⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Thanks for the ARC. What can I say? I didn't want to put this book down once I started reading it. I did but could not wait to get back to reading it. I loved it. Will recommend!

A Lady and Ladymaid's Mystery #7

Phoebe Renshaw opens her grandparents' estate to public tours, but things don't go very well during the first tour.
After the tour, Arvina Bell, a writer of a book about Cotswolds estates, is found dead in the library. Phoebe and her lady's maid, Eva visit each Historical Society member to hear what they knew about Arvina and find out where they were when she was murdered to determine who did it and why.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! I found the plot very clever with great storytelling. I really liked Phoebe's character and how she handled things happening around the estate. I can't wait to read more books from the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Another charming historical cozy mystery from Alyssa Maxwell.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Lady Phoebe and Eva books just as much as the Newport mysteries, and the setting (though common to the genre) is delightful and well drawn.

Maxwell always gives us a good quality mystery as well, cleverly plotted with a good suspect pool and a logical solve.

But it’s the characters and setting that really make this series appealing. Both the family and their staff are always a delight to read about, and the house comes to life with Maxwell’s evocative descriptions. I love that the house tour was central to the murder, allowing more descriptive content about it to bleed into the plot itself.

If you like Maxwell’s Newport series, you’ll enjoy these as well. It’s the same concept in a different but equally fun setting and while there’s less real world social history involved, the characters still delight.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Lady Phoebe and her Lady’s Maid Eva are at it again in this seventh installment in the series. A Deadly Endowment is full of murder, snobbery, blackmail, secrets, and theft and is sure to please fans of historical mysteries.

Since the end of WWI, the nobility are finding it harder and harder to stay afloat; their way of life is becoming a thing of the past. In an effort to monetarily help her grandparents, Lady Phoebe and Eva decide to open the family home up for guided tours. Of course, even prepared as they are, they find themselves overwhelmed during their initial tour trying to corral village children on field trip, the local historical society members, a magazine writer, and Arvina Bell, who is doing research for a book about manor houses in the area. When Arvina is found strangled in the library, Phoebe and Eva know they must investigate since the chief inspector has jumped to conclusions and arrested Arvina’s son. Their investigating unearths the dark side of the historical society leading to more murder and danger for the intrepid pair. To further complicate matters, Phoebe’s older sister Julia leaves home out of fear for her infant’s safety but they promptly disappear.

I always enjoy my time with Lady Phoebe and Eva, and A Deadly Endowment is a welcome addition to the series. These characters have grown over the course of the series, and I love the optimistic, thoughtful adult Phoebe is becoming. She and Eva make a great sleuthing team, but I think Eva is the stronger of the two. Eva’s relationship with policeman Miles is endearing and moving along nicely, even if it is at a snail’s pace. Julia’s side story rounds out the book nicely, but I still do not love her. I understand the pressure she has felt as the oldest grandchild, but still…. Grams continues to be the vigilant Victorian dowager-like character, and I adore Grampapa. Though difficult, his slow acceptance of change and the emphasis on his ancestors in this tale make him quite human and wonderful. As younger sister Amelia and brother Fox get older, I hope we see more of them. New addition to the family, a terrier named Mr. Fairfax, is delightful. The members of the Historical Society are pretty much all awful with the exception of Dr. Bishop. They are snobs with much to hide (Dr. Bishop has secrets of his own, too) whose lives and livelihoods depend on appearances.

The mystery is complex and keeps readers guessing until late in the book. As Phoebe and Eva weed through the suspects, each clue revealed complicates matters and leads to even more questions. There are plenty of clues though, with a fair number of red herrings, which make for interesting reading throughout. And, of course, there is danger to be faced at the climax of the story.

I liked A Deadly Endowment and hope there are many more adventures featuring Lady Phoebe and her loyal maid Eva.

After WWI, times are lean, even for the gentry. Class distinctions are blurred. Lady Phoebe has suggested her grandparents open the manor house for tours. The idea was not well-received but finally they gave in.
The first tour is made up of the historical society and a group of school children. As unruly as kids can be during a talk about the history of the house, the members of the society are worse about wandering off on their own and going in parts of the house that were not meant to be part of the tour.

There are two writers in the group, one working on a book and a magazine writer. The author has her son along plus one of the society members seems quite taken with her. Lady’s maid Eva must constantly track down the wanderers and herd them back to the group.

When the author is found in the library with a drapery cord around her neck, the suspects can rightly include everyone in the group except the children who had been sent out to play in the gardens. The local constable latches onto the most likely suspect and calls the case solved. Lady Phoebe thinks the man is unjustly accused. She and Eva set out to find the real culprit.

As if things couldn’t get worse, Phoebe’s older sister, Julia, has disappeared or at least, isn’t where she’s supposed to be. An unsavory relative has appeared, bent on causing trouble. Rumors spread; a treasure is hidden on the property although no one’s heard of it before. There’s a photo missing from the library, but no one can explain it. All in all, Phoebe wishes she’d never thought of tours to supplement income for the manor house.
This is book seven in the series. There’s possible romance for several of the characters. Change is coming and not everyone is ready to embrace it. Readers will be anxious for book eight to see just what happens next.

This was a fun cozy mystery set in the 1920's. Lady Pheobe and her lady's maid, Eva, are wonderful characters. I really enjoyed all the characters and their different personalities and quirks. I am a huge fan of how well the author writes the dialogue.

The mystery kept me interested the whole way. Thank you to the author and publisher for giving me a copy to review!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Lady Phoebe and her lady’s maid Eve are back with a story that takes place close to home. Just as the post WWI years affected the great houses in Downton Abbey, Foxwood must also navigate through turbulent and new waters. Phoebe, ever the modern woman, much to the chagrin of some of her more traditional family, suggests they open the house for tours. It looks like the first tour may be the last one when one of the visitors is murdered. The suspects include the rest of the party, the members of the local historical society. The woman’s son is arrested at first but on flimsy not even circumstantial evidence. Many of the other members of the society have secrets that, if sufficiently desperate, they might kill to keep quiet.

As Phoebe and Eve travel around speaking with the people who were on the tour, they also uncover a secret that concerns her Great Grandfather. There is a rumour that he hid some treasure somewhere on the property. When there is a break in and a second member of the tour is murdered, the theory that someone is looking for the treasure and will stop at nothing to gain it grows in strength. Before the killer is unmasked, Phoebe and Eve assist in solving several other crimes. And more than one secret is revealed to all.

This is a light read filled with the period fun of the early 20th Century. Four purrs and two paws up.

Lady Phoebe has convinced her family to open up their house to the public and make some extra money in order to keep the estate going. The first guests are a group of schoolchildren and their teachers, and the members of a local historical society. Chaos ensues when some of the guests wander off and one of them is murdered. Lady Phoebe and her lady's maid, Eva, begin to investigate. Is the murderer still in their midst?

This is the seventh book in the Lady and Lady's Maid series by Alyssa Maxwell, set in a British country estate in 1921. I enjoyed the story and the characters. The mystery is well thought out. Lady Phoebe and Eva function well together, as they each have insights into the separate classes that dwell above and below stairs. Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy this latest offering by Alyssa Maxwell.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Here we go. I am slowly but surely catching up on my Netgalley IOU list from 2021. This time it is the turn of 7th installment of A Lady and Lady’s Maid Mystery series by Alyssa Maxwell.

Even though A Deadly Endowment is the book 7 in the series, it is the second book of adventures by Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid Eva Huntford.

Set in 1920s England, in one of the most picturesque area – Cotswald, A Deadly Endowment is a journey into life of manor house, a village next to it and its inhabitants.

Yes, there is a murder, even 2. Yes, there is mystery and suspense. And yes, there are trials, errors, dangers and excitement of sleuthing. Moreover, there is very interesting dynamic of relationship between members of Renshaw family (brother and sisters and their grandparents), between upstairs and downstairs and between Renshaw household and ther rest of the village.

What I found very interesting is the narrative on English country manors either moving on with times or trying to stay stuck in the old ways of landed gentry. The very setting of the novel is just on that: Renshaw sisters decided to open their house for tours (to raise a bit of money as the income from farms have basically dried out). This idea came to an ubrupt halt because of the murder, but… Renshaw young generation are still set on moving on with times. However, some of their neighbours are not… Well, you’d have to read the book to find out for yourself.

All in all, A Deadly Endowment is a cozy, comfortable, interesting and fun read. It is out since the New Year’s Eve and is published by Kensington Books.

Lady Phoebe convinces her grandparents to open their home to public guided tours against much opposition on their part. When one of the visitors is murdered during the tour, Phoebe and her lady’s maid Eva investigate in order to find the person responsible and ensure the safety of the houses’ inhabitants.

▪ Good, complementary pair of detectives. Phoebe and Eva work well together: when they think status will make people eager to give information, Phoebe leads the questioning, and when they feel that people would be cowed by her title, Eva takes the lead. They are in sync and respectful of each other, so there isn’t unnecessary drama complicating things.

▪ Family drama. There is some drama that does complicate the plot, however, in the form of Phoebe’s sister who has trouble with her husbands kinsman and is behaving erratically.

▪ Setting in the English countryside. There are villagers, landowners with financial problems, a surly police detective, and everybody has at least one secret. Just like a cosy mystery should be.

This is a very enjoyable mystery, well-plotted and fun to read.

Alyssa Maxwell adds a Lady and Lady's Maid historical cozy in A Deadly Endowment. Lady Phoebe and her maid Eva preside over the first historical tour of Phoebe's grandparents heritage home. Instead of gaining needed income a murder disrupts the tour. Phoebe's family is at sixes and sevens about her sister's whereabouts, the Historical Society in the village has dodgy members, the local doctor is murdered and a bookstore has a collection of racy photos from Paris that may ruin the reputation of a villager. Rumors of a treasure hidden in the manor also rouses interests. Lots of red herrings. Watch Lady Phoebe and her maid bring order out of the chaos.

In the latest installment of the Lady and Lady’s Maid mystery series by Alyssa Maxwell, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her maid Eva Huntford are enthusiastic about opening the Renshaw family estate for tours. However, the rest of the Renshaw family has some misgivings, which are soon realized beyond their expectations when a tour guest is found strangled in their library. It’s not exactly an auspicious start to their tours, and soon Phoebe and Eva are embroiled in finding the right culprit to the crime, despite the “interference” of the local, bumbling police inspector.

The Lady and Lady’s Maid series are lighthearted and cozy reads. The plots are usually pretty solid, although I did guess the culprit towards the end of this one. Along with Phoebe’s story, which lately has been focused on her investigative prowess, readers follow her sister Julia as well. Her story has been drama-filled enough to make readers forget that Phoebe, Eva, and Amelia (the other Renshaw sister) haven’t had much going on for the past three books. This is a pattern that I’ve really started to notice with this novel, but I hope it resolves soon and we see some character development from someone else other than Julia (although I’d like to keep seeing her as well).
Lack of character development is something I’ve noticed on the whole as I’ve read more of the Renshaw family saga. I think it’s something to do with the writing style, as certain characters (Grams, Grandpapa, and Fox) are written to kind of just hop in and out of the story. They’re very constant in maintaining their negative/tolerant attitudes towards Phoebe and her investigations throughout the series, even though she’s increasingly solved more cases, which should impress them. Lady Phoebe also shows slim development as the series goes on as she’s written as a character that can Do No Wrong; she doesn’t make any mistakes during her investigations, and, for some reason, feels constantly responsible for worrying about everything and everyone in her path. As the books are narrated from either her or Eva’s points of view, it makes her seem very spoiled and naive.
What proved Lady Phoebe’s naivete to me in this novel was that when Julia went away without telling anyone, Phoebe went overboard with worry, calling all of Julia’s friends, as if she and Julia hadn’t been fairly estranged for most of their adult relationship. She also determined not to tell her grandmother that Julia was away, thinking that her grandmother would be too upset and she could solve the issue without her grandmother ever knowing. I found this to be a really childish reaction, especially as Julia is very responsible, she’s an adult, has been married, and should be able to leave a property by herself without anyone getting in a tizzy.
The Lady and Lady’s Maid series is entertaining, but it is written fairly simply - although not as irritatingly simply as the Kurland St. Mary series by Catherine Lloyd. I actually think Julia’s line of the story is what keeps me reading, and I’m surprised by that as she’s a lesser character in the novels than Phoebe and Eva. But, I find her to be the most real of all the characters and, for me, the most relatable. I am happy to read the next installment of this series when I need a cheerful, easy, cozy mystery.

The fun, and at times crazy, antics of the Renshaw household continues in this 7th addition to the cozy historical mystery series. Lady Phoebe and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, struggle to get the stately home ready to be opened to the public for a much-needed infusion of cash in post WWI England. Not everyone is thrilled with the prospect. Things do not go smoothly when one of the first guests is murdered and a family photograph disappears.

The characters are engaging and it is very entertaining. While the culprit was fairly easy to determine, I thought, the hows and whys kept me engrossed to the end. Definitely a series to that fans of historic English mysteries will want to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “A Deadly Endowment.” All opinions and comments are my own.

It’s 1921 in this latest (#7) Lady and Lady’s Maid Mystery by Alyssa Maxwell. Phoebe Renshaw is our Lady and Eva Huntford our lady’s maid – but she’s more a comrade-in-arms. We find ourselves at Foxwood Hall, the Wroxley family home, which is being opened to tours. No one is happy about this. But since the war, money is tight.

The first tour’s participants are more trouble than they’re worth for Lady Phoebe and Eva, who are having trouble keeping people where they’re supposed to be. Can we see where this is going? Indeed, one of the guests disappears. Phoebe sends Eva, who finds the body of Arvina Bell. Strangled, she is. And boy, are there going to be a lot of possible suspects – it was a really big tour group!

One man is immediately in trouble -- the dead woman’s son, also on the tour. Chief Inspector Perkins, with the exemplary police work he’s known for, concludes he done the deed. Refuses to consider anyone else. The End, we can all go home. Uh, no. Alyssa Maxwell has something else in mind for her readers.

In between figuring out the killer, Phoebe must contend with what Julia, her older sister is doing. Julia’s story has been part and parcel of the books throughout the series, and she does get to finally do something for herself, in “A Deadly Endowment.”

There’s clues galore -- why is there a family photograph missing from the library? What was Mrs. Bell searching for that got her killed? And is there something in Phoebe's family history that should be brought to light? She quickly begins to use her knowledge of society to ask the right questions, with Eva on hand, to talk to everyone, upstairs and downstairs (the author knows how to use this quite adroitly -- how one's position and social setting meant "everything.") And question they do, of course. The members of the historical society that Mrs. Bell belonged to, do have a lot to hide. There’s even a break-in at the Hall, and a second murder. Somehow Foxwood Hall is the key to everything. Lady Phoebe and Eva function as a terrific team to discover the identity of a ruthless murderer and the secret of the Hall.

Ms. Maxwell has a deft touch with setting, and the characters that populate her books are compelling, “real” people that you will want to know more about. Plotting is always a strong point, too; there’s twists and turns enough in “A Deadly Endowment” to keep you turning the pages. Fans of the long-running series should find themselves entertained once more.

Alyssa Maxwell’s Lady and Lady’s Maid series continues with “A Deadly Endowment.” Previous novels in the series have dealt with the changing social norms in England after the first World War. In this one, Lady Phoebe has persuaded her grandparents to open their stately home for tours. All does not go well, and Phoebe and her maid and closest friend Eva are plunged back into a murder investigation.

This is a great series for historical fans looking for an undemanding, cozy mystery.

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

Little Barlow, The Cotswolds, England - 1921

Lady Phoebe Renshaw lives at Foxwood Hall with her grandparents, the Earl and Countess of Wroxly. Her sister, Amelia, and brother, Fox, also live there along with her widowed sister, Julia, and son.

After the war, money has become tight and Phoebe has decided that they should open Foxwood Hall to tours to help bring in some money. While her grandmother is not for it, her grandfather has approved her idea.

Phoebe’s maid, Eva, is conducting the tour today which consists of a group of school children and a number of people from the local historical society. Some people aren’t always staying with the group so she needs help from Phoebe to keep them together. When the tour is over, they realize a woman is missing and find her in the library strangled to death. In addition, a beloved framed picture of their great-grandparents is missing. After the police arrive to speak with everyone about the dead woman, the family then wonders why anyone would be interested in stealing the picture. Thus, Phoebe and Eva begin to delve into the history of the great-grandparents.

After another break-in attempt, it is learned that there is a rumor that a great treasure is hidden somewhere in the house. Could it be true?

This is a clever mystery written true to the time period. I liked Eva, Phoebe, and the grandparents. I have read many of this author’s books in both of her series and find that her research is exceptional. Enjoy.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What a wonderful historical mystery. Set in Cotswold England 1921 Lady Phoebe had an idea to bring in extra income by opening up the Renshaw estate known as Foxwood Hall to guided tours. Well, it didn’t quite go as planned the tour group did not all stay together and that lead to a deadly outcome. This is a must read. Such a well written book and the setting and charters were well described.

Alyssa Maxwell is a new author for me, I enjoyed this book so much she is now my favorite.

A Deadly Endowment is the seventh book in the A Lady And Lady’s Maid Mystery series by Alyssa Maxwell.

It’s May 1921, and the residents of Little Barrow are struggling from the effects of The Great War, as are the residents of Foxwood Hall: Earl and Countess of Wroxley and their granddaughters, Ladies Julia, Phoebe, Amelia, and grandson Fox. To bring in additional funds to Foxwood Hall, Phoebe, Amelia, and their Lady’s maid, Eva, have convinced their grandparents to let them conduct tours of the hall and charge a small fee for the tour. The first tour consists of local school children, their teacher, and several local historical society members. The children prove to be a handful, but then a few of the historical society venture off to areas that aren’t part of the tour. Phoebe performs a headcount as the tour ends and learns that one person is missing. Soon the body of Arvina Bell is found in the library, strangled with a curtain tie back. Inspector Perkings arrives to investigate, and he soon concludes that Avrina’s son, who was also a member of the tour, has killed his mother. Perkins has no intention of looking any further. Phoebe, Eva, and Eva’s gentleman friend, Constable Miles Bannock, set off to perform their own investigation.

They will find that most society members have their reasons for visiting Foxwood Hall, and some have secrets that they would rather have to remain a secret. There will be a late-night break-in at Foxwood and another murder in Little Barrow.

I love this series as it is well-written and plotted. It’s enjoyable for me to read and learn about life in the period this series is set. The cast of characters is equally enjoyable, well-developed, and believable.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this wonderful series.

Swept back in time to the the bucolic and scenic Cotswolds in May, 1921 prepare to become reacquainted with Phoebe Renshaw of Foxwood Hall and her Lady’s maid Eva Huntford. If you have not have the pleasure of reading any of the previous installments of this series “A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mystery”, no matter as #7 doesn’t require reading the previous installments (although you have missed out on a lot of fun). Phoebe, ever pushing the boundaries of defined social class constraints, is about to discover just how quickly good intentions can lead to inexplicable and horrible results. And we are off - Foxwoods Hall is about to be open to house tours. With the best intentions to raise much needed funds for tenant repairs and to bring a new influx of visitors to Little Barlow this seemed a meritorious compromise. The result is going to give added weight and dimension to that old adage “No good deed goes unpunished.”

The trial tour is comprised of a dozen school children with their teacher who are exempt from the tour charge and eight members of the Greater Gloucestershire Historical Society who are the paying guests, each with their own prying agenda and secrets. In the blink of an eye the children have gone hither and yon and a few are missing. Another blink or the eye and the paying guests are snooping in places that are completely off limits and a head count shows adult members are missing as well. Something has gone very wrong and the next visitor to Foxwood Hall is Chief Inspector Perkins. Now the fun really begins with so many twists and turns, red herrings, warnings and bumps in the night.

Alyssa Maxwell handles everything so well - the period, the setting, the characters, the dialogue, the internal asides, the murder, the mystery, the romances. She is a skilled writer who is a master of this genre. As long as she is writing I am reading.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a copy.

I like the characters and the setting. The friendly relationship between Lady Phoebe and her lady's maid Eve is nice. The mystery kept me guessing. It was a pleasant read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.