A fresh start for Jo after losing her job and getting divorced, when she inherits an estate in England. Jo is a neurodivergent and hyperlexic character that helps a detective solve a murder at a cottage on her estate.

overall it was a bit slow so it was hard to get into but the characters were well written and likeable. I do appreciate the ending wrapped up nicely and the representation was great!

I was really enamored with this story. Once I got started I binged the book until I was finished!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I liked this cozy mystery at the beginning but it slowly lost my interest. It just really dragged on and on and I found myself completely unexcited to pick it back up. I appreciated the neurodivergent inclusion in Jo, but I didn't think it necessary she bring it up in conversation so often to justify certain actions. The mystery itself was also lacking for me. I didn't dislike the writing style so I would absolutely try a different book by this author. It's possible this one was just a case of not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

***3.5 Stars***

THE FRAMED WOMEN OF ARDEMORE HOUSE is a quirky, smartly conceived, and entertaining mystery. Schillace created an enjoyable book with unique characters, several twists and turns, and hidden family secrets.

Here is the thing about this book. It is fast-paced and flows effortlessly as the investigation unravels to the big reveal at the end. At its core, it is a solid murder mystery complete with two investigators on the hunt for the truth about the death of a groundskeeper and an ammeter sleuth determined to look into her own mystery surrounding her new inheritance but happens to get mixed up further into the death on her estate.

I truly enjoyed spending time in Jo’s world and experiencing the way her mind works as she encounters new people and new situations. The only aspect of the book that would have made it better for me is if the author delved further into the history of Jo’s ancestors and expanded that part of the plot. I wanted more detail about her pursuit of her family’s past because it sometimes came across as just touching the surface.

THE FRAMED WOMEN OF ARDEMORE HOUSE is a quick read that checks off all the boxes for a mystery lover such as myself. I don’t know if there will be more books after this one, but is it too much to hope a Jo Jones series could be in the works?

Audiobook Note: Lindsey Dorcus narrates this wonderfully cozy mystery. The pace and inflection are perfect as the narrator brings Jo and the complete cast to life. I have to say that spending time listening to this book was completely enjoyable. It truly enhanced the words written by the author.

What an interesting and twisty mystery! I really enjoyed the way the author wrote the neurodivergent mc. She was someone I really rooted for.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

I’d call this a cozy mystery but it’s more of a mystery that will leave you feeling like you were at an English sprawling manor. A good read!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Framed Women of Ardemore House: A Novel by Brandy Schillace

In the intricate tapestry of mystery novels, Brandy Schillace’s The Framed Women of Ardemore House emerges as a vibrant thread, weaving a tale as enigmatic as it is enthralling. Set against the backdrop of a crumbling English estate, Schillace invites readers into a world where every shadow could hold a secret, and every portrait tells a story.

Jo Jones, our protagonist, is a character of remarkable depth and authenticity. As a neurodivergent, hyperlexic book editor, her move from the bustling streets of New York to the hauntingly quiet English countryside is painted with strokes of vulnerability and resilience. The narrative thrives on her unique perspective, offering a refreshing take on the classic whodunit formula.

The plot unfurls with the disappearance of a peculiar family portrait and the discovery of a body, setting Jo on a collision course with her family’s murky past and the town’s hidden skeletons. Schillace’s writing is a masterclass in suspense, balancing the tension of the mystery with moments of levity and human connection.

Supporting characters, from the Welsh antiques dealer to the Irish innkeeper’s wife, are crafted with care, each adding layers to the unfolding drama. The setting of Ardemore House is a character in its own right, with its secret rooms and whispered legends contributing to the novel’s gothic atmosphere.

Schillace’s prose is both sharp and playful, ensuring that the journey through the labyrinthine plot is as enjoyable as it is surprising. The resolution is satisfying, yet it leaves one hoping that this is not the last we see of Jo Jones and the enigmatic Ardemore House.

In conclusion, The Framed Women of Ardemore House is a triumph of the genre, a cozy yet captivating read that promises to delight fans of mysteries and strong, unconventional protagonists.

This was a surprising read. I really enjoyed it. I thought the story was engaging, I liked the characters. I found myself not wanting to put it down.

Jo Jones' life was already in shambles after an awful divorce that left her homeless and jobless when her mother's death leaves her with no connections to anything in the US and a crumbling family estate in North Yorkshire. So she packs up and moves to England to retake her ancestral home and start over. But the house is in worse shape than she could have imagined and the caretaker is none too happy about her wanting to stay in the property's rental cottage. A public fight between Jo and the caretaker about a missing painting and her decision to fire him ends up putting her in a difficult position when he's discovered murdered in the cottage. But the new girl in town has people on her side as she works to find out the truth about the murder and the family that left the manor to fall apart.

It's a very straightforward plot that doesn't offer many surprises or twists, but it's an interesting read thanks to Schillace's writing. You get instantly attached to Jo and her situation, with the mystery of the house and the woman from the missing painting being almost a bigger draw than solving the murder. That's not to say that the police work isn't interesting as there are lots of great tidbits to enjoy there, but I found Jo's investigation more engaging simply because it's different from the norm.

Overall, it's nothing groundbreaking or out there but it's a story that pulls you in with the characters and keeps the interest going with great writing.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for the intriguing read!

This was... fine. Pacing was quick, plot was easy to follow, characters were okay. The amount of leniences the police took with the main character was convenient, but I guess critical to move the plot along. I just found it rather unrealistic and distracting that the police allowed the main suspect (main character who is autistic) to continue to reenter the crime scene multiple times without punishment. Call me a stickler for the rules.

I wouldn't go out of my way to reco this, but it was a nice read to stumble upon.

The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace is a mystery novel with a neurodivergent lead character. The story in The Framed Women of Ardemore House does have some flashing back to the past and changes of the point of view at some points of the novel.

It has not been a good year for Jo Jones having lost her job and her mother so with nothing holding her in New York she has decided to make her way to England. Jo often finds herself struggling to fit in with her autism diagnosis but she hopes the English countryside where she has inherited an old run down manor in North Yorkshire will finally be home.

Shortly after arriving at the old family estate though Jo finds her new home needs more repairs than she had hoped but that isn’t the worst of her problems when she also finds a dead body. Jo soon finds herself a potential suspect in the local detectives eyes but the mystery goes even deeper when she finds an old portrait also missing from the house.

When first picking up The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace I thought this one might be a cozy mystery but I felt the book was more firmly in the mystery genre which was perfectly fine too. I do enjoy books with neurodivergent characters so I quickly settled into getting to know Jo and her surroundings. The story did feel it jumped around a bit which took some getting used to in the beginning keeping me turning the pages wondering what would happen and overall this one turned into one interesting mystery.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Newly divorced, grieving the loss of her mother and unemployed after her husband tricks her out of their publishing firm, it hasn’t been a pleasant year for Josephine “Jo” Jones. But Jo, a New Yorker in her forties, does not hesitate to pack up and move to the English countryside to claim the family estate in North Yorkshire she has inherited from her mother’s side of the family. A crumbling mansion on an expansive property with a cottage she can move into – Jo is ready to accept the challenge of picking up and starting over deciding to attempt to repair the crumbling mansion on her own. This isn’t an easy transition for Jo. Her American accent, neurodiversity and the challenges of relocating to a new country make it difficult for her to fit in and make friends easily. Jo is curious about her family history and is intrigued by the framed portraits of the original owners who disappeared without a trace decades ago. She takes an immediate dislike to Sid Randles the shady caretaker of the property and promptly has him fired after suspecting him of removing a potentially valuable painting from a hidden room in the mansion, resulting in a confrontation in the local pub. When Sid is found murdered on the premises, Jo is initially a suspect but a deep dive into Sid’s life results in a list of suspects longer than the local law enforcement, with DCI James MAcAdams leading the investigation, had anticipated. DCI Fleet, with military experience under his belt and having worked with Scotland Yard, is brought into the investigation by MacAdams’ boss on account of his expertise in such matters. Though their personalities clash, DCI MacAdams has no other choice but to begrudgingly collaborate with him. Jo concentrates on her search for the missing portrait as law enforcement leaves no stone unturned in their efforts to find the killer.

Atmospheric and well-paced, The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace is a deftly crafted novel that combines elements of a police procedural and historical mystery/fiction. The narrative is presented to us from the perspectives of Jo and DCI MacAdams and I enjoyed both perspectives equally. Jo is a unique protagonist and I thought that the author did a remarkable job depicting her struggles as well as playing to her strengths. Jo’s unique way of interpreting the world around her made this story all the more interesting. In addition to following the mysteries as they are unraveled, I also enjoyed Jo's personal journey and loved how the author presents how she begins to adjust to her new surroundings, cope with the adversity she faces and gradually accept the potential friendships and opportunities that her new life has to offer. All the characters are well thought out (even the unlikable ones) and Tula, the innkeeper who proves to be a caring and protective friend, is one of my favorite supporting characters. The author weaves several literary references into the narrative, which would appeal to those fond of classic literature as well as Golden Age mysteries. There is a lot to unpack in this novel - a large cast of characters to follow and numerous subplots to unravel- but the author succeeds in striking a perfect balance without the plot becoming convoluted or ambiguous and I really liked how all the threads converge at the end. I did find the title of the novel a tad misleading (a personal observation), but I'm willing to ignore that because I really did enjoy the read!

I’d be eager to read more stories featuring these characters in the future ( the ending does leave me hopeful!).

Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Jo is looking for direction when she suddenly receives a call about an inheritance from her mom's side of the family, involving an old estate in England. When she shows up she finds the house is not in a good state and the man who had been tasked with upkeep suddenly ends up dead. The townspeople are suspicious of her arrival and while she doesn't do well with social cues, she finds she's quite good at investigating. She's determined to find out why the caretaker died and whether it's tied to the missing painting from the estate. The slow revelation of Jo's past and her thought process was helpful in setting the book's tone. Overall, a decent mystery with an interesting main character and although the final revelation did tie events together, it felt like it lacked a little depth. There's potential for future books in a series.

Honestly? I was pretty bored for most of this.

The mystery isn't too interesting, and the detective's POV was like a very bland cop show. Jo was intriguing, I liked the way her brain worked. Also enjoyed side characters Tula and Ben.

The writing was good, I just didn't care for the actual plot.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Framed Women of Ardmore House is about Jo who inherits an estate along with its mercurial groundskeeper and is thrown into the mystery of the family history as well as a murder that happens in her new house.

Read if you like: small town settings, British mysteries, ancestral(?) mysteries (I might have made this up), very mild will they won’t they, flawed characters
Narration: Third person past tense, dual perspective
Diversity: Autistic main character

This was a very enjoyable read for me. Especially once the mystery started, it was difficult to put down.
👍 I really liked the characters. The main character especially was quite cool. I really liked how her job, her interests and her autism worked together to create a unique, smart and interesting character. I loved that she was a book lover. I also really liked the MMC though he was more of a classic police detective.
👍I was totally invested in both of the mysteries in the book. There is the main one involving a murder, and another one surrounding the house, a painting and the ancestors who used to live there. I possibly enjoyed the secondary mystery even more because it felt more unique.
👍 I also really liked: the town, the general ambiance, the pacing.

I did have some complaints while reading the book. I guessed the culprit very early on and things got a little too unnecessarily complicated at times and I’d lose the thread, etc. But at the same time, when it was over, I was sad to get out of the story! I really hope this becomes a series, because I really want to read what happens next.

Overall rating: 4⭐

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

Jo Jones is at loose ends when she finds out she has inherited an estate in England after the death of her mother. Newly divorced and not sure what to do next, investigating her new inheritance might be just what she needs. However, when she arrives she discovers a run-down estate, back taxes and, less than 48 hours after she arrives, a body in her living room.

Jo is an interesting character in that she is on the autism spectrum. As a result, she has trouble with social situations as well as a few quirks and preferences that sometimes she doesn’t even understand. Many of the other characters are somewhat unappealing or just plain sad, but their interactions are well-presented by the author. Besides Jo, Tula is a charmer and happily takes Jo under her wing, since they are both outsiders and Jo’s Welsh admirer, Gwilym, is a hoot.

Overall, I enjoyed The Framed Women of Ardemore House (the title makes sense when you read the book) although it took me awhile to adjust to the cadence of the story as well as some awkward sentences and transitions.

At times there was too much explaining and re-hashing of the facts and speculations, which gave the story a slower pace than I would have preferred. As a result, I found it difficult to remain attentive. Overall, this isn’t a bad book. It has interesting characters and a good plot. But, I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was a tighter story. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

While I do think the story could have been flushed out a little more, I really did enjoy the book. It was refreshing to read about Jo- who is neurodivergent- and have a FMC that goes against the typical "grain" that we see in books. As a thriller fan, I was captivated by the story and twists and turns that the author took us on. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it.

“𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 – 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.”

The title and cover of this book had me intrigued right from the beginning, and it didn’t let me down.

Jo is a refreshing protagonist, who is determined, smart, and brave. She learns to navigate social cues in a whole new world when she moves to England after inheriting an estate. I absolutely loved Ben and Tula, the owners of the local bar & inn, who befriend Jo right away. Brandy Schillace’s choice to have Jo’s perspective only until the murder happens, followed by a shift back and forth between Jo and Detective Chief Inspector MacAdams was a really interesting one. I expected a cozy mystery with an amateur sleuth, but was pleasantly surprised that it had more of a police procedural feel, with Jo moreso using her research skills rather than sleuthing. The story is set in modern day, yet also has the feel of a Christie novel in a village with a small set of characters and a crumbling estate. There were a lot of pieces of both the murder and the mystery of the missing painting that seemed a bit convoluted at times, however Schillace presents solutions that made a lot of sense and brought it all together well.

The Framed Women of Ardemore House is a story of outcasts, determination, seeing connections, and family secrets. The very end seems like it could be the start of a series and I’m definitely in. I’d be very happy to reunite with Jo, MacAdams, Green, Tula, Ben, and Gwilym again. Thank you to Hanover Square Press & NetGalley for the ARC!