Death of an Unsung Hero is a historical mystery by Tessa Arlen. It is the fourth book in her WWI era Lady Montfort mystery series. I have read the first book in the series, so I was excited about the opportunity to read this latest addition.

WWI has brought some changes to the Montforts- their manor house now serves as a rehabilitation center for officers affected by “neurasthenia”, more commonly known as shell-shock. Everyone seems to be making wonderful progress, but then one of the officers is found dead in the garden and all signs point to murder.

There are many in the village who think poorly of the men staying at the house; they believe they are cowards who are shirking their duty, and that diseases of the “nerves” don’t exist. Could one of them have killed the officer? Or perhaps one of the other men staying at the house imagined that he was back in the trenches and lashed out, with deadly consequences. It is up to Lady Montfort and her housekeeper Mrs. Jackson to figure out what happened before the medical board closes down the manor house.

This was a satisfying mystery. The story unfolds from the dual perspectives of our two amateur detectives; this allows them to cover more ground, so to speak, as they interview a wide range of potential witnesses. Slowly but surely, secrets are revealed, but the big reveal surprised me, and I was impressed with the way Arlen put together a seemingly unsolvable crime.

I would recommend Death of an Unsung Hero. I think this book- and the series as a whole- would appeal to fans of Downton Abbey; there are a great deal of similarities in the two series. This book functions fairly well as a standalone; I have surely missed a great deal of backstory in books 2&3, but I did not feel lost at any point in the narrative. Historical mysteries are one of my favorite genres, and the Lady Montfort books are exceptionally well written. They contain a layer of depth and insight that set them apart from other series. I am looking forward to catching up on the books I’ve missed, as well as waiting to see what the future holds for Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Death of an Unsung Hero by Tessa Arlen was a fascinating mystery set in England during World War I. Although this is the first book I have read in this series, I had no problems as Ms. Arlen provided the background of each of the characters and there were only slight references to the previous books. The descriptive writing of Iyntwood estate, the surrounding countryside and Haversham Hall allowed me to feel like I was there with Lady Montford and Mrs. Jackson has they investigated.

The plot is smoothly paced with twists and turns, red herrings, two murders but only a few suspects. The investigation by Lady Montford and Mrs. Jackson involved both the current events and people but the past as well. It also showcased the many societal changes as women are stepping out of traditional roles to assist in the war effort which naturally effected class and society as England knew it before 1914. There was actually more than one mystery to be solved in this book and both were resolved satisfactorily.

Idgie Says:

Tessa's website describes the Lady Montfort Series (this is the forth book in the series) a "well-mannered mystery". This description is perfect. I didn't want to classify it as a "cozy" necessarily and I think well-mannered relates to all the characters in the book....except for the killer of course.

Review, along with description, Q & A and excerpt will go live at the Dew on release date.

3.75 stars

This third Lady Montfort mystery is set in 1916, two years into the Great War. The last book ended with the declaration of war in 1914, and lots has happened offstage. Lady Montfort's son Harry, a pilot, has been injured and is home recuperating. Her daughter Verity, in France, is in harm's way and Lady M frets about that. Her younger daughter Althea has joined the Women's Land Army and is a visible sign of changes in society and culture that the war have accelerated. And their dower house has been turned into a convalescent home for victims of shell-shock. One of the most interesting parts of this novel was the commentary on how people viewed the recovering veterans. Many felt that they were cowards and malingerers. Lady M's sleuthing partner, Mrs. Jackson, is in charge of the operations of the hospital and is her usual capable and rational self.

Turbulent times are made even worse when one of the patients is discovered murdered in the garden. The townspeople and local police immediately decide one of the other "mental" patients is responsible. Lady M and Mrs. Jackson try to piece together events, alibis and secrets from the past that might have a bearing. It's interesting that, contrary to many mysteries with amateur sleuths, the local residents and Lady M's family have confidence that they will solve the crime.

The characters are fleshing out more with every book and the relationship between the two women is interesting, if probably not historically possible. This was a time when British society in particular was in upheaval and the book does a great job of illustrating that. I did miss Mr. Stafford in this book -- he is a particular friend of Mrs. Jackson's and I enjoyed the interplay between them but he is off to war. And I recognized the murder weapon and thus the murderer fairly early on. But there were several twists and turns to keep things interesting.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to review Death of an Unsung Hero in exchange for an honest review. Haversham Hall Hospital has been opened in the dowager house on Iyntwood estate to treat victims of shell shock. In 1916 Lady Montfort donated the home to the War Office and her former housekeeper Mrs. Jackson is the acting quartermaster. With an inspection by the War Office looming, Captain Bray, one of the patients, is found murdered in the vegetable garden. The captain was brought to the hospital suffering from amnesia after risking his life in a brutal battle to bring his men to safety.

The staff and each of the patients can account for their actions at the time of the murder. One patient, however, was sent to the orchard adjacent to the garden to pick apples and is under suspicion after finding the body. Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson must once again work together to solve the murder. While the hospital receives support for the help it gives suffering soldiers, there are also those in the area that consider the patients cowards. One neighbor is outspoken on his opposition to the hospital, but how far would he go to have it closed? When a second patient is murdered, he becomes the next suspect that the police look at.. since both of the victims were from the same unit, Mrs. Jackson begins to look at their war records and the actions that earned Captain Bray his award, searching for any connection between them.

Tessa Arlen brings the English countryside to life at a time of war. As the battles rage in France, the harvests must still be brought in and the estate must still be overseen. With the men away, she explores the use of land girls to help run the farms. In the hospital, the doctor is using new techniques with the patients. Keeping the patients busy with everyday tasks, painting and therapy sessions is a new treatment being explored and has been successful in a number of cases. Ther is still tea time at Iyntwood, but the staff is reduced and everyone has additional responsibilities.

Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson are a formidable pair. Like Holmes and Watson, they work well together, comparing notes and exploring paths to investigate. This story should appeal to fans of Charles Todd. It will also appeal to fans who are missing the estates and drama of Downton Abbey.

Death of an Unsung Death is a good book. I give it 3-1/2 stars.

This is probably my favorite so far! This time around, two years since the last book, war is raging on. Lady Montfort decides to put her house in Haversham for war use, much to the chagrin of her neighbors and friends because the house offers aids to those who are facing the aftereffects of war. Until a body of a general is found on the grounds, and the hospital is due for a checkup Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson are out for the chase. I enjoyed the mystery and loved that the whole family gets together in this book. We already met Henry but we finally get to meet Lady Althea! Henry isn't the same after being in the war as a pilot, and Althea's character is introduced as an adventurous spirit and an advocate for the land girls much to Clementine's dismay.  There was also a feeling of change throughout the book, a change between a society with rules and class ...to one without barriers even Clementine and Mrs. Jackson can feel this shift. 
My only con for this book wasn't towards the story or writing but for a character, Inspector who shall not be named (you'll understand once you read the book) was brazen, intimidating and downright distasteful. 

Overall I recommend this book especially if you read up until book 3! If you love historical fiction mystery novels with duo heroines then this ones for you!

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
This story is a about Lady Montford, her partner and housekeeper mrs.Jackson who is now the administrator of the hospital. Lady Montford has her son at home, seriously depressed at his inability to rejoin the fighting as a pilot while recovering from an injury.
This was my first book by this author, I did enjoy it, It was fast paced for the most part but at times it felt slow and just alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a 3.5 star rating!

I quite enjoyed this book. ...although, it did seem to drag in the middle of the book. I loved the period piece ...so different from today’s world and it’s technology. This would be the perfect book to read in between a more emotionally challenged book.

Arlen's series, the Lady Montford Mysteries, is a sheer delight, and this new story is the best yet. Arlen aptly mixes upstairs and downstairs at a critical period of societal flux. Lady Montford and her capable partner, housekeeper Mrs. Jackson, are now involved in the new role of the dower house as a military hospital for the shell-shocked officers of WWI. Jackson is now the administrator of the hospital and thoroughly enjoying her work. Lady Montford has her son at home, seriously depressed at his inability to rejoin the fighting as a pilot while recovering from an injury. Lady Althea, on the other hand, is relishing her job in organizing the local Land Girls, much to the dismay of her mother who is concerned about the changing ways of young people during war time.
Arlen has done an impeccable job in researching the work of the home front and the varieties of war trauma, both physical and mental, for this period. The writing is so excellent than these authentic observations and descriptions are embedded into the plot and characters seamlessly and vividly bring these realities to the reader. And the plot is intriguing - the murder of one of the traumatized officers in the garden of the hospital. Lady Montford and Mrs. Hardcastle go right to work on this new mystery, bringing Jackson's methodical mind and research abilities and Lady Montford's lively brillance into a shocking resolution of the case. Well done!