In Death of an Unsung Hero, World War I has hit England hard. Lady Montfort has decided to convert the dower house into an auxiliary hospital for shellshocked officers and Mrs Jackson is in charge of the endeavor. Harry is an RAF flyer but was shot down and is recuperating at home and LAND Girls are stationed in the area, helping bring in the harvest. In the midst of these endeavors, Captain Evelyn Bray is found murdered in the garden. When the police come to investigate, it is clear that there is little sympathy for the shellshocked officers and there is the risk that one of the patients will be blamed for the death. Lady Montfort and Mrs Jackson undertake to find the real killer and to keep their hospital alive.

Certainly, Death of an Unsung Hero addresses the prejudices and lack of understanding towards PTSD in a gentle way. Reading this latest Tessa Arlen mystery was an escape and a treat. It felt like I was visiting a beautiful home with just enough danger and intrigue but the certainty that all will be well. It was like returning to a Downton Abbey of sorts with Lady Mary, Anna and Bates helping to solve a mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Death of an Unsung Hero by Tessa Arlen is several into a murder mystery series featuring a partnership between an English aristocrat and her housekeeper; I chose it because it takes place during World War One. The country house has been turned into a hospital for shell-shocked officers, like Craiglockhart; Land Girls are helping with the harvest, though we don’t really see them; the son of the household, a pilot, is on leave with a broken arm. I enjoyed the setting quite a bit, and the way the various contemporary attitudes towards shell shock were integrated into the story. The mystery was of the sort that relies on alibis and timing, and kept me engaged, though not to the point where I couldn’t stop reading.

I have to say that Tessa Arlen’s writing have gotten better. I was put off by the first two novels because of the language. Yet, in the fourth the language is much clearer. The writing is descriptive as always and is filled with suspense. The characters are now more likable. The only drawback to this novel was the mystery was predictable, and it detracted my enjoyment of the novel.

"In 1916, the world is at war and the energetic Lady Montfort has persuaded her husband to offer his family’s dower house to the War Office as an auxiliary hospital for officers recovering from shell-shock with their redoubtable housekeeper Mrs. Jackson contributing to the war effort as the hospital’s quartermaster.

Despite the hospital’s success, the farming community of Haversham, led by the Montfort’s neighbor Sir Winchell Meacham, does not approve of a country-house hospital for men they consider to be cowards. When Captain Sir Evelyn Bray, one of the patients, is found lying face down in the vegetable garden with his head bashed in, both Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson have every reason to fear that the War Office will close their hospital. Once again the two women unite their diverse talents to discover who would have reason to murder a war hero suffering from amnesia.

Brimming with intrigue, Tessa Arlen's Death of an Unsung Hero brings more secrets and more charming descriptions of the English countryside to the wonderful Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson series."

More Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson! Oh, and lots more English countryside!

Tessa Arlen has continued the Lady Montfort mysteries with a foray into World War I . Her husband, the earl's dower house has become a nursing home for shell shocked officers under the direction of Mrs. Jackson, her housekeeper and fellow sleuth. An officer is murdered; whodunit? A bellicose neighbor? One of the other officers? Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson set out to find the culprit before the authorities arrest the wrong person and the nursing home looses its accreditation. Great read.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Daniele

Tessa Arlan’s Lady Montfort mystery series gets better with each book release, and Death of an Unsung Hero is everything you could want in a historical mystery. Full of well researched rich, historical detail, interesting and well developed characters, and a murder mystery with plenty of suspects and twisty revelations, it is a satisfying trip to WWI era England.

Death of an Unsung Hero takes place two years after the last book in the series, Death by Any Other Name. It is 1916 and World War I is in full force, but the ramifications of war are only beginning to be apparent. Lord and Lady Montfort volunteer Haversham Hall as a hospital for soldiers, those suffering the effects of shell shock, until they are cleared to return to active duty. Not everyone is happy about the auxiliary hospital in their backyard, but the doctors are confident that their therapies will help the wounded recover. I found this early look at psychiatric therapy fascinating. When one of the patients, Cpt. Sir Evelyn Bray is murdered, the unlikely and dynamic team of Lady Montfort and her housekeeper turned hospital maven Mrs. Jackson are on the case, and time is of the essence to find answers before the War Office arrives for the hospital’s inspection. The investigation leads them to more murders and a secret that the murderer is willing to kill to keep.

I have enjoyed all of the books in this series and feel like I have gotten to know Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson fairly well, but the periphery characters, mostly the family, have remained thinly veiled. In this book, we get to see much more of two of Lady Montfort’s children, as well as Lord Montfort, and I enjoyed the family dynamic. Lord Montfort is quite supportive of the pair’s investigating and endearing in his obvious affection for his wife. Son Harry is on leave recovering from a broken arm, but he too has some inner demons that have followed him home. Lady Althea is finding herself in the freedom that the war has necessitated leading the local ladies land effort. I am confident that Lady Montfort’s inner dialogue about her concerns for her daughter’s activities and dress are true to aristocratic mothers of the era.

Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson make a good team. Where Mrs. Jackson is practical and logical, Lady Montfort is more intuitive. Each is able to use their places in society to their investigating advantage, and their strengths play well off of each other. As I learned more about Cpt. Bray, I felt sorry that his life was needlessly cut short. An irresponsible playboy before the war, he found his calling as a leader and was a war hero before his untimely death. Though the other hospital patients are suspects, I really rooted for them all to be innocent. The mystery unfolds at a mostly steady pace, though it does lag a bit in the middle, only to reach an exciting revelation at the end.

I enjoyed Death of an Unsung Hero and recommend it to any fan of historical mysteries.

I haven't read the other 3 books in the series but I definitely will be! I love a good cozy mystery and this series is definitely one!!

This story picks back up in WWI England, where Lady Montfort and Mrs Jackson (her partner in crime, pardon the pun) are solving mysteries. According to other reviews I've read, we're finding out more about Lady Montfort's husband, who hasn't been really touched on in the other books.

This story and this whole series is great for any person who likes a good, historical mystery, and a great escape from the real world. This book takes you back to the 1910s and what life was truly like in England at the height of WWI.

This is the 4th release in the British mystery series Lady Montfort. This book can be read as a stand alone. This is my first book in the series and the author presents the characters and back story so well I was able to understand the story.
This is set during WWI when many soldiers are returning with what is now known as PTSD. With no where to treat these soldiers Lady Montfort opens Haversham Hall Hospital in the dowager house on her estate to treat victims of shell shock. In 1916.
With an inspection by the War Office looming one of the patients, is found murdered in the vegetable garden. He was a captain who was also a war hero who saved many lives of his men. Lady Montfort begins her investigation to save her hospital from certain closure and to determine the true killer.
I love this authors descriptions of England. The writing truly is masterful as it sweeps the reader into the time period. The characters are very well crafted to the story and each adds to the story. The sleuth was full of interesting clues and kept this reader guessing. I look forward to the next in series by this author and will be reading the first in series. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.

I never caught Downton Abbey fever, but I do find that slice of history interesting.  For fans of the TV series, however, Death of an Unsung Hero would be a must read.  Set in on an English manor in the early 1900's, this story revolves around a country hospital where WWI soldiers come to be healed of their 'shell-shock.'  When one of the soldiers is murdered, it's up to Lady Montfort and her trusty housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, to solve the mystery.

Mrs. Jackson and Lady Montfort make an excellent pair of sleuths.  I loved how they worked together as friends despite their different stations in life.  I could almost see their eyes light up at the chance to solve a mystery.  Both characters complimented each other very well.  The secondary characters, too, were charming.  They were fun without being silly, and progressive without being pompous.  In fact, I would have loved to attend one of the family's dinner parties.

The mystery was quite satisfactory.  The clues were nicely laid out, and although I didn't guess the ending, it didn't come as a complete surprise, either.  I liked that the murder wasn't excessively grisly or the villain overly evil.  Although I don't mind a gritty read, it's nice to have a story that isn't a blood bath.

The history behind the story seemed very well researched.  I've read other books about WWI soldiers suffering from PTSD, and Death of an Unsung Hero fell in line with what I knew about psychological treatments of that time.  Also, the attitudes of those in society who felt that the soldiers were cowards for seeking asylum in a hospital was fascinating.  In fact, the history was one of the most interesting parts of the story.

One thing that I found confusing, however, were the number of characters that I had to keep up with.  Lady Montford's family wasn't too difficult since there were only four of them, but there were many minor characters.  At times, I had a hard time determining who was who.  The way the story was written also occasionally flummoxed me.  The book was written in a more old fashioned way, and there were times when I had to re-read a sentence in order to understand it.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read.  The mystery and characters were solid.  I would definitely read other books in this series.

I’ve had the pleasure of reading all but one of the books in the Lady Montford Mystery series and they have all been wonderful reads. I love watching how Arlen’s writing has evolved over the series so far and this book was such a pleasure to read!

This book really stood out to me as the best in the series thus far though. Maybe it’s my love of WWI that really made this one stand out or maybe it was seeing the progression of Lady Montford and seeing her family, but either way this was a lovely read and I loved it on many levels!

In 1916, the world is at war and the energetic Lady Montfort has persuaded her husband to offer the dower house to the War Office as an auxiliary hospital for officers recovering from shell-shock with their redoubtable housekeeper Mrs. Jackson contributing to the war effort as the hospital’s quartermaster.

Despite the hospital’s success, the farming community of Haversham, led by the Monfort’s neighbor Sir Winchell Meacham, does not approve of a country-house hospital for men they consider to be cowards. When Sir Evelyn Bray, one of the patients, is found lying face down in the garden with his head bashed in, both Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson have every reason to fear that the War Office will close their hospital. Once again the two women unite their diverse talents to discover who would have reason to murder a war hero suffering from amnesia (summary from Goodreads).

In the previous books we don’t really see a whole lot of Lady Montford’s family and in this book we get to see a lot more of her family and husband. I loved seeing how understanding he is about her love of investigating. It was nice to read about such a supportive husband and I think readers will enjoy getting to know this side of Lady Montford’s life.

For me what made this book outstanding was the history. Yes the mystery and the characters were on point, but the history really shined. I love love love books about WWI. It’s such an interesting period for me and this had just the right mix and nailed so many high notes. A lot of books set in WWI focus on the post war but this book is set kind of in the middle. The romanticism is gone but yet they haven’t gotten to the end of the war and seen just how much damage had been done, they are right at that middle part where they are just realizing that so many of the soldiers are suffering greater wounds than just a bullet wound. Well done with the historical setting and research, that alone give this book high marks from me!

This series had a little bit of a Downton Abbey feel to it. So if you are a fan of the show and longing for more, this would be a great book to pick up to satisfy that urge! I loved how the mystery worked within the history so well. I thought it was accurate and spot on as well as intriguing. I loved watching things unravel and come to light. I was completely wrapped up not only in the history but the mystery itself which to me is the hallmark of a great historical mystery. While this series didn’t stand on a high note for me, the last two books have been well written and interesting that I am now thrilled to be waiting for the next one to come out! I love books that win me over and this book did just that!

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: Death of an Unsung Hero (Lady Montford Mystery #4) by Tessa Arlen

Kindle Edition, 320 pages
Published March 13th 2018 by Minotaur Books
ISBN 1250101441 (ISBN13: 9781250101440)
Review copy provided by: Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review.
This book counts toward: NA

Hosted by: NA
Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 5 out of 5

Genre: historical fiction, WWI, detective novel, mystery

Memorable lines/quotes:

This is a wonderful WWI mystery novel. This is the first one that I have read in this series but it was okay because I was able to figure out who all the people were in this series. I really loved Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson. They are great at solving mysteries. I look forward to reading many more of these stories. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur books for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Death of an Unsung Hero
A Lady Montfort Mystery #4
Tessa Arlen
Minotaur Books, March 2018
ISBN 978-1-250-10144-0
Hardcover

From the publisher—

In 1916, the world is at war and the energetic Lady Montfort has persuaded her husband to offer his family’s dower house to the War Office as an auxiliary hospital for officers recovering from shell-shock with their redoubtable housekeeper Mrs. Jackson contributing to the war effort as the hospital’s quartermaster.

Despite the hospital’s success, the farming community of Haversham, led by the Montfort’s neighbor Sir Winchell Meacham, does not approve of a country-house hospital for men they consider to be cowards. When Captain Sir Evelyn Bray, one of the patients, is found lying face down in the vegetable garden with his head bashed in, both Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson have every reason to fear that the War Office will close their hospital. Once again the two women unite their diverse talents to discover who would have reason to murder a war hero suffering from amnesia.

Time has moved on since our last encounter with Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson and England is growing weary of World War I, only halfway through the horror, although their patriotism is still high and everyone wants to do his—or her—part. When a military hospital is opened in Haversham Hall, a property owned by the Earl of Montfort, some neighbors are not welcoming. This is no ordinary hospital treating the visible wounds one expects to see but, rather, a shelter for soldiers suffering a badly misunderstood emotional affliction. Shellshock is a condition that’s newly-recognized by the medical community but many civilians see it as a mere excuse for cowardice in the face of the enemy. Still, murder seems to be an unnecessarily strong reaction.

Lady Montfort and her housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, are the perfect upstairs-downstairs team and their individual stations and personalities complement each other when they investigate. Unlike some similar situations, these women are equally intelligent and determined to seek truth and justice plus they truly like each other and work together like a well-oiled machine. Now, they turn their attention to the question of why someone would want to murder Captain Bray just when he was beginning to recover from his amnesia and who that someone might be.

Tessa Arlen has cemented her place among the best historical mystery authors and, in my opinion, each book is a wonderful evocation of period and setting. It was nice to learn more about Lady Montfort’s family and the earl has become another of my favorite members of the cast. This entry has the added drama of war and it’s clear that the author understands and has a passion for the times and her wonderful characters. I’ll be adding Death of an Unsung Hero to my list of best reads in 2018.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, March 2018.

I've been wanting to read this series since the first book and I've been on a huge historical mystery kick lately.

My Impression: I do love a historical mystery and this series has landed in my To Read list. I loved the mix of upstairs and down, the strong and intelligent main characters, and the at times heartbreaking World War 1element.

Mrs. Jackson and Lady Montfort May just be one of my favorite investing teams. While they’re both intelligent and observant their perspectives and knowledge is very different so they are really able to work together. As well their friendship and respect for each other feels incredibly genuine.

The mystery was very entertaining though it did have touches of tragedy as I spent more time around the officers that inhabit the hospital. There were a number of very clever clues and red herrings. This one kept me guessing but even better made me feel emotionally involved.

While this is the 4th book in the series I really had no trouble jumping in even from the beginning. This was really a delightful read and has me looking forward to reading more from the series.

This engaging tale, of murder done at a WWI convalescent hospital, is thoroughly entertaining. Our ladies from the series are back, Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson. Mrs. Jackson doesn't seem quite as reticent as previously, and so our intrepid duo sit, compare their notes and impressions, and solve the crimes -- despite having an incompetent copper put his foot in it early on. Luckily, the Chief Constable isn't quite as pig-headed, although he is determined to pretty much ignore what the two women are capable of. It is ever thus, for female sleuths of the first part of the 20th century.

What Tessa Arlen manages to convey with her characters, dialog and plot is a complete understanding of time and place, the most important ingredient in a historical mystery, even as the reader is saddened by the treatment afforded to the hospital patients from the locals. She uses the history of the time as a backdrop, which only adds to the poignant setting (an author's note at the book's final pages gives further information).

I could have done with a lot less interior dialog. What Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson were thinking about everything (and each other) could have been conveyed in a lighter and far less frequent fashion. But it's a minor quibble.

Eventually, our mystery is neatly wrapped up, by "gathering everyone in the drawing room" which affords a neat finish. Hopefully readers will be on to the next adventure very soon.

Well, their carefully guarded secret is out. Lady Montford and Mrs. Jackson solve mysteries, and they are very good at it! Everyone knows and smiles about it, but our erstwhile investigators aren’t aware that everyone knows. So, it is entertaining to see their reactions throughout the book when one person or another mentions their penchant for solving mysteries.

This book is just exactly what I’ve been wanting in the series, a glimpse of Lady Montford’s family – especially her husband. He’s been a shadow figure in the previous books and we had learned that he was tolerant of her investigations, etc. but we really didn’t know him. I was delighted to meet him and came to admire him greatly. He is every inch the gentleman, loves his family, loves his country, loves his wife and supports her in every way. I love their relationship. So, thank you, Ms. Arlen, for providing this view of Lord and Lady Montford and their children.

This story begins about two years after the last book ended – we are well into World War I. England’s citizens have geared up and patriotism is at an all-time high. Everybody is contributing – all of the horses have been conscripted and are serving on the continent just as the men are. At home, everyone’s attention is on growing food to feed the army and producing munitions and other items that are needed. Everyone pitches in, even the aristocracy. Not only is the son and heir to the Montford title serving as a pilot in the RAF (though he is home injured at the moment), the daughter is serving with the Women’s Land Army, and the parents have started a hospital, Haversham Hall Hospital, for the treatment of those who have been shell-shocked.

I love the history in the book, especially about the budding science of psychiatry for helping the shell-shocked victims of the war. All too often, those suffering from shell-shock were further tortured with electro-therapy and other ways of quickly getting them ‘well’ and back to the battlefield. The doctor’s at Haversham Hall Hospital used both talk therapy and a type of ergo therapy – which is basically performing everyday tasks – like farming, harvesting, gardening to help them work through their issues.

Lady Montford and Mrs. Jackson are a formidable team when it comes to investigating crimes. They are so different, you would think that they’d never get along – but they are more friends than employer/employee. Lady Montford is more of an intuitive thinker and Mrs. Jackson is more of a logical step-by-step thinker. Their strengths play off each other and they soon solve whatever crime is at hand.

All crime stories require a victim, but I just hate that the victim required for this story was Captain Sir Evelyn Bray. It seems he had found himself during the war. He’d been a bit of a profligate before, but his bravery and leadership shone once he joined the military. He suffered a great injury during the Battle of Beauville Wood while he was trying to save the remaining men in his troops. When he awoke, he had no memory of who he was or what had happened. He was then sent to the Haversham Hall Hospital to see if Major Andrews could help him with his groundbreaking therapies. After only a few weeks, he was beginning to get his memory back. Then, he was murdered.

There are suspects aplenty in this mystery and you don’t want it to be any of those walking wounded at the hospital. Could it be someone on the staff? What about those individuals in the neighborhood who think the patients at the hospital are cowards who are shirking their duty rather than going back into battle where they belong. It is a twisted tale and you begin to wonder how in the world anyone will find the solution – but they do.

I can certainly recommend this book. I love the characters and plot. From early on, I had a good idea of who the culprit was and was anxious to see if I was right and if I was, to see how they did it.

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

Really wonderful historical mystery that explores the UK during WWI and the nascent problem (then unrecognized) of PTSD. Lady Montfort and Mrs Jackson make a terrific upstairs/downstairs team investigating the murder of Sir Evelyn Bray, an officer suffering from shell shock in the garden of Lady Montfort's estate. There's never an imbalance between Montfort and Jackson and you'll get a very good sense of how the UK was during the time period. I'd not read the first three books in this series but never felt at sea because Arlen manages to make each character feel complete. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this one for a mystery with a few twists and two dynamic female leads.

If you enjoy historical mysteries, especially those set in England, this series is not to be missed. This is the fourth entry and the time is 1916. Private residences are being offered as hospitals for the wounded but, in this case, the wounds are not on the outside and that is the focus of this mystery. Lady Montfort has persuaded her husband to turn over part of their estate to the War Office as a sanctuary for soldiers suffering from PTSD which they called shell shock. Others in the surrounding community call these men cowards and treat them as such. When two of these men are murdered the police are quick to close the case as is't clear to them that they turned on each other in some kind of rage due to their mental state. Lady Montfort and her housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson see the situation very differently and set about to find the killer before the hospital is shut down.
This is one of my favorite periods as it brings about so many huge changes to all levels of society, for everybody, especially for women. If you are a fan of the Murdoch mysteries, Downton Abbey and Rennie Airth, this series is not to be missed. The research is done in great depth and the voice and pace are pitch perfect. I have no hesitation giving this series a five star rating.

In 1916 little was understood of the nature of ptsd or “shell shock” as it was called.  In Death of an Unsung Hero, the plot centers around a group of young officers being treated at a hospital  sponsored by the energetic Lady Montfort and administered by her capable friend, Mrs. Jackson.  As you might expect, trouble comes in the form of the murder of an amnesiac Captain Bray.  It’s all too easy for the police to wish to lay blame on a fellow patient closing the class quickly.  Lady Montfort doesn’t believe the situation is so straightforward, and enlists the assistance of Mrs. Jackson to find the real killer.   The women have solved crimes before, and this time they have the hospital to protect.

Death of an Unsung Hero is an excellent period mystery, adroitly describing life in Britain during World War I.  Both Lady Montfort and Mrs Jackson are strong, capable women, embodying the attitudes of the times.  The puzzle is an intriguing one.  If you like historical mysteries, Tessa Arlen’s Death of an Unsung Hero is an excellent choice.

5 / 5

I received a copy of Death of an Unsung Hero from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

— Crittermom

Lady Montfort turns the Dower House into a hospital for British officers suffering from "shell shock" during World War I. When two patients are murdered, she and her housekeeper Mrs. Jackson are determined to find the murderer and save their hospital. An excellent story with an interesting view of life during World War I on the homefront.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
The carnage of WWI was the first modern war. The battles were different and changed the face of warfare forever. WWI also changed many things, including the role of women in society and the way people thought about a great many things. Some embraced the changes while others riled against it.
The Montfort have moved with the times and have opened a hospital for officers suffering from shell shock, or what today is known as PTSD. Wide acceptance of this newly discovered condition was not forthcoming. Many thought those officers were either cowards or malingers. Neither the public nor the bureaucracy knew quite what to make of it so when one and then two officers are murdered at the hospital, it is not merely a question of finding who did the deed but trying to keep the naysayers from closing down the good works being done there.
Lady Montfort is most ably assisted by Jackson who is running the business side of the hospital. The two ladies are very good at sussing out information and putting it together, far better than the local constabulary. Of course, despite the gradual changes in society, they must deal with the overarching belief that they are, after all, only women.
These two are a formidable team. The reader feels transported back to that time more than a century ago, with all the frustrations and limitation that it imposed on us of the female persuasion. It does so nicely so that when their skills are recognized, we also feel their sense of justifiable pride.
It is a good mystery with enough moving parts to keep the true villain hidden, although I must confess to have a twinge about him early on. However, the plot twists kept me from twigging too early.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.