Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-galley of this historical cozy mystery.

This novel is one in which the characters are almost all so nice and the feeling of tension is so low that it is hard to remember that there has been murder done. Ah, a cozy historical set in the fantasy world of Britain's landed gentry. This was very entertaining and well written with characters from almost all levels of the class system in place in England in 1921. If you like to solve the puzzle set for you by an author while having the bothersome bits glossed over, this will probably be a hit with you. The writing is very good, as I've already said, and the characters have been together over multiple books, so their personalities are firmly established and blend well. Prepare to relax and watch Phoebe Renshaw of Foxwood Hall and her maid, Eva Huntford, solve the problem of the death of one of the people taking the inaugural tour of Foxwood Hall. That is going to put a spanner in the works of raising the money necessary to keep Foxwood solvent, so Phoebe and Eva have to solve this murder quickly and quietly, if possible.

This 7th installment to the Lady and Lady's Maid series is a wonderful addition. Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her maid Eva Huntford are giving their first tour of cash-strapped Foxwood Hall when a murder occurs. One of the tourists, Arvina Bell wanders off and is found dead in the library. Phoebe and Eva set out once again to uncover the true killer despite being thwarted by the inept Chief Inspector. With plenty of suspects, red herrings, and additional mysteries; this intrepid duo once again prove themselves intelligent and resourceful in their sleuthing endeavors. With strong female characters; a wonderful sense of place and time (post WWI, Cotswold, England); intriguing on-going subplots with recurring characters; and just the right touch of romance. This is a wonderful series for readers of historical mysteries and cozy mysteries.

Set in post WWI England, The Deadly Endowment is the seventh in the endlessly charming series but that doesn't mean you absolutely must read the first six to understand what is happening. However, it certainly does help and feels like enjoying a comfy cup of tea with chatty friends, practically collapsing into giggles and whispers. Not only are there deceptions upon deceptions but slivers of romance and murder to boot.

Lady Phoebe and her quirky family have taken the plunge and fling open the doors of Foxwood Hall to the public for the first time. After the war everything is in shambles and needs must. Lady Phoebe feels this is a fabulous way to earn money. Besides. Who wouldn't wish to catch glimpses of grandeur? However, half of the family firmly disagrees with the idea, even before catastrophe strikes during a tour with a group of children and the historical society (delightful combination...what could possibly go wrong?). There are suspicious goings on, including a missing photograph and a murdered Arvina Bell in the library. But that's not all.

Lady Phoebe's maid and dearest friend Eva and special gentleman friend Constable Miles Brannock aid Lady Phoebe in inveigling and snooping for clues which leads them to treasure and a plethora of other delectable secrets. The historical details are fun and the era fascinating. But what enticed me the most (other than murder) are the characters which are anything but dull. This is a book to get lost in thoroughly and enjoyably.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this marvellous book! I am eager to discover what will happen in the next in the series...

Lady Phoebe finally convinced her grandfather that opening Foxwood Hall to paid visitors would not destroy the estate and it would bring in some much needed income but then on the very first days, Arvina Bell is murdered - wait for it- in the library! Luckily, Phoebe and her maid Eva (who is also her BFF) have become quite good at solving mysteries, along with Constable Miles Brannock. Cozy fans know that there are going to be a number of suspects and some red herrings. I like this series for the people and the 1921 UK setting. It's not just Phoebe and Eva I looking forward to seeing again but also Amelia and Julia. This time out, some of the family is also at risk, which makes the need to find answers even more important. This should be fine as a standalone and then you'll want to read the earlier books. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun read.

Lady Phoebe has set her mind to figuring out ways to increase the income of her family's estate. Offering a house tour seems perfect. Half of the family are in favor, half opposed. The maiden tour ends badly as one of the guests is found murdered in the library. There were two groups present: school children and the local historical society. The children are excused, but the society members all seem to have secrets. Phoebe and her lady's maid Eva attempt to solve the mystery despite a thief breaking in, a second murder, Lady Julia disappearing, and a rumor floating around about a hidden treasure. Another marvelous story!

I was so excited to see that there was going to be another book in this series as I really enjoy reading them. The previous book had left it so that it could have been the final one, but also open to more, and here we are. YAY!

This outing with Lady Phoebe and Eva and Amelia [as she is now out of school and able to be involved in the shenanigans that Phoebe and Eva get up to] and the family finds the household preparing to open the house to tours as to bring in some much needed income. Of course, NOTHING goes smoothly, a body is found and the whole house is reduced to shambles as they try and round up all the people who could have been involved. Lady Phoebe and Eva are of course bent on helping the police, but it really goes into high gear when another body is found, Julia goes missing and Phoebe's beloved Grams is attacked in the home at night - neither Phoebe or Eva is going to stand by and let the home life that they all hold dear be defiled by violence. So they dive in and when all the dust and smoke clears, the results are not what anyone was expecting.

I will admit I had guessed who the killer was early on and then knew the why, but how it was all wrapped up made it unimportant that I knew what I knew. The story is still fun and crazy and exceptional. I really look forward to these books and this one absolutely did not disappoint and I can only hope that there will be another one. Fingers crossed!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alyssa Maxwell, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Set among the landed gentry of post-WWI England and perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, Alyssa Maxwell’s latest historical mystery finds sleuthing duo Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, hunting a killer after the decision to open Foxwood Hall for guided tours turns deadly...

To make ends meet, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, have decided to open up Foxwood Hall to guided public tours. Not everyone is pleased about it - even to the point of committing murder...

The lean times following the Great War continue to require creative solutions for England's noble class. But Lady Phoebe’s proposal to open up the Renshaw estate to guided tours for additional income strikes many in the family as a “vulgar enterprise.” Phoebe’s grandfather, the Earl of Wroxly, however, reluctantly concedes the necessity.

Their first tour group consists of members of the Historical Society, a magazine writer, and a flock of students. It’s a large group for Phoebe, her sister Amelia, and Eva to manage, and when the widow Arvina Bell goes missing, Eva goes in search of her - only to find her in the library, strangled with a silken drapery cord.

The schoolchildren are promptly sent home, but the members of the Historical Society - many of whom also wandered off at times - remain for interrogation. There is also, curiously, a framed photo missing from the library. As the police hastily zero in on a suspect, Phoebe and Eva weigh the clues. Does the crime have to do with rumors of hidden treasure at Foxwood Hall? But they must make haste to solve the widow’s murder - before someone else becomes history..."

Because we all need something Downtonesque to hold us over until the movie comes out in March!

Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford,are offering tours of an ancestral home they live in to make some money. They never expected to find a dead body on the first tour. One of the historical guests died.
Kensington Books and Net Galley let me read this boook for review (thank you). It will be published on December 28th.

She knows that it had to be someone in the tour group and Phoebe makes up her mind to find out who. Her boyfriend is a cop and he tries to tell her no but she doesn't listen.

What she finds as as she snoops is that there is more than one scam going on. She almost got caught in the stolen merchandise plot.

Then she finds herself on the wrong side of a gun when she ferrets out the killer. Will Phoebe and Grandpa make it out alive?

Though this is one in several cozy mysteries in the A Lady and Lady's Maid series, it can be read as a standalone. I have not read any of the previous novels and was totally able to follow the complete stoyline with no problems at all.
Income is low at Foxwood Hall, the year is 1921 and the Great War has taken its toll on the estate. The Earl of Wroxley, Lady Phoebe's grandfather has reluctantly agreed to her plan to open the manor up for tours, thus generating some numch needed income. This plan goes terribly awry.
Upon giving their first tour, Lady Phoebe and her maid hav more than their hands full. Trying to keep the children entertained and engaged, not mention them wandering off, the adults are sniping at each other and wandering around where they should not be also! It is more than they can do to herd everyone up and get through the tour. When they finally think the long day is at an end, Lady Phoebe and Eva get another shock, the body of one of the guests has been found murdered in the library!
Which guest had motive to murder a seemingly harmless member of the local historical society and why chose Foxwood Hall for the scene of the crime? As Lady Phoebe and her maid investigate they find that everyone has a motive and no one can be believed.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery, it was a fast paced, quick read, with entertaining and likeable characters, and a plot with enough red-herrings and twists and turns to keep a reader engaged.
I give it 5 stars and recommend to all cozy mystery fans. This book comes out December 28, grab one for a late Christmas present!
Thank you to Kensington Books and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

May 1921 The Earl of Wroxley has finally agreed to granddaughter Phoebe Renshaw’s request to open Foxwood Hall, in Little Barlow, to the public. The first visitors are a group of children and The Little Barlow Chapter of the Greater Historical Society. But after the tour a body is discovered and that a photograph is missing. But why and by whom. Will this be the only death.
Phoebe and her maid Eva Huntford investigate along side Constable Miles Brannock
An enjoyable cozy historical mystery.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

Lady Phoebe, friend/maid Eva and assorted family are back for another historical post WWI murder. This time out, Lady Phoebe is experimenting with a limited house tour to shore up the family coffers, and not everyone approves. When the body of one of the group is discovered in the library, Eva and Phoebe are called on to investigate.

Most of the tour guests were members of a local history group and it seems they are a murky bunch with multiple motives and secrets. Then to top it off, Phoebe's imperious sister Julia disappears with her baby son, and the anxiety sets in.

These are fun and fast paced. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

1920s, class-consciousness, murder, murder-investigation, country-house, cosy-mystery, family, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, England, historical-novel, historical-research, amateur-sleuth, Cotswolds, secrets, false-information*****

It was such a good plan. Allow local tourists to tour the grounds and parts of the manor house to gain a small infusion of much needed cash. Who knew it could all go so horribly wrong? Enter the first murder, lazy policing, sleuthing by Lady and her friend/maid, and a whole lot more.
It is a well formulated story with many fascinating, if exasperating, characters and excellent world building. A nice easy read, I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

#Review for#A Deadly Endowment
By: I Love to Read

The murder of a historical society member shocks everyone attending the first open house at Foxwood Hall. The open house was a ploy to secure extra funds to help maintain the estate after the end of World War 1. Suspects abound among the attendees at the open house. However, not enough evidence warrants an arrest. Lady Phoebe and her lady's maid, Eva, set out to find the killer. Both Lady Phoebe and Eva are charming characters. They proceed in true cozy fashion questioning suspects. Eventually, the mystery is satisfactorily solved after chasing many red herrings. My one criticism of the book is the time period. It did not ring true like the ending of World War 1, but read more like the Victorian era, despite the often mention of the Vauxhall automobile. Despite that a pleasant read.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

"A Deadly Endowment" is the seventh in the A Lady and Lady's Maid series. I had not read any of the series, but I enjoyed this latest installment. "A Deadly Endowment" is a true cozy...amateur detectives, manor house, lots of red herrings, not much violence, etc. I particularly liked that our detectives--Lady Phoebe and her lady's maid Eva--are equal in their abilities.

This book takes place after World War I, and Phoebe has decided that her home, Foxwood Hall, should open for tours to generate some income. Of course, things go hideously wrong on the first public tour when one of the guests is found murdered. There are a host of possible culprits, but what could the motive be?

There was a side plot involving Phoebe's sister Julia that I probably would have enjoyed more if I had read the earlier books. This is a light, quick read, not particularly original but fun.

Another charming mystery by Alyssa Maxwell. Lady Phoebe and her maid Eva are attempting to raise money for the estate by conducting house tours. Unfortunately, having a guest murdered on your first tour is not good for business. As always the two are determined to solve the case. A wonderful read!

Lady Phoebe Renshaw has convinced her grandparents to open up Foxwood Hall for guided tours to generate income to support the estate. The first tour group, a practice run, consists of local students, members of the Historical Society and a magazine writer. Lady Phoebe, her sister Amelia and her maid Eva find it is not an easy task to keep members of the tour from wandering off.
Unfortunately, while searching for a missing Historical Society member, her body is discovered in the library.
Lady Phoebe and Eva investigate who would want the woman dead and whether a missing photo holds the key. Does the photo contain a secret about the Renshaw family? As the investigation proceeds, connections between the Historical Society members are uncovered providing a reason for murder.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The seventh book in the series, A Deadly Endowment. I've read all books in the series and this one was one of my favorites. The mystery takes place in their home during a tour. Miles is in this story but Owen is completely missing. The Julia character is my favorite and I'm so happy how her story has come along! I would highly recommend this series: the setting is fabulous, the writing is superb, and the characters are very likeable. Looking forward to the next in the series, and hoping for some forward movement in the Owen and Miles story lines.

I really enjoyed another series by Alyssa Maxwell, it's what prompted me to request this novel, yet I just couldn't really get into it. Something just didn't gel for me, and the ending seemed rather abrupt.

Lady's maid, Eva, is a delightful character and I enjoyed the exploration of her romance alongside the key plot. Most endearing. The mystery around the sister's rather strange and disconcerting behaviour was also intriguing.

With my thanks to #Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

An Atmospheric Entry…
Foxwood Hall is opened up to the public for tours - after all Lady Renshaw and maid Eva have to make ends meet. However, not everybody is happy with this arrangement but would they resort to murder? An atmospheric entry in this long running series and an entertaining mystery within together with a solid sense of time and place.

A Deadly Endowment by Alyssa Maxwell
The reason why I wanted to read this book is because of past works by the author based in Newport, RI where I live near.
This book starts out with other works by the author, dedication page and acknowledges pages.
Story starts in 1921 Cotswolds, England in a mansion and the sisters live there with their grandparents. Julia has her own baby and she has money enough to live on.
The girls come up with a scheme to make money from things others have done-allowing a tour of the house.
They have the plan in place and their grandfather wants to give them a chance. The grandmother is not so open to the idea but sets rules-no one upstairs.
The very first tour starts off with a busload of kids and their teacher. One woman gives the tour and answers questions and she often has to ask another sister to go find one who wandered off. That happens often and I enjoy learning about the history of the mansion during the tour. Like how they interact with the guests, most from the local historic society.
A missing woman is found.... Miles is one of the local cops that has been dating one of them. Everybody is questioned and the girls take it upon themselves to also accumulate clues.
Man in question is actually the murdered mothers son, he's got a lot to gain monetarily and the estate. Others who attended were quite suspicious also, magazine reporters and authors and they wanted to wander into other rooms not on the tour.
A break in and only a photo was stolen...A hidden treasure and another murder...
Love the politeness and manners.
Some visit the suspects at their house and even have tea and sweets. The women compare notes and also have warned others that the one the cops were holding has been released so real killer is on the loose.
Very detailed descriptions of not only the houses but the gardens and the clothes they wear.
Never thought that it was the person who murdered others. Also treasure, wow where it was found.
Can't wait to read more from this author. Lots of action, adventure, mysteries, murders, clues home life and travel.
I received this review book from Kensington Books via Net Galley and this is my honest opinion.
#ADeadlyEndowment #NetGalley.