Lady Ottilia Fanshawe has a reputation for solving murders in Georgian England. Her reputation is so hot she has a dead body dumped on her doorstep and she must work backwards to find their identity and the most available suspects. This is a zippy mystery that skips along at a pace. You have plenty of personal drama in Ottilia’s house with a most unusual murder? Or was it?
Book 8 in the Lady Fan series does not disappoint.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher Sapere Books) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A great historical murder mystery. The author definitely put a lot of thought into this one. Ottilia and her family comes together to find out who murdered a body found outside of Flifteris Manor. You're taken through their family issues and a great plot. You won't be disappointed with this one






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I read complimentary copy from Netgalley and this is a voluntary review

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good historical fiction novel. Love the cover.

A regency mystery that I enjoyed more than I thought I would. I think I would have liked it more if I had started with the first book in the series and worked my way through the series.

A historical mystery
A body found on doorstep and Lady Ottila is drawn to investigate and find out who he was and why he was left on her doorstep. mysteries and question that need answers.
Voluntary reviewed.

This book reads like The Anatomist's Wife but set fifty years earlier. Lady Ottilia Fanshawe has just given birth when someone dumps a body on her stoop, presumably to get her to solve the murder. She is able to analyze corpses and starts detecting pretty much immediately. I thought the mystery aspects and the side characters were great. Love her mother in law. But honestly, I hate the 18th century. The language and names (Ottilia??) kept stopping me in my tracks. I felt like I couldn't get into the story because I kept asking stuff like "did people say 'hades' in the 1700s?" Maybe I'm uneducated on this time period, but I found it less enjoyable because I feel like i don't know very much about this time.

Lady Fan is at it again! Solving mysteries that is even though she is enthralled with her baby son, Luke. But what can she do when someone drops at body at her house with a note addressed to her? Well, at least she has plenty of help from her extended in-law family.

Entertaining with some comedy, a good mystery, characters and relationships. It helps to have read some of the earlier books in the series to understand the relationships but it isn’t necessary to understand what is going on in the story. A historical mystery set in the 1790s, there is plenty of time appropriate details but lots of action as well. Enjoy!

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

This is the first book by this author that I have read. I found the language strange and the names very unfamiliar. I couldn’t really work out which country this was set in. I enjoy cozy mysteries and felt this one was off to a good start when the murder is unclosed at the beginning of the book but I found the story rather slow. I enjoyed the characters, they were well written.

When a body is unceremoniously dumped outside her home, Lady Ottilia Fanshawe is once more drawn into a murder case.
Ottilia is recovering from the birth of her first child and her husband, Lord Francis Fanshawe, is worried that she has finally taken on more than she can handle.
But Ottilia will not be diverted. Motherhood has always been her deepest desire, but solving crimes is her passion. And she is determined to balance both.
No one in her household recognises the dead man, and yet a note was left with Lady Fan’s name on it. Clearly, someone wants her to investigate the crime, but why…… Wow…!… I caught myself holding my breath more than once, genuinely worried about what would happen next… a breathless read!

Thank you to Sapere Books and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.
I was so happy to receive an ARC of this book! This is one of my favorite series! In this installment, a dead body is left on Lord and Lady Fan's doorstep. As usual it was lots of fun reading along and helping Lady Fan figure how who the corpse was and why he was left there. I can't wait for the next installment!

An interesting, well-plotted and well-written historical mystery, with its varied and likeable cast of characters Lady Fan is back to her best and so lovely she has at last got a child. I did dislike the fact that justice was not served as I would like due to lack of proof although perhaps not surprising for the era s they had no forensics as such.

4.5/5⭐️

I have been with this series from the beginning (this is the 8th) and have really enjoyed them all.

Lady Fan, an amateur sleuth who seems to find murder wherever she goes, is happily settling into motherhood when a stranger’s body is literally dropped on her doorstep with a note asking her to solve the mystery of his death. As she discovers his identity and the possible suspects in his strange demise, she enlists the help of family (husband, mother-in-law, niece, etc.) in her quest.

I found this storyline very original, and I’ve always loved the dry humor in this series. My only caveats were its length (it definitely could have been tightened up more), and it’s denouement (I was dissatisfied with the culprit’s accountability).

Happily this was another great adventure to follow.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #SapereBooks for providing me the free early arc of #TheUnwantedCorpse for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

The next amazing story in the Lady Fan series - The Unwanted Corpse - is a definite should read. Ms Bailey gives us the satisfying mystery along with wonderful character arcs as well. I love the relationship with Ottilia and Francis. It is great to see and read about the family - Sybilla, Lizzie, Pretty, and baby Luke. The mystery is so cleverly crafted and intricate. It makes it great that all members are brought into the investigation. I've loved the Lady Fan series from the start and will continue with them as they as the come out.

January 1784 - A body is dumped outside the Fashawe home of Flifteris Manor. Appearances state that he had attended the recent Twelfth Night party at Thorpe Grange in nearby Tangley. Though just out of her confinement Ottilia decides to investigate with the help of the rest of the family. While also dealing with all the family problems.
An entertaining, well-plotted and well-written historical mystery, with its varied and likeable cast of characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ottilia is happily enjoying new motherhood at home, with no plans to resume her adventurous career, when suddenly a body is dumped on her doorstep, with the label "Lady Fan". She quickly works out who the stranger is, but discovering when and where the man died is hard enough, let alone who did it - or whether it was a natural death. The escapades of the local beauty and her niece's visit neatly timed to coincide with that of an unacceptable suitor only add to her troubles. Will Ottilia be able to uncover the story - and bring the crime home to the murderer?

One of my favourite things about this series is the way that the stories are at once standalone and a series. Each mystery can be read and enjoyed without having read previous books, but those reading it as a series get to appreciate the background and ongoing story of Lady Fan and her husband, as well as their various friends and relatives. It's lovely to see Ottilia enjoying her new baby, after the heartbreak of a miscarriage a few books earlier (if I recall correctly), though there was less of her relationship with Francis than in some earlier books. The mystery itself was well done and entertaining, and Richenda certainly made for an 'interesting' character, though I'd hate to have to deal with her in real life. All in all, another good read in the series and I hope to see more of Lady Fan in future! 4.5 stars.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

Will she be able to patch all the stories to only one lead…

I came late in this series, so when the last book was released, I was a bit lost between the characters dynamic and some past issues with the heroine, so I cut my read short and went to read the first book to finally come back to book 7 with new knowledge.
And this new adventure features Fanshawe’s mother, Ottilia’s employer when she was her companion, I liked their impertinent relationship, plus to see again some other protagonists I discovered in my last read.

Like the previous books, I am always astonished by the praise Ottilia receives, how she leads everyone by the nose and they are all unable to refuse her. Yet the humor was brought in by the antics of a miss play-acting every moment of her life. And while the solving of the case was imperfect, I liked how all the clues and hints were brought together to help Ottilia draw the general pattern of the affair.
A good mystery with a sweet romance between side-characters and lady Fan settling into domestic life.
4 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 none

I have been granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

This was the first book in the series I read so I felt a way behind and out of the loop with regard to the side stories regarding Pretty and Lizzy. As a result, I wasn't as invested in those parts of the book as I probably would have been. The mystery part of the story is perfect. There are so many good suspects and I really enjoyed how Ottilia and her (sometimes reluctant) "assistants" interacted with the each of them. I also found myself rolling my eyes right along with Ottilia whenever Richenda was in a scene. Her dramatics add a little bit of humor because of how over the top she tends to be. The conclusion is a little disappointing because there is no final resolution to it. I just really wanted to have the villain lose his smug smile - he does for a moment, but it's fleeting. He may get his comeuppance later, but I really want to see it! Although disappointing, that ending is also realistic so I can't really complain too much. This is a great book for readers who enjoy a good mystery, but I recommend reading the previous seven books first.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sapere Books for an advance copy of The Unwanted Corpse, the eighth novel to feature Lady Ottilia Fanshawe set in Hampshire in 1794.

Lady Fan is still recuperating from the birth of her son when a dead body with a note for her is dumped on her doorstep. Her husband, Francis, is worried that an investigation might be too much for her, but someone obviously wants her to investigate and she’s determined to get justice for the unidentified young man.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Unwanted Corpse, which has an interesting plot, likeable characters and a very readable style. It is a while since I spent time with Lady Fan and Francis, so I had forgotten what fun they are.

Being set in 1794 there isn’t much room for forensics, so it’s all about conversations and psychology. Ok, psychology is pushing it as it wasn’t a thing at the time, more like shrewd character assessment and that happens to be one of Lady Fan’s skills. The novel is interesting because there is a limited number of suspects and the fun lies in determining who’s lying (hint: most of them) and about what. I found myself engrossed in trying to work it out and failing miserably. It’s cleverly done. How the body got to Lady Fan’s doorstep made me laugh, although it’s not unbelievable.

The characterisation is equally interesting, albeit in a different way. For such a character based novel I didn’t find they had any depth and seemed conceived to fit the plot rather than the other way round. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing as their behaviour drives the narrative.

The Unwanted Corpse is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Having a corpse dumped at one's doorstep did not constitute an ordinary day even for the Fanshawes, oh, except perhaps, for Ottilia Fanshawe, otherwise known as Lady Fan. She had thought she'd left the detective life behind when she married Lord Francis Fanshaw and had Baby Luke. However, she was very much mistaken.

When the corpse showed up and was addressed to Lady Fan, what could she do?! She just had to know who the chap was, who had done him in and why. Also, the curiosity of knowing who had dumped him there so unceremoniously.

Richenda Vexford definitely had a hand in it as did several young toffs who fluttered around Richenda. What info they were privy too and who was lying, kerflummoxed and maxed out Lady Fan's detective skill to great challenge. It was not an easy task to squeeze out the facts of the matter. Thankfully, she had her husband Fan, mother-in-law Sybilla, and her niece Lizzy's sleuthing assistance. Even the Mr. Maplewood pitched in to help.

What a romantic, or not, relationship between Lizzy and Maplewood, was it all above board? The angst of it all pestered and persisted throughout the narrative, keeping the reader second guessing to the last, right along with Lizzy and Maplewood themselves.

This story has a historical setting from a way back to 1794, so I decteted some era culture to be imbued within the pages: whispered strokes in the way they addressed each other, the great use of horses and carriages even in "high speed" gallop chase which lend to the effect. The feature which had the most impact was the health issue of the corpse (ahem, before he expired), which today, with the advancements of treatment in the medical field, would more than likely have not been such a grave problem. and therefore smacks of the time and place in place.

I did like the book as it was quite clean of objectionable-to-me conduct between couples and in fact portrayed much decorum. This then, emphasised the aborted misconduct of Richenda when she was retrieved. Some readers may have met Lady Fan before as this book is the eighth in the Lady Fan Mysteries series.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

March 2022

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

Unfortunately, I never got into the book and couldn't keep the characters straight. Unusual names, and that this was the first book I've read in the series so I felt lost. That being said, it seemed like an interesting plot and the mystery kept me guessing.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review