Never Judge a Book by its Cover
A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder is a cosy mystery set in Victorian England featuring an American heiress who married to gain a title. Now a widow, she is asked to help solve a murder because she has done so before.
The plot ran along well although a little local detail would have been appreciated – perhaps a nod to the current affairs of the time, or anything to make this particular setting a vital part of the story. I can’t help thinking that a story featuring an American lady without any ties in England would be more interesting set in the US.
Other reviewers have pointed out the grammar problems, and I concur.
Nevertheless this was a story that had clearly delighted others.

Frances, the recently widowed Countess of Harleigh, is settling into her independent life in London. Despite her American origins, Frances is well-liked and well-placed in Society, enough so to be a sort of matchmaker for young ladies making their debuts. She has introduced her young sister, Lily, to her future husband and is sponsoring a friend of Lily's, Charlotte, in Society. The grateful parents of her charges have added to Frances' limited income, but more importantly, Frances is determined that their marriages not as unhappy as her own. To that end, she has introduced her cousin Charles Evington to another widow, Mary Archer. When Mary is murdered in her own home, and Charles admits to being in the neighborhood at the time, he becomes the prime suspect. Frances, and her neighbor, the handsome and capable George Hazelton, set out to clear him. It turns out that there was much more to Mary Archer and her relations than met the eye.

A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder is a delightful romp through the darker places of polite society. There are several new characters that I enjoyed, especially the klutzy, but bright and capable Charlotte and Charles who has made an art of appearing but not being, dim. The progress of the romance between George and Frances is more than satisfactory, and I look for more investigations featuring this well-matched pair.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

Well, this was a true delight of a book! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the advance review copy!

A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder by Dianne Freeman follows Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh and bourgeoning amateur detective. When an acquaintance of hers, Mary Archer, is murdered and her cousin Charles is suspected of the crime, Frances throws herself into solving the puzzle of why she was killed. Dianne Freeman, in addition to deft weaving of the historical details of late Victorian London, has created a charming heroine who is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery while maintaining the respectability expected of aristocratic women. While these two women occupy different historical periods, Frances reminded me of Phryne Fisher from the Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery series in that they're both savvy, wry, and protective of their friends.

In addition, Frances has a great team to assist her. Her friend and will they/won't they love interest George Hazelton is an investigator and lawyer in his own right, but in addition to his help, Frances has her Aunt Hetty and Lottie (her little sister's best friend) who each have their own set of skills to contribute to cracking the case. I prefer a colorful cast to lone wolf investigators myself, and Dianne Freeman did a great job with the character development across the board.

My only quibble is that I didn't realize this murder mystery would be of the cozy sort, and I usually prefer an increased sense of danger in the mysteries I read. So, for any readers in the same boat, do know that ahead of time. That said, the mystery was well-constructed, the characters shone, and this was the light, bright, sparkling read I needed to get my summer reading started!

I read Freeman's previous book A Lady's Guide To Etiquette and Murder, and loved it. I think she's an underrated mystery writer. Her characters are very engaging, writing is entertaining. The mystery plots wrap up very nicely at the end, which is very important in a mystery book.
I was really pleasantly surprised the first time, and her second book was again a hit.
I will definitely follow Freeman whenever she launches a mystery, I'd highly recommend it.

Thanks a lot Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder by Dianne Freeman is the second installment in Countess of Harleigh Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.

Delightful addition to the first book, there are some new and most of the old characters who we are able to get to know even better. I like how strong and capable females in Lady Harleigh's household are.
There are many reference to the style, social norms and way of life for that time period throughout the book which I particularly liked and found very interesting.

Mary Archer, a good acquaintance of Frances Wynn, Lady Harleigh, is found murdered in her home. Frances is shocked and saddened especially as she has tried to pair her and her cousin by marriage Charles. As he soon becomes a person of interest in the murder case, she feels she has no choice but to get involved. Although her sister's wedding needs her attention and her friend's daughter needs entertaining and introduction to London society, she has to try and find out the truth as she is certain that Charles can't be the killer,
Her gentleman friend, George Hazelton, who even though is not completely open about his profession, is often engaged as an adviser in complicated investigations, decides to let Frances help out and enables her excess to some vital information.
As secrets begin to come to surface it becomes obvious that prominent members of London society have been threatened or even blackmailed by the murdered lady. There are so many suspects but only one killer and as time is running out the stakes are getting higher and suspension builds up.

A really well executed mystery with many twists and turns. Each of the main characters has their own specific set of skills which help out during the investigation.
Many humorous and romantic moments add to the charm of this book.
This has become one of my favorite series and I am eagerly waiting for the next book.

A Countess of Harleigh Mystery #2

The Countess, Francis, is back in the second of this series. Now a widow with a full house in town, she has no desire to head for the country as most do in August. She isn't hunting for birds or a husband.

Her younger sister is visiting from America and has brought a friend. Within a few short weeks, the sister announces she is going to marry a man she just met. Francis is worried. She doesn't want her sister to marry someone she barely knows. Didn't work out that well for Francis!

Along with her Aunt and her cousin Charles, she has her hands full. Charles is a lovely man but rather scattered. Francis has been encouraging him to see an acquaintance of hers, Mary Archer. Charles isn't enamored of Mrs. Archer and picks a poor time to break off seeing her. The next day the poor woman is dead, murdered in her own home. Charles just became a suspect.

With help from her friend and neighbor, George Hazelton, she hopes to find something in the poor woman's belongings that will clear Charles. What they find sends them in an entirely different direction!

I really enjoyed this one. Historical Fiction is a favorite of mine and Ms. Freeman has a style of writing that is so easy to read. The characters are quirky and fun. Francis and George may have something going on soon so I hope we don't have to wait long for the next book!

NetGalley/ June 25th, 2019 by Kensington

While I read a lot of Regency romances, it is fun to read something set in that time period that is more of a mystery. The characters are well-executed and the plot moves briskly. Overall, an enjoyable read. Recommend.
I provided an honest review in exchange for a free advance reader's copy.

3.5 ⭐️ Rounded out to 4 ⭐️
The second book in Freeman’s series has Lady Frances investigating murder, fraud while managing her independance and her extending family. I was happy to read about Frances’ life and how she is slowly standing on her own, taking care of herself and her daughter and living side by side her younger sister Lily, her aunt but also an extending group of friends. All women characters have layers. They are not perfect but they are really interesting.

The mystery kept me reading and the culprits got what they deserved. This series of historical cozy mysteries is one I’ll keep reading and recommending.

A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder is a murder mystery set in Victorian England, along with just a touch of romance. Widow Lady Frances's acquaintance has been murdered; she teams up with friends and relations to find the reason behind the killing with the hopes that will identify the murderer.

I simply loved this story! I ended up reading late into the night since I didn't want to put it down.

The murder was presented (off stage), and along with the main character's delightful wit, charm, and intelligence, I very quickly forgave any confusion I had during the first few pages when so many people were introduced.. I truly enjoyed "hearing" Frances's clever thoughts in first-person and found myself giggling often while reading. Her conversations with all the other characters are a lot of fun, although my favorite of her exchanges are with George.

The book is very well paced and the mystery well done. I never doubted the conclusions they came to, and in my opinion, the plot was well-planned. The ending was definitely satisfying.

I highly recommend this book to those interested in historical mysteries . I plan to get a copy of the first book in the series the moment I submit this review, and I look forward to the next from this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for providing a copy..

As with the first book in the series, I found this to be a charming historical cozy mystery novel. Frances is an enjoyable main character to follow. The second half of this book seemed both predictable and a bit boring to me, but I still enjoyed the book overall.

I just loved this book. The author should be congratulated on keeping the plot moving forward while providing context and keeping the characters interesting. The logic was sound, it was possible to make some educated guesses along the way but there were also some unexpected twists and turns. I highly recommend the read!



With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the advanced copy for an honest opinion

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to recieve a copy of this book. I love historical mysteries and I just finished the first book in this series a few months ago. And this book did not disappoint!

The series follows Frances, who after her husbands death distances herself from his relatives (who are only after her money to rebuild their crumbling manor house) and moves to London where she gets caught in mystery solving among other things, with the handsome nextdoor neighbour George Hazelton.

In this book a friend of Frances is murdered and her cousin Charles is a suspect. She and George are in for a wild ride and I was thrilled to see their relationship evolve as well. Considering certain circumstances in the first book, I had hoped for a bit more of the "reluctant allies" in both the first and this book, but she and George managed to move on from that rather quickly. I think that would have made for an even more interesting dynamic between the characters. But I am completely fine with the friends element as well.

This book did manage to have me guessing about the murderer until the very end, even if some of the other plot points were easier to guess. I still loved this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone with a love for historical "cozy" mysteries.!

I was very excited to get this book. It is a very fun 2nd book in the series and I was not able to put it down. . I enjoy the characters and the mystery. Of course, the historical London setting doesn't hurt either. I look forward to the developing relationship between Frances and George.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. - I look forward to many more in the series.

Cozy mysteries are a hit or miss for the most part with me because sometimes the narration does not suit my mood for reading a book and/or I do not get the humour used in the context of the tale. Basically, many of them are not meant for me but I soldier on and keep trying new authors because once in a while I strike gold. This was one such book, the characterization of relationships in this book were really well done. This is historical fiction with an enterprising countess in the midst of it all.

This is the second book in the series, but since there are painstaking efforts to ensure we are up to date with the balance of power amongst the people we are to be introduced to, it is not hard to read it without prior knowledge of the first. Frances is a widow, with a daughter and a few relatives, some from her own side and others from her late husband's who are part of their daily life. She happens to stumble upon the death of an acquaintance that she was fond of and a person she introduced to her is considered a suspect. Now with the connections and natural intelligence, she sets off to aid the officials in their quest to find the actual culprit while maneuvering around the social niceties of the time. They treat her with the respect given to her class but when she does not listen to appropriate cautions, they explain to her logically about what trouble her actions can cause!

There is a mild romance in the background (more than a few) which add to the ambience of the tale. 

The story does not provide enough clues to actually guess the result until the story moves towards the final reveal while being believable at the same time.

My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an Advance Read Copy of A LADY’S GUIDE TO GOSSIP AND MURDER by Dianne Freeman in exchange for an unbiased review. This is the second in the series of Countess of Harleigh mysteries and while there are some references to the previous novel it is not necessary to have read it to enjoy this one. The book is a complete mystery within itself. There are a few relationships between characters that carry over from the first book, and if you have the opportunity to read them in order, it might be beneficial to do so. However, it is entirely possible to enjoy this book without having read the first of the series.

In this novel, Lady Frances, the Countess of Harleigh, is drawn into investigating the murder of a friend, in part because her cousin has been accused on the murder and partly because her “gentleman friend” George Hazelton has been pressed into service to review many of the papers found in the lady’s home. George has some connection to “king and country” although he is circumspect in sharing the specifics of his work. He has been pressed into service in this novel as there is a possibility that compromising information may be revealed about some of the more influential people in the British government.

Lady Frances enjoys the challenge of investigating and is pleased when George suggests she help him by reviewing some of the papers he has in his possession. It is soon revealed that Lady Frances’ murdered friend was employed as a gossip columnist for the local paper, a fact that has been kept from the public in general because it isn’t considered “appropriate” work for a lady and also because it would be difficult to successfully pen the column if the writer’s identity were known.

There are side issues as well, including the impending marriage of Lady Frances’ younger sister, Lily. With her investigative activities requiring much of her time, Lady Frances has little time to spare to help plan the activities. In addition, Lottie, a friend of the family who is spending the summer with Lady Frances, proves that despite her physical clumsiness, she is adept at organizing and assisting with the investigation.

The identity of the murderer is revealed through the investigation of Lady Frances and friends rather than through clues that are sprinkled throughout the book. It is possible for the reader to determine the identity of the murderer, but more as a result of following Lady Frances and company as they investigate rather than through finding clues and solving the puzzle on their own.

This book will likely appeal most to readers who enjoy historical mystery fiction. There is information regarding the period throughout the novel including societal expectations, typical fashion for women of the day, and restrictions that are imposed on women regarding their activities of work, independence, and other. If a reader enjoys period fiction, this may be the perfect novel for them.

The second in the Countess of Harleigh mystery series, A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder is set in late-Victorian London, and full of engaging characters as well as three romances! A fun summer read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Company, who provided an eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder by Dianne Freeman was a very enjoyable addition to this historical cozy mystery series.

Ms. Freeman's writing is skillful and pulls me into the story from the first page. I enjoyed spending time with Frances, Aunt Hetty, George and a new character addition, Lottie. Lottie was adorable because she's intelligent, clever and klutzy. Frances chooses to investigate the death of an acquaintance because the police have her cousin, Charles, in their sights as a murder suspect. Frances' investigation was completely within the proper boundaries of the era and George was able to investigate the areas where women were never to be seen. Frances and George make a perfect pair. The plot twisted and turned with several suspects and red herrings to divert me as I read. I had trouble putting the book down until it was finished.

After reading the 5 star debut A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder I was really looking forward to Freeman's second book. Unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me. I was bored for most of it; I found that I didn't really care who murdered Mary as she was an unseen character who meant nothing. Perhaps she was mentioned in the first book, but I can't recall. Either way, I felt this book lacked something the first one had, the ability to draw you in and make you care about the characters and I couldn't get into the relationship between Hazelton and Lady Harleigh. .I felt they didn't really behave the way upper class society people behaved in this time period. I did find the mystery to be somewhat interesting, but there was just too much sitting around reading notes from the deceased to make this a very compelling mystery, even for a cozy. I think people who enjoyed the first one will want to keep reading this series, and I am willing to give book 3 a chance. So 3 stars. Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the DRC.

Ready for summer reading?
May 23, 2019
What are you looking forward to reading this summer? There are so many great books coming out. Here in the Boston area alone, we’ll be celebrating Hallie Ephron’s Careful What You Wish For, (Aug. 6), Hank Phillippi Ryan’s The Murder List(Aug. 20), Julia Henry‘s Tilling the Truth and Edwin Hill‘s The Missing Ones (both Aug. 27). On the cozy side, former Sisters in Crime president Leslie Budewitz has her Chai Another Day coming out June 11, and many others are due soon too. But recently I was asked by an editor to compile a list of summer mysteries and in my desperate attempt to pull together books that weren’t by friends or that haven’t been recently profiled on my own blog, I came up with the following. (Then I found out I had misread the assignment – he wanted books that were already out! Oops!). Anyway, here’s a small sampling of what I’m looking forward to, with an eye to every taste. Please let me know what you’re looking forward to – we’ve got time, at last, to indulge!
1. “One Small Sacrifice,” Hilary Davidson (out June 1)
Author of the Anthony award-winning Lily Moore series launches a new police procedural series with NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling unraveling a complicated possible murder.
2. “Conviction,” Denise Mina, (June 18)
Newly single Anna McDonald tunes into a true-crime podcast for distraction only to realize that she knows what really happened – and she’s involved – in the latest grim psychological suspense from a Scottish master of the genre.
3. “Big Sky, ” Kate Atkinson (June 25)

After an eight-year hiatus, Yorkshire ex-cop turned private investigator Jackson Brodie (with dog) surfaces in a quiet seaside village where a routine domestic case turns into something darker.
4. “Paranoid,” Lisa Jackson, (June 25)
Decades after Rachel Gatson accidentally killed her half-brother, her high school reunion – and a string of new murders – make her doubt her sanity in this bestseller’s latest psychological suspense.

5. “A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder,” Dianne Freeman (June 26) The follow-up to the series’ multiple award-winning debut, this frothy, fun historical cozy once again has the American-born Countess of Harleigh solving a murder in Victorian London’s high society.
6. “The Paper Bark Tree Mystery,” Ovidia Yu (June 27)
The steamy Singaporean summer of 1937 smolders when private detective Su Lin’s ex-boss is murdered in a case involving diamonds, race, and political unrest in this third evocative Crown Colony mystery.
7. “The Whisper Man,” Alex North (June 27)
A widowed father and his young son move into a strange house in a town haunted by the memory of a serial killer in this truly creepy debut thriller.
8. “The Chain,” Adrian McKinty (July 9)
To ransom her kidnapped daughter, a mother must kidnap another child, whose parents must then do the same, in this fast-paced, nightmarish thriller from the award-winning suspense author.
9. “Lady in the Lake,” Laura Lippman (July 23)
Having bolted from a stale marriage in 1966 Baltimore, Maddie Schwarz has transitioned from housewife to crusading journalist, heedlessly seeking the truth about a missing woman in this New York Times-bestselling author’s latest standalone.
10. “The Hounds of Justice,” Claire O’Dell (July 30)
In O’Dell’s second strikingly engaging dystopian Sherlock Holmes pastiche, Dr. Janet Watson once again joins covert agent (and fellow queer black woman) Sara Holmes in infiltrating an extremist group.
11. “Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead,” Olga Tokarczuk, (Aug. 13)
This Man Booker International Award finalist veers from straight mystery into fantasy as Janina, the local crank in a Polish resort town, takes a break from astrology to investigate a murder.
12. “The Swallows,” Lisa Lutz, (Aug. 13)
Best known for the humorous Spellman Files books, Lutz follows up her thriller “The Passenger” by going very dark with this tale of revenge and secrets at a New England prep school.
13. “Play With Fire,” William Shaw (Aug. 13)
In his fourth series outing, Detective Sergeant Cathal Breen can’t get into the swing of 1969 London, but with his pregnant partner Helen Tozer’s help he tackles the murder of a high-society call girl.
14. “Thirteen,” Steve Cavanaugh (Aug. 13)
Conman-turned-defense attorney Eddie Flynn uses the crooked system against itself, but he’s out manipulated when he’s brought into a Hollywood star’s murder trial in this legal thriller.
15. “The Long Call, ” Anne Cleeves (Sept. 3) With her usual stunningly deft prose, Scottish master Cleeves (“Vera” and “Shetland”) debuts Detective Matthew Venn, who returns to the North Devon evangelical community he once fled when a body washes up on the beach.

Frances Wynn, the Countess Harleigh, has been occupied introducing her friends to those searching for love. When one acquaintance is murdered, this lady is determined to solve it. With George Hazelton at her side, she follows clues contained in gossip to learn the truth.

Having read the first book in the series, I was delighted to see what Lady Harleigh would do next. She has her younger sister's engagement to be concerned with and her daughter’s interest in jumping fences too young to be concerned with. Her cousin didn’t take to the widow as she expected, and now the widow is dead and her cousin is a suspect. She has her hands full but manages to find time to manage it all with grace and intelligence.

The pace was paced well enough that I was interested from start to finish. Though we stay with Frances through the story, the rest of the cast was enjoyable as well. Particularly Mr. Hazelton, who may or may not work for the government. He lets Frances be involved with his work, despite his concern for her safety, all because he wants her to know how important she is to him.

I would recommend this to readers of historical mysteries, who enjoy a smidge of romance with their mystery.

I received a free copy from NetGalley for reviewing purposes.