It's crucial for Cozy mystery to have good characters. Maybe more so than a mystery itself. Amory Ames mystery is one of my favorite series because of the two main characters. Especially our heroine Amory. She is beautiful, smart, and independent thinker. She is definitely not a "doormat". Her husband Milo is another story. To be honest, I didn't like Milo in the first book "Murder at the Brightwell". I was still not so keen on him in the 2nd book either.

I got frustrated with Milo many times, but I started to understand that it was the charm of this series. Milo himself is a mystery to Amory and us. We are all trying to figure him out throughout the series. In each book, Milo and Amory have have some marital issues. And their relationship gets better after solving the mysteries and issues. That is a real marriage and Weaver handles the development very well.

In this #7 book, Milo is still aloof, but starts to show more of his true emotions. I also liked the village setting. It felt more like Agatha Christie this time.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for the eGalley!

This author and series are both new to me and I enjoyed the read. Even though this is the seventh book in the series, I had no trouble with reading it as a standalone. Of course, I always become curious about the characters when I begin a series that I enjoy, so I have every intention of going back and reading the earlier books in the series. The main reason I want to read the earlier books is to see the history between Milo and Amory. I didn’t care much for Milo in this book and there were many, many, many hints that he might have been a womanizer during the earlier years of their marriage. If that is the case, I’m not sure whether I’ll continue or not unless there is some grand resurrection of him. While he didn’t appear to be a womanizer any longer, he still felt pretty cold to me in general. So, I fully intend to read at least the first book before I decide whether to continue with the series.

I enjoyed the mystery. It was well-written with plenty of red herrings to make you wonder whodunit. I always hate when the author introduces me to the victim and makes me like them before killing them off – and that is the case here. Well – I liked one of the victims anyway and that made me sad – especially as I learned of his hopes and dreams. Not everyone is who they appear to be and those who are, are hiding secrets. It is interesting to see Amory investigate and uncover those secrets and arrive at the conclusion to the murderer. I did think that came a bit out of left field – just all of a sudden, she had the answer.

Amory and Milo are at their country estate, Thorncrest, awaiting the birth of their first child – only a month to go. Amory is at home alone one morning when she has a caller who insists she is Mrs. Milo Ames. Amory is sure the woman has been duped and she’s sure Milo isn’t the one who duped her – but she does have to wonder just a bit. Later, a second visitor appears and the deception is solved.

When a horse trainer who works for both Milo and Lady Alma Bedford is found, dead, in a field at the Springtide Festival, it doesn’t take much to figure out that he was murdered. Since the young man had recently been involved in an altercation with a newcomer, there was an immediate suspect. When further incriminating evidence was conveniently found and the suspect was arrested, Amory thought it was just too easy, too pat. Against Milo’s wishes, Amory begins to investigate. When another murder that is obviously related happens, the suspect is released – but Amory continues her investigation. She learns more and more secrets that are held by some of the most respected people in the town – things she didn’t wish to know – but she had to learn all she could in order to identify the murderer. You’ll be surprised at the resolution.

I enjoyed the mystery portion of this book. It was interesting and the red herrings were believable – for the most part. What I didn’t enjoy was Milo and the relationship between him and Amory. I will read the first book in the series to see if I can begin to understand it better – but – well – bottom line is that I need a good romance to go along with my mysteries and I’m not sure this is a good romance. Of course, some things happened in this book that might make me change my mind once I read Book 8 in the series. Yes, I know this is probably a good representation of a ‘real-life’ marriage – but I read to get away from the ‘real-life’ things. Anyway, I intend to read Book 1 in the series and then maybe Book 8 when it comes out and will decide whether to continue from there.

If the mystery is what you are after, then this will be right down your alley. It is interesting and populated with unique characters. I will definitely try more books in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. I love this series and they keep getting better and better. Can't wait for the next instalment.

Hugely pregnant, Amory Ames is just ready to give birth. She is suffering through the planning of the local festival. She does not need a young woman showing up claiming that Amory's husband Milo is also her husband. Even despite their rocky past, Amory is willing to wait until Milo can be reached before she passes judgment. And it's a good thing that she does because it turns out that Milo is, indeed, innocent. It's actually a shadowy figure from his father's past is the person who provides the explanation.
Unfortunately, that is not the end of their troubles when a local stable boy is killed at the festival and more than one person declares that it must be murder.
The mystery in this one was maybe a little disappointing but it needed to be set up that way to introduce a new character. I don't believe that most Amory Ames fans will be disappointed.

Three and a half stars
Follows A Dangerous Engagement
This book comes out September 9th
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

I enjoyed the 7th installment of the Amory Ames mystery series. Thank you to Net Galley and Minotaur books for the free Advanced Reader's Copy.

The Amory Ames books are set in the 1930s before WWII. In this book, we find Amory awaiting the birth of her and Milo's first child. They are staying at Milo´s family home, Thornecrest in a small village in Kent. The village is preparing for the spring festival. There begins the mystery when a young girl appears at their door claiming to be married to Milo. Amory knows that this is not true, but there are doubts.

I would definitely recommend reading one or more of the previous books in the series before reading this one. The relationship between Amory and Milo is strained during part of the book. In fact, Milo is absent (in London business) for a good third of the book.

I enjoyed Ashley Weaver's descriptions of the country festival. The mystery has a lot of believable twists and turns. I thought the ending was satisfying. I wished there had been more banter between Amory and Milo. Overall, I gave this 4 stars.

"The stylish, charming next novel in Ashley Weaver's Edgar-nominated Amory Ames mystery series, set in 1930s England, A Deception at Thornecrest.

"Thornecrest looked beautiful in the evening light. One would never imagine the turmoil that had just occurred within its walls."

Amory Ames is alone at her country house Thornecrest, enjoying her last few weeks of peace and quiet as she prepares for the imminent arrival of her baby. Her husband, Milo, is in London on business, and Amory is content to catch up on her correspondence, organize the nursery, and avoid the well-meaning if rather overbearing company of the ladies in the village as they prepare for the Springtide Festival. But then a woman appears on her doorstep, claiming to be another Mrs. Ames, Milo’s wife.

Amory's marriage has had its ups and downs in the past, but her faith in her husband has been restored, and Milo has been nothing but thrilled about becoming a father. Though the alleged second Mrs. Ames seems earnest, Amory is convinced she must be mistaken, a belief that Milo confirms upon his homecoming. However, when another unexpected visitor arrives at Thornecrest, secret identities and whirlwind romances appear to be becoming par for the course.

It's not until the day of the festival, when Milo's stable hand Bertie is found dead, that the strange characters appearing in town begin to seem more sinister, and Amory is determined to uncover the killer in the crowd."

A country house in 1930s England, AKA my happy place, even or should I say, especially with a few murders.

This was my introduction to Amory Ames, the main character in “A Deception at Thornecrest.” Author Ashley Weaver has penned six previous books, which I am sure are going to migrate their way to my TBR pile.

A woman visits Amory’s home, claiming she is also married to Milo (Amory’s husband). I originally thought the book would primarily revolve around this meeting; however, a villager is murdered at a town event and there are enough suspects one almost needs three hands to count them all. Amory does what she does best, pursuing clues and questioning suspects until the book winds down to a satisfactory conclusion.

There are many things right with this book. The author’s style presents the reader with the feeling of how life was almost one hundred years ago, both in prose and dialogue. Many small elements float through the plot, along with a few red herrings, all of which were neatly tied together at the climax. There was an unexpected twist at the end, though there were enough clues for someone to solve the mystery and the twist does not hinder armchair detectives, provided they follow the correct path. Personally, I didn’t have a decent guess as to who the guilty culprit could be. Once explained, the solution was perfectly logical and I had to admit I had bunny-trailed and missed too many of the clues that pointed toward the truth.

“A Deception at Thornecrest” is a standalone, and events in previous books are barely mentioned. Ms. Weaver writes as if the book was written during the era of the story, leaving out lurid sexual details and managing to entertain readers without the seemingly obligatory curses in many novels written today. Highly recommended for mystery fans. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.

'Amory Ames is alone at her country house Thornecrest, enjoying her last few weeks of peace and quiet as she prepares for the imminent arrival of her baby. Her husband, Milo, is in London on business, and Amory is content to catch up on her correspondence, organize the nursery, and avoid the well-meaning if rather overbearing company of the ladies in the village as they prepare for the Springtide Festival. But then a woman appears on her doorstep, also claiming to be Mrs. Ames, Milo’s wife.

Amory's marriage has had its ups and downs in the past, but her faith in her husband has been restored, and Milo has been nothing but thrilled about becoming a father. Though the supposed second Mrs. Ames seems earnest, Amory is convinced she must be mistaken, a belief that Milo confirms upon his homecoming. However, when a second unexpected visitor arrives at Thornecrest, secret identities and whirlwind romances appear to be becoming par for the course.

It's not until the day of the festival, when Milo's stable hand Bertie is found dead, that the strange characters appearing in town begin to seem more sinister, and Amory is determined to uncover the killer in the crowd.'
___________________________________

 A Deception at Thornecrest is the seventh book in Ashley Weaver's An Amory Ames Mystery series and is a historical mystery set in the 1930s.

This is the first book in the series in which we get the see the oft talked about Thornecrest, Milo's family home, as he and Amory prepare for the arrival of their first baby. In this book I think they are perhaps at their most harmonious, even though there are still several moments of contention between them, but I think that's part of the charm of their relationship

It's a little thing, but I will mention that the Amory shone standing with Milo in front of the festival on the book's cover is very clearly not pregnant even though she is heavily pregnant for the entirety of the book. Once again this is a little thing, but seems silly to me. I think we could have handled seeing a pregnant belly.

Family relationships were very much the central theme of this book, both the ones you make and the one you're born into, which I loved so much because it tied so well into what everything happening for Amory and Milo. A Deception at Thornecrest has been one of favorites in the series, both because of the life changes happening and for the mystery itself. The reveal didn't really take me by surprise, but there were enough layers that kept me guessing whether or not I was off the mark for a bit. I love that each case continues to be unique from the others they have encountered before and I'm excited to see what Weaver will cook up for the next book.

I've really enjoyed reading this series over the last month and recommend it others. But now I'm a little sad that I have to wait for the next book since I was able to read all of these back to back. I'll just have to try to be patient.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing and eARC of A Deception at Thornecrest by Ashley Weaver with me. This is my honest review.

A book with charming characters and a very interesting plot that I found very difficult to put down. Amory Ames is alone in her country home in Thornecrest. She enjoys the silence and peace that the countryside gives. Likewise, she prepares for the arrival of her beloved baby. Her husband, Milo, is in London doing business, but he always writes letters to her. Amory's activities include answering her husband's letters, organizing the nursery, and avoiding the company of the villagers, who are preparing for the Springtide Festival. However, suddenly a woman appears at the doors of her house claiming that she is Milo's wife. Amory thinks that this unexpected visitor is an impostor, she will have to clarify this matter with her husband. It is a very entertaining book with many mysteries and plot twists. It is the first book I read by this author and I really like how she tells the story. The narration has enough description of the situations I never felt bored, on the contrary, I felt like I was submerged in the story. It gave me chills and intrigued me the part where this person arrives at Amory's door, an intriguing situation that made me read until the last page. It was an entertaining and intriguing book. I thank NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Armory Ames’ marriage to Milo has had some rough moments but now that their first child is soon due they have settled comfortably at Thornecrest Manor and Milo has become a devoted husband. It comes as a surprise when the butler announces a visit from a woman who has identified herself as Mrs. Milo Ames. With Milo on business in London, Amory must contend with this situation on her own. Introducing herself as Imogen, she identifies a picture of Milo as the man she met and married in Brighton. Summoned home, Milo denies knowing her. Life soon becomes more complicated when Milo discovers that he has a half-brother named Darien, who could pass as his twin. On a lark, Darien used Milo’s name, but there was never a legal marriage and he feels no obligation to Imogen. He is now seeing Marina, a local girl whose ex-boyfriend Bertie confronts and attacks Darien. During the village festival Bertie is later found murdered in a field. Evidence found in Darien’s room at the inn leads to his arrest, though Amory believes he is innocent. Against Milo’s wishes and her doctor’s objections, Amory spends her days visiting the villagers who were closest to Bertie and discovers secrets that provide possible motives for his murder. When a second death occurs while Darien is in jail, Amory continues to look for connections while trying not to alienate the villagers.

Family relations are a major theme in Ashley Weaver’s novel. The discovery of a half-brother is a blow to Milo. Darien’s use of his name and his attitude does little to endear him to Milo. Amory, however, recognizes the importance of family. The indifference of Marena’s mother towards her daughter and the loss of a child suffered by the Reverend and his wife have molded personalities and these revelations influence the direction of Amory’s investigation. Weaver’s description of the village and the fair makes it easy to envision as Amory wanders past food stalls and listens to the squeals of the children. .Concluding with the birth of Amory and Milo’s child, it makes their family complete and provides a most satisfying ending. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for providing this book for my review.

This is a new to me author & series, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is #7 in the Amory Ames series, but I did not feel like I was missing anything by not having read the prior books.

It is your typical old-school mystery with plenty of red herrings and twists that kept me guessing until the end. The characters were intriguing, and definitely made me want to know more.

Overall an enjoyable read.

I received a free digital copy from Net Galley in exchange for a honest review.

I enjoyed reading this novel now that Amory and her husband Milo are getting along. In previous books, it looked as if Milo did not behave as a husband, Now he is a husband.

In this novel. there are several mysteries. Who killed the victims and why? I could guess who the killer was. it was fun to follow the clues throughout the story.

Amory and Milo are expecting their first baby when a stranger shows up. Milo is away on a business trip. The stranger is a young woman who claims to have married Milo. People in the village claim to have seen Milo when Milo said he was away. He was really out of town. We find out who the lookalike is early in the novel.

That is Not the only deception at Thronecrest. It was wonderfully written.

A Deception at Thornecrest by Ashley Weaver

Dear Fellow Reader,

Back in January, I reviewed the book Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver. (https://cecooney.com/2020/01/10/oh-those-cozies-three-cozy-mysteries/) Remember back in those good old days? That was back before we were all inside for the pandemic. ~sigh~

Anyway, I enjoyed that book and talked about reading the rest of the books in the series. I have been making my way through the series and then I found that I could get an advanced reader copy of the newest book in the series. ( So this is my unbiased review.)

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A Deception at Thornecrest finds Amory Ames at her summer residence, Thornecrest, waiting for the birth of her first child. Milo (her husband) is out for a few days but should return later that day. A guest arrives at the house and introduces herself as Milo’s wife, Mrs. Ames. Even though they have had several rocky years in their marriage, Amory is sure that the woman is not married to her Milo. But then the young woman identifies him in a picture. Needless to say, Milo has a lot to explain when he gets home. But then another person arrives at Thornecrest, who announces that he is Milo’s (surprise!) stepbrother. It would be hard to deny the relationship as they look amazingly alike. Milo is not happy with this arrival. (But could it explain the first visitor?)

While they are trying to figure out the situation, there is a murder of a village youth at the village festival. Solving this mystery will take them some time to find out who is who they claim they are and who is not being entirely truthful.

This is another good cozy mystery and I have enjoyed the series. I will say that book 5 in the series, An Act of Villainy, has the biggest surprise ending. I will admit that I don’t usually spend any time trying to figure out “who done it”, when I am reading a mystery. When I get to the end, I generally am not surprised but I don’t put any effort into trying to solve the mystery. I just want to be entertained. I was surprised by the end and I was pleased to be surprised. I thought the author did a good job.

As I seem to have this thing about reading books that are in a series in order, I would suggest that you do the same. By doing so, you see the progression of the relationship between the two main characters. These mysteries are set in the 1930s so they are mysteries written to be from that era. The main characters are very rich. It is a time between the World Wars and the characters seem light and breezy.

Thanks for reading!

Prior to reading this book, the only other book I had read in this series was The Essence of Malice, which I really enjoyed. I don’t think it’s necessary to read this series in order because I personally don’t feel like I missed anything for having skipped around. That being said, I absolutely loved this. I love the troubled dynamic between Milo and Amory, the crazy plot twists, and the gorgeous setting of Kent. Some mysteries that I’ve read seem to get drowned in clues, interviews, and general detective procedure that the plot can get a bit stale. Again I’ve only read two books in this series, but I haven’t felt that way at all about either of them. The characters and plot devices are rounded out enough to make for a good story, not just a good mystery.

Honestly, this book was a little too bucolic and slow-moving for my taste. Even though it was the seventh book in the series, it was not difficult to follow along. The book picks up speed in the end when the mystery is solved and the secrets each characters is hiding behind begin to fall away quickly (too quickly ?) like a poorly constructed house of cards. I am, however, looking forward to reading the other books in this series to see if my concerns with tone and pacing improve, or whether they too read like a comfortable but moth eaten sweater,

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amory Ames is at home one afternoon and she receives a visitor who says her name is also Mrs. Ames and she is married to Amory's husband, Milo. This is more excitement than she needs as she is in the last month of her pregnancy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. The characters were lovely. I liked Amory's wit and Milo's drollness. When I realized this was the seventh in a series I wondered if a lot of it would go over my head but the author weaves in the back story quite nicely without it seeming like a synopsis of what had gone before. This is not an exciting, on the edge of your seat sort of mystery but more a slow unraveling of facts as I got to know more about the town of Allingsworth and the people involved.

I plan to go back and read the rest of the series so I can appreciate more of Amory's and Milo's story.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a complimentary copy of this book. These are my opinions.

Britain, 1934; a country village with the usual country estate or two; a deceptive doppelgänger, and two deaths under investigation. What more could one ask from from an historical cozy mystery?!

This seventh installment in the Amory Ames mystery series finds our protagonist in the eighth month of her pregnancy, anticipating the Ames' heir apparent at the family estate of Thornecrest in the quiet village of Allingross in Kent. Although she and her husband Milo have been working at strengthening their marriage after some discord in the early years, Amory is affronted by a young woman who claims to be Milo's wife, too. Hmm.... Amory keeps her cool during the encounter and thinks, surely this woman is mistaken. But when the young woman sees a marriage photo of Amory and Milo, the young woman confirms that he is in fact the man she married on a whim in Brighton. Amory fights her unease and confronts Milo about the matter after his return to the estate. He assures her that he only has eyes for her, does not know this young woman, and is focused on preparing for the family they are now building.

Meanwhile, Milo's half-brother shows up, (a brother previously unknown to Milo and Amory), desiring to connect with Milo. Coincidence? Perhaps not. Then one of Milo's stable hands is found murdered at the spring fair and another death follows shortly thereafter. Are the deaths related? Who benefits from these deaths? Milo makes Amory swear that she won't get involved as she is about to give birth and has other more important things to tend to. But Amory being who she is - curious and quite clever - cannot keep herself away from the investigation. And so it begins.

Ashley Weaver has spun another good yarn in this series. The story was clever and fun. Although, I do have to admit that I struggled with staying in the 1930s setting as there was little reference to anchor the story to its time. Without giving away the story, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in how the deaths were solved. Regardless, the story is charming and we do get a better glimpse into the evolution of Milo and Amory's marriage.

I am grateful to author Ashley Weaver and her publisher, Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Published by:
Minotaur Books
St. Martin's Publishing Group
On Sale: September 8, 2020

It took me time to get into this story--perhaps because this is book 7 in an ongoing series, perhaps because it was slow to get to the action--but I enjoyed it once it actually got to the who-dunnit part.

Ashley Weaver 7th book in the Amory Ames mystery/amateur dectective novel is a delight for not only fans of the Amory Ames novel but also cosy mystery fans as the author keeps the readers on their toes in the guessing game of who done it.

Amory Ames is heavily pregnant and receives a shock when a woman shows up at her husband's estate in Kent in the spring of 1934.
Later on at the village fair a murder has been committed and Milo brother is the suspect but as Amory goes deeper into the investigation another murder occurs with a few deceptions along the way.

4.5/5⭐️

I really enjoy this series, and this 7th installment doesn’t disappoint.

Amory and Milo are anticipating the birth of their first child at their country home when one of their stable hands is inexplicably murdered. A second death follows, and Amory feels compelled to investigate.

There isn’t as much physical action in this one, but of course Amory is 8 months pregnant. And I did miss Milo as he was away from home at intervals. But there are two new additions to the family here (and no, it’s not twins!) and a twisty denouement that kept me riveted.

Looking forward to number 8!

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress and #MinotaurBooks for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.