A fun and entertaining read with lots of characters to judge and react to. I felt well immersed in that time period and liked the melodrama of the piece.

I do think having read the previous books in the series would have further added to the enjoyment but still a nice read.

Fiona is sent to America as a chaperone to Capt Hall’s niece. She’s also on the trail of a known spy.
It’s a bit of a light hearted spy story. There’s some unexpected twists at the end. I liked the story but didn’t really care for the characters except Archie. Fiona seems a little scatterbrained at times however she does have good disguises.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review. Sadly I’m not enjoying this book at the moment so will not be finishing it.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot (you'll find reviews like that out there already if that's what you want!).

I did not realise that this book was part of a series, however it worked just fine for me as a standalone as there is enough background information about the main characters.

This is an enjoyable, light read - a combination of spy novel, vintage travelogue, and social observation. The main character - Fiona Figg - is a feisty and determined young lady, trying to make her mark in the world of espionage in 1917. The writing is excellent and evokes attitudes and social behaviours of that time extremely well (from what I have read of that period).

There are some excellent supporting characters (including real life Dorothy Parker and J.Edgar Hoover!), and the action is set in London, the Atlantic, and New York. I enjoyed the descriptions of the settings, fashions, food etc, as well as the plot of course!

A great book to read on a journey or holiday, or if you're looking for an enjoyable mystery to pass a few hours. I will be happy to read more in this series, and will try to seek out the earlier novels too!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

This is a fast-paced historical mystery set in 1917. We first meet our characters in London where our heroine, intrepid spy and master of disguise Fiona Figg is given her next mission. We then travel across the Atlantic to New York before ending up at Carnegie Hall. On the way we meet several dashing men as well as a schoolgirl that Fiona reluctantly has to chaperone while still carrying out her mission.
The story includes actual events such as Suffragette protests in New York and several famous characters appear including Dorothy Parker and Thomas Edison. The mixture of real and fictional events and people works well and the story is extremely well-plotted. There are red herrings galore and nobody is quite what they seem to be.
This is the fourth instalment of this series and I did feel that I needed to have read the previous books to really enjoy this one. It’s quite a light read as none of the characters really felt as though they had very much depth but it was an enjoyable way to spend an evening.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This very fun romance-tinged mystery seems like a cross between an Agatha Christie and a Sherlock Holmes sleuthing story. The characters lend snap, crackle and pop especially the illustrious British spy Miss Fiona Figg, keeping an eye on the villian to catch him if she can; Captain Clifford Douglas, the chaperone; Captain Hall, the boss; and frilly Eliza Baker with her Pekingese. What merry chase across the Atlantic! Then there were Fredrick Fredericks and Archie - could either of them be trusted? How was John Edgar Hoover involved, was it more than just the heckling? How about Mr. Edison, was he implicit in this case and who killed Schweitzer, are each good questions for Miss Figg to figure out.

Having the setting to be during WWI, gave birth to double agents of the male variety here and there with plots and foiled plots, intermingled with suffragettes and murder. Chaos, indeed, all around! "Just, brilliant!" as the British would say.

Any reader who's not British may take exception to some of those kinds of expressions and vocabulary but they do lend flavor to the tale and overall, I'd say this is a good, clean, fun book which I totally enjoyed and one that will keep the neurons popping. Happy Reading, all!

After the addenda of "acknowledgements" and "about the author" the reader is treated to a foretaste of a next-in-the-series book of Miss Fiona Figg mysteries, that'll have your curiosity peaked and you begging for more. Oh well, at least in my opinion.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

September 2022

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

Shenanigans Aplenty…
Twists and turns aplenty in this entertaining romp as Fiona Figg immerses herself in the unknown whilst on the trail of a notorious spy. The shenanigans never let up as the intrepid Fiona determines to quash her quarry but suddenly the tables are tuned and Fiona is not sure of anything anymore. Engaging and enjoyable with a colourful and well crafted cast of characters and a frothy and swiftly moving storyline.

Although I have not read any of the other books in this series I quite enjoyed this one as a read-alone book and didn't feel I had missed out on too much by not reading the other books.

It is a bit of fun, a bit of mystery, a bit of intrigue but nothing too substantial. It is the kind of book you can sit down with, read it rather quickly and move on to the next book in your pile. That is not saying it was bad or there was anything wrong with it. It just wasn't a full on mystery but it was entertaining.

The characters are full of life and brought interest to the story and it was a definite who dunnit type of read. Entertaining, enjoyable, fun, light reading that you can pick up anywhere, at anytime.

1917-18, women-sleuths, NYC, espionage, situational-humor, murder, historical-novel, romantic****

Perhaps no one is what they seem, not even Dorothy Parker, Margaret Sanger, John Edgar Hoover, or Thomas Edison. Fiona Figg is sent to follow the spy killer and keep watch on a German spy. But her boss doesn't trust her and the agent she has feelings for keeps turning up in odd places. Then there's the boss's niece. Fiona crosses the Atlantic to follow her quarry to NYC and comes up with several dead bodies. Diabolical plot twists, interesting red herrings, colorful characters, make this a good whodunit.
I requested and received an e-book copy from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This fourth Fiona Figg novel keeps up the entertaining, enjoyable silliness off the series. Fiona is up to her usual tricks on a new mission to New York, with what looks like a new regular character in tow. There are disguises, appearances by historical figures, and a real twist for Fiona in her would-be love life. These are light, enjoyable reads, and I look forward to the next one.

CHAOS AT CARNEGIE HALL Is a romp of an historical mystery. Awash with colorful characters, morecred herrings than you can count, and several dashing men to provide romantic entaglements.

The cameos from J Edgar Hoover and Margaret Sanger add to the book’s fun. It was enjoyable, but I yearned for a little more substance . It read like an enjoyable British farce, and a little more meat would have been more satisfying.

Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in return for a candid r3view.