This most recent episode of the Mitford Family and former maid Louisa Canon takes place in the years leading up to WWII. Louisa is married now to police officer Guy Sullivan and attending stenography classes. She's recruited by MI5 to keep an eye on Unity and Diana Mitford and their involvement with German activists. Louisa accompanies the sisters and Mrs. Mitford on a cruise where there is mayhem and finally murder. Guy, after surprising Louisa with an unexpected visit to the boat, is the only British police officer on board so he takes over the ensuing investigation and Louisa is also involved in the investigation. The ship docks in Rome and everyone heads back to London. Alternating chapters lead us through what happened on the ship and the eventual murder trial. This is the 4th book in the series and I would advise trying to read the previous books first as there are alot of characters to keep track of. Based on true events this is an engaging story that fans of historical mysteries will enjoy.
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy historical mysteries and it's always a plus for me when there are real life historical people in them. The Mitford series fits the bill but this one only rates three stars because I felt the mystery was a bit weak and the writing was confusing. I had a hard time keeping all of the people straight and the story jumps around way too much.
Louisa Cannon (now Mrs. Guy Sullivan) is connected to the Mitford family as a lady's maid but now is is getting married to settle down with DS Guy Sullivan and to take stenographer classes. Not long after the wedding those plans are sidetracked when Louisa is approached by MI5 to join the Mitfords - Diana, Unity and their mother - as Unity's maid. The powers that be want to keep an eye on Unity. These are the days of the 1930's and the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. Add to that Guy joins the cruise and there is a murder. The murder and the trial are based on historical events but the writing didn't flow well enough to keep me totally engaged with the story. Overall it was, for this reader, off balance.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Oh, the Mitfords! Love them, for better and often for worse. Can’t wait until the BBC's new The Pursuit of Love adaptation arrives but in the meantime, this 1930s procedural *more* than tided me over and gives personality to the many bios and histories. Happy to feature Fellowes new book in January’s Novel Encounters, my monthly roundup column of notable new fiction titles for Zoomer magazine’s Books section. Link to the full feature below.

Historical fiction books I often enjoy takes me back to the time of WWII. The Mitford Trial by a Jessica Fellows happens in the 1930s, between the world wars. The events of this book are on the Princess Alice cruise ship or at a murder trial, of which the murder took place on the Princess Alice.

There’s a few Mitford women, a mother and a couple daughters, who are on this Princess Alice and requested the help of their lady’s maid, the newly married Louisa Sullivan. The others mentioned on this cruise with the Mitford’s include a handful of fellow passengers as well as a few who work on the ship. I’m my opinion, the number of characters described in this book a bit much and some of the people aren’t necessary to mention.

Friendships seem to be made on the Princess Alice, even a few that were made previously on journeys of the same ship. The whole trial itself is interjected into the events of the Princess Alice. It seems to be timely added, yet not quite as dramatic as I would have expected. The title is The Mitford Trial. I had the impression this trial was about the Mitford’s, which really it isn’t.

The trial itself seems to be a bit convoluted. There really isn’t a good account of “who dun it” as far as this murder occurs. It’s a lot of he said, she said, you know, lots of hearsay. It’s very unfortunate that innocent people lost their lives for what seems to be peace between Germany and England.

Personally, I think this story is bigger than this one trip on the Princess Alice and the trial that followed. I found it difficult to follow along especially after the assault on the ship took place. After completing The Mitford Trial by Jessica Fellows, I am still confused and unsure of what exactly happened, not only in them Womens leading up to the assault that resulted in murder, but also what Louisa learned in her conversation with the individual who encouraged her to take on this request to be the lady’s maid for the Mitford’s.

A digital ARC of The Mitford Trial by Jessica Fellows was provided complimentary by Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Although a review is not required, I enjoy writing a review for the author and readers alike. I give this book 3 out of 5 tiaras as it didn’t meet my expectations and I ended the book still confused as to what happened.

The Mitford Trial by Jessica Fellows is part of a charming series-taking place in the early 1930s in and around London. Many of the importance characters are members of the Mitford family, a well-to-do family, primarily of women, but whose brother is a barrister. Louisa Cannon had been a servant in the household for many years but now was to be married to Guy Sullivan who was a detective sergeant for CID. They were to live with his parents as his father needed much care and his mother needed the help. Their wedding reception was interrupted by a call that the authorities feared a rally for the British Union of Fascists was about to get out of hand and all police were needed. Louis and Guy got their very short honeymoon and life fell into a pattern with Louisa off to her course to become a stenographer. One day a man who claimed to work for the government in a secret capacity that implored her to accept the offer from the Mitfords to accompany them on an extended trip to the continent as a lady's maid so she could observe and report approached her. There was much more to it than that but she was not sure she understood. She accepted the offer and off she went.

This is the first of the series I have read but I found it entrancing. I enjoyed Louisa who was able to use her natural intelligence and powers of observation to construct a scenario so powerful that it nearly destroyed her marriage. Guy, being the romantic he is, turned up onboard the ship for a couple days respite with his wife, which of course, never actually happened. The Mitfords presented a variety of personalities to deal with and the politics of the day, with the rise of Fascism and Hitler, made everything so much more complicated. It presented a unique look into England and the time and the divided loyalties and the morals of the upper classes as well as the government, which as governments do, was able to justify their every move as necessary for the good of the people, a common concept among governments, I fear. It was a terrific novel: a timely piece of historical fiction, full of sex, deceit, and politics...beyond the ken of common folks. I loved it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of the Mitford Trial by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #themitfordtrial

This is the fourth book that the author has written about the infamous Mitford family. In this novel, Diana, Unity and their mother need to get out of London during Diana’s divorce, so they go on a cruise, bringing in Louisa, their former maid along. Unbeknownst to them, Louisa has recently been recruited by MI5 to keep a lookout for suspicious activity on the cruise. Of course there is a murder, and Louisa’s husband, a police detective shows up on the cruise just in time to help solve it. Trial follows. All quite entertaining. Loosely based on actual people and events.

The Mitford Trial is the fourth book in the Mitford Murders series by Jessica Fellowes. I didn't read the first three books. Did this volume stand alone? Sorta. The murder mystery herein stood alone fine, but I think it would have been better to read the others first. It would have given me more history into the complex clan of the Mitfords. However, this did not impair my enjoyment of this exciting story. I'm just glad I have the previous books in my possession so I can see all that I missed!

Former ladies' maid Louisa Cannon has just married Guy Sullivan, DS for the CID Metropolitan Police in London. She is working on studying for a new career and settling into her married life. However, it's not long before the Mitfords intrude into her new life, asking her to accompany some of the family on a fancy cruise to act as ladies' maid once again. She has no desire to do so, but is approached by a mysterious man asking her to spy on Diana Mitford Guinness, who is having an affair with the infamous Oswald Mosley, and her younger sister Unity. So off Louisa goes, against her better judgment and unable to tell Guy the truth, and soon she is embroiled in a murder on the cruise ship.

This was a fascinating mystery which was actually based on a real-life murder. While reading the notes at the end of the book, I was surprised to discover that the Mitford family was actually a real family! I didn't have a clue until I read that. It made the story even more interesting. The action in this book went back and forth between the trial and the time on the cruise ship, but it was easy to keep everything straight. Louisa was a marvelous character, and I also enjoyed Guy's involvement in the case. History, however, was the real star of the story. It was set in 1933, during the rise of Adolf Hitler after the Great War. We know what is coming, which makes Diana and Unity's fascination with fascism all the more disturbing. One of the other sisters was also involved in communism. It appears like this is the last book in the series, but I certainly hope not. It seems like there may be a possibility of a future career for Louisa and Guy... I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that front!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for Providing me with a free advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

For her fourth book on the legendary British Mitford Sisters, author Jessica Fellowes follows them on a cruise, a cruise that turns out to be worse than ever imagined, and one that puts the family right smack in the middle of the action and intrigue.

Fellowes is the niece of Julian Fellowes, the writer of Downton Abby, and so she seems to have followed his lead in these books about the Mitford’s who are wealthy aristocrats, as well as their now former maid Louisa. This book really shows the differences in the class structure in England, as Louise has already left the families employ when she married policeman Guy Sullivan, but despite that fact the family feels they need a maid to accompany them on their 3-week cruise and so Louisa reluctantly accepts.

Lots of fascinating people are on this cruise including German businessmen and his assistant, a bankrupt architect and is always drunken wife, amorous crew members, many fellow wealthy Brits and nobles, and halfway through the book Louisa’s husband Guy Sullivan joins the group, seemingly out of the blue. And it is shortly after Guy arrives on the boat in Livorno, Italy that a heinous crime occurs.

One of the Mitford sisters is called to the scene and she alerts Louisa and Guy to the crime. Because of the boats location in international waters and since it is a British cruise liner, Guy is quickly put in charge of the investigation because he is the only British police officer on the boat.

Before we know it two people are claiming to be the assailant and nobody knows for sure what really happened, how it happened and why it occurred? Eventually Louisa discovers the weapon and soon a search of the entire ship occurs. Incidents occur that force Louisa into a prime investigative role and by the time the boat arrives in Rome the assault has turned into a murder and two people are under arrest.

Interspersed within the book are scenes from the murder trial two years in the future, and by the end of the book there are plot twists to keep your head spinning!

This being the 4th book of the series, all the names and titles of the Mitford Sisters and family get confusing to a first time reader. Sometimes we have first names being used, other times married names, and then there are titles also used. If you can work your way around all of this, you will find that The Mitford Trial is a real pager that exposes the foibles of the Upper Class, as well being one heck of a good mystery!

This review was previously published at www.mysteryandsuspense.com

"A timeless murder mystery with the fascinating, glamorous Mitford sisters at its heart, The Mitford Trial is the fourth installment in the Mitford Murders series from Jessica Fellowes, inspired by a real-life murder in a story full of intrigue, affairs and betrayal..."

Why do I keep doing this to myself?

Set in 1933, this cozy of sorts is based on real people- the Mitfords- and a real murder case. Louisa, who served as a housemaid for the Mitfords has finally, happily married DS Guy Sullivan, and, she thinks, walked away from this stressful family. Not so. She ends up agreeing with MI5 to accompany Diana and Unity on a cruise on the Princess Alice with the goal of keeping an eye on the sisters. Unfortunately, Joseph Fowler is murdered during the trip and things go, to put it mildly, sideways. This moves back and forth in time between the cruise and the subsequent murder trial, which features Thomas Mitford, the brother of the family. These sisters- Diana and Unity- are especially distasteful (as they were in real life). The mystery isn't too complicated so read this more for the period atmospherics. I found myself periodically googling to check up on who was real (in addition to the Mitford family, there are some cameos). This isn't for those who know a lot about the family but it is a good launching point to learn more. Focus on Louisa, who is a winner. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. While it's the fourth in the series, you can read this as a standalone.

This book was genuinely awful. It jumps around. It leaves plot lines in the middle of them and never goes back. It jumps around [yes, I know I said that already. Yes, it needs to be said twice, and maybe more] and is so disjointed, you never know where you are. To jump from one year to the next and then back again is not a fun way to read a book. And this book uses this all the time. And it is just awful. There are so many characters, that by the end, I barely remembered just who this book was about. It was absolutely sensationalized [given the past books, I have a very difficult time believing that Louisa would enter into espionage and keep things from her husband and also go back into service for the Mitford's, who she now pretty much despises. The whole premise is just ridiculous and unbelievable and just added to the already awfulness of this book. The writing is also so poor, it was like she just had to get another book written and this was the result. And DO NOT EVEN get me started on the end. SO unsatisfying after all that mumbo-jumbo claptrap. I am officially done with this series and cannot recommend it to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press/Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've now read all four of the Mitford Murders books, and they lose a little bit of charm with each installment. Fellowes did a lot of historical research for this book, but the plotting, characterization, and story just falls flat. Louisa is sent off on a cruise with the Mitfords on the thinnest of pretenses, and the mystery is not particularly interesting. It moves between the time of the cruise and a later trial, but it's not clear what that adds to the story. Ultimately, the solution is extremely unsatisfying and the book is pretty uninspiring.

An intriguing and complex combination of mystery & spy story. In the early '30s, newly-married Louise Sullivan is persuaded to go on a Mediterranean cruise as a ladies maid to her old employers, the Mitfords. At the same time, she is recruited to report on the doings of Unity & Diana Mitford. The two sisters are of concern because of their fascist views.

When a murder takes place, Louise and her husband must solve it.

I have always enjoyed this series and book 4 did not disappointment. I loved that the mystery happened on a ship and that the trial was interspersed throughout the story. And the ending! Yay!

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, so the Mitford siblings got a little confusing for a first time reader of the series. Also, I didn’t get the advantage of learning Louisa and Guy’s backstory.

What I liked:
*The book is based on a real family and a real murder case
*The scenes from the trial are so well done, especially the interplay between the attorneys and the witnesses. In some books trial scenes can drone on with, “he asked, she said, blah blah blah”, but that wasn’t the case here
*The author's notes are informative and it is clear there were well researched historical tidbits included in the story


What I didn’t care for:
*it was far fetched to me that Louisa would take a dangerous assignment with someone she just met without vetting the information or discussing it with her new husband.
*I wanted more relationship stuff between Louisa and Guy-- more about the troubles that spurred her on to take the job and cruise with the Mitfords. The Mitford sisters are really unlikeable and selfish -- why did Louisa agree to go with them?
*The post-murder investigation scenes of toing and froing from cabin to cabin got monotonous and claustrophobic for me.

I’m so fascinated that this is based on a true family and that the murders are also related to an actual court case. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction/mysteries. 4/5

I had not read any of the previous Mitford Mysteries when I sat down with this one but I thoroughly enjoyed it! Even thoigh there are three previous books, I was able to follow along and became absorbed in the story. The timeline does go back and forth so you need to pay attention The characters are very well done and so interesting. I discovered after reading the book that it is based on an actual family and real life events although the story itself is fiction. I have finished the first book in the series and am reading the second based on how much I enjoyed this one. I hope to see more Louisa and Guy adventures in the future. Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of #TheMitfordTrial..

I read the first book in this series and overall liked it, but then I never ended up reading books 2 or 3, so when I saw this, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Louisa has married DS Guy Sullivan, and it almost seems like she’ll be out of the Mitford’s lives now. Not the case since she gets recruited “for king and country” to act as the Mitford’s lady’s maid on their cruise due to their ties to fascism. Louisa makes up a story to Guy and joins the Mitfords. Here’s where some of the book’s activity really starts to kick off. There’s a murder on the ship, which in turn reveals lots of secrets. There’s a lot of plot that goes on between the murder and it’s conclusion, but things are tied up with Diana Mitford’s testimony at the trial.

Louisa and Guy are really the only likable characters left in the series. The Mitfords continue to be pretty obnoxious people. But that just makes the secrets Louisa has to keep from Guy even more heartbreaking.

This really is a complex book (in a good way!) and I think anyone who likes historical fiction should give this series a try. I’m definitely going back to read books 2 and 3.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. This is the fourth installment in this series. I like this series, but the Mitford sisters are really not very likeable. They were actual people so this story is a fictionalized account based on their lives. This story takes place in 1933. The sister's former Lady's maid, Louise Cannon, is asked by a total stranger to accompany the sisters on a holiday cruise. The stranger wants her to spy on them because of their connection to BUF, the British Union of Fascists. I wondered why Louise so readily agreed to spy on them, but I think it was the connection to war. She wanted to do her part to prevent a war. Lots of twists and turns along the way, and also a lot of history. I enjoyed it, and can't wait for the next installment.

Fans of this series will be thrilled with this latest installment,
A fictionalized mystery based on real life people.
I recommend you read the previous books in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

1933 Louisa Cannon is now married to D.S. Guy Sullivan. Because of her former position as lady's maid to the Mitford sisters she is asked by a complete stranger to accompany them on a holiday, but also to spy on them. Because of their connection to Sir Oswald Mosley and the BUF, the British Union of Fascists. Unfortunately the characters are a bunch of unpleasant people and it doesn't say much for Louisa's character that she associates with them.
Not a particularly satisfying mystery.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.