A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The adventurous Countess Harleigh finds out just how far some will go to safeguard a secret in Dianne Freeman’s latest witty and delightful historical mystery . . .
Though American by birth, Frances Wynn, the now-widowed Countess of Harleigh, has adapted admirably to the quirks and traditions of the British aristocracy. On August twelfth, otherwise known as the Glorious Twelfth, most members of the upper class retire to their country estates for grouse-shooting season. Frances has little interest in hunting—for birds or a second husband—and is expecting to spend a quiet few months in London with her almost-engaged sister, Lily, until the throng returns.
Instead, she’s immersed in a shocking mystery when a friend, Mary Archer, is found murdered. Frances had hoped Mary might make a suitable bride for her cousin, Charles, but their courtship recently fizzled out. Unfortunately, this puts Charles in the spotlight—along with dozens of others. It seems Mary had countless notes hidden in her home, detailing the private indiscretions of society’s elite. Frances can hardly believe that the genteel and genial Mary was a blackmailer, yet why else would she horde such juicy tidbits?
Aided by her gallant friend and neighbor, George Hazelton, Frances begins assisting the police in this highly sensitive case, learning more about her peers than she ever wished to know. Too many suspects may be worse than none at all—but even more worrying is that the number of victims is increasing too. And unless Frances takes care, she’ll soon find herself among them . . .
“Engrossing . . . Freeman takes a witty look at Victorian polite society. Historical mystery fans will be delighted.”
—Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1899 London, Freeman's engrossing sequel to 2018's A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder finds American-born Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh, settling happily into her independent life as a widow. Two relatives and a close friend are visiting from New York, and, as an added bonus, Frances's relationship with her charming neighbor, George Hazelton, is beginning to take a distinctively romantic turn. Frances recently introduced Charles Evingdon, her genial cousin-by-marriage, to widow Mary Archer, thinking the two would make a good match, so she's disappointed when she learns that Charles and Mary have called it quits. Her disappointment turns to alarm when Mary is murdered and Charles becomes the prime suspect. When Frances teams with George and Charles to find the real culprit, they discover that Mary was the anonymous author of a newspaper gossip column. Was she also a blackmailer who threatened to expose something worth killing for? Freeman takes a witty look at Victorian polite society. Historical mystery fans will be delighted.
Customer Reviews
{Yawn}
This book took me forever to finish. I had to MAKE myself finish it. The first Countess of Harleigh mystery book was exciting and I was very interested. This second one was extremely boring though.