I found this book irresistible! A new series in a Victorian Book Club, what is not to love about this? I liked the main characters and the budding reluctant relationship between Amy and William. I will look forward to the next installment!!

This cozy mystery takes place in Victorian England. Lady Amy and Lord Wethington are on the case to determine who murdered her ex-fiance. It doesn't help that the ex-fiance is murdered in her home with her standing over the body!

I enjoyed the historical aspects of this novel. The society events and setting described throughout the mystery were interesting to read.

I did find Lady Amy a little frustrating as a character which made me not like her. She is determined to be a tough female, but comes across as more fragile (lots of almost fainting spells or not feeling well). All the other character were well written and were easier to like or dislike than the main character.

At the conclusion, I felt some topics were not properly wrapped up or not told at all. The blooming romance between Lady Amy and Lord Wethington seemed one sided most of time (with Amy) and felt forced.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this book for an honest review.

A Study in Murder by Callie Hutton is the first book in A Victorian Book Club Mystery series.

This is a historical cozy which is one on my favorites, and it is about Lady Amy Lowell who upon receiving an anonymous letter about her fiance's shady deals breaks up her engagement only to find him dead in her house few days later. She is a mystery writer, who is writing under a pen man and only two people know her secret, Lady Amy is a woman ahead of her time in many ways and her life in noting like a life of an ordinary lady of that time.
As she is a police's main suspect she resolves to try to find out what really happened with the help of her friend Lord Wethington. As they set out to look for the killer they will encounter many suspects, find themselves in many dangerous situations and break many many rules of conduct of that time.

I really liked the premise of secret mystery writer being accused of a murder and was looking forward to seeing how she will work her way out of that situation. I also like historical mysteries as they add another different dimension when problem needs to be solved only by engaging one's wits.
There are many likable characters who support main protagonist.
There are also a few things which do not agree with what I know of that time that did not seem plausible and that is the main reason I didn't like this book as much as I hoped I would.
All in all this was a decent first book and I will be looking forward to reading more.

Lady Amy Lovell lives with her aunt in London. She is a member of a mystery book club that meets in a bookstore once a week. Unbeknownst to the others in the club, she herself writes mysteries under the name E. D. Burton. She considers herself to be logical and believes that women can solve mysteries as well as any man can. And then she becomes the main suspect in a murder mystery.

Amy works to solve the case with the help of a fellow club member Vicount William Wethington.

The author adds humor into the story in that the victim is a man to whom Amy had been betrothed until she broke the engagement several nights before he was found murdered in the library of her home. Throughout the book whenever mention is made of Mr. St. Vincent as her fiancé, Amy responds with "ex-fiance." As the book goes on, she has more an more opportunities to say "ex-fiance" s much it becomes laughable. The reader anticipates the line before it even is read!

The ending of the book leaves a promise of more to come. And I can hardly wait to see what will happen next with Amy and William!

I really enjoyed this book! The premise was new and refreshing, I loved the characters and the setting. I eagerly look forward to reading more books in this series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A cozy set in Bath, England in 1890! Lady Amy is a mystery writer (yes, quite unusual for her day) who just broke with her fiancé, Ronald St. Vincent. Good thing because when he's found dead in house (!) she discovers just what a rat he was. Luckily, her friend Lord William Wethington is happy to help her solve the mystery and avoid arrest by the police who are somewhat too bumbling. Readers of cozys know that the victim often has enemies others didn't know about but in this case, well, St Vincent had a long list. The mystery is sufficiently twisty (you like me might guess before the identity is revealed). More importantly, I liked Lady Amy who is, well, spunky. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. A nice start to a new series.

This book surpassed my expectations!
I was anticipating a typical "cosy" mystery, somewhat formulaic and not too challenging.
While I enjoy exactly that type of read, this book delivered just that little bit more.
Lady Amy is an active member of the Mystery Book Club of Bath and a secret mystery book author herself. When her ex-fiancé is found stabbed in her library, days after her calling off their engagement, she becomes the main suspect in his murder. She has to put all her research skills and powers of deduction, learned from her writing, into practice to clear her name!
Lady Amy was a likeable main character with just enough gumption to be admired (and appropriate to the Victorian time setting of the novel) but not too much to be unsympathetic or unbelievable.
The circumstances of the murder increased and became deeper than I expected whilst touching on some interesting problems of the time.
The setting of Bath gave the novel a nice sense of place and I found the combination of characters to be endearing and colourful.
All in all a good read, fitting the cosy mystery mould nicely.

I completely failed to read the series title and was expecting a current day cosy so imagine the shock I felt when I found myself in 1890's Bath, England. I love historical mysteries though so I was actually delighted.

This is the first in a new series and I will definitely be following it up. The main character, Lady Amy Lowell, is unusual for the times in that she is still unmarried at 26 and is the secret author of a number of published murder/mystery novels. When a real murder occurs in her own house she is determined to investigate it herself with the aid of her friend Lord William. Things get dangerous for the pair and as they get closer to solving the mystery romance blossoms as well.

It was all very enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next book. I also discovered that Callie Hutton has written loads of books already and I have not come across one of them before. Time to fix that!

A Study in Murder: A Victorian Book Club Mystery by Callie Hutton is book one in this cozy mystery series. This author usually writes historical, Regency and Victorian, romance and is her first foray into cozy mysteries and she did not disappoint. The characters were well developed, almost to the point of slowing down the story a bit. However, this groundwork of relationships should help the future books in the series greatly by giving the reader the much-needed context missing from many books. I was surprised by who the bad guy was, and I like the suspense of trying to guess throughout the entire book. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

This is the start of a new series set in Victorian Bath. Lady Amy Lovell (who is secretly a murder mystery writer) is a member of a mystery book club. Early in the book she has decided to end her betrothal, but following on that decision the fiance is found dead in her home. The police focus on her as their only suspect, so with her friend and fellow book club member Lord William Wethington she is determined to discover the real murderer. As they work together Amy starts to see William as more than a friend, and it is likely their relationship will develop in subsequent books in the series. The book was mildly entertaining but I don't think I will read the rest of the books in the series. The characters and the mystery itself were not particularly compelling and I was puzzled how the police discovered things Amy was determined to keep them from knowing about. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my my honest opinion.

Amy and William seemed to be clueless or let me put it this way, Amy was clueless about their growing attraction. William didn't act like he was obtuse, nope, this guy was smart, he stayed close to her, slowly drawing her into his willing arms. Their attraction grew even more as Amy manuever her way around the clues surrounding the circumstances of the murder of her former fiance. He was killed in Amy's home, in her library. Now she has become the prime suspect and was in a race against time to find the real killer.

This one is set in 1890 and is the first book in the A Victorian Book Club Mystery series by Callie Hutton. I am new to the author but thrilled I took a chance since this was such an enjoyable read.

Lady Amy Lovell is mystery novel author who has to write under a pseudonym because her father disapproves of her writing. Remember this is set in 1890 when women just didn't do this sort of thing. If that wasn't exciting enough she is also prime suspect in the murder of her ex-fiancé. The police didn't even bother to look at anyone else. when the police aren't looking at any suspect but you then you get pretty motivated to figure out who the real murder is.

Who better to figure that out than a mystery writer. Along with fellow book club member, Lord William Wethington they begin making a suspect list. I will say that the longer the list got the more intrigued I became. The police were fools at best and I honestly would worry if I lived here.

the book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger which is why I took off a half star. While I will certainly read the next book to find out what happens, I hate cliffhangers!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. If you're a fan of historical cozies, you'll like the pretty, feisty heroine who claps back against the societal mores of her time. The story feels just like a Regency romance with a strong mystery which is what I want in this type of mystery. The writing is good (as it should be from a multiple published author), the pace fast and the characters well-developed. The dialogue is sharp and pleasant.

I really enjoyed this story and will continue to read the series.

Title: A Study in Murder
Author: Callie Hutton
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

I don’t think I’ve ever read any of Callie Hutton’s novels, but I found this one charming and engrossing. Amy—and her aunt, too—is a fascinating, quirky character, independent and strong-willed, but smart enough to know sometimes she has to fulfill conventions.

I was just as invested in their unofficial murder investigation as Amy and William were, and I disliked the police just as much, too. I’ve always enjoyed characters who flout convention and society’s rules, so Amy was a great, fun character, and I recommend this delightful read.

Callie Hutton is a bestselling author. A Study in Murder is her newest novel, the first in the A Victorian Book Club Mystery series.

(Galley courtesy of Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.)

RATING: 3.5 STARS
2020; Crooked Lane Books

A Study in Murder is the first novel in the Victorian Book Club Mystery series. The novel takes place in Bath, England in 1890. Lady Amy Lovell is a mystery novelist, although no one knows it. She also attends a mystery book club with a few others in the peerage. One day Amy receives an anonymous letter revealing that her fiancé is involved in the opium trade. Amy decides to call the marriage off, but her EX fiancé comes to see her in her home. She makes him wait to show how little she cares for him, but when she goes to talk to him, he's found dead. Amy is the main suspect, so she decides to investigate that case to find the real murderer and why he came to see her.

It is a cute fun cozy mystery, but did have some dragging bits and a bit cheesy humour. It is a first in a series, and has a lot of promise. I am looking forward to the next novel!

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

"A mystery author is charged with murder - and the plot thickens faster than anyone can turn the pages - in USA Today bestselling author Callie Hutton's new series debut, perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ellery Adams.

Bath, England, 1890. Mystery author Lady Amy Lovell receives an anonymous letter containing shocking news: her fiancé, Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, has been dabbling in something illegal, which causes her to promptly break their engagement.

Two evenings later, as Lady Amy awaits a visit from Lord William Wethington, fellow member of the Bath Mystery Book Club, her former fiancé makes an unexpected and most unwelcome appearance at her house. She promptly sends him to the library to cool his heels but later discovers the room seemingly empty - until she stumbles upon a dead Mr. St. Vincent with a knife in his chest.

Lord Wethington arrives to find Lady Amy screaming and sends for the police, but the Bobbies immediately assume that she is the killer. Desperate to clear her name, Lady Amy and Lord Wethington launch their own investigation - and stir up a hornet's nest of suspects, from the gardener who served time in prison for murder to a vengeful woman who was spurned by St. Vincent before he proposed to Lady Amy.

Can they close the book on the case before the real killer gets away with murder?"

Victorian murder mystery in BATH!

A Study in Murder earns 5/5 Pomeranians...Intriguing Delight!

Callie Hutton has penned a delightful first-in-a-series in her Victorian Book Club series making me a fan! It’s 1890, the era of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, in and about Bath, England, with a...mystery book club? Ok, that hooked me immediately! Hutton’s third person narrative follows Lady Amy Lovell, a “gently reared young lady” and only daughter of the Marquess of Winchester, but, wait for it, her “other self,” known only to her father and her childhood friend Eloise Spencer, is that of mystery writer E.D. Burton. She is also betrothed to Mr. Ronald St. Vincent, more like “harangued.” It was far from a perfect match, and she has been rethinking her decision with good reason since receiving an anonymous letter about St. Vincent’s involvement with illegal activities making him totally unsuited. Nowadays, a broken engagement is a thrown ring and stomping off, case closed, but St. Vincent’s warning “you will be sorry for this” backfires when he himself is found dead...in the library...with a knife in his chest. “Clues” are plenty, but the detective still casts suspicion on Lady Amy due to her “reason, place, and time.” A saving grace in all this is her friendship with the Viscount William Wethington, who is not only her aunt’s choice as a suitor but a member of the same mystery book club to which she belongs. Together, like the Sherlock and Watson characters by which they are intrigued, they set to uncover the truth. But, it is curious; who is leader Sherlock and who is sidekick Watson?

Callie Hutton’s writing style is engaging, very entertaining. She fills the drama with descriptive language bringing to life the late nineteenth century society from fashion and behaviors to defined roles and pre-suffragette attitudes. Even in the cadence of her writing, it invokes a different time when language, especially used by women, was guarded and proper. The dialogue does well to illustrate personalities, but also class and education. Limited slang. The mystery, which lead to murder, was well-planned and paced, with contemporary overtones in the investigation...the drug trade. However, there are other avenues of inquiry making this a page-turner well worth being top of my “2020 Best Reads” list. I enjoyed the love/hate banter between Lady Amy and William, supportive and condescending at the same time, yet offering insights into who is a more suitable match for Lady Amy. Not quite Downton Abbey meets Murder, She Wrote, but elements of English society, class differences, and a strong female lead are excellent!

In the late Victorian era, murder mystery novels were all the rage. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s were the most popular of all, and it was considered quite the thing among the fashionable set to belong to a book club discussing the latest publication.

Lady Amy Lovell is a member of one such book club in Bath, but she has a secret; under a pen name, she actually writes murder mysteries. Reality hits hard when she discovers her ex-fiance stabbed to death in her own home and she is the police’s primary suspect, though, and she quickly realises that if she doesn’t investigate and find the real murderer, she’ll end up convicted of the crime. Accompanied by loyal friend William, Lord Wethington, Amy sets out to apply her theoretical investigative skills to the real world, with stakes that couldn’t be higher.

This is an intriguing story with a lot of twists, turns and red herrings explored along the way. With the opium trade under the spotlight, it’s clear to see that human nature hasn’t changed all that much in the last hundred and thirty years; people in the grip of drug addiction are desperate and will go to unthinkable extremes to get their next fix.

I liked both Amy and William and found myself quite invested in the quiet little romance they slowly built up; it’s very much a sub-plot but felt quite believable. The only thing that did bother me was that the timeframe of the books seemed weirdly elongated; there kept being these week-long time skips where nothing at all happened. I get the desire of the author not to have everything happen all in the space of a couple days, but there’s no need to have entire weeks pass by when nothing happens, not when there was an urgency for Amy to solve the case.

A good read with an engaging plot and likable main characters, but I did have a few quibbles, so I’m going to give this one four stars.

Of all of the mystery genres, historicals are at the top of my list. The minute I saw this debut of a series set in 1890 Bath, I had to give it a try. I was not disappointed. Lady Amy Lowell is a great character, a young woman who believes in equal rights and pushes against the societal norms, much to her father's displeasure. It's a good thing that they have two residences and her father spends much of his time in London while Amy resides in Bath. Her Aunt Margaret tries to shepherd her through society in the hope that she will not become a spinster. To that end, her father had made arrangements with Mr. St. Vincent for her hand in marriage. Not long into the engagement Amy receives a note telling her of his illegal dealings and Amy calls it off. Amy is fine just as she is - a very popular mystery writer. At her father's insistence she writes under the pen name E. D. Burton and has, by now, done a lot of research into the crime of murder. Little did she every expect that she would have one dropped at her very feet. Within days of calling off her engagement, her ex shows up unannounced and while Amy is letting him cool his heels in the library somebody sticks a knife into his chest.
It's a good thing that Amy is clever and intelligent because that, coupled with her research will be needed to keep her out of prison. The local constabulary has decided that she is the killer and are just going through the motions. Time for Amy, with the help of her fellow book club member, Lord William Wethington, to put her knowledge into a real life case and track down the killer.
Besides the lovely setting of the City of Bath, one of my favorite places to visit, the characters of Amy, William and Aunt Margaret are well developed and the puzzle had me engaged to the last page. Now I'm ready for the next mystery Amy has to investigate. With William, of course.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I can’t tell you the number of times my mind began to wander when I was reading this dry and overwritten book. A book that attempts to shock the sensibilities of the aristocrats of 1890 Bath, England, when Lady Amy Lovell descends her grand staircase to greet her ex-fiancé only to discover his body in the library with a knife. Yes, we are playing a drawn-out version of the game of Clue. Only this time there was a letter spelling out the evil doings of Ronald St. Vincent and how opium has taken over the upper classes. Add in the usual players used to distract the reader and the striking Lord Wethington, who just so happens to show up when needed, and you have a book that falls short.

By the time I reached the end, I was disappointed in the fact that there was no humor. This book attempted to bridge the gap between stoic historical mysteries and the cozy mystery genre which the cover touts. I think I was expecting something along the lines of Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell, since both books take place in the same time frame, and with the same types of characters, but then again, there will only be one Veronica and Stoker no matter how hard the author is trying to duplicate them.