Amory is at the country house awaiting the birth of her first child, while Milo is away on business. A man comes to the country house claiming to be Milo's step-brother. He looks just like Milo, but Amory is suspicious. Meanwhile, the village is planning a festival. Milo returns but is also suspicious. Then, during the festival, one of the men in the horse racing competition is found dead. Then, the woman that he had loved is poisoned. Amory and Milo must help the police...

I received an ARC from NetGalley for A Deception at Thornecrest.

It's a typical mystery. I've not read any other Amory Ames books but it was easy to get into the story. There are plenty of twists and turns while Amory solves the mystery. I enjoyed the book and I am not a big mystery genre fan.

Milo's much mentioned playboy past comes to haunt the couple once again when a young woman appear at the door of their main house claiming to be Mrs. Milo Ames. This is followed by another unexpected visitor and soon turns the village upside down which is followed by murder.

I love Milo and Amory as a couple; they have struggled to get where they are and it shows that relationships always require work, especially if the people do not have the tendency to be open with their emotions which was very true of the British during this time. While it makes sense to bring up Milo's playboy past in this book, I found it was brought up too many times in the last couple of books. I hope in the future there is a little less mention of it, unless appropriate because of the storyline, especially now that they have happily greeted their first born child.

This can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery but you can better appreciate what this couple has gone through if you have read some of the previous books. The mystery is satisfying with a number of twists. I eagerly await the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for a impartial review.

This is the first book in this series I’ve read and I really enjoyed this mystery and its cast of characters. Amory and her husband Milo are expecting their first baby, living in their country estate outside their small village, when a woman comes looking for Milo insisting he married her in Brighton. Between mistaken identities and murder there are too many suspects to rule out in the double murder that happens during and after the towns festival, which makes this book very interesting. The mystery was good and the people in the village were written so well I hope they’re in future stories to come.
I was so interested in snippets of Milo’s and Amory’s previous relationships and cases that I’m going to read all of the previous
#### I’m amending this review because I’ve gone back and read all the previous books in this series which makes me appreciate A Deception at Thornecrest even more. I loved learning about Armory's and Milo’s life together from the beginning. It makes this book all the more poignant and richer. Weaver’s descriptions of Amory’s clothes are amazing. This is now my favorite mystery series, and my only complaint is having to wait For the next book.

Good story. Very "Thin Man" type couple. Enjoyable. This is #7 in the series. Not necessary to read the previous books to enjoy this one - though I probably will.

This Is a well-plotted British mystery which occurs in an Agatha Christie sort of world. Our detective, Amory Ames, is an upper class woman married to Milo and about to have a baby. Amory and Milo are interesting because they aren’t the perfect couple. Although this novel stands just fine on its own, it is part of a series in which Amory and Milo have had some marital problems. This book begins with a strange young woman coming to their door and insisting she recently married Milo. Amory isn’t completely sure that can’t be true!
Everyone gets called together at end of the book for the solution of the eventual murders, a familiar and old-fashioned device. It’s rather fun!
I received a free ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Enjoyable book. It is part of a series but it was a stand-alone read. Characters are well written. Murder mystery was entertaining and thought out. The relationship between Milo and Amory is interesting. Would like to read the earlier books to see how they came to this point.

In the latest Amory Ames mystery, Amory is at home at Thorncrest, awaiting her baby. Milo is away, attending to business. A woman shows up, asking for Milo, claiming to be his wife. While Milo and Amory have had ups and downs, things have been good lately and Amory is certain Milo is not a bigamist. Soon another stranger appears with claims of his own, and of course, there is a murder.
I look forward to every entry in this series. The books just keep getting better.

Summer s my favorite time of year for cozy mysteries. I don't like too much deep and dark on my sunny summer days! If it is set in an English village, that is a real plus there must be entertaining and intriguing characters or it just not worth the trouble. Lots of humorous dialogue and a story that keeps my attention will make a perfect book for my reading pleasure. A DECEPTION AT THORNECREST by Ashley Weaver was a perfect fit! I was very excited to see this book on offer at NetGalley because I have read a couple other books in the Amory Ames series and real enjoyed them.
I am not one of those people who read most series in order so being at #7 I have missed a few!

The story is set in the English village of Allingcross, Kent in the spring of 1934. Amory Ames is awaiting the arrival of her baby in a matter of weeks. One morning as she is answering correspondence a young woman at the door claims to be Mrs Ames, Milo's wife! How could this be? Despite her delicate condition, Amory sets out to discover the truth of the matter. Another visitor arrives later that confuses the issue further. This male person has been steering up trouble in the village;s young ladies and soon there is trouble at the village's spring festival when a well respected young man in the village and later one of the young lady is poisoned while visiting the Vicar's home. Amory has her hands full trying to put together the events that led to these deaths and who did the dreadful deeds despite objections of her husband Milo and the local police detectives. You might think you know whodunit, but the story is not that predictable.

I thoroughly enjoyed A DECEPTION AT THORNECREST and if you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a good series and Book #7 does not disappoint. Personal I think if you haven't read the series or just a few like me, it won;t spoil your enjoyment of the book but you have time to catch up on the entire series before its publication. I liked the characters in the book because English villages all have "characters" but I personally don't like Milo. He just gets on my nerves. The story is set in 1930s England but it doesn't really feel much like that time in history because the dialogue was so old fashioned, it could be in any time period. English villages have that way about them too. It's not a major criticism because Agatha Christie does that too with the various places she set her novels, yup get very little sense of the characters being in that place. The mystery is the star. I will admit I found some of the story was very sad at such senseless death because a village usually knows the people involved and it has an impact in their small universe.

Thank you to author Ashley Weaver, Minotaur Books publisher and NetGalley for giving my the opportunity to read this delightful mystery in exchange for my honest review.

A DECEPTION AT THORNECREST is scheduled to be released September 8, 2020.

This is the seventh entry in the Amory Ames series by Ashley Weaver and a great one at that. Most of the adventures of Amory and Milo have taken place abroad or when visiting others, but this time Ms. Weaver takes the story to their country residence called Thornecrest. Milo and Amory are awaiting the birth of their child and enjoying the country life, complete with a festival and other interesting village characters, reminding me of a 1930s version of Midsomer Murders! Ms. Weaver did a fabulous job of introducing new characters and continuing to show us how the main characters have evolved since introducing them in her first novel. Though I did miss some of their travels in this story, I felt that the characters and setting with village intrigue made up for it. The mystery was well-rounded with lots of potential suspects, but the solution was a bit of a let-down. I've read this series since the beginning and I look forward to a new one every summer! I can't wait to see how Milo and Amory adapt their crime-solving with being new parents. Might Milo finally settle down? I guess I will find out next year!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

If you’re looking for a charming whodunnit with plenty of red herrings, you’ll find it in A Deception at Thornecrest, the seventh book in Ashley Weaver’s Amory Ames Mystery series.

It is easy to see that the author is comfortable with her main characters: they are fully-fleshed, well-drawn, and easy to like. Amory reminds me of Phryne Fisher in some ways, so she was fun to follow on her investigation. And it was quite the twisted tale. I was sure I’d figured it out, several times, only to have another clue throw a wrench in the works, making for a story that kept my attention and kept me wanting to read more.

Until now, I’d never read an Amory Ames story, but I certainly want to go back to the beginning of the series now. While this was a completely self-contained mystery, and a wonderfully written one at that, there were plenty of references to past investigations that sound fascinating, as well as what sounds like a rather interesting relationship history between Amory and Milo.

A Deception at Thornecrest releases September 8, 2020. Be sure to check it out! Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive view. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

Readers will enjoy the newest installment of the Amory Ames series by Ashley Weaver, where there is murder, mayhem, and a baby.
Amory and Milo Ames are at their country Thornecrest estate, awaiting the arrival of their baby. Amory is eight months along and getting increasingly restless as she's treated more and more gingerly by Milo and her staff. Her restlessness ends abruptly when a young woman appears, claiming to be Milo's wife. As Amory works to sort out what is - clearly - a misunderstanding, more mysterious figures arrive on the scene, which makes the Ames' domestic life more fraught than usual. To top it all off, a local boy is killed at the village fete, and even at eight months pregnant, Amory can't resist a chance to use her investigative skills.
Amory keeps quite busy in this novel, and with her usual soothing presence and ability to draw confidences, she's knee-deep in the investigation despite her husband's protests. As a reader, it's good to see Amory, who is usually concerned about how society perceives her, defying convention and being so active and present while pregnant. We do read a fair amount of musing on her pregnancy and impending motherhood in this novel, but that's to be expected. I wouldn't say it overwhelms the novel, by any means, but is a natural reflection of her nervous state.
The outcome of all of the mysteries woven into this novel was totally unexpected, and I have no idea how Amory came to the solution - I certainly didn't. There were a lot of red herrings which made this book very interesting. The only thing that I wish it would have touched on more were Amory and Milo's feelings towards each other; they didn't seem to put as much effort into communicating or working on their relationship in this book. However, it will be very interesting to see how their relationship evolves once they have a baby to parent.

A Deception at Thornecrest is the 7th book in the Amory Ames series, and it has solidified itself as one of my favorite historical mystery series. I’ve talked before about how Amory is a woman of elegance and manners, regardless of circumstance or company. She respects herself and others, and she’s curious about them. No wonder so many characters confide in her as she solves these mysteries!
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This installment was set at the Ames country home during the Springtide Festival. I love a village setting! There are always class issues and gossip and people who aren’t what they seem. The mystery in this one was really satisfying! Lots of successful red herrings. We also get to see a more domestic side of Milo and Amory and their family backgrounds, and this really seals the deal for me. I love this couple and their complex, real relationship.
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This series is wonderfully written and a perfect blend of a standalone mystery combined with continuing development of the recurring characters. This installment releases September 8th so you have plenty of time to binge 😉 the whole series.

A Deception at Thornecrest by Ashley Weaver Reviewed on July 27, 2020 4 + Stars
Sometimes there is nothing like a nice Cozy mystery!
I started my love of mystery novels when the Library Book Mobile came to my neighborhood; first Trixie Beldon, then Nancy Drew and also the Hardy boys. I also loved “Nick and Nora Charles in “The Thin Man” TV series; Amory and Milo Ames certainly remind me of them!!!!

This #7 in the Amory Ames Mystery series and I have read all of them.
Story is based in the 1930s so is a great throw back in a time that we don’t really know but certainly have our imaginations especially after watching “Downton Abby”!

Story stars off with Amory who is in her eighth month of pregnancy and enjoying a few days of peace and quiet while husband Milo is in London on business. Amory’s peace and quiet is interrupted when unflappable Grimes the butler announces that…. hmmm there is a young woman at the door and gives her name as ….a Mrs. Ames
True Amory and Milo’s marriage has been rocky to say the least but certainly never any hint he may have secretly gotten married. Milo is known as a playboy and his reputation has certainly has cause much discussion in the local village. Many villagers have their doubts about Milo’s suitability for fatherhood.
Amory, of course, knows that Milo’s own experience with the lack of his father’s involvement
makes him a candidate to be an excellent dad!!
Back to the story… A few days after Imogen Prescott’s surprise visit, another surprise happens when another stranger shows up at Thornecrest ~ Milo’s look-alike, previously unknown, half-brother!

Next, while attending Lady Alma’s “Springtide Festival” the village’s most popular horse race, the stable boy Bertie turns up murdered.
Hmm what do the two new unwelcome strangers have to do with this?
The plot thickens!!

Amory feels she needs to figure out what is going on. (If you have read the other stories, you know that is what amateur sleuth Amory does best!)

Fun read with secrets, surprises, a few twists and turns and yes a baby!!
Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur Books for this early release granted in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 15, 2020

Another entry in the charming Amory Ames period mystery series heralds a call to bring out the champagne & chocolates! Actually, in this story, the celebratory couple has settled down at their estate, awaiting their firstborn. So, no champagne for the missus! Readers are presented with a domestic mystery - a man is masquerading as Milo Ames and seducing young women. Steps are taken, bodies are discovered, and Amory, though heavily pregnant, investigates. It's a wonderful addition in the series, taking readers into a more intimate and sedate setting for the intrepid couple.

Ashley Weaver creates a well written mystery with complex characters. I have enjoyed the Amory mysteries from book one and have never been disappointed.

A Deception at Thornecrest by Ashley Weaver is the next great read in the Amory Ames mystery series. Amory and her husband, Milo, are at their home in the country awaiting the birth of their first child when other new arrivals show up and turn everything in the little town of Allingcross upside down. Then just when things might start calming down Milo’s stable hand, Bertie is found dead during the Springtide Festival. Amory of course sets out to solve the mystery even though everyone, including Milo, are nervous about her “condition” and are fearful of her putting herself in harms way. But as Milo says, Amory wouldn’t be Amory if she “were compliant and incurious.”
Even if the reader figures out whodunnit the keen, humorous dialogue between Amory and Milo and the ever expanding cast of eccentric characters keeps your attention. Amory’s strong female character, the situations she gets herself into, and her relationship and conversations with Milo is what makes me keep coming back to this series. This latest addition to the series is fast paced and thrilling and leaves the reader wanting more. Weaver has delivered another suspenseful, fun Amory mystery.

I have really enjoyed earlier Amory Ames mysteries, but unfortunately this one fell a little flat for me. Amory is 8 months pregnant and hanging out at her country house, Thornecrest, waiting for the baby to arrive. Then, at the county fair one of her neighbors is murdered, so she investigates, in part because she thinks the police have arrested the wrong man. I think my issues with this book were twofold. One, was that the mystery itself wasn't that compelling. I didn't feel like I got to know the victim, or the suspects, well enough for me to be invested. Amory does a lot of investigating by talking to her suspects, but I guess I wanted her to do more snooping. The book also felt a little repetitive - she is constantly being driven around by her driver. She mentions it's because she's pregnant, but for some reason it kept distracting me. The village can't be that big. There wasn't much tension in the mystery, either - I never worried for Amory's safety or liked any of the other characters enough to worry for them. My other disappointment was with the Milo/Amory storyline. One of the reasons these books are so great is the relationship Amory has with her husband Milo. They love each other, but they also have trust issues and some antagonism. Milo also is usually off doing mysterious things. I wanted more of a peek into what those things are, but instead Milo was just kind of uptight and/or absent throughout the whole book. There is a big reveal about his family, but because Milo is so closed off it's hard to understand his character. His reticence to let Amory in at all was really frustrating in this one. I'm hoping the next book returns to form - maybe Amory can investigate something other than a murder...

What a beautiful story. Reminded me of Downton Abbey! I loved the characters & to me the mystery of them.
A slow start, but what a story! Already told a friend about yhis book!!

Ashley Weaver does it again! Ever since I discovered this series I was hooked, as we’ve followed Amory and Milo’s journey over the last six books I feel like as a reader I’ve been able to see them work through the good, the hard and of course the mysterious and this next instalment is all that and more!

As Amory enjoys the last few moments of peace and quiet before their baby’s imminent arrival, life is disrupted once again when a woman shows up on Amory’s doorstep claiming to be Mrs. Milo Ames! Amory & Milo have worked hard to get to where they are in their relationship and this feels like another critical moment of trust between the couple. While Amory is convinced this woman is mistaken, will some evidence to prove otherwise shake this relationship up once again?

When an unexpected new face shows up and a tragic death occurs, will we discover there’s more than one deception at Thornecrest afoot?

A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

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