This was a fun, light, and fast start to a new mystery series. Somewhere between a historical and cozy mystery in style and tone, it was a nice little read.

This book is a quick and easy read. The author did an excellent job with character development and I found myself invested in quite a few of them. The plot was a little thin but I make allowances for this as this is the first installment in a series. Other than that o found the book was quite engaging and really enjoyed the second half of the story. I liked the protagonist backstory and felt that it helped her character development as she became more independent, more strong-willed and she was a very practical young lady. I look forward to book two of the series.

This is the first installment to a new mystery series. There are a few flaws to this novel that detracted my enjoyment of the novel. There is a very thin plot. The story is very slow, predictable, and drawn out. It would have been better if it was shorter. Still, I like the heroine in the novel. She seems to be very interesting and has potential to grow. I recommend this for fans of Death Below Stairs, The House at Riverton, and Maisie Dobbs!

After Lady Caroline’s father dies penniless, leaving her with few options, she does the unthinkable. She becomes a companion for a woman who represents ‘new money’. When she is invited to her cousin’s brthday ball, she insists she can’t go unless her employer and her employer’s daughter are also invited. But when they arrive at her aunt and uncle’s manor, it is clear immediately that something is wrong. The butler is missing and is found trapped in a cage in the basement. And then the bodies start piling up.

Miss Morton and the English Party Murder is the first in a historical cozy mystery series by Catherine Lloyd and I really enjoyed it. Caroline and her employer, Mrs Frogerton, make for a very likable pair of amateur detectives and the story moves at a nice pace. There were some subplots I didn’t feel added much to the story but, overall, I found it a compelling and entertaining story and look forward to reading more in the series.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

3 stars

I enjoyed Catherine Lloyd’s mystery series Kurland St. Mary and I was looking forward to reading this new book.

The story is nice, although a bit long and repetitive. For the most part the main character is asking the same questions and suspects the same individuals. The ending was a bit rough and the crimes discovered and committed were quite unsavoury. I'd say a bit too much for a regency novel.

Nevertheless a great read and I am eager to read Catherine Lloyd’s next mystery book.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this nice book!

New-to-me author Catherine Lloyd begins a new mystery and suspense series with the descriptively named Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder, in which she introduces the Miss Morton of the title and her breaking boundaries employer. The publisher has stated this is set during the English Regency, but readers should be advised that events take place in 1837 which is the year Queen Victoria came to the throne. There is no mention of either the Napoleonic Wars or the Prince Regent (who was crowned King in 1820 and passed ten years prior to the book’s beginning), which tend to be key features of works set during the Regency era.

This novel starts off breezily enough, although it’s obvious Caroline is not welcomed by all at her former home. As a lady’s companion, she is neither part of upstairs society nor the laborious staff of downstairs. In one scene her aunt deliberately excludes her from a dinner party to which her employer is invited, much to the frustration of a cousin. The youngsters in the nursery are a delight, although their circumstances are somewhat peculiar.

The murder of the book’s title is merely one event in a larger series. I found it strange that the family didn’t want to bring in any outsiders to investigate, except for a young doctor already in situ. Although policing in England was still in its infancy, shouldn’t there have been a duty to report a non-natural death? The clues in the nursery reminded me of a story arc in the procedural crime drama television series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. (To say more would give away an important plot point.) I had to read the final two chapters more than once to properly understand the possible motives, but nothing is clearly wrapped up except perhaps in Caroline’s psychological state as she comes to accept her position in life. One revelation did surprise me, however; I hadn’t expected a certain topic to come up during Caroline’s investigation, one which took the story in a darker direction and that I wish had received more attention. (Saying no more due to spoilers.)

Overall, I’d have loved to see this be a more in-depth novel, perhaps set later in the Victorian era with a gothic twist. There was so much more to explore, including a throwaway comment about nuns haunting the property.
There seems to be the beginnings of a romantic relationship for Caroline, although this could’ve been in my wishful imagination. I also felt, as I previously mentioned, that the murder investigation lacked closure. There isn’t a neat ending. Maybe, because it’s the first in a new series, author Lloyd will explore some of the ramifications of the events at Greenwood in later novels. I’d like to see that happen, and so I’ll look to read the next book whenever it comes out.

Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.

A crisply done, atmospheric historical mystery.

This is a bit heavier than much of the genre (more Mariah Fredericks than Rhys Bowen), but the best elements of the genre are there, and the mystery itself is a good one, rife with detail and well solved.

I greatly appreciated the attention to setting in this book, as well as the consequences of the protagonist’s difficult position in society after her father’s actions changed her fortunes.

I tend to prefer the lower stakes, more campy form of historical mystery, but books like this are good too when they’re done right, as this one was. I loved the attention to setting and the details of the mystery itself.

This one is quite and easy read. The setting of the book , the characters are all believable and makes for interesting dynamics. The crime solving style might frustrate the readers a bit with the tendency of the leading lady to openly question one and all with facts without relaizing if she is warning off the culprit or causing more choas. But other than that , this was engaging and had a quite good end to it. I liked her personl story and her character which was strong , practical and hopeful. I would surely like to read more in this series.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher, but all opinions are my own. Miss Morton is a 3.25 star read rounded down to 3. The mystery was good but drug on a little too long. Catherine is very ikeable and readers get a fair amount of insight into her character, but the secondary characters except for her employer aren't very well developed. Overall I think this is a promising start to a new series and I will read the second book to see how things develop.

I was not able to download the book in time. Hence, leaving it the average review score on Netgalley.

Entertaining Regency house party cozy mystery -- this is the beginning of what is meant to be a new series.

Socially shunned due to her father's disreputable behavior and death, Lady Caroline Morton has decided to make her own way in London as a paid lady's companion. When she's invited to her cousin's birthday party at the estate of her relatives, Caroline decides to return with her employer, Matilda Frogerton. Mrs. Frogerton is happy to be introduced to the ton so that she can position her daughter, Dorothy, as a wealthy entrant into her first season.

Their arrival at the Greenwood estate is a bit awkward since Caroline had left the house and the family's charity toward her and her sister, Susan, for her new position. It gets worse quite quickly when malfeasance and death make their appearances. Caroline and Mrs. Frogerton seem to be the only ones convinced that something really sinister is going on and they decide to get to the bottom of it. They find an unexpected ally in a local doctor who also has past connections to the estate.

This was quite enjoyable as an introduction to the era and the characters and I look forward to the next installment. I love period details and independent young women set in this time period. The narrative flows smoothly and though the plot was a bit complicated, the ending was not quite so neatly wrapped as I would have expected thus leaving things open for a follow up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This was my first book by Catherine Lloyd. I enjoyed it and will be trying more.It starts in London in 1837 and Caroline is the daughter of the late and disgraced Earl of Morton. She and her employer Mrs. Frogerton have been invited to a house party to celebrate the birthday of Caroline's cousin Mabel. They are certainly not expecting to get involved in a decades old conspiracy and murder at the house party.
Overall this was this was a very nice and well written Historical Mystery. There were however times when characters and situations were frustrating. Hopefully we will be seeing more of Miss Morton. I think her character has a lot of potential.

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

This is the first book by this author I have read and I found it a delightful read. It kept me guessing till the end with all the twists and turns. I enjoyed the characters and found them well-written and very likable. The book was not over descriptive which I prefer. It was all about finding out who the murderer was. I will be looking forward to reading more by this author. I received this as an ARC from Netgalley and freely give my review.

I really enjoyed this first in series book by Catherine Lloyd. I have read her other historical cozy mysteries and this new book is even better! I loved the setting and the strong character of Lady Caroline and her empathetic employer, Mrs. Frogerton. The author did a stunning job of depicting what occurs at an house party, complete with a murder (or two)!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more in the series.

Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Catherine Lloyd takes place in the early Victorian era when Caroline finds herself being coerced into attending a house part in honor of her cousin's birthday. Her aunt has agreed to invite Caroline's employer, Mrs. Frogerton, and her daughter, Dorothy to the house party at Greenwood Hall to accompany Caroline. Caroline has done the unthinkable and left her aunt's home to become a paid companion to Mrs. Frogerton and she finds she enjoys it. She had had only two choices after the scandal: this or say at her aunt's house as an unpaid employee. Her younger sister was still with her aunt, a situation she hoped to remedy soon. Her father had done the unforgiveable: gone bankrupt and then killed himself. She and her sister were no longer accepted by polite society.

The house party was hampered by pouring rain, keeping the guests indoors and calling into question how many guests would attend the ball, several days hence. Meanwhile, things were happening: first great aunt Ines was found murdered, and then the elderly butler. Of course, her aunt and uncle preferred to call both natural deaths. That did not stop Caroline and Dr. Harris, the local doctor, from investigating. It is a convoluted, but good story. One that took place over 50 years or more and involved orphans cared for at the manor, servants, and even family members. No charges were ever filed or punishments meted out but the case did come to a satisfactory conclusions. It was entertaining to be a member of this household for a week and heart breaking to hear some of the things that had gone on, proving that people could be just as evil then as now. Caroline was the perfect heroine: flawed, yet with a strict set of morals. Mrs. Frogerton was by far the hit of book, though. She is overflowing with personality and common sense. Of course, she was not a member of the ton, perhaps that explains it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Kensington, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #kensington #catherinelloyd #missmortonandtheenglishhousepartymurder

Unfortunate circumstances force Lady Morton to become a paid companion to a wealthy lady and, with her help, she finds herself to solve a mystery in the very house where she grew up!
This book reminds me of the many Agatha Christie’s I read throughout my life. The author leads the reader on a merry chase, with a lot of characters with a good reason to be the villain and keeping everyone guessing till the last page how the book will end!

An entertaining and compelling historical cozy mystery set at the beginning of XIX century.
The solid mystery kept me guessing and the historical background was vivid and well researched.
I liked Caroline and I look forward to reading the next mystery as I enjoyed this one.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A great read for fans of A LADY’S GUIDE TO MISCHIEF AND MURDER by Dianne Freeman.

A party at an English estate can only end up with a murder or two. Lady Caroline has taken a position as a companion to Mrs. Frogerton, rather than live on her Aunt Eleanor’s dubious good will. But to see her younger sister, she and her employer go to her aunt’s estate to celebrate her cousin Mabel’s birthday. But there are sinister happenings and even darker secrets unearthed when two people are murdered. Caroline is desperate to discover who and had help from the new doctor, Mr. Harris.

A very proper mystery.

1837. Due to being left penniless after the suspicious death of her father, the Earl of Morton, Lady Caroline Morton has taken employment as a companion to business woman Mrs Frogerton and her daughter Dorothy. All three are invited to her cousin Lady Mabel's seventeenth Birthday Ball at Caroline's old home of Greenwood Hall in Norfolk. But soon a death occurs, and unpleasant incidents start to happen. With the help of Mrs Frogerton Caroline investigates even though most people refuse to believe that it is a murder.
An entertaining and well-written cozy Victorian mystery, with its likeable main characters. A good start to this new series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Catherine Lloyd is a great cozy mystery début in a new series taking place in 19th century England. It features Lady Caroline Morton who becomes lady’s companion to a wealthy widow, Mrs Matilda (Matty) Frogerton and her challenging daughter Dot, because of family circumstances. An endearing and enjoyable story with some terrific characters. I have my eye on book two and my next meeting with Caroline et al.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.