Louisa Sullivan is finally Louisa Cannon. Her and Guy's wedding was the best day of her life. Until a couple of the Mitfords snuck off to Sir Oswald Mosley's BUF rally and her husband was called in to police said rally. But a wedding isn't a marriage. And Louisa is finding it a harder adjustment than she would have thought no matter how almost perfect the big day was. Living with her in-laws, if only temporarily, is a strain, especially when her mother-in-law is constantly complaining about her to Guy. Not that Guy would ever hurt Louisa by telling her this, she just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and overhears them. But despite how hard her newly married life is at least she's not playing dogsbody to the Mitfords. Nancy practically begged Louisa to go on a cruise with Lady Redesdale, Diana, and Unity. The plan being to keep Diana away from Sir Oswald until her divorce to Bryan Guinness is finalized. Just thinking about escaping that fate has put a spring in her step. Until she realizes someone is shadowing her steps. Very closely. She has seen the same man at her wedding, outside the Mitfords after she talked with Nancy, and now outside her stenography course. He eventually approaches her. His name is Iain and the government would like it very much if Louisa were to take Nancy up on the job offer and report back anything unusual that might happen on Diana and Unity's travels. Who they meet, what they talk about, general surveillance from someone who already has the access to get close to them. While Louisa hates the prospect of working for the Mitfords again, as well as keeping secrets from Guy, this might be the first time in her life she's been approached to do something that uses her unique skill set. She hesitates, but knows in her heart that she will accept. Who wouldn't want do their bit for king and country? The Princess Alice departs from Venice for an excursion around the Italian coast. The three Mitford women are in first class, while many flights below Louisa is very happy to have a bed and not a hammock like some of the lower class passengers. At first her job is nothing more than what she's done before, fetching and carrying while pretending she's invisible. Pretending to not notice Unity's attraction to a German SS officer while squirreling away the information for Iain. Ignoring Diana's mild obsession with the twice divorced woman down the hall and thinking that this couldn't possibly interest Iain. That is until the woman's husband is murdered. That's when Louisa tries to contact Iain and realizes she's in over her head. But thanks to her husband's well-timed arrival they can work the case together. Until she's told to look the other way. Until she's told that the truth could get her husband killed. Playing at spies is far more dangerous than she realized. And this isn't her first murder!

In long running series it's common for authors to have a series bible. This will help them remember basic details like descriptions of characters, ages, potted histories. This will not help them if they've forgotten the sun has already risen in the previous chapter or if a witness has already been called to the stand or if they somehow transported a boat from the east coast to the west coast of Italy defying space and time. Jessica Fellowes is in desperate need of this because she actually forgot the ENTIRE PLOT of the previous book in this series. Part of me was like, FFS, she did it again. Because as I've pointed out in previous volumes, she desperately needs an editor to remove all her anomalies, the above examples all being taken from this book, but forgetting the entire plot of The Mitford Scandal is a cut above. I kind of am in awe of this complete amnesia. So what exactly did Jessica Fellowes forget? She forgot that her last book was set entirely on the continent when Louisa was lady's maid to the newly married Diana Guinness. Because when Nancy approaches Louisa about the job offer in this book all Louisa can think about is how she's never traveled. She's lived a small life and never got to see the world before her marriage. In her own words she says she has "barely left England, bar a short trip to Dieppe with the Mitfords years and years ago." And that is by far not the only time she mentions this desire. The chance to see the world is just an added bonus for doing her bit for king and country. A world which she's already seen. As has her husband, because they ran into each other in Paris when Louisa was working there. There's a slight backtrack when Jessica Fellowes has Louisa musing on taking the night train to Paris a few times when she worked for Diana, but it was too little too late. So, why all the musings and wanderlust for a place she's forgotten she's been to? Your guess is as good as mine. I mean, if fictional characters could take a bump on the head I'd say that this happened to our heroine but instead it had to have happened to our author AND any of her beta readers. Because this is a serious plot hole. It's a gaping maw that it was hard to get past. But oddly for me, get past it I did. Why? Again, I couldn't explain it if I tried. It was a combination of Jessica Fellowes knowing that Nazis are bad and my love of a good gruesome death on a cruise ship. Last year at this time I was watching the entertaining, if flawed show, Death and Other Details, about murder on a Mediterranean ocean liner. The Mitford Trial hit the same note and made me feel a little nostalgic. This book isn't perfect and occasionally veers to the absurd with Louisa taking a catnap at a crime scene, but compared to the rest of this series, it was stellar.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This was hard for me to follow and confusing

I love the Mitford Murders because it has a really intelligent, feisty, and independent heroine! This installment did not disappoint! I like how the mystery was slowly unraveled! It kept me guessing throughout the end! Overall, I recommend this fans of The Kitty Weeks mysteries, The Gilded Age mysteries, and the Jane Prescott mysteries!

Each time I step into a new Jessica Fellowes novel I feel like I am instantly in the Gilded age. And for good reason too. Her writing is captivating where I feel immersed with the storyline and the mystery surrounding it that I forget I am reading. I am always looking forward to her next one.

Jessica Fellowes and her books never disappoint, and this book is no different. I'd definitely suggest not picking this book up by itself and reading the previous books in the Mitford murder series (you won't be disappointed). I love Jessica Fellowes' writing and this book is just another great addition.

It is 1933 and the Nazis have just taken power in Germany. In England, Louisa Cannon is asked to accompany part of the Mitford family, her former employer, on a European cruise. At first she refuses since she has just recently married Guy, a DC with the CID and she is studying to be a stenographer. However, she is approached by Iain, a government agent, who asks her to reconsider. Diana, one of the Mitford daughters is having an affair with Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists, and Iain wants Louisa to discover any useful information she can about the fascists' plans. He also asks her to keep her purpose for deciding to go on the cruise a secret even from Guy. Louisa agrees but this becomes a lot harder when Guy surprises her by joining her on the ship shortly before a murder occurs.

The Mitford Trial is the fourth in The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes but the first I have read. As a result, I was unaware that it was based on true events. At first, it seems like a classic locked room mystery but it soon becomes clear that this will not be that...or at least not just that. The action on the ship is interrupted occasionally by the later trial and although I guessed the murderer fairly quickly, I did not guess the motive or the outcome. Definitely one for fans of the series or anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a touch of the Golden Age and given depth by real historical characters and details.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and St martin's press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

3.5 Stars
It is 1933, and Louisa Sullivan has been six months married, having left employment with the wealthy Mitford family to marry Guy Sullivan, a Detective Sargent with the British Police. But now the Mitford's have approached Louisa about becoming a chaperone and lady's maid for three of their daughters who are going to be embarking on a cruise. Louisa ends up accepting this position, as it turns out Guy is going to be away from home during this time as well. After a man is murdered on the cruise ship, Louisa becomes embroiled in trying to find the murderer.
This is a fictional story, but is based on a number of true events. The Mitfords were a well-known and wealthy family in Britain. Two of their daughters did join the British Union of Fascists, which becomes an important factor in this story. The murder on the ship, and the subsequent trial did occur in 1933.
I think I was at a disadvantage in reading, and then rating, this book as it is the 4th in a series, and I have not read any of the previous books. From reading what other reviewers have written, I fear I am not doing this book justice, coming into the middle of the story, in a way. However, I did learn things I did not know previously, which is one of the major things I enjoy about historical fiction. I may go back and read the other three leading up to this one in this series.

My thanks to Netgalley, Jessica Fellowes, and Minotaur Publishers for the copy of the book I was furnished. I will try to be more cautious about what books I request that are part of a series..

This is the first title I’ve read by the author Jessica Fellowes. I found the story interesting enough but found it hard to connect to any of the characters. I would like to try another in the series as I do enjoy the time period and this genre in general.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Louisa Cannon has been a lady’s maid to the Mitford family since she first went into service at age nineteen. Now she’s taking classes to be a court reporter and is getting married. She won’t be on equal footing with the wealthy Mitfords, but she’ll no longer be at their beck and call.

At least that was the plan. Diana, married to Bryan but unhappy about it, has taken a lover—Oswald Mosley, a political troublemaker. Younger sister Unity is fascinated by Germany’s new leader—Hitler. She feels the German people are not smart enough to decide what’s best for them. In the midst of Diana’s divorce, it’s decided the two sisters will travel with their mother, partly by train and then on a ship. It will serve the purpose of getting Diana away from potential gossip, prevent her from being seen with another man during the divorce, and keep Unity properly chaperoned—by Louisa.

Louisa first turns down the job but reconsiders when she’s approached by an agent from MI5. He asks her to report back on anything out of the ordinary and on what the sisters are up to. Little did Louisa know, out of the ordinary would include extramarital affairs, murder, and espionage.

Louisa’s husband, Guy, is a police officer. He arranges to be on the ship for two days as a surprise but is in for a shock when his detective skills are needed to sort out the clues and garbled accounts of what happened onboard.

In the end, which is more important, individual lives or the survival of a country?

Based on the lives of the six Mitford sisters, the story gives an insight into the life of the wealthy from the point of view of a lady’s maid. The rules of society are strict and broken only in the direst of circumstances.

This is the fourth book in the series. Fellowes is the author of The Mitford Murders novels as well as the New York Times bestselling official companion books to the Downton Abbey TV series. The twists and turns will keep readers turning the pages to follow Louisa’s dangerous assignment and her ability to reconcile it with her own beliefs and those of her husband.

The Mitford Trail is loosely based on a real life murder and people. It takes place in the early 1930's. The main characters are primarily women from the well to do Mitford family. While on a cruise a murder takes place. This is the forth novel in the Mitford Murder Series. It is not necessary to read the others first. I haven't, but will pick them up now. If you like a good mystery full of affairs, betrayal, politics and historical fiction, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MitfordTrial, #JessicaFlowers, #St.Martin'sPress and #MinotaurBooks for the advance readers copy for my honest review.

The Mitford Trial is the fourth Mitford Murders mystery by Jessica Fellowes. Released 19th Jan 2021 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 368 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

These are very well written and plotted books with fictionalized accounts intertwined with real historical events and people. The author is quite adept and it's not always easy to tell where fiction shades over into actual history. The descriptions of the settings and the relationships of the glitterati of the interwar period and the "regular" people who served them makes for engaging reading. The characterizations are spot on (even though I have a distinct antipathy for Diana Mitford Guiness of long standing which colored my reaction to her fictionalized counterpart). Definitely a readable historical mystery and a well crafted book.

The author's historical notes on the plotting and murder itself added a lot of background detail (don't read it until the end of the book as it contains spoilers). The author has also included a bibliography and reading list for readers who are interested in filling in the backstory.

Four stars. Well written, well paced and plotted, satisfying and undemanding read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you SO much for the opportunity to read this book. I was so excited to receive the approval for this ARC, I couldn't believe my luck!

The truth: I haven't read many of the other books, however, they are on my list for ages now. I really want to read them all. I think that this book is 50% consumable for those who haven't read the whole series. I feel like I don't know the full picture without the other books (which is my fault, so I won't knock this book for that), it's just a heads-up for anyone who sees this and thinks it looks appealing (the cover alone is appealing to me, and plus the author is quite well-known at least to those who are fans of this sort of thing). I could be wrong -- it could be perfectly well on its own, but I will know more once I go back and finish the others.

The rest of the book is really entertaining. I thought that the story did a good job of linking fiction and facts, something the Fellowes are quite skilled at doing. I would highly suggest this series and author to those interested in British settings, history, and light readings.

Louisa Cannon and Guy Sullivan have married and she is studying to be a stenographer. The government wants her to accompany the Mitford sisters and mother has they take a trip first by train and then a cruise. To report on who they talk to and what they do. Guy decides to surprise his wife and join her. Not long after that Mr Fowler who has rooms on the same deck as the Mitford family is hit over the head. He never regains consciousness. Guy being the only detective on board is then busy with the crime. Tow people admit to the crime but who really did it? Louisa is unable to tell Guy what she knows which would help him. Good read.

The Mitford Trial is “inspired by a real-life murder.” Jessica Fellowes embeds an actual crime into the narrative of a consequential cruise taken by the two most controversial Mitford sisters, Diana and Unity. The protagonist, Louisa Cannon, was once maid to the Mitford sisters and she’s been and in and out of their lives forever. She’s now an “almost-trained court stenographer,” about to be married to Detective Sergeant Guy Sullivan, with many of the Mitfords in attendance.

Although Louisa had been a maid of some kind for them over several years, the Mitfords were as close to family as anything she had. They maddened her half the time, but she felt she owed something of her happiness to them and she’d wanted them to be a part of her wedding.

Who were the Mitford sisters and what is their claim to fame? Here’s an irreverent, thumbnail explanation of their allure.

They were celebrated and at times scandalous figures, who were described by The Times journalist Ben Macintyre as “Diana the Fascist, Jessica the Communist, Unity the Hitler-lover; Nancy the Novelist; Deborah the Duchess and Pamela the unobtrusive poultry connoisseur”.

Are Diana and Unity relevant today? Without question since pre-World War II England eerily resembles the current political climate in the United States. Fascism was on the rise in England along with increasing admiration for Nazism. Newlywed Guy gets a message from the CID commissioner during his wedding reception: ‘The rally for the British Union of Fascists has begun and the crowds are bigger and more rowdy than expected. Everyone is needed. All leave is cancelled.’ And it’s not just Guy leaving the reception for the rally—Louisa notices Lord and Lady Redesdale in “an animated discussion” with Nancy and Unity. An onlooker tells Louisa, ‘I gather the girls want to join the rally too, lend their support to Sir O.’ That’s Sir Oswald Mosley, “the founder of the BUF and the instigator of the day’s rally.” He’s also the lover of the married Diana Guinness, née Mitford, who also ducks out of the reception early.

Read an Excerpt of The Mitford Trial here!
Guy’s boss, DCI Stiles, while driving him over to the rally, tells him why the police are alarmed. First, more people are expected to attend than anticipated—perhaps over five thousand. Second, plainclothes policemen are “keeping an eye out for any irregular activities on the side.” They fear the allure of the ascendant British Union of Fascists (BUF). A worrisome conversation ensues between Stiles and one of the two “uniforms” in the back of the Daimler.

‘I don’t like the idea of that many people thinking the BUF has got something to offer them.’

‘Sounds all right to me, if you ask, guv,’ said the man who’d pulled his arm in again. ‘Macdonald’s a shower, isn’t he? A traitor to the Labour party. We need a real leader, someone who believes in the Brits and the working man.’

Stiles looked at the man severely in his rearview mirror. ‘I wasn’t asking you, Kershaw.’

Even after her marriage, Louisa’s life is inextricably intertwined with the Mitfords. After the wedding, Nancy Mitford (the novelist) invites Louisa for tea. She shares some family gossip and then gets right to the point. Her mother is shepherding Diana, Unity, and Decca (Jessica Mitford) on a little jaunt, dropping off Decca in Paris and then taking a cruise with Diana and Unity. Nancy foresees problems.

‘I think you should accompany my mother on the cruise. I know you’re not Diana’s lady’s maid anymore, but perhaps as a sort of paid holiday you could be one for Lady R for a few weeks? It’s simply too much to ask for her to manage Diana, Unity and Decca. You know how they can be.’

Reluctantly, since she has always dreamed of traveling aboard, Louisa turns Nancy down but a few days later she’s accosted (in a scarily low-key way) by a beige bureaucrat who tells her it’s her patriotic duty to accompany Lady Redesdale and her daughters. The British government wants her to spy on Diana—to read her shipboard mail—and to share any information that pertains to the movements of Sir Oswald Mosley. Louisa doesn’t feel as if she has a choice: she relents and tells Nancy she’ll come on board.

Nautical murders are the quintessential closed door ship mystery. Pausing for whole-hearted admiration for Fellowes magical turn of phrase: what a stunning description.

Outside, the horizon had been lost to the darkness, with sky and sea both black as the underside of a dead man’s eyelids. No stars shone and the moon was hidden behind the clouds. Only the white foam that curled away from the sides of the ocean liner revealed movement, as the prow forged through the water.

The cruise is everything Louisa feared—and more. There are two aristocratic Germans on the cruise that are catnip for Unity. Diana is on pins and needles waiting for letters from Sir O—and the other passengers and cruise staff are can’t-take-your-eyes-off-them fascinating. Diana strikes up a friendship with a glamourous, rather sad wife who is involved with a handsome staffer. Shipboard dalliances are nothing new, but the cuckolded husband is not a happy camper. Things come to a head, a man is murdered and unexpectedly, Louisa’s new husband Guy arrives on board. Never a dull moment!

The Mitford Trial is an absorbing mystery with disturbing undertones. Jessica Fellowes brings pre-war England to life beautifully and fortuitously, there are three previous Mitford Murder books to read if you’d like to learn more about the Mitford sisters.

The Mitford Trial by Jessica Fellowes is a historical mystery following the affair between the real life Mitford sister, Diana’s, affair with Sir Oswald Mosley and her younger sister Unity’s Nazi sympathies. The book opens with the wedding of longtime Mitford servant, Louisa Cannon, and her enlistment as a spy on her former employers. This book was very informative, full of shocking twists, and perfect for fans of Maisie Dobbs and Downton Abbey.

This is Book 4 in "The Mitford Murders" mystery series, which opens in Kent in 1933. It is her wedding day, and
Louisa Cannon has just married Guy Sullivan, a member of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Metropolitan
Police, London. She is no longer a ladies maid for the Mitford sisters, is training as a stenographer, and is looking
forward to married life. However, strange and unusual circumstances find her as a temporary ladies maid, traveling with the Mitfords on the cruise ship The Princess Alice when a murder is committed. The ensuing trial leaves Louisa in a quandary, as she knows information she cannot share and is more involved than anyone could imagine.

Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone. The book is fictional, but based on true
events. Among the true characters from history that appear in this novel are the eccentric and controversial Mitford sisters, their brother Thomas Mitford, and known fascist Sir Oswald Mosley. Fellowes does a great job of
combining fact and fiction. This novel is at times complex and compelling, but at other times I found it moved a
little too slowly for me. I did not really connect with the characters and was not fond of their choices. However, I
would recommend this book to fans of historical crime/mystery novels and anyone who enjoys reading about the Mitford sisters.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for Historical Novels Review. My opinions are my own.

1933 on the Princess Alice cruise ship is the setting for The Mitford Trial. This story starts off as a upstairs downstairs story of a ladies maid and three women of the Mitford family as they travel to Rome from London. Becomes a murder mystery involving a double agent and followers of Hitler. It’s a provocative story that will make you examine women’s rights and the beginning of BUF - ‘The British Union of Fascists. It’s a quick read. Needed a little more detail of the ports visited to give the richness of beloved travel stories, but all in all very readable.

I haven't read the first 3 book sin this series; perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more if I had. The writing is good and it's interesting to be transported to that time frame, but I didn't find the characters to be very likeable. Maybe I'll go back and read the other books in the series and see if I like any of the characters more. I'm sure this will be a popular book with regular readers of the series.

I’ve been following this series from the beginning, and with each book, I dive back into the lives of the real-life Mitford sisters with fascination and distaste. These wealthy women spanned the political spectrum of pre-World War II Britain, with a heavy dose of un-examined privilege. The series is told from the POV of Louisa, a former maid in the Mitford household, now married to a London detective sergeant. Louisa gets pulled back into the Mitford orbit at the behest of a shadowy spymaster who sends her on a European vacation with several members of the family.

By book 4, I’m wondering why Louisa wants to have anything more to do with these people who treat her so disrespectfully. When she lies to her new husband about her reasons for the trip, I started to question her choices in a way that I hadn’t in earlier books.

The history is fascinating; the characters are becoming less sympathetic!

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

Louisa is recruited to spy on the Mitfords who are becoming increasingly enamored with Hitler and fascism. But when Guy is inadvertently called in to investigate a murder, Louisa must choose between her husband and her country. One of my favorite parts of this series is how it intersects with actual historical events and this one was emblematic of that. I felt Louisa's characterization was a little off, but did not take away my enjoyment of the story. I hope she and Guy can find their way back to each other.