While this mystery falls into the category of historical fiction, it’s more recent history as it takes place in London during the first World War in 1915. The mystery surrounds a suicide…or was it murder??… of a prominent society gossip columnist. It’s a delightful read with interesting characters throughout. Chief Inspector Peter Beech and his motley team, including several women of varying social levels, try to solve this mystery. Women's roles in society were changing, as was the nature of class and customs, so it's more believable that a group of women from various backgrounds could come together to solve crimes than it would have been, say, 100 years prior.

I enjoyed the strong women characters who were part of the secret police task force assigned to the murder case. From a story standpoint, the plot was well designed and executed. I am a fan of allowing the dialogue to tell the story and I felt the author did that well. It kept the story moving forward at a nice pace.

I recommend A Death in Chelsea as a fun, clean mystery read. Especially for those folks that enjoy either/or history mysteries and cozy mysteries.

too much editorializing, in my opinion.

The year is 1915.A young woman of an entitled family is found hanged in her bedroom. Her mother insists she wasn’t the self-murdering kind. The idea of a disgrace to her family, but incapable of suicide. Adeline Treborne, our murder victim, had several enemies to choose.

It’s discovered at the autopsy Miss Treborne didn’t die from the hanging.

The plot slows way down and it is hard to read.
At least the epilogue ties it all up very neatly, explaining what happened to basically every participant in the crime.



Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for this review.

I had a hard time getting into this book. It just didn't quite grab my attention. #NetGalley-thanks for the advanced read. #Adeathinchelsea

This book was received as an ARC from the Author, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own


A Death in Chelsea is a compelling mystery set in 1915 in London

It is the second novel in Brittney’s Mayfair 100 series; it follows A Murder in Belgravia. The book can also be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading the first in this series because of the wonderful back story.

This a captivating engaging book right from the first page. A group of intelligent, resourceful women and policemen worked to solve a crime that needed to be kept a secret..

The author keeps you on the edge of your seat in great historical mystery that is extremely well researched and wonderfully complex. A secret team of amateur sleuths acting a detectives. Have paired up with some interesting individual policemen. Factored into this twist plot was the Suffragette Movement, the early stages of forensics and pathology and WWI war demonstrations.

When a daughter of a Duchess is found hanged in her rooms. Suicide or murder?

The odds just don’t add up, when it's discovered that Adeline Treborne is a gossip columnist whose scurrilous reports have had many a family or person shunned.

Could this be an ugly question of blackmail.

I adored this extremely engrossing, enjoyable & entertaining book right from the very start and had me engaged with all the suspense. A creative compelling mystery that was hard put down .

I will be recommending this highly engaging novel to family and friends. I am anxiously waiting for the next installment in this intriguing series.

A Death in Chelsea by Lynn Brittney is the second book in her Mayfair 100 mystery series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I had gotten the first book in the series from my library and was eager to start this one.

Chief Inspector Peter Beech calls in his "secret" team when a daughter of a aristocratic family is found hanging in her flat. Caroline, Mabel, Victoria and PC Billy Rigsby's Aunt Sissy converge on the flat to determine if it is suicide or murder. Each member of this team is smart, dedicated and determined to find the answers as the case evolves into blackmail and another murder. A clever and quickly paced plot with twists and turns and a nail-biting finale that I can't put down until the end.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Mirror Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own. I would like to sincerely thank Mirror Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

in the time of wolrd war 1, some crimes are happening. a special quad helps to solve the different crime, that are all somehow connected. This book gives you a look how life was during the time of world war 1, very interesting

A Death in Chelsea is the second book in the Mayfair Murder series and whilst I don't think it hindered the reading of this book too much, there were some questions that I felt were unanswered, ie how did Beech know Victoria before? How did everyone know each other?

The daughter of a Duchess is found hanging by her maid, a devout Catholic, would she really have hanged herself. She was known as a notorious gossip monger, but never went out socially, so how did she find out all the information about everyone she wrote about.

The investigation is done by the police and aided by a group of woman recruited to assist the police during the First World War.

Was it far-fetched, absolutely but enjoyable nonetheless, I found the paragraph regarding not letting a boy who was 'tongue-tied' have an operation which could have potentially cured him, very emotional. If he was tongue-tied he couldn't be sent to war

A good story, liked the characters and look forward to seeing how they develop in future stories

Perhaps it’s because I didn’t read the first book in the series, or maybe because I read it over a week, but I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters. I spent a bit of time going back and forth figuring out who was the pharmacist, Lady, patrolman, Doctor, etc. Unfortunately, this constant confusion took away from the story.

A blackmailing, gossip-writing, sister to a Duke has been found swinging from the ceiling in her apartment. What was obviously a suicide is quickly debunked once more facts come to light. Her many, many victims are tracked down and their secrets told to the investigative crew (those of the myriad names). The gossip & blackmailing didn’t stop with her death, which leads to the deep investigation of murders, etc.

I think readers of the series will like it, but not a good standalone.

There seem to be many reviews for this, so I'll just say this has a simple premise and it is a lot of fun watch in the upper class shenanigans. Recommended for historical mystery fans.

I really appreciate the copy for review!!

A quick read, that fans of cozy historical mysteries will enjoy. I hadn't read the first book in the series, but I was able to easily learn the characters and get into the current situation. Some parts seemed a bit contrived &/or cheesy, but overall it was an interesting plot with several surprises and the main characters were endearing.

A Death in Chelsea by Lynn Brittney

A murder has taken place...or was it a suicide? Gossip columnist (and blackmailer?) Adeline Treborne is found dead. The crime takes place in London during the First World War and there are many players, so keep a scorecard.

This delightful story with wonderful characters will entertain you all the way through. Many are suspect, and putting it all together to find the truth is such fun. And there is never just one murder in these stories, is there? Follow along as Chief Inspector Peter Beech and his motley team try to solve this mystery.

Lynn Brittney has written a wonderful “whodunit” that any reader will enjoy. Five stars for this book, as I await more from this author.

Historical fiction can range from the really excellent to really cringeworthy, and I'm happy to report that this is far more of the former than the latter. It is indeed a very interesting time period to set the story--the "Great War." Women's roles in society were changing, as was the nature of class and customs, so it's more believable that a group of women from various backgrounds could come together to solve crimes than it would have been, say, 100 years prior. I did have a little trouble at first remembering which character was which (hazards of coming in at book 2 in the series) but they are an adventuresome lot who are fun to spend time with. There were some very minor details and lines of dialogue that didn't quite fit the setting, but all in all, it's a quick read that will deepen your sympathy for the folks that survived WWI and its aftermath.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

Very pleasant cozy mystery. Interesting characters and well written. This is apparently the second book in the series, but it reads well as a stand-alone.

Set in the early 1900’s ,this mystery follows Inspector Beech and a group of amateur women detectives as they solve a murder.Easy reading,this book holds your attention as the group works it’s way through laying the facts and processes of solving this mystery.Enjoyed reading about the world they lived in too.#netgalley#adeathinchelsea#lynnbrittney

I enjoyed reading A Death in Chelsea by Lynn Brittney. I loved the strong women characters who form the secret police task force assigned to the murder case. The mystery is set in 1915 during the First World War which provides the backdrop for the story. I thought the plot was well designed and executed. I enjoyed the character development. I am a fan of allowing dialogue tell the story and I felt the author did that well. It kept the story moving well.
I received a copy of A Death in Chelsea through NetGalley for an honest review.

I felt thoroughly transported back in time while reading 'A Death in Chelsea' as if I was living in the 1900s. I have grown to love historical fiction and crime novels are some of my favourites as they home in on the society of certain eras and approach topics that would still be quite sensitive at the time.

This is the second book in the Mayfair 100 series and I found myself following the story easily without having to read the other novel prior. It was an eye-opening read as it is based in the time of detectives living in the early 20th century and shows how much the approach to crime solving has evolved over time and makes you think about how we have evolved. I loved this book from start to finish and would definitely recommend!

A Death in Chelsea by Lynn Brittney intrigued me from the start. An interesting period in history combines with a cozy group of detectives to produce a serious murder mystery. In London during the First World War, forensic science is just beginning to be used to solve crimes and women have started doing jobs previously for men only. The war has also affected the structure of the social classes. When a gossip columnist is found hanged, her mother, Lady Penhere, asks the Commissioner, Sir Edward, to keep the investigation quiet. He brings in the Mayfair 100 a secret team of amateur women, and professional policeman working with Scotland yard.. As the plot unfolds, the reader meets the cast of characters and suspects. After many twists, turns and more murders, the ending is surprising. I highly recommend this book to mystery lovers as well as those who favor historical fiction.

Lynn Brittney has something here. It's a twisting, intricate mystery, carefully crafted and engaging at each step. The murder happens right at the beginning, meaning that the entire story involves compiling a list of suspects and letting the reader gage their likelihood to commit murder.
But, despite all the evidence, did a murder even take place?
The mystery is great and there's no lack of good characters. My only complaint is that all the characters are rather detached, cool even. There's not a lot of warmth or connection in them. The problem with being told in the person- it makes the emotions of the characters feel very surface level. In that, it may read more like a descriptive movie script than a story involving the complex emotions awoken by a murder in the community.

Excellent smart historical mystery. A wonderful twist having a group of mostly women out wit and out think the killer. Following the personal stories of the group is a great side story.

It isn’t easy writing a good murder mystery, and I highly recommend this one. Chief Inspector Beech and his amateur band of women detectives must determine if Adeline Trebourne committed suicide or was murdered. A viscous gossip in a high society paper, Adeline has no end of people who hate her.
Set during WWI, this saga reflects the times and struggles of war. Follow the twists and turns as Chief Inspector Beech and his team seek for the truth. I felt a connection with many of the characters and got a glimpse into the struggles of life and seeking to take justice into their own hands.