This is the fourth of four books. It ends the series nicely.

In this entertaining historical mystery, set in the 20s, Lady Adelaide Compton and Detective Inspector Devenand Hunter come together to solve the murder of Lady A’s mother’s secret lover. Did she do it? According to mystery book conventions for cozies, this is highly unlikely so who did kill the Duke of Rufford? Readers will enjoy finding out and will undoubtedly be sad that this appears to be the last in the series.

These books are perhaps best read in order so look at them all.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title.

Farewell Blues is the fourth and final book in the Lady Adelaide historical cozy mystery series by Maggie Robinson. Released 14th Sept 2021 by Sourcebooks on their Poisoned Pen Press imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well written 1920's drawing room cozy with the requisite upper-crust British minor landed gentry, inconvenient murder, with a generous side helping of romance and some assistance from the paranormal realm. It wasn't derivative, but reminded me a great deal of Topper, and fans of the franchise will find a lot to love here. It's pure escapist fun, and doesn't take itself at all seriously.

This installment sees all of the overarching plot threads wrapped up to a satisfying denouement and resolution. I especially liked the epilogues which will almost certainly leave readers happy and satisfied. I've enjoyed the series and this was a good ending. The language is relatively clean (a few instances of bloody and damn and nothing worse). This is the end of the series and although the mystery is self contained in this volume, there are huge spoilers for earlier books in the series.

Four stars. For fans of the author's other series, this one is also written to a satisfyingly readable degree.

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

The Lady and the detective…mystery and murder…lovers and romance…all fit together in this book of intrigue…who did it? Solving a murder …the couple works diligently side by side…although the story moves slowly….it is a quick read…

Another nicely paced, well-constructed, good-natured mystery for Lady Adelaide and Inspector Hunter - although it did feel like a bit of wrapping up and bow tying got in the way of a fully realized stand-along novel. I feel like a laughed a bit more in previous entries in the series whereas this one felt a bit more like someone cleaning up a table after a long dinner. Perhaps the series is shifting into new territory? I would definitely recommend for fans of the series, but I think a new reader would struggle a bit in investing in some of plot turns.

I somehow missed that this was the series finale until the very end of the book. The story was great but the ending felt rushed - there seemed like so much more to tell!

Originally, I was charmed by this series, but I think they've become formulaic and silly. The plot for this one didn't hold water and there were too many loose ends and red herrings.

Addie (Lady Adelaide Compton to give her a full title) has a dead philanderer of a husband (Rupert) who must continue on as a ghost until he has been considered to have redeemed himself. She also has a mother, Constance, the Dowager Marchioness of Broughton, who also is not quite as pure as the driven snow. When Constance's secret beau is found dead and Constance is thought to be the murderer as she was at the murder scene in the Ritz along with her own pistol, Addie and Detective Inspector Devenand (Dev) Hunter put their heads together.

This is book four in Maggie Robinson's Lady Adelaide Mysteries. I really liked the author's characterisation, especially Addie's maid, Beckett. Farewell Blues had me keen to keep turning the pages as I searched for the clues to help solve the mystery of whodunit. This reader was also interested in the possible outcome of the unacknowledged mutual attraction between Addie and Dev. A fantastic cozy read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Lady Adelaide is not the average lady of the day. She is more than halfway in love with Detective Devanand Hunter,
a relationship which will be scandalous for more than half the aristocracy. Her worries right now are not on that score.
Her mother the very proper Dowager Compton is in prison for the murder of the Duke of Rufford. The evidence is over
whelming, the Rufford family wants to see justice done and this seems the quickest way to achieve it and they are not
too bothered if the Dowager is actually guilty or not.

Lady Adelaide is not going to take things lying down. She is determined to see her mother vindicated, and free and at
the same time find out who the murderer was. She knows socially the family will be outcasts with this scandal and the
future of not just her but her younger sister is at stake.

The story written with the setting of the English aristocracy with all their eccentricities and foibles, their methods
of doing things just so, the attraction between the young Detective and Lady Adelaide, the unscrupulousness of the Rufford family all do their level best to put roadblocks in the investigation. The Police, corrupt as they possibly could just
want to finish the case, see the Lady hang and be done with it.

I loved the writing style, the setting, the romance (not overly done) and the entire story. I hope I can get more from this
author soon.

What makes an enjoyable cozy mystery? I love the guiding ghosts in E.J. Copperman’s Haunted Guesthouse series (first book: Night of the Living Deed). I love the sophisticated couple Amory and Miles Ames, whose entertaining series began with Murder at the Brightwell. I love British royalty turned sleuths, such as Lady Julia Grey (first book: Silent in the Grave) and Frances Wynn, widow of the late, disagreeable Earl of Harleigh (first book: A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder). And I love funny cozies featuring strong-willed women who are drawn to “unacceptable” men, like Ellison Russell (first book: The Deep End).

Which is why I am so saddened by Farewell Blues; it’s just the sort of book I usually love. Like Frances Wynn, Lady Adelaide Compton is the widow of a loathsome man with a wandering eye. The lothario is back as a ghost, forced to solve mysteries (huh?) to atone for his many sins. Lady Adelaide is drawn to a part-Indian Detective Inspector Devenand Hunter, and apparently they have worked together before in one or all of the three previous books in this series. She’s strong-willed and not afraid to flout societal expectations. Would I have enjoyed this book more if I had read the previous novels in the series? Perhaps, but I think my real issue with the book is that the dialogue was not particularly clever or funny or charming. And the characters weren’t, either. I found it very hard to finish. Your mileage may vary, but I can read the first in this series, Nobody's Sweetheart Now, for free on Kindle Unlimited, and I’m going to give it a pass.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

A quaint historical mystery focusing on the story of an amateur sleuth Adelaide and her quest to exonerate her aristocratic mother who is wrongfully accused of killing her paramour. An enjoyable read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this series and I'm a bit sad this is the last instalment.
As the other books it was highly entertaining, engrossing and a lot of fun to read.
Adelaide and Dev are an unusual romantica couple due to social differences but their chemistry is excellent and I love how they interact.
Rupert, the ghost of Adelaide's late husband, is always funny and I like him.
The mystery is full of twist and suspects, I couldn't guess the culprit and the motive.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have a weakness for paranormal cozies and period mysteries. This series fit the bill very nicely. Addie is a young widow who's late husband, Rupert, was a real cad. Now he's helping her investigate murder. He's certain that it's the only way he can make up for his philandering ways and get past the Pearly Gates. If he can help Addie solve this latest case he might just get there.
Addie is in a real pickle. Her widowed mother, Constance, the Dowager Marchioness of Broughton has been having an affair with the Duke of Rufford. That's not the problem. The problem is his shot dead corpse in the Ritz Hotel and Addie's mother is found standing over him with her gun in hand. Off to goal with her, case closed. Not if Addie, Rupert and DI Dev Hunter, on medical leave from Scotland Yard can help it. Together they have a very, very long list of possible suspects to work through. The Duke was not a nice man and was especially disliked by his family.
This was a nice bit of escape reading with vivid settings of 1925 London and a great sleuthing team. Add a touch of romance between Addie and Dev and all the bases are covered. It works fine as a stand alone and it seems there will only be four books in the series.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Surprising happenings!

Rather laconic cosy mystery complete with 1922’s upper crust acting somewhat like overbred, skittish hounds. Lady Adelaide Compton’s roguish ghostly husband becomes involved. This is important if he’s to continue on to the celestial plane. He must redeem himself. Turns out a ghost can pickup a lot of useful information.
It seems Addie’s very proper mother has been having a secret affair with the now, very dead Duke of Rufford. Not only that, but the Dowager Marchioness has been accused of the Duke’s murder.
If the true culprit can’t be uncovered Addie’s mother will hang.
Addie needs the help of Detective Inspector Devenand Hunter, and of course, her very dead husband Rupert. Rupert’s inclusion somewhat rings bells of a twisted Topper movie. (1937).
Working with the delectable Dev again is an added bonus for Addie even in these dire times.

A Poisoned Pen ARC via NetGalley

As if it wasn’t bad enough for Lady Adelaide Compton’s prim and proper mother, Lady Broughton, to be carrying on a torrid love affair with the Duke of Rufford; she is found in her suite at the Ritz in her peignoir, covered in blood, with her own gun standing over the murdered Duke’s body! Lady Adelaide was hoping to retire from investigating murders, but now she must prove her mother’s innocence. She turns to Detective Inspector Dev Hunter, a handsome Anglo-Indian, who has helped her in the past and who she might be just a little in love with. Also, by her side is the ghost of her former husband, Rupert Compton. Rupert who was a fast-living philanderer in his former life, must atone for his misdeeds on earth before he can be admitted to the here-after.

With a plethora of suspects, most of whom are related to the late Duke, Lady Adelaide and her partners have their work cut out for them. The Duke’s children and grandchildren, along with spouses and fiancés, do not seem at all sorry he is dead, and all had a motive to kill him.

Running around London and the countryside, from swanky hotels to steamy nightclubs; 1920’s Great Britain comes alive in this spirited and charming cozy mystery, with just the right amount of romance thrown in. The dialogue sizzles and the plot is intriguing. Sadly, this is the last addition to this delightful series, and Lady Adelaide, et al will be missed.

I didn't read the others in the series, the ones that led up to this finale, but I did enjoy this one. It's a bit different, that's for sure.. It was frothy and a fun, cozy mystery with a fair number of red herrings along the way. The dead husband (ghost element) wasn't creepy but rather playful and it would seem from the ending and the epilogues that this is the last in the series. If you're into happy endings, you'll enjoy the way the story is wrapped up.

My thanks to #Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for my honest opinion in exchange for my advance reader copy.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. This was the first in the series I’d read, but the author managed to share enough that I got a flavour of the characters, without her having to rehash too much of what was said in previous books.

I can’t say I cared for the whole ghostly ex husband thing - it seemed a gimmick. It was an OK storyline and concept, but I can’t say it wowed me much, or tempted me to read more of the series. The epilogues at the end seemed a poor attempt to give happy endings for everyone, and Cee suddenly abandoning her position regarding her cousin, was utterly implausible.

I have enjoyed this quirky series, featuring Lady Adelaide, her family, the ghost of her philandering husband, and a handsome Scotland Yard detective. Several last chapters in this novel indicate this is the finale and the author does wrap up any loose ends so this indeed seems like a farewell.

The story does start out with a bang as Lady Adelaide's widowed mother is arrested for murder under scandalous circumstances -- she is found holding her own smoking gun standing (in her bloodied peignoir) over the dead body of her evident paramour.

She claims innocence and her family believe her. Adelaide enlists the aid of Dev Hunter, her societally inappropriate police detective. The murder victim wielded a lot of control over his fractious family so there is no shortage of suspects.

This is intelligent fun and I am sorry to see the series end. If you haven't read these, do yourself a favor and go back and start with the first book and continue on. Quite enjoyable. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Let’s get this out of the way first: I’m usually not a big fan of cozies where the sleuth investigate because a friend/relative is a murder suspect and they want to clear that person’s name. This has to do with the fact that I can suspend my disbelief and accept that a random person can walk around and ask others about a crime that has recently been committed, especially because (at least in good cozies) the sleuth usually doesn’t just walk in and demands to know everything about the murder but is more subtle about it. I can buy that but can’t quite believe that it would be quite as easy if the person asking if you didn’t also have an argument with the victim is a child/sibling/friend of the current main suspect. Additionally, I often feel the urgency that this set-up should provoke is missing. If someone a character cares about is suspected of a crime and a lengthy prison sentence or even an execution hangs over their head I expect that character to be worried. But often they just treat it like every other case.

This was a very long-winded way of saying that even though I had loved the previous Lady Adelaide novels I was a bit sceptical when I heard that in Farewell Blues Addie’s mother was the main suspect in a murder. But then I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out very differently from what I had feared. Addie being the daughter of the main suspect makes her investigation more difficult. Some people very much don’t want to talk to her. At the same time, it’s difficult for Addie because it’s her mother who’s a suspect and if she fails to find the true killer her mother will likely die. But despite that Farewell Blues is still a mystery novel where the main question is...well whodunit? It manages to find a perfect balance between these two aspects.

(The other question is of course: how long will I be able to read about Addie and Dev yearning for each other without going mad? Let me just say that I was very happy and content after the last page. Very.)

Wrapping up this series, Addie and Dev once again solve the crime. This time they saved her mother when she is accused of murdering a duke. It was nice to see how everyone’s lives will turn out. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my honest review.

Lady Adelaide- Addie- doesn't believe her mother Constance murdered her lover the Duke of Rufford, despite the fact that she was found with a gun in her hand. And it happens in a suite at the Ritz Hotel (sigh!). Addie calls on her friend DI Dev Hunter and, also regrettably, Rupert, the ghost of her cad of a husband, to solve the crime. Wait- Rupert is a ghost? Yes, he is trying to do enough good deeds to get out of what is effectively purgatory and into heaven and hopes that crime solving will help. Cozy readers know that there are multiple people who wanted to see the end of the Duke so be prepared for some red herrings. I've liked this series for its spirit and atmospherics - this will be fine as a standalone. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I'm sorry this is the last one - be sure to read the epilogues.