Frances, Lady Harleigh is planning a wedding, for her sister Lily and her affianced, Leo, when she finds out that the wedding must happen much quicker than expected. The two are discussing elopement, but Frances fears scandal. Not only that, but Frances and Lilys' social-climbing mother is also expected any day from America. George Hazelton comes to the rescue by offering his family estate, Risings, for the wedding. While there, George hopes that Frances will announce their own engagement, something she has been somewhat reluctant to do.


A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder has all the usual ingredients of the Engish Country House murder. There are all sorts of undercurrents among the multiplicity of guests and a series of accidents that escalate into death. But who is responsible and who is the target? I enjoyed this third book in the series but got a bit bogged down in the middle. The ending, also, while exciting is somewhat predictable. It's an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 3 Stars

You guys have no idea how much I contemplated stopping this book and reading the first two in the series first because from the first chapter I knew that I would love this book. Having no time to do that, I kept going on with this book and I am so in love with this story!

Period novels are my absolute favorite (my Pride and Prejudice adoration continues) but add a little bit of mystery into the mix and it’ll easily be a favorite read hands down.

This book has it all... a wedding in the country, a scoundrel trying to steal the bride away, secrets, humor, mystery and best of all.. murder! I adored this book in so many different ways, and you best believe that if there is a 4th installment to this series, I will for sure be reading the first two books in preparation for it!

RATING: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ .5 / 5
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SYNOPSIS: The third instalment in this series follows Francis, “Frannie”, as she travels 🐎 to the intriguing Mr. Hazelton’s family estate. Frannie is a sleuth of the best kind, not to mention a woman detective 🕵️‍♀️. At the estate, Frannie follows a series of accidents: arsenic ☠️, horse 🐴 falls, and fire 🔥. Which of the guests has a motive? More importantly, what is Hazelton hiding?
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PROS: This was the perfect mystery book! 📚 A mixture of Nancy Drew meets Sherlock Holmes kept me entertained the entire time. Frannie has become one of my new favorite characters!
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CONS: I didn’t have any cons for this mystery novel! Diane’s writing style was perfect for my taste! 😊

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman is the same charming book readers will remember from earlier books in the series. It is 1899 and Frances, Dowager Lady Harleigh is in the middle of musing about the ups and downs of her life when her reveries is broken by her aunt Hetty and her sister, Lily. It seems there is a crisis: Lily and her fiancé, Leo, have anticipated their vows and there is to be a child. With the wedding still eight weeks away, this is indeed a problem. An elopement would practically announce to the word that there was a child conceived before the marriage. What they needed was a country house. Harleigh House was for sale so it was unsuitable, but George, Frances' soon-to-be-announced fiancé was caring for his brother's home at present and it was perfect. Off the small party went to wait for the arrival of Frances' and Lily's mother, and Leo's parents and a wedding at the end of the week. The first attempt happened at the train station when a cart full of luggage came tumbling down. Next, the steward was hurt in a riding accident, and a footman was killed, and on and on. Murder had raised its ugly head and it took a few of these "accidents" before George and Frances began to connect them.

Beautifully written mysteries can be found aplenty. Beautifully written Victorian mysteries are more rare. A Ladies Guide to... are more than mysteries but a peek into the lives of Victorian society. There is nothing vulgar about Frances, but she is as modern a woman as one could wish. She had a horrible first marriage with a cheat and a liar and she looks forward to this one with George, but she has been alone too long to accept being treated as fragile and put on a shelf somewhere. She would share George's life or have none of it. She must find a way to tell him with out hurting his feelings. Then there are the "accidents." A nicely done mystery with the solution coming to Frances almost too late. She and George have worked through every clue, pondered every situation and believe the murderer to be after Leo, but why? They also believe him to be close, but where? A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder is a nicely plotted, interesting murder/mayhem mystery that any reader will enjoy. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #aladysguidetomischiefandmurder

Great characters and I loved that it’s complicated. You know that many of the incidents are linked ,but how and why is less clear. I found myself examining every character and looking to see if/how they could be involved in the murder.

Having already read the previous book in the series I, once again, enjoyed the main cast. The author builds each one consistently and then weaves them together in a way that keeps the reader interested. Lily and Frances’s mother certainly keep it interesting, right to the end. A most enjoyable read.

I highly recommend this cozy, murder mystery novel. I’m looking forward to the next one in the series.

With thanks to #NetGalley, Kensington Books and the author for my free advanced reader copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion

A fun and engrossing read, a great addition to this excellent series.
Even if I prefer the London setting I loved this story, full of twists and turns, that kept me hooked.
There's a lot of character development and we get to know something more about Frances and George.
The mystery is solid, full of red herrings and twists, and It kept me guessing.
I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was the third Countess of Harleigh mystery and she is as delightful as ever!

Things start going awry once the Countess, Frances and her family embark on her secret fiancees’s family estate to have her sisters wedding. Accidents and a murder can not be overlooked, especially when it looks like the culprit has been aiming at his soon-to-be brother in-law!

Frances and fiancee, George Hazleton begins to investigate. As usual, George’s forward thinking manner and willing to work with Frances is a delight to read. The mystery kept me guessing until the end and the sweet relationship between George and Frances had me smiling throughout!

This was. Fun Victorian era mystery with a hint of romance. I enjoy seeing this pair work together and I’m looking forward to another mystery hopefully befalling their nuptials in the future! I will definitely be back for more investigations with the Countess and Mr. Hazelton!

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman is scheduled to release July 21st, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from author Kensington Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#ALadysGuidetoMischiefandMurder #DianneFreeman #Netgalley #pinkcowlandreads

Nothing makes a rushed wedding more exciting than an accident or four…

Well they are not mentioned at tea and are not called murders, poisonings, burnings or… upstairs, especially if most of the victims are from down stairs. They are called accidents.

And George Hazelton’s childhood home is the arena of as many as 4 ‘accidents’ and that is when Frances Harleigh family came to visit and have a small intimate and quiet wedding… a rushed wedding.

I have not read Frances’ previous adventures but am hopeful I will find the time to do so soon. I absolutely loved this character, her strength and determination, her love for her family and her strong will. I am so happy that all the accidents were solved and culprit was found at the end.

Moreover, I am happy that Frances and her mother restored and improved their cool and distant relationship. Mothers will be mothers but they are still our mothers…

The bunch of other characters are colourful and exciting. I really want to see where author will take them next.

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder is a fun, light, easy to read and like cozy mystery and suspense. It is colourful, well drawn and atmospheric. It’s period costume drama with a mix of comedy at its best.

Five stars for being such a fun read in quarantine times.

A regency era mystery- yes please! This is the third book in the Countess of Harleigh series and I was able to dive in reasonably well without having to read the previous books. Frances is an American born Countess who Is rather happily widowed. She lives with her daughter Rose, is delighted to be almost engaged to her neighbor George and is planning her sister Lily’s wedding. When the date for the wedding needs to be moved up, George offers his family’s country estate as the location for the upcoming nuptials. As an odd assortment of family and friends (including Frances and Lily’s meddling mother) descend on the estate, strange “accidents” start happening and it’s up to Frances and George to find the culprit and get Lily and Leo down the aisle.

While this story started off slow for me I did enjoy it. The setting of a British country estate is perfect for this multi cast whodunnit. Because so many people arrive for the weeks events, at times it was easy to get confused as to who certain characters were. That may however be due to the fact that this is the first book I’ve read in the series. What I enjoyed least was the character of Frances’ mother- a great foil but so infuriating! What I enjoyed most was the relationship between George and Frances, such sweethearts.

If you’re looking for a mild Regency era romance/mysteries, check this out! It is now available!

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgally for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me a digital ARC.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman is the third book in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series.

I've had the pleasure of reading all three books in this series and have thoroughly enjoy all of them!

I really enjoyed the plot in this book, which is focused around the events of Lily and Leo's wedding. When several accidents happen to numerous wedding guests , Lady Harleigh and George Hazelton are forced to undertake their detective duties again - before the accidents become more sinister.

As always, I loved the relationship between George and Frances (Lady Harleigh). They are perfect for one another and I really hope their future features their longed for nuptials. They work really well together as amateur sleuths, bouncing ideas and theories off each other.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder is another delightful instalment to this series. An entertaining cosy mystery!

The historical mystery genre is one of my favorites and this series is one of my favorites. Frances and George should be announcing their plans to marry but her sister, Lilly and her betrothed, Leo, throw a spanner in their plans. For reasons I won't divulge due to a spoiler, the wedding of Lily and Leo moves from several months in the future to with a two week period. Frances finds herself in a very delicate situation - how to figure out how to pull off a wedding in an unknown location on n unknown date and deal with her mother who has other ideas. George comes to the rescue and invites everyone to come to his family estate and join their shooting party, now with a wedding on the side. What could possibly go wrong.
Frances has proved herself to be a dab hand at solving various murders and, sure enough, that skill is needed when a series of supposed accidents befall the estate. Then her mother arrives adding her opinions about the groom. Poor Frances and George, they are working hard to unravel the crimes and at the same time struggling with their secret. If they can get Lily on her way then it will be Frances's turn to plan her own wedding.
This, the third book in the series, can be read as a stand alone but is even better read in order so the character development gives the reader the best experience. The mystery is well crafted and the setting of the country estate of 1899 is perfect.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Murder at The Country House
This is somewhat of a classical British Country House murder in a cozy sense. This is the third book in the series and the first that I have read. I will not only be reading future episodes but will be going back to read the two I have missed. While the setting is classical, our heroine is quite modern in her desire to be an active part of her husband's life and not subservient to anyone. The murder investigation is quite complicated. The final revelation of all the aspects of the crimes was surprising. This was a very good mystery. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Themes of “money, independence, and family relationships” are cleverly woven into the fabric of the third Countess of Harleigh Mystery. In Freeman’s A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder, the widowed countess harnesses the talents of her family and friends to solve a complicated crime. She is proud of her penchant for detecting. Her friendship with her next-door neighbor George Hazelton (a fellow sleuth) blossoms into a secret engagement. Life is delightful; what could go wrong?

October 1899



Why does it always happen that just when I begin to feel life simply couldn’t get any better, fate drops a disaster into my path to prove me right?

Frances’s younger sister Lily and Lily’s businessman fiancé, Leo Hendrick, have anticipated their wedding day and are now expecting a baby. They plead with Frances to rescue them. Frances and Lily’s ambitious mother has repeatedly pushed back the wedding day. The sisters know why—their mother wants Lily to marry an aristocrat, like Frances. Frances has also been in favor of delaying the nuptials. Her first marriage “was a disaster,” and she doesn’t want Lily to rush into matrimony. Confronted with the worst society solecism imaginable, Frances is rueful.

Is it any wonder I wanted Lily and Leo to have a long engagement period? To take some time and come to know one another?



Clearly, they came to know one another all too well. Now what were we to do?



“Leo suggested we elope,” Lily said, almost in a whisper.



Her words pulled me from my thoughts. “Oh, no, dear. That will never do.”

What are their choices? A hole-in-the-wall wedding at some obscure London church? Disappearing to Scotland for months until the babe is born isn’t possible because Leo works for his father. A discreet wedding at a quiet country estate would be ideal.

“If Graham weren’t selling Harleigh Manor, we could arrange a wedding there in under a week,” I said. “Just have the closest family members in attendance. As long as we’re not in town, no one will feel snubbed if they aren’t invited.”



I sighed and leaned against the desk behind me. Selling the old family home was the best idea my brother-in-law ever had. The behemoth of a mansion had sucked several fortunes into its very walls, including mine.

Where are they to find a suitable country retreat on such short notice? George stops by and notices that Frances is perturbed. George doesn’t want anything to interfere with their plans to visit Risings, his brother’s estate, saying, “A romantic rendezvous requires the presence of both parties.” She tells him it’s “just a little trouble with Lily and Leo’s wedding plans,” necessitating an immediate elopement.

He responded with a blank stare. “They are marrying soon.”



Clearly, I needed to work on my facial expressions. “No. I mean they must marry immediately.”



His raised brows told me he finally understood.

No problem. “Bring them to Risings,” says George. Frances gratefully accepts. George checks his pocket watch and, unbeknownst to him, a letter slips out. He has a stop to make, he says. Frances picks up the letter and asks, “Is your stop at Newgate Prison?” He snaps at her, wondering why she would think so, but Frances doesn’t miss much and saw the address on the envelope.

He rested a finger against my lips. “Don’t even ask. You know I can’t tell you.”



“I’m marrying a very mysterious man,” I said, the words distorted by the pressure of his finger on my lips. With a smile, he replaced the finger with his own lips, and I was reminded how much I loved him.

Things get off to a scary start when George meets Frances at the train station. Frances is herding cats—corralling relatives, servants, her daughter, Rose, and her nurse—when she sees “a cart full of baggage fairly flying down the steps directly at George and Leo.” George grabs Leo’s arm and jumps out of the way, but it’s disturbing. While George and Frances are strolling later that afternoon, they hear “shouts and excited voices.” They are shocked to see a “man lying facedown on the ground.” Frances is concerned.

Unfortunately, incidents in which Leo is seemingly the target continue—although that’s difficult to prove. We’re in closed-mansion-mystery territory, à la Dame Agatha Christie. Someone(s) on-site is the target, and the perpetrator is in their midst. Some of the incidents have a humorous side to them, like when one of the gentlemen is shot in the buttocks during an archery tournament.

The green baize door between upstairs and downstairs is not much of a barrier. Bridget, Frances’s lady’s maid, is her mistress’s eyes and ears downstairs, but the illicit relationships running rampant at Risings surprise both women. The butler is the downstairs CEO. He stifles the servants’ ability to answer questions frankly, particularly to Frances. It’s impossible to zero in on the murderer’s target because of the geography of the mansion. All the unmarried men are grouped in one wing.

Frances isn’t a professional investigator like her fiancé, but she’s a skilled questioner. Not everyone is thrilled with her approach, but in her pursuit of the facts, she leans into her American feistiness. At the heart of her reluctance to marry George is the equitable relationship that they have established. Will that disappear when they marry? She pinpoints the difficulty:

“But we never touched on the topic that concerned me the most. What role would I play in this partnership?”

Frances has been instrumental in solving crimes—why would she want to bin that after marriage? Another issue is that George is known to criminals because of some past forays into undercover work. Will his secrets come between them, or will they join forces in detection and in life? A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder is a thoroughly enjoyable closed-circle-of-suspects mystery, and the shooting-party atmosphere adds to the ambiance.

This was an okay historical cozy mystery. The characters were quite interesting but the storyline took a long time to develop. The ending was a bit on the typical side and the middle dragged a bit. I think I would’ve found the story more interesting if I had begun with the first book in the series. Overall it just didn’t have that wow factor for me.

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder was a witty cozy mystery that has made me a fan of the genre.

Upon learning her newly engaged sister is expecting, Lady Frances proposes to move up the date of the wedding to the following week in order to prevent a scandal. Now taking place in the countryside at Frances’ fiancé, George’s, family estate all seems to be going according to plan until “accidents” begin to occur with one ending in murder. Once again, Frances finds herself amidst a mystery and searches for clues to find the murderer amongst the guests.

Although I haven’t read the previous two books in the series, I really enjoyed this book as a stand-alone. The writing was witty and delightful and a fun “whodunnit” mystery that I didn’t guess until the last 90% of the story. I enjoyed the setting of the English countryside and historical time period and even within the setting and genre found snippets of commentary on the equality of women. The main character is a fierce and determined female who I am excited to meet again in the previous two books which I have excitedly added to my TBR.

This has been a nice surprise.
I must confess I haven't read the previous books in the series, but I culdn't resist myself from requesting it... you see, the title says it all.
Now I want to read A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder and A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder.

I totally recommend it, even if you haven't read the previous books. If you like cosy mysteries and historical sets, this might be you're next read.

The characters are nicely depicted. One can easily imagine them. I really like Frances and Mr. Hazelton. The story keeps you interested and wondering who might be the culprit?

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

A LADY'S GUIDE TO MISCHIEF AND MURDER by Dianne Freeman
The Third Countess of Harleigh Mystery

In order to avoid a scandal Frances Wynn, the Countess of Harleigh, devises a plan. Lily and Leo need not elope, they will simply push the wedding up by a few weeks stating they just wanted a quiet affair with close family and friends. Since her neighbor, George Hazelton, is hosting a shooting party at his brother's estate, everyone would be welcome to stay for the week and culminate the festivities with the wedding. Things are off to a bumpy start, however, with Leo's bickering sisters and a runaway luggage cart at the station. Mishaps continue to plague the party. Are these merely accidents or is someone targeting one of the guests? Frances and George team up once more to investigate. Will the mischief stop Lily and Leo's wedding? Or will it put an end to Frances and George altogether?

A LADY'S GUIDE TO MISCHIEF AND MURDER brings a complex mystery to a country house party. The fact that all of the "accidents" appear so random and target such a variety of people, from staff to guests, make the mystery that much more intriguing. I love the relationship between Frances and George, how they compliment and work with each other. I also appreciate how their relationship isn't perfect. They have doubts and get angry but ultimately communicate and work things out.

The third Countess of Harleigh Mystery is a story of family. Not only do we have the blending of families with the upcoming wedding of Lily and Leo, as well as the soon to be announcement of Frances and George, but the way family members deal with each other. We see the bickering of sisters, the plight of the son-in-law in regards to family business, and the varied actions and reactions of mothers.

A LADY'S GUIDE TO MISCHIEF AND MURDER is a multilayered historical mystery that shows the importance of family in its many different forms. I absolutely love this series and this book and look forward to returning to Victorian England with the Countess of Harleigh soon.

A Lady’s Guide To Mischief And Murder is the third book in the Lady Harleigh Mystery series.

I love historical mysteries and this one of my favorites. The characters are well-developed and believable, I particularly enjoy Frances(Lady Harleigh) Wynn and George Hazelton. They work particularly well together in their sleuthing. Frances, at times, seems to be a little over daring, but, George can manage this without being overbearing or causing heated arguments between them.

Frances is busy getting everything ready for her sister Lily’s wedding. Frances thinks that Lily’s betrothed, Leo is a good match and Lily seems to truly love Leo. Frances fears that her mother will not approve of the marriage, as she would like to Lily get a title. Frances also fears what her mother will think when Frances tells her she and George recently became engaged. Frances can’t concern herself with that just now, as she has just learned that Lily is with child. They want to move the wedding up to save the families from certain embarrassment. George comes to the rescue by offering his brother’s home in the beautiful countryside.

As the wedding party is approaching the estate they see a group of men tending to an injured horseman who is identified as a manager from the Hazelton estate. The constable at the site says he fell from his horse, but the rider claims he was knocked off his horse. The next day one of the estate’s footman is found dead in his room. Frances and George, not known to shy away from a mystery, decide to look into these occurrences to learn if there was anything to the events. But things will soon get serious when everyone has gathered in an impromptu archery range for an afternoon of archery competition. The competition will end when Leo is hit in his backside by an errant arrow. Or was it an errant arrow or was someone trying to murder the prospective groom? Frances and George will set off to answer these questions.

The author does a wonderful job of setting the period and the description of the estate and surrounding area. There were plenty of twists and turns and red herrings that kept me guessing until the end.

I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

I had no idea this was the third book in a series when I downloaded it onto my kindle. A few chapters in I started to get suspicious because it seemed these characters all knew each other really well which suggested they had met before!

Anyway it did not spoil the book for me as the author gave just enough information from the past to keep events understandable. I always love a good historical mystery and this was a good one. I enjoyed the country house setting and the romance between Frances and George. The mystery was entertaining with lots of possibilities for the bad guy and I did guess who it was just before Frances did.

I ended up enjoying it so much I immediately purchased the first book in the series as my Audible listen for August. I am looking forward to finding out how Frances and George met.

Frances may have just gotten engaged but she doesn't want to announce it until her sister's wedding has occurred. But her sister, Lily, and Lily's fiance have news that puts the wedding in jeopardy. Frances's fiance (unknown to anyone but herself) steps in and offers his brother's country house. Having it at the estate means that the wedding can now be a full-on house party. Something that should satisfy even Lily and Frances's social-climbing mother.
But all is not well with the guests. There are accidents happening to everyone, both the guests and the staff. And Lily seems to be overly enamored of her fiance's friend rather than focusing on her fiance. When the friend ends up murdered, it's up to Frances to help save not only the wedding, but her sister as well.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out July 28th
Follows A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder
ARC kindly provided by Kensington and NetGalley
Opinions are my own