I really enjoyed this mystery book. I'm usually not one for historical mysteries, but the characters really made this one fun to read. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see what Lady Amy gets into next.

Amy and William make a great detective team in this Victorian cozy. They work together to find out who killed her ex fiancé, while the local police appear to be only looking at her. After all he was murdered in her home. Looking forward to more in the series to see what becomes of their friendship.
Goodreads

Thank you, Netgalley, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Hm, what to say about this book! Let me think for a second! Let's start with what I like about it:

(1) I love the two main characters! Amy is just too adorable! I would consider her a feminist in her time period. She reminded me a lot about the suffragettes. I love that she is not scared to dive into a domain that, back then, was male-dominated. A woman writing crime novels in the Victorian era? Hello?! How cool is that! I also like her because while she is strong-willed, determined, and very passionate about her "career" (even though she has to hide behind a pseudonym), she is still a typical Victorian lady in many respects. Lord Wethington, oh my, definitely a character that a woman can swoon over. He is protective but supportive. And these two have a relationship that made me giggle many times.

(2) The murder mystery/crime. Some parts of Amy and Lord Wethington's investigations reminded me of Sherlock Holmes going undercover into a drug den. Those parts of the story really had a Arthur Conan Doyle feel!

I do have to admit, though, that at times the story was dragging on a bit. I wanted the investigations to go on and find more puzzle pieces, but the author kept us waiting and entertained us with dialogue and events that had not really much to do with the mystery and investigations.

Overall, a great historical murder mystery!

I was very happy with the start to this new series. Lady Amy was charming and fun. A few twists and turns, overall a delightful read. I recommend to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

A fun trip to Bath, England, during the years prior to WWI, A Study in Murder explores the city and the culture of Victorian England while leading the main characters and the readers through an intriguing murder mystery.

Lady Amy Lowell stumbles (literally) on her ex-fiancé’s body in the library of her home. Though those who know her know she was in capable of murder, the police are not convinced. She will need to work with Lord William Wethington and members of her household staff to identify the actual murderer.

Now Lady Amy Lowell is not afraid of exploring the uncomfortable side of crime as her chosen occupation is that of mystery author. Unbeknownst to the members of her book club, she has written several of the mysteries they have read in the past. With the knowledge gained through researching her stories, she is well-equipped to investigate the murder of Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, her ex-fiancé.

Though I expect a visit to Bath is outside my budget, Callie Hutton presents an inviting city that would be worth taking the time to explore, hopefully, without a murder charge hanging over my neck. To those with an interest in Victorian England, cozy mysteries, and colorful, believable characters, this new book from an experienced author will be an enjoyable read. The first book in a new series, A Study in Murder becomes an excellent opportunity to discover a new favorite story-teller.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

This was one was Victorian cozy mystery that had a Sherlock Holmes vibe that I could not get into. As much as I tired. I could not get into the story or the setting. And the plot fell flat for me that I ended up DNFing half way through. And even though I didn’t like it, there is someone out that who does indeed like Victorian cozy mysteries with a Sherlock Holmes vibes who no doubt will love it.

Lady Amy Lovell, a member of the Bath Mystery Book Club, harbors a secret - she herself is a mystery author but because of the restrictions of society and wishes of her father, the Marquess of Winchester, no one but family are aware. Her father, wishing to eliminate this unconventional behavior from his responsibility, persuades Lady Amy to agree to an engagement with Ronald St. Vincent, a well-to-do merchant. However, Lady Amy isn't really drawn to St. Vincent and when she receives an anonymous missive informing her of St. Vincent's involvement with opium trafficking, she has no problems quickly ending the engagement, much to the displeasure of St. Vincent. Believing that she has eliminated this entanglement, Lady Amy is shocked to be informed several days later that St. Vincent has called to talk with her. Sending him to the library to await her pleasure, some time later she finds the library empty and the doors to the garden open. Wishing to end this as quickly as possible, she heads to the garden but is unable to find St. Vincent. Returning to the library Lady Amy literally falls over the body of St. Vincent, stabbed to the heart. Screaming, she is immediately joined by Viscount William Wethington who had come to lend her a book.

The police are called but have little interest in a major investigation since Lady Amy had motive and opportunity. Lord William and Lady Amy are forced to work together to solve this crime before the bumbling police decide that they have enough evidence to arrest Lady Amy.

This was a fun mystery, great setting and good characters. The interactions as to how society worked in this time period was also well written.

Hoping to see more of Lady Amy and Viscount William Wethington.

I don't think I have ever read a historical cozy or even a historical mystery! I've always shied away from them thinking the would not be interesting. Boy, was I wrong! I couldn't stop reading this book. It was so interesting and the characters and the story just perfect for me! The characters were dynamic and challenged my view of the Regency era. I loved Lady Amy. She was intelligent and a little different from her peers in the story.

All in all this novel is a book I'd highly recommend to cozy readers in particular particularly, like me, if you have avoided historicals! Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I really enjoyed this debut to a cozy series set in 1890's England. The mystery was good and I had several suspects to chose from. There was a nice amount of humor sprinkled throughout which was my favorite element of the story. It moved a little slow but overall the story was good and it sets up book two quite nicely. I will be continuing with this series for sure!

This is a lovely historical mystery and great start to a new series. The cast of characters was great and the developing romance was well done. I loved how fast paced the story was though it took a little while for me to get into it. I also felt the author did a great job portraying the issues of women's rights at the time. Overall this was a pretty good start to the series and I look forward to the next book in the series.

From Callie Hutton and Crooked Lane Books comes the first book in the new "A Victorian Book Club Mystery" Victorian-era series, A Study In Murder. I was pleasantly surprised with this author. This story was great, the characters were well thought out, the plot thickens as you read along, and the story was very enjoyable! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries.

Lady Amy is a mystery murder author but incognito. Her father would consider it shameful if the word got out because her work is a bit gruesome. It is Victorian England and everything is governed by what will people say, with rigid rules for behavior especially for women. Lady Amy is as it is considered eccentric, a bit on the shelf as it were though she is very young by modern standards.

When her fiancée from whom she has just severed ties, when an anonymous note is delivered to her saying that he is involved in the opium trade, is discovered with a knife sticking out of his chest in her home, in her library - Amy knows that she is coasting dangerously precariously to the wind. The Bow Street runners have no other focus other than that Amy out of a sense of pique murdered the man. On the sidelines is another interested suitor who is more than willing to help Amy despite his doubts on the suitability of a woman doing all this dirty work! Together they uncover step by step the murky details of Vincent's past and how and why his murder happened.

A good historical cozy, engrossing and entertaining.
The plot flows and kept me hooked, the characters are well written and the historical background is vivid.
I'm a bit perplexed about some details of the MC behaviour as I don't think it would proper for the age but I assume it's an expedient for the plot.
I recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I thoroughly enjoyed this first Victorian Book Club mystery set in 1890 Bath, England. Lady Amy stumbles upon the dead body of her her ex-fiance in the library of her own home. While she has modern views and even pens a mystery series, when she is accused of the murder, Lady Amy is still constrained by societal rules when she tries to solve the mystery.

This is a delightful historical mystery with a tremendous cast of terrific supporting characters, most notably, William, the Viscount Wethington.

I understand that the author has written a number of romances but this is her first cozy mystery. I'll have to look for some of the other books until her next, and hopefully many more, books come out in the Victorian Mystery series.

I would definitely recommend the first in this highly enjoyable mystery series.

The first in a new series, this book introduces the readers to Lady Amy Lovell, aristocrat and closet mystery author in the late 1800’s. She is assisted in her sleuthing efforts by close friend, Lord William Wethington. As the book progresses, many hints are dropped as to the significance of their relationship and the possibility it may grow into something more over the next few books.
The story begins with Lady Amy breaking her engagement to her fiance, Mr. St. Vincent. In two days' time, he calls unexpectedly and after waiting what she considers a reasonable amount of time, Lady Amy goes into the study and finds him dead. The french doors are open and she goes outside to investigate, thus getting her shoes damp, a fact the police point to as they pursue information to prove Lady Amy guilty of murder.
Lady Amy decided to investigate herself, as she is certain the police are not looking at the possibility any one other than she is responsible for the death. She is assisted in all her endeavors by her friend, Lord William. There are hints throughout the book that this is a relationship that will grow over the coming books in the series.
While the book is well written, I failed to connect with Lady Amy or with Lord William. There was more “telling” than “showing” throughout the novel which made it less interesting to read and more difficult to actually picture what was happening. The end result was a book and story that had much potential, but which was less entertaining than one might expect. While there are many aspects to Lady Amy that are engaging, her writing, her independent leanings in spite of social mores of the time, her quick mind, somehow that didn’t fully translate across the page to me.
The immediate seizing upon Lady Amy by the police and their apparent intent on finding her guilty, to the point of it becoming almost a vendetta, was hard for me to believe as well. While this was close to the end of the 1800’s, the reverence for the aristocracy was still significant, and yet they badger her when questioning her, arrest her on somewhat trumped up charges, and seem oblivious to social standards that would insist that at the very least a female would be present when she was being kept behind closed doors. My confusion was compounded by the fact she travelled all over Bath in Lord William’s company, apparently with no criticism for her activity; but was still clearly under her father’s thumb as it applied to marriage, where she would live, etc.
The confusion may be due to my lack of knowledge of what was appropriate in the era of this novel. The author might help eliminate this issue by giving a bit more detail about what acceptable behavior was in polite society.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital read copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

From Callie Hutton and Crooked Lane Books comes the first book in the new "A Victorian Book Club Mystery" Victorian-era series, A Study In Murder.

For those who enjoy all things Victorian, this series will be right up their alley. The attitude towards women and the conditions of the day comes through with perfect clarity. The main character, Amy, has to hide who she is and take orders from the men in her life. However, Amy is learning ways of getting around the male-oriented society and living her own life, mostly on her terms. This was common for all women in the Victorian era, and in some ways, is still predominant in several countries.

Characters in this series are provocative and compelling. William is a delight and a man ahead of his time. I also liked the small glimpse of Amy's father and brother and would love to know more about her aunt. I found the Victorian side of the book more fascinating than the mystery itself. There were plenty of suspects and evidence, but it takes some work to figure out who the killer is and reveal the perpetrator. The twists and turns were good as well as plausible. The ending was exciting and, as is usual, filled with last-minute answers. The setting was well done described in enough detail to help the reader see Amy's home and other locations.

A Study in Murder is a wonderfully written Victorian book with hints of romance. I did not find the mystery itself detailed enough, or the police investigation to be viable. I would like to see more interaction between Amy and her aunt and learn the story of why her aunt never married. Overall, this first book was a good beginning for the series. Readers who enjoy historical's or Victorian mysteries will enjoy this book.

A Lady Author Accused of Murder

Lady Amy Lovell is unique in 1890. Not only is she a suffragette, she writes crime novels. She is also unmarried at twenty-four which upsets her father. When Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, asks for her hand, although they are hardly acquainted, she isn’t eager to accept. However, her father pushes her until she agrees.

When she receives an anonymous letter accusing her fiance of conducting illegal activities, she knows the engagement must end. She breaks with him, but then he arrives at her house in a tremendous state. She puts him in the library to calm down, since she is expecting Lord Wethington to arrive to loan her a book.

Before Wethington arrives, she reenters the library to find St. Vincent on the floor with a knife in his chest. Wethington arrives in time to notify the police and calm her hysterics, but the police quickly form the impression the she’s guilty. After all, she just ended her engagement. Since the authorities appear to be unwilling to pursue the case, Lady Amy enlists Lord Wethington to help her solve the case.

I thought this would be a book I would love. I enjoy historical mysteries and here was one with a lady sleuth who is also an author. Unfortunately, although the plot is interesting, the pace is slow with lots of repetitive actions by the main characters. The ending came with a twist, but again it wasn’t very surprising.

I liked Lord Wethington. He was a calm, intelligent person who tried to keep Lady Amy’s enthusiasm within bounds. I didn’t relate to Lady Amy. She seemed rather silly for a lady who was a suffragette as well as an author.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

A Study in Murder is a well written and entertaining start to the Victorian Book Club Mystery series.


Lady Amy Lovell is truly a character you can’t judge by her appearance. A lady by day and a secret mystery writer by night. Not really by night but you get my point. She is so much more than her time likes to accept from a woman. She has a passion for life and a love for reading. Her way of thinking outside the box gets her in a spot of trouble here and there. I love that she thought for herself and stood her ground. For a 1890’s woman of Bath, she’s not your typical woman of the time, she’s much more fun.


When Lady Amy ends her betrothment to Mr. Ronald St. Vincent after evidence is presented to her that he is taking part in some dealings that are rather unsavory Her biggest worry was what her father was going to say. Until two days later Mr. Saint Vincent shows up at her home unannounced and is found murdered In Lady Amy’s Home library. The investigators are naming Lady Amy as their number one suspect. Amy puts practical use to her research that she uses as a mystery writer, to uncover the mystery of who killed her ex fiancé.

Callie Hutton has a real winner with A Study in Murder. By nature I am a contemporary reader. However when I read the description for this book I was so intrigued I had to give it a shot, even with it being historical. The mystery itself Has all kinds of twists and turns and I’ll be honest I didn’t know the outcome until the end. The characters are a riot. There were some truly hysterical and laugh out loud moments that I didn’t expect to experience with a historical story. I loved the passion for reading itself within the pages of the story. As a reader that is something that I think we all enjoy seeing within characters in the books we read. I look forward to to seeing what Ms. Hutton has in store for Amy in the upcoming books in the Victorian Book Club Mystery series.

Lady Amy is a 25-year-old "spinster" living in 1890s Bath, England, who secretly writes murder mysteries under a pen name per her father's request. She is quite independent, and a suffragette, but is coerced into an engagement that she doesn't want. She calls off the engagement, but two days later finds her ex-fiance dead in her library, whereby she becomes the main suspect. Then Amy, along with friend Lord William, pursues her own investigation.

This first volume in a new cozy mystery series takes a pleasant look at the formal life of 1890s English aristocracy. Amy has the stubbornness, courage, and cheesiness required of all amateur sleuths. It is a fun read and a strong start to an entertaining series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC.

Lady Amy Lovell discovers her fiance has been involved in illegal drug trade and breaks off the engagement. Days later he is found dead in her home after unexpectedly calling on her. Lady Amy is a rather forward thinking woman and sets off to investigate to clear her name. She already is a writer of murder mysteries and she's part of a book club that reads the same. She enlists the assistance of Lord William Wethington, another book club member, and soon they seem to be spending much more time together.

This is a nice cozy mystery with likeable characters and a few villains along the way. There's the ongoing response of Amy of correcting everyone that it's her ex-fiance, not fiance. The mystery is fairly typical of this sort and it's enjoyable to unravel the story along the way. It's quite an enjoyable read and I would be happy to read more in the future.

I'd like to thank Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I give this 3.5 stars.