And I was not disappointed. Freeman provides the reader with a whole new setting when she takes her characters out of London and transports them to the English countryside. Lottie the lovable disaster is back. And Frances’ and Lily’s mother makes a great addition to the cast. She is so unlikable at first, but she proves her worth. I hoping to see more of Daisy, as Frances’s and Lily’s brother. My only complaint was that Aunt Hetty wasn’t in it enough.
A LADY’S GUIDE TO MISCHIEF AND MURDER is a classic country house murder (also known as closed circle of suspects). Aside from the suspicious neighbor, all of the suspects are staying at the estate. And there are a number of worthy suspects. The fact that they are all staying in the same house—although it is a massive country estate—adds to the drama. The killer could strike at any time—and he does. Multiple innocent people are injured in the killers quest for revenge. Frances’s and George’s romance provides a great secondary storyline that keeps the story moving.
Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.