The seventh book in the Lady Hardcastle Mystery, written from the perspective of her "maid" and spy friend Flo Armstrong, was delightful, especially the pair that again solve a mystery and spy story, or rather several mysteries at once, this time around aviation in the year 1911, which was rather dangerous.

I liked the fun and wit that was involved in the book, also connected with the other characters, family and friends, members of the village and most of all the servants. I also liked the banter and the playing with words.

The mystery constitutes a rather small part in this description of life in a village at a rich house, but it is solved of course, though with an unexpected end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I jump at the chance to read these books the minute a new one is released. Light, fun, clever, inspiring, and even slightly educational (in a not-at-all-onerous way). Great characters, though I wish we’d learn a little bit more about them. And in this book they spent a little too much time driving around...mostly back and forth. Still a delightful, quick and cosy read - very tongue-in-cheek without in any way being too cloying. Already looking forward to the next one!

I am a huge fan of the Lady Hardcastle books by T.E. Kinsey, and this one continues to tell the story of Lady H and Flo in a fun and witty way. I love the repartee between the characters, especially Flo and Lady H. This one is also interesting because it includes hints that are historically relevant, including the development of aeroplanes and the tensions on the continent that foreshadow the coming of WWI. I definitely recommend this series, and this one continues to be a fun and enjoyable read.

Flo and Lady Hardcastle are once more pretending to be relaxing in the country but then they get the chance to learn to fly. Well, regular readers will know that Lady Hardcastle will foot the bill for the plane while Flo will become the pilot (which, by the way, she is very excited to do.) Except is the chance to fly the only reason they're checking out the Bristol Aviation and and Aeronautics Company? Of course not. Lady Hardcastle's brother has called on them to come to the aid of their nation once again. It seems that someone is leaking information about the Top Secret Project to the Germans. And, while no one is currently at war, it seems that Germany might be gearing up for it so they need to figure out what is going on and fast. All this while figuring out what they are going to do for the Littleton Village Show.
A wonderful addition to the series. You don't HAVE to have read the other books in the series but I highly recommend it. There were three words I had to look up in this book which meant that, not only was it entertaining, I was learning things as well.

Four stars
This book comes out December 3rd
Follows Death Beside the Seaside
ARC kindly provided by Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Once again Lady Emily Hardcastle and her ‘tiny servant’ Florence Armstrong (whom Harry calls Strongarm) are involved in skulduggery and murder. Emily’s brother Harry has them both involved in the dreadful accident which occurred when the new parachute Bristol Aviation was testing malfunctioned. It was 1911 and parachutes were in their infancy. Was information being leaked to foreign rivals? Was it sabotage that was afoot?

With Lady Hardcastle and her lady’s maid Flo undercover at the airfield; the annual village show in full rehearsal mode and the two women taking an unexpected amount of walks around the Common, it would seem they’d be soon able to oust the criminals. But could they? What would be the outcome in this dastardly race?

The Fatal Flying Affair is the 7th in the Lady Hardcastle Mysteries by T.E. Kinsey and one again I was entranced. I spent a lot of my reading time laughing out loud – such a delightful series and each episode seems to get better. Flo and Emily are, on the surface, a Lady and her maid quietly living in the country. But underneath – you wouldn’t want to cross them, especially Flo. A delightfully entertaining series of which The Fatal Flying Affair was no different. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Hardcastle's brother Harry arrives to ask if she and Flo could do a little work for him. A nearby aeroplane factory was trying to make parachutes, and a man had died when the parachute failed. It turns out that a foreign agent had been caught with details which should have been secret. It turns out the the Farley-Stroud's daughter, Clarissa is married to an aeroplane engineer, Adam, who worked in France, but were now visiting the Grange. When Flo and Lady H go to the Grange for tea, they make arrangements with Adam to visit the factory.

Lady H and Flo go to the factory, and claim they might wish to purchase a plane for themselves, and they both definitely want to go for a ride in a plane. Lady H gets her ride, but before the plane gets in the air with Flo, the engine explodes. Around several visits to the factory (one for Flo in the middle of the night), and planning for the annual village show, Flo and Lady H must find the spy in the factory as well as the person responsible for the dead parachutist.

This is an excellent addition to the series with the two female crime solvers in an era when women didn't do that. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication in exchange for an honest review.

As wonderful and charming as the previous books in this series. Spies, murder, early air flight and some of the best dialogue around.

OH! This was a delightful author and series to find. Coming into the series with book seven only made me want to go back and discover the delights of the first six books. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a read this much in a long time. The mystery is realistic, the writing is excellent, the prose is witty, the story is excellently paced, and the characters are all wonderful. How have I missed this series? I, who insists on a bit of romance in my mysteries, didn’t even miss it in this book. Go figure! Just as an FYI to the other miscreants out there who have also missed this series – this book can easily be read as a standalone. References are made to former cases and people, but not in such a way that you feel you are lacking some knowledge.

For those of you who are familiar with this series, you might want to skip this paragraph because it is about my take on who Lady Emily Hardcastle and Florence Armstrong are and what they do. My take may not be totally correct because it is mostly from suppositions based on some of the things mentioned in this book. However, I’ll know all once I manage the time to go back and read the earlier stories. Lady Hardcastle has been a widow for something like thirteen years. Florence has worked for Lady Hardcastle for something like seventeen years. Officially, Florence is Emily’s lady’s maid, but that is just to explain Florence’s presence at various functions. Florence is really Emily’s friend and partner in their work for the Crown. Both ladies have spent years working for the Crown and they are exceedingly skilled at what they do – and who – in that time period – would ever suspect a Lady and her maid of being agents for the Crown? They’ve been retired for the last three years and living in Littleton Cotterell in Gloucestershire – near Bristol.

Lady H and Flo have enjoyed their retirement and country living, but when Lady H’s brother Harry, who works for the Secret Service, approaches the indomitable pair about returning to active service, they quickly agree. It seems that something just isn’t right at the Bristol Aviation and Aeronautics Company. Harry’s organization has determined that someone is leaking design information to foreign agents, and a gifted young engineer was killed in a testing accident. That accident might not have been an accident. Harry needs Emily and Flo to figure out what is going on at the company, Identify the leaker, and to determine if the young engineer was murdered.

With political tensions already making themselves felt in 1911, everyone is fearful of an approaching war. Even those who aren’t ‘in the know’ about what is actually happening are feeling the tensions mounting. Emily and Flo know more than most – especially with Harry filling them in – so they embark on their new investigation determined to find who is betraying England to foreign powers.

I absolutely adore the banter between Harry, Emily, and Flo. They are all well-suited and can always make a very tense situation less tense with their humor and wit. I adore how absolutely talented the two ladies are – and how they thoroughly enjoy pulling the wool over people’s eyes. Those people, especially males, tend to discount two females, especially a Lady and her tiny little lady’s maid. They discount Flo and Emily at their own peril!

This is a delightful read with a great mystery (or two or three or …) and such delightful characters that you will love them all. I definitely recommend the book.

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

My own mistake but I personally feel like to read this book, you should read the previous work of T E Kinsey!

An enjoyable read, from the first moment I loved it, especially getting to read my own home grown Yorkshire accent.

Country gardens, parachutes and mystery, I honestly really enjoyed the whole plot and overall couldn’t tell where things would go!

Oh dear, I so wish I enjoyed this book more. I've heard of this series several times on a podcast I enjoy, He Read, She Read. They both love it and I fully expected to. However, it just wasn't grabby enough for me! It didn't excite me enough to read more than about a third of it.

I didn't find either of the main characters to be entertaining, interesting and even the cute types you expect in a cozy mystery. Maybe that was it the cozy aspect. They were too nice, the plot was too everyday and it just didn't do it for me.

I'm sure there are numerous readers out there who enjoy this series. My power to them.

T. E. Kinsey's latest installment in the Lady Hardcastle mystery series will give readers all the cozy vibes and intriguing layers of mystery fans have come to love over the years. Once again Lady Hardcastle and her trusted sidekick and lady's maid Flo are called upon to solve a puzzling case. Pilot Dickie Dupree tragically died after a failed parachute test at the Bristol Aviation Airfield. Ever the adventurers, Lady Hardcastle and Flo will also experience the exhilaration of flying in an airplane while posing as interested buyers. Was Dupree's death really a tragic accident or is something strange afoot? You can trust that the inimitable Lady Hardcastle and the industrious Flo will achieve cunning feats of detective work to bring this case to a close.

The novel delivers all the clever quips and witty banter from a cast of delightful characters both old and new. We also get a peak back into the charming village life in Littleton Cotterell as the entire village is preparing for a talent show amidst the investigations at Bristol Aviation. I am always thrilled to dive back into the cozy and charming shenanigans of Lady Hardcastle and Flo and The Fatal Flying Affair satisfied my longing and left me eager for the next installment.

I have read a couple of TE Kinsey books and they never fail to entertain, both the story line are intriguing mysteries and the characters are just so likeable.
This story takes one to the skies with death and the possibility of war and spies, with a parachute thrown in. The era stuff is quite factual and the story builds on the times - I really enjoy this book.

The clever, indomitable Emily, Lady Hardcastle and her sassy maid Florence Armstrong thought to retire from their lives as spies; however, Lady Hardcastle’s brother has persuaded them to return to the game. It’s 1911, and the brother, Harry Featherstonehaugh, believes that airplanes are bound to be the next big thing in warfare. Further, he believes that someone is passing along secrets about a new advance called a parachute to a foreign power. So Lady Hardcastle and Florence set out to discover what’s what.

I won’t ruin it by revealing any more details. I can say that the seventh novel continues the fun and insight of the previous books in the series. As always, author T.E. Kinsey weaves in a history lesson so expertly that you don’t realize how much you’ve learned until you finished the book. Highly recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

Another adventure for Lady Emily and her "maid", actually her friend and companion Flo. The ladies have an extracurricular gig as spies for His Majesty the King. In the meantime, they reside at a country estate. In this outing Lady Emily's brother Harry, also a funny bugger, asks the ladies to investigate a new aeronautics firm. This is 1911, and England is braced for war and is exploring various weaponry including aircraft.

Lady Emily and Flo pose as potential buyers to check out where a leak to foreign agents about the aircraft is coming from. They uncover financial skullduggery and investigate the murder of an employee via a sabotaged top secret parachute.

The easy, affectionate and repartee filled relationship between the women is the heart of the book. Harry fits right in. Easy-reading and enjoyable. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

This is the seventh in T. E. Kinsey Lady Hardcastle series and is just as engaging and delightful as the previous books in the series. It takes place in the early 1900’s and there is a flavor of the period along with delightful characters who are distinct and fully developed
The two main characters, Lady Hardcastle and Flo, her cohort in the secret service who frequently passes herself off as a Lady’s maid are both seasoned employees in His Majesty’s Secret Service. They have incredible skills in the areas of martial arts, weapons, surveillance, breaking and entering, and various other forms of skulduggery. Throughout the novel, they put their skills to use as required.
Lady Hardcastle’s brother, who is also their occasional boss in the secret service, asks them to look into a local airplane manufacturer. They are currently doing top secret work to develop a parachute that can be strapped to a pilot’s back and it has come to the secret service’s attention there is a spy at work at the plant trying to gain access to the plans.
As Lady Hardcastle and Flo pursue their cover story of Lady Hardcastle’s purchase of an airplane, they pursue the spy using various techniques they’ve developed over the years. Overlaying all this activity is the humor with which the two women approach each other and life in general. It is not unexpected that any reader will have a few occasions of laugh out loud enjoyment as they read the escapades and try to figure out the identity of the spy before these two agents do.
This a book, and series, not to be missed. It’s a fun read with just enough twists and turns to make it enjoyable throughout. Each book stands alone, but I would suggest you might want to read the series in order as there are some people and happenings that are referred to from previous novels. Besides, it’s a great series and, if you like character driven mysteries that are on the lighthearted side, you are bound to enjoy this one.
My thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital read for review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This is another fun adventure for Emily and Flo. The mystery was pretty tight. There were three mysteries in this investigation to be solved and they're all connected. I stayed up late reading half the book and late again to finish it the next night. I never guessed the identity of the spy. Actually, that's not true, I did think about it at first but dismissed it when other stuff was going on. As with previous books, the history of aviation is seamlessly woven into the story. Thankfully Flo is uninterested in engineering and leaves Emily at the mercy of the aviation engineers off page and that keeps the story flowing smoothly. The story stalls a bit in the second half and picks up at the end of the mystery. I really liked the village talent show plot too. I love reading about English villages and their quaint traditions. Like Flo I could never get up there and perform so reading about it is fun. That subplot added more humor to the story. The tone of the story is overall light with the usual witty banter. What I don't like is now Emily and Flo are official and the world is inching ever closer to war (3 years), the story kind of loses some of its charm. Is it still a true cozy mystery if the ladies work for the government? I suppose so but I think it's not as fun as having them be two nosy, intelligent ladies solving mysteries for the local police.

The characters always shine bright in this series. I adore eccentric Emily but this time she's just gone plum crazy! Emily is delightful playing an exaggerated version of herself but I think she goes too far with her ruse and gets too into it. BUY an airplane? Just for fun? Whatever for? You couldn't pay me enough money to get in one of those contraptions. Nope. Not until jets are invented! Emily is now a doting aunt to both Harry's new daughter Addie and the Farley-Strouds granddaughter. She's just young at heart enough to be a fun godmother and teach the little girls some really bad new tricks LOL! I can't unsee the image of Emily in a spangled leotard. Thank heavens for Flo's good sense! Not that there's anything wrong with a 40-something woman wearing a spangly leotard but it would be very shocking in 1911, especially for Emily, a Lady and one who would be considered getting past middle-aged. I always enjoy the banter between Emily and Flo and I think there's less of it this time. Their relationship is still special though. Sometimes they tease each other but with the introduction of Harry into the mix, the three of them go round and round teasing each other and it kind of changes the dynamic a little bit. Harry and Emily have a wonderful relationship. I adore how much he loves her and accepts her for who she is. He makes good use of her brain and I think she's smarter than he is and he knows it. Harry is content with his desk job and leaving the field work to Emily and Flo. He's kind to Flo, treating her as another sister, knowing how devoted she is to Emily. Their banter has the added bonus of reminding the reader how the ridiculous surname of Fetherstonehaugh is pronounced.

The Farley-Strounds have a minor role in this story. I miss them being a large part of the plot. Lord Farley-Stroud is always a hoot. We finally find out what happened to Clarissa and surprise! she's not as vapid as everyone believed. She's matured a lot and has a meaningful life with a husband, a child and a job! Who knew? She's also older than she seemed at first. As silly as Clarissa seemed, she comes across as more intelligent than her husband Adam. He's nice but simple. He's gullible and naïve yet they trust him to work for an aviation company in France and look in on the Bristol Aviation and Aeronautics Company. He's at least smart enough to know how to fly but I kept worrying he was going to blow Emily and Flo's cover with some innocent remark. He's charming but clueless.

The servants are delightful too. Miss Jones sure can cook. Edna doesn't always know what to make of Emily and Flo but she's loyal. Jed, the new gardener, is delightful. He's a recluse who doesn't really like being around people but he's passionate about gardening and landscape design. Apparently patios and patio furniture weren't common in England in 1911 for weather related reasons. We have them everywhere here in New England and our weather is nearly as dreadful. Jenkins, the Farley-Stroud's butler is amusing. Daisy, Flo's best friend in the village, is bold and a bit cheeky. She has a unique sense of humor I don't quite relate to but she is a good friend pushing Flo when Flo needs a little push but being understanding when Flo reveals the truth at last.

Inspector Sunderland is on hand again to help. He's out of his jurisdiction so he just comes to make an arrest. I like how he respects Emily and Flo and doesn't fight with them about investigating. Even his wife seems to like them and not feel jealous. It's refreshing not to have police-sleuth drama in a cozy mystery.

Mr. Walter "Walt" Sandling, the managing director of Bristol Aeronautics. seems like a nice fellow but he could be playing dumb. Is he really unaware someone is stealing information or is he the one doing the stealing and playing dumb on purpose? (view spoiler) Miss Matthews, the receptionist, has a thankless job. She greets visitors, answers phones, files, grabs lunch/coffee/tea and sometimes doesn't get lunch and hints at sexual harassment. That has to be rough. She was engaged to the pilot who died. Could she be angry enough at the company for everything they make her do to sell secrets? She's a member of the WSPU and feels a kinship with Lady Emily. I don't want her to be a spy. As angry and frustrated as the suffragettes were, they did love their country and wouldn't sell secrets to the enemy. What if Dickie was the one selling secrets and Miss Matthews was an innocent dupe, doing his bidding stealing files because she loved him? Love complicates the mystery too much.

Godfrey "Goff" Parfitt, senior engineer, is affable and talkative. Maybe a little too talkative. I don't see him as a spy though. He's so passionate about aviation and he has a good job. There's not much motive there. However, he does like to gamble so perhaps he's selling secrets because he needs money? Rupert Herbert, chief test pilot is a little slimy. Our ladies think he's oily, slick, lecherous and a jingoist. Yuck. Can he be the villain? Gosh I hope so! They need him in Bristol though because he's a brave and daring test pilot. Paul Curtis, junior engineer, is the quiet one. Isn't it always the quiet ones who cause trouble? Again I hope not, being a GOOD quiet person. He's unobtrusive and no one knows much about him. Maybe he's introverted and a private person? Myrtle Matthews doesn't like Mr. Milhouse, the accountant but he's reasonable and fine with Emily and Flo. Flo is a bit disappointed he didn't try to hit on her so she could show off her special skills. She suspects him of wrongdoing but can't prove it officially. Who is lying? Miss Matthews or Mr. Milhouse? Or neither and he did hit on her but knows how to behave around wealthy eccentric widows and their maids?

Historical notes:
Great British Bake Off fans will smile at the discussion of how Battenberg cake is made. It's been made several times on the British and American versions of the show.

One minor quibble: I believe the use of the word flashlight is incorrect for Britain in 1911. Wouldn't torch be more accurate?

I still love this series, It is perfect for a bit of light escapism.

Lady Hardcastle and her ‘tiny servant’ Flo are back on the case in the latest installment of this series. This time they’re commissioned by Emily’s brother Harry, to help the British government find a security breach at a local airplane manufacturer. The usual cast of characters joins them, and like every book in the series, the witty banter between Lady Hardcastle and Flo is a major highlight. But the honest truth is, I feel that T.E. Kinsey is a great writer ... just not a great mystery writer. The mysteries in this series simply don’t keep me interested. I may or may not read future ones.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ebook for free in exchange for my unbiased review.

Another delightful episode in the lives of Lady Hardcastle and her 'tiny servant' Florence Armstrong. I love this series!!!

In The Fatal Flying Affair the daring duo step in to assist Lady Hardcastle's brother Harry in a little bit of spying. Harry works at the Secret Service Bureau and has employed them before in sometimes quite dangerous affairs. Although they have supposedly retired from the job this one involves the very new aeroplane industry and, because they are both very eager to fly for the first time, they jump at the possibility.

Flying in those days was surely very dangerous. Engines blew up, parachutes split open, planes were landed in cow fields. I am very glad things today have improved so much. Flo shows herself, not for the first time, to be a very competent burglar and and a fearsome opponent in a fight. She also excels in any event which involves taking aim at something. Tiny she may be but she is also scary.

Best of all are the comical asides, the plays on words and the questioning of things we take for granted. If an aircraft hangar is described as being the size of two soccer fields, how should we describe its height? There are many very funny suggestions but they settle on it being the height of three elephants.

I really hope the author is aiming at this being a very long series!

Lady Emily Hardcastle and Florence Armstrong are, to the outside world, Lady and Lady’s maid. In reality, they are an extremely capable pair of government agents, working for His Majesty’s Secret Service. Their current assignment—investigate the circumstances that lead to the death of Dickie Dupree, an engineer at British Aviation. The company has been working on a secret project involving newly developed parachute technology and the Service (in the form of Lady Hardcastle’s brother Harry) is suspicious that someone is passing the information to a foreign power. Was Dupree’s death a tragic accident, or did he see too much, and was silenced as a result?

This is the seventh book of the Lady Hardcastle series, and I’ve not read any of the others, but it really didn’t matter. Kinsey deftly inserts all of the background needed to thoroughly enjoy this one—without the dreaded information dump.

Emily Hardcastle and Flo Armstrong are wonderful characters that are easy to engage with. The relationship that Kinsey has developed between them is a friendship. And while they are extremely different people, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, they have a trust that is unshakeable.
And the dialogue between them extremely witty.

Kinsey has interspersed his story with entertaining subplots, and some amusing vignettes of Emily and Flo in their civilian life in the village of Littleton Cotterell. In addition to visits to their local pub, watching games of cricket, and herding cows with a Silver Ghost, there is the village's annual talent show to get ready for—in which Lady Emily just may need that spangled leotard.

The mystery was lightweight and the solution comes fairly easily. But still, this was a fun read. I’ll be going back to read the six previous books, and look forward to the next installment.

Talk about a charming and incredibly fun book brimming with clever P. G. Wodehouse-style humour and innovative characters! T. E. Kinsey is a new-to-me author (how?!) and completely won me over with his sparkling humour, spirited characters, intriguing mystery and beautifully quirky story telling. Do not skim a single word as it would be a crime to miss any witticisms.

Set in 1911 England, the two main characters, Lady Emily Hardcastle and her lady maid, Florence Armstrong, are approached by Lady Hardcastle's brother to solve a crime. The women use their creativity, brains and bravado to investigate the death of parachutist Dickie Dupree who dies in a test run and discover other things amiss along the way. Nothing daunts them...they are up for anything. They inveigled their way into an aeroplane hangar and my heart at the same time!

While the mystery is captivating, what enchants me most is the humour and exchanges and bantering between characters. Love the skill set of Flo...she's a fearless marvel. Lady Hardcastle is a riot! Not only that but the food descriptions are superb.

This is an above average cozy mystery...it has that special something that elevates it. Do prioritize this wonderful read if you are crazy about intelligent cozies. Be prepared to get lost in it whilst in a comfy chair...you won't be able to put it down. I have already added it to my Amazon wishlist for Christmas gifts for my reading family.

My sincere thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this delightful book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.