This is the 5th book in the A Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery series. I’m a fan of the series, I love the “upstairs downstairs” aspects of the books. In this installment, Lady Phoebe and her maid Eva have to solve the murder of a relative of her sister’s former beau. The police suspect Lady Phoebe’s sister, and her name must be cleared. A well-written and plotted historical mystery, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Evidentially this book is book 5 in a series and I usually don't read the latest book before I've had a chance to read the previous books in the series. It didn't seem like I was missing much by not reading the previous books except maybe some character development. It was a cute, cozy mystery that was funny, witty, had some plot surprises and was enjoyable. I don't usually read cozy mysteries so I really don't have anything to compare it to, but for what it was, it was o.k. I loved the quirky neighbors, the descriptions of the town and it's residents and I could really see what was being described. All in all, it was an enjoyable read.

A silent Stabbing is the fifth installment of the lady's maid historical mystery. Set after WW1 in Cotswold's England, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her maid Eva Huntford are trying to resolve the murder of the new gardener of Renshaw estate Stephen Ripley.
This is my first time reading this series so for me this feels like being in an episode of Downton Abbey but with a murder mystery to solve. It's a very light cozy mistery but well written. Also if you're curious, you don't need to read the books before to enjoy this one.
thanks to netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review
3.5 stars

Eva is the maid to an English noble family's daughter with whom she solves crimes. A Silent Stabbing is another charming English village cozy by Alyssa Maxwell. Who murdered the head gardener? Was it his brother? or an American who wishes to buy the brother's farm. Whodunti?

A cozy murder mystery featuring a Lady. Not, not just lady but A LADY. A Country Estate and some wiley characters. A Great mystery and need more!

This is a great cozy mystery series the story was believable with an interesting mystery and I love the characters

A thouraghly good read! I love this Cozy mystery, Lady Phoebe, her lady' s maid Eva, her grandparents, and sisters. Eva's family, her boyfriend Miles, who is the local Constable. The murders are believable, the reasons why made sense, if murder makes any sense, which doesn't, but to the killer it always does. This is my first story in this series, it won't be my last!
I highly recommend! Thank you!
carolintallahassee.com

A Silent Stabbing is the fifth book in A Lady and Lady’s Maid Mystery series.

Once again, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntsford, will need to put their sleuthing skills to work, to solve another mystery. Eva is excited to learn that her sister, Alice, and her children are coming to visit her parents. Eva gets permission from Lady Phoebe to take a day off and visit her family’s farm. Eva and her parents are very surprised that Alice didn’t bring the children, only offering that “she needed a rest” for an excuse.

Keenan Ripley owns a pear orchard, along with his brother Stephen in nearby Little Barlow. An American real estate developer has come to Little Barlow and would like to buy the orchard and build a hotel there. Keenan does wish to sell but his brother does. Stephen has recently returned to Little Barlow and Lady Phoebe is surprised to learn that he has replaced Alfred Peele, who has left without saying anything to anyone at all.

Before Lady Phoebe and Eva head into the village, they decide to stop and see Stephen ask about Peele and why he left so quickly. They soon see his ladder by a row of hedges, then they find his body that has been stabbed with his hedge shears. Also, his helper is nowhere nearby.

The Chief Inspector thinks this an open and shut case and arrests Keenan for the murder of his brother. Eva’s beau, Constable Brannock agrees to provide whatever help he can to Lady Phoebe and Eva. Phoebe and Eva hope they can find Peele and the assistant gardener. They feel finding these two might just have some information that will lead them to the killer.

I love this series. Set just after WWI in a beautiful village and interesting residents. Particularly enjoyable are Lady Phoebe and Eva. They seem more like sisters, rather than Lady and her Lady’s maid when they are in sleuthing mode. Even when not sleuthing, Phoebe doesn’t treat her as a servant and Eva would do anything to keep her Lady safe. Phoebe’s relationship with her sister continues to run hot and cold. Lady Julia is pregnant, so Phoebe has to be extra careful what she says.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this wonderful series.

A great mystery series for fans of Downton Abbey. Lady Phoebe and her maid Eva are again using their respective skills to solve the murder of an estate employee. Both women are also dealing with sisters who have some issues of their own. An enjoyable read leaving me wanting the next book in the series.

This 5th installment of the Lady and Lady’s Maid historical mystery series is another delight. Set in post WWI England, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her maid Eva Huntford are on hand when another mysterious murder is committed. The Renshaw estate, Foxwood Hall, has hired a new head gardener, Stephen Ripley, whose brother Keenan ones a pear orchard and produces the villages favorite local cider called “perry”. When Stephen is found murdered on the Renshaw estate, his brother is arrested for the crime. Meanwhile the villagers have found out that Horace Walker, an American, wants to buy the Ripley orchard to create a golf resort; thus, depriving the village of its favorite beverage! Believing in Keenan’s innocence, Lady Phoebe and Eva are in a rush to find the real murderer before the orchard is sold. Who really killed Stephen? Is it the young under-gardener William who has disappeared; the owner of the local pub whose business would drop off without the beloved “perry”; and what does Eva’s sister Alice know that she is not telling? With determination, these two intrepid sleuths set out to discover the truth.

In the vain of a traditional upstairs/downstairs English mystery, this is a fun and entertaining read, with plenty of plot twists and surprises. Well written and excellently plotted, the author recreates the world of 1920’s England, still recovering from the Great War, and unaware of the second world war looming on the horizon. Phoebe and Eva are strong, independent female protagonists; more interested in their endeavors than in husbanding hunting. Along with an interesting cast of recurring and new characters, this is another great addition to the series. If you have not read the others, hurry and pick them up. For fans of historical fiction, cozy mysteries and English manor house stories.

1920. Problems arrive at the village of Little Barlow and Foxwood Hall. Why has Eva Huntford's married sister arrived at their parents home without her husband and children. Lady Phoebe's elder sister Julia seems in a distressed state with her pregnancy. But worse events occur when the new head gardener Stephen Ripley is found dead, killed. To lady's maid Eva and Lady Phoebe there seems to be more suspects than just Stephen's brother Keenan.
An enjoyable fast-paced, cozy historical mystery with its cast of likeable characters.

"As England recovers from its costly involvement in the Great War, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, find the steady comforts of their lives unsettled by a local case of murder...

Eva is excited for a visit from her sister Alice, who lives in Suffolk with her husband and three children. But when Alice arrives alone, desiring a break from her family, Eva becomes concerned. Her dismay deepens as Alice starts spending time with a former beau, Keenan Ripley, who owns the nearby pear orchard. At the same time, Phoebe's sister Julia, now a widow and pregnant, is in a fretful state, and Phoebe struggles to be helpful to her.

When Keenan's brother Stephen, the new head gardener at the Renshaw estate, Foxwood Hall, is found impaled by a pair of hedge clippers, the police - including Eva's beau, Constable Miles Brannock - suspect his closest kin. Stephen had been eager to sell their orchard to an American developer, but Keenan had fiercely resisted. A table set with two teacups and scones suggests Keenan had company the morning of the murder - and Eva fears her sister was with him.

If Alice were to provide Keenan with an alibi, her reputation and marriage would be ruined. She denies being there but is clearly withholding secrets, much to Eva's consternation. Now, to protect her sister, Eva and Phoebe set off to expose the gardener's real killer, putting their own lives at risk..."

I am ALL about books set right after WWI at the moment.

The interplay between upstairs and downstairs, mistress and maid, never gets old, as fans of Downton Abbey will attest. Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, make formidable investigators because of their access to every stratum of society. They don’t sugarcoat people’s foibles, but their inquiries are leavened by compassion and concern.

September 1920. They are in the Cotswolds, where Phoebe was raised by her grandparents after her parents’ death and Eva’s parents live near the village of Little Barlow. Phoebe and Eva crave the peace and familiarity of home, but some things are inalterably changed.

Mistress and maid work prepare for Phoebe’s “autumn charity drive for the Relief and Comfort of Veterans and Their Families” in the basement of the parish church, organizing donations of children’s clothing, “tinned and jarred goods,” and more. “Farmer and owner of a local brewery, Keenan Ripley” and his back-in-town brother Stephen carry in a large crate of pears.

“Morning, Lady Phoebe,” the one facing backward said. “I’ve got pears for you. They’re a little overripe for perry making, but perfectly edible, and there’s no use in letting them rot. Make excellent pies and turnovers, I expect.”

Perry is “an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears.” The villagers are justifiably proud of their “unique cider,” and “the Ripley perry was considered some of the Cotswolds’ best.”

After a stint at Foxwood Hall Stephen Ripley moved to Dorset. To Phoebe’s surprise, Stephen is not coming back as an assistant gardener.

Stephen Ripley’s self-satisfied grin revealed a row of well-formed if uneven teeth.



“No, my lady. I’m going to be your new head gardener.”



“Head gardener . . . ?” She trailed off, once again unwilling to reveal her thoughts. Alfred Peele had served in the capacity of head gardener at Foxwood Hall for nearly two decades. Yes, he was getting on, but the man still stood as straight as the hedges he kept trimmed to such perfection that, from a distance, they appeared to be solid walls of emerald and jade.

The brothers Ripley are at odds: Stephen wants to sell the family orchard to a brash American real-estate developer while Keenan is utterly opposed to selling their birthright. Eva asks why Stephen doesn’t want to work alongside his brother.

“I’ve never understood your leaving. The orchard is your birthright. The farm and brewery have been in your family for how many generations now?”



“Too many, if you ask me. There’s nothing particularly charming about picking pears and crushing them into pulp for cider. It’s backbreaking, boring work and I’ve no interest in it. I learned from one of the best gardeners in Dorset, before and after the war, and I’ve the chance now to use those skills.”

Eva is not convinced but her attention is distracted by her sister Alice, currently visiting their parents.

Coincidentally, both Phoebe and Eva are having a hard time with their older sisters. Phoebe’s relationship with her pregnant sister Julia, Lady Annondale, runs hot and cold. Julia’s aristocratic husband was murdered on their wedding day (A Murderous Marriage). She was accused of killing her older groom, but Phoebe and Eva proved her innocence. Julia is beset by financial fears. If her unborn child is a boy, she’s on easy street because he will inherit her late husband’s viscountcy. Not so much, given primogeniture, if she births a daughter. Eve’s sister Alice has come home for a visit without her husband and children. She won’t explain why, and she’s renewed her youthful more-than-a-friendship with Keenan Ripley.

Head gardener Alfred Peele leaves Foxwood Hall with nary a farewell while Stephen Ripley brusquely takes charge. He is less than collegial to his fellow-servants, but his reign is short-lived. Phoebe and her grandfather see, “in the deep green shadow of the lawn, a darker shadow.” A stepladder is sprawled beside a hedge: “Grampapa’s lumbering footsteps thudded through the grass. ‘Is he terribly hurt?’”

She was about to call out his name again, until she realized he wasn’t holding the clippers at all. The clippers were turned the wrong way around, the handles facing out and the sharp ends sunk—



Her hand went to her mouth. The clippers had been plunged into his torso. A pool of blood seeped out from under him to weave lurid, spidery patterns in the grass. A frigid numbness swept through Phoebe, and the world around her darkened and blurred.

Constable Miles Brannock arrests Keenan Ripley. Everyone knows the brothers were bitterly divided over the future of the family orchard; plus Keenan has no alibi. Brannock may be Eva’s beau but she and Phoebe are sure that Keenan is innocent. On the morning Stephen was killed, Keenan’s table was “set with two teacups and scones.” Eva is petrified that Alice was the visitor to Keenan’s bachelor establishment.

If Alice were to provide Keenan with an alibi, her reputation and marriage would be ruined. She denies being there but is clearly withholding secrets, much to Eva’s consternation.

Lady Phoebe and Eva are a well-oiled team, but their investigation is complicated by the involvement of their families. It doesn’t help when Grams, the Countess of Wroxly, bids Phoebe to draw Julia out of her despondent mood: perhaps they could go shopping? Phoebe is amazed to discover that Julia is “shopping” for advice from Miss Greenwood, a genteel medium. Miss Greenwood says that she “can connect with the souls of the deceased, and sometimes with the living as well.” Perhaps Phoebe and Eva should also consult with her.

The aftermath of the Great War impacts the relationship between Phoebe and Eva: women of every class face choices that they could not have anticipated in their youth. Alyssa Maxwell’s A Silent Stabbing brings the pastoral world of maid and mistress to vibrant life, with an elegantly elegiac tone to the narrative.

The synopsis provided by the publisher for this this delightful historical cozy is confusing (at least for me). This is really the story of Lady Phoebe and her maid Eve and their sisters, Julia and Alice, both of whom are experiencing trials. Then, it's also the story of Keenan and Stephan, who differed over the future of their orchard until Stephan is found stabbed with hedge clippers! If you can keep everyone straight (and it's not that hard) you'll find yourself sure that you know who did it and why but no= you'll be wrong. I like the Cotswald setting, which is a treat. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Phoebe and Eve become more well rounded with each installment and I'm looking forward to the next one.

As in Maxwell’s previous Lady and Lady’s Maid novels, there is a great deal of interesting detail on the changing lives of Britons after the Great War. I’m enjoying the progressing relationship between Phoebe and Eva as time passes, and their friendship becomes more egalitarian. There are still plenty of differences between the aristocratic world of Phoebe and her grandparents, and that of the rest of the nearby village, but change is clearly in the air. Women have the vote in America, and suffrage is clearly headed for England as well.

This is another enjoyable novel in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.75 stars

Another readable entry in the Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery series featuring lady's maid Eva and Lady Phoebe. The manor gardener leaves, possibly under duress, and his replacement is found stabbed soon after. One of the young male servants who was acting as under gardener disappears at the same time. Is he the murderer or did he see something that frightened him?

The murder victim was on bad terms with his brother over their inheritance and whether or not to sell out, so the brother falls under suspicion. And to further complicate things, the brother's alibi might hinge on Eva's sister -- which would be a scandal since she is a married mother who has shown up unexpectedly at her parents with no explanation.

I enjoy the characters, writing and setting of this series. However, it is an implausible situation which is hinted at in this entry. Will Eva give up any idea of a home and family of her own in order to remain at the manor and attend the young ladies? Will Lady Phoebe strike out on her own? The unevenness of the upstairs/downstairs relationship is uncomfortable at times and I wonder if this series is sustainable. But each entry has been enjoyable so thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Description
As England recovers from its costly involvement in the Great War, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, find the steady comforts of their lives unsettled by a local case of murder . . .

Eva is excited for a visit from her sister Alice, who lives in Suffolk with her husband and three children. But when Alice arrives alone, desiring a break from her family, Eva becomes concerned. Her dismay deepens as Alice starts spending time with a former beau, Keenan Ripley, who owns the nearby pear orchard. At the same time, Phoebe's sister Julia, now a widow and pregnant, is in a fretful state, and Phoebe struggles to be helpful to her. When Keenan's brother Stephen, the new head gardener at the Renshaw estate, Foxwood Hall, is found impaled by a pair of hedge clippers, the police—including Eva's beau, Constable Miles Brannock—suspect his closest kin. Stephen had been eager to sell their orchard to an American developer, but Keenan had fiercely resisted. A table set with two teacups and scones suggests Keenan had company the morning of the murder—and Eva fears her sister was with him. If Alice were to provide Keenan with an alibi, her reputation and marriage would be ruined. She denies being there but is clearly withholding secrets, much to Eva's consternation. Now, to protect her sister, Eva and Phoebe set off to expose the gardener's real killer, putting their own lives at risk . .

My Review
Well-crafted historical mystery Downton Abbey style. Lovable characters that keep you guessing until the very end. The 5th installment in A Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery Book has Lady Phoebe's widowed and pregnant sister trying to deal with the sudden death of her husband. Things get complicated when Eva - Lady Phoebe's lady's maid expecting to see her sister and children instead gets a surprise. Mix all of this with murder and you get a great novel.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. So, let me tell you it is delightfully entertaining.story you must read. I give this a definite 5 Star.

This series improves with each book and this one was excellent.
It is well written, the cast of characters is fleshed out and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

In this fifth installment of A Lady and Lady's Maid Mysteries, Lady Phoebe's sister Julia, now a widow and pregnant, is having a hard time coping with the sudden death of her husband and is worried she'll be a terrible mother. Phoebe wants to be helpful to her sister, but Julia keeps pushing everyone away. Meanwhile, Lady Phoebe's lady's maid, Eva Huntford, is excited for a visit from her sister Alice and her three children. But when Alice arrives alone and announces that she needs a break from her family, Eva becomes worried. Her concern deepens as Alice starts spending time with a former beau, Keenan Ripley, who owns a pear orchard. When Keenan's brother Stephen, the new head gardener at Lady Phoebe's family estate, is murdered, and Keenan becomes the main suspect, Phoebe and Eva decide to do their own investigation, especially when Eva begins to suspect that Alice might be keeping a secret that could prove Keenan's innocence.

A Silent Stabbing by Alyssa Maxwell is a delightful and entertaining historical cozy mystery, with well-rounded characters, a charming English countryside setting, and an intriguing and well-plotted murder mystery. The plot flows perfectly and kept me turning the pages. The author's engaging writing style and excellent research instantly transported me back to post World War I England, a nation still recovering, and forever changed by the war. Phoebe and Eva are both wonderful and intelligent characters. I found their relationship with their sisters to be very relatable. They are excellent at solving problems and make a great team. I look forward to more adventures with them. If you enjoy historical cozies, then I highly recommend this series.

I received an ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the first book in this series I have read. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. I didn't figure out who did it and that made it fun. I do need to find the others.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.