This is another wonderful book from one of my favorite authors. Larsen sets the perfect tone for this historical cozy mystery. And i am loving this series.

My favorite librarian, Tiffany Woodall, is back, as well as Samir, Thomas, Mary, Catharine, and sweet Beau. (The interactions with him and Tiffany were so enjoyable and enduring). Many in the town are harboring secrets and have something to hide regarding the death of Bernard Coram and I loved trying to sort out the whodunit. It’s a race to catch the killer as someone who Tiffany holds dear is wrongly accused.

The mystery had me guessing and there many twists I wasn’t expecting. I am hoping for another book in this enjoyable series.
I received a copy from the author and a Netgalley link. All views and opinions are my own.

I was happy to get my hands on book two of Samantha Larsen’s Lady Librarian Mystery, Once Upon a Murder because book one, A Novel Disguise was a favorite read! And if a mystery features any type of librarian or book lover, it always goes to the top of my TBR.

It’s 1784 in England and Tiffany Woodall is enjoying her life as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort. (If I could travel back in time, I would like this job, please.). However, only pages into the mystery, Tiffany stumbles upon the frozen dead body of former footman Mr. Bernard Coram. At first Tiffany is accused as the murderer, but is quickly eliminated. Unfortunately Samir, Tiffany’s dear friend and romantic interest, was overheard arguing with Corman and officials arrest Samir. To save her friend, Tiffany dives into the mystery and many shocking secrets are revealed about those Tiffany loves.

This mystery is full of great characters–both interesting, likable and evil. (The kind you love to hate!) Tiffany remains a great sleuth, unafraid to search for the truth even when hurtful secrets are unveiled. This second entry into the series features the addition of some darling children and cute babies that add sweetness and humor to the story. Overall, there’s a strong mixture of mystery, humor and fighting for justice present in this story that I enjoyed.

Another fine Georgian mystery! Much like the first book in this series, A Novel Disguise, this book features sharp writing, excellent characters and a plethora of accurate historical detail, including people of color. (Although people of color lived in England in the 1780s, you'd never know it from most of the books set during that time period.) The mystery is pleasantly twisty and fun to figure out and I really enjoyed spending time with Tiffany, Samir and Catherine again. I look forward to future books in the series! Highly recommended.

It’s 1784, and spinster Tiffany Woodall is hoping to put the chaos and intrigue of the last few months behind her. However, when she finds a dead body on her way to work at the castle one morning, she knows that isn’t going to happen. When the local bookseller, the man Tiffany loves, is accused of the crime, she can’t help but get involved. Can she figure out what happened?

The first book in this series was one of my favorites of last year. This book wasn’t as good, but it was still enjoyable. As with the first book, the mystery takes a backseat at times. However, here the other storylines weren’t as compelling. This is especially true of the romance. I was glad it wasn’t dragged out too much and I bought it in a way I wouldn’t in other series, but I wasn’t as invested in it. When the murder really kicks in during the second half, I was more fully on board, and I love how that was resolved. Likewise, I still loved all the characters and did enjoy seeing what happened to them. Fans of the first will want to pick this up. If you missed the first, you’ll definitely want to start there.

I absolutely loved Once Upon a Murder! It’s a fabulous historical mystery with such endearing characters. I thoroughly enjoyed A Novel Disguise & this second book in the Lady Librarian Mystery series is even better if possible.

Miss Tiffany Woodall’s a 40 year old spinster who’s also the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort. She’s intelligent, humorous, and has the brilliant ability to solve mysteries. She fell in love with Mr. Samir Lathrop, a bookseller and local constable when they solved the murder of her brother. When a dead body is found near Tiffany’s cottage, she becomes the prime suspect, but when she’s exonerated Samir is accused. It’s up to Tiffany to solve the mystery & clear Samir’s name.

I loved this Georgian era mystery/romance! Tiffany is such a great character and I loved getting further glimpses into her personality. Though she’s a spinster, she longs for motherhood and a chance at love. I also love Samir and was really thrown for a loop when a secret he’s been hiding is revealed. It threatens his relationship with Tiffany and causes all kinds of chaos. I love the chemistry he has with Tiffany and was hoping there would be a way for them to be together.

The mystery was so good with all kinds of twists and turns. There are a host of suspects and I enjoyed trying to figure out who the murderer was. It’s a race against time and all comes down to a court trial in the last few chapters in the story. While everything was expertly wrapped up with a nice bow, I’m hoping that the series will continue. I thoroughly enjoy these characters and can’t wait to see the next chapter in their lives.

Highly recommend to those who enjoy romantic, closed door, cozy historical mysteries! Though Once Upon a Murder could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading A Noble Disguise first. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

This is the second book in this series which I didn't know before reading so I kind of wish I had read that first but I do feel like there were enough details that I could guess what happened in the first book.
Miss Tiffany Woodall is a spinster working as a librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort. It starts with her running late to work and literally stumbling over a dead body.
The body is none other than the incorrigible Mr. Bernard Coram. As her and the constable Mr. Samir Lathrop search for clues they discover many have motives to murder Bernard. What follows is a compelling historical murder mystery.

ONCE UPON A MURDER by Samantha Larsen
The Second Lady Librarian Mystery

Tiffany Woodall is running late for her job as librarian at Astwell Palace, which is nothing new. However, her tardiness on this day is due to stumbling over the dead body of Bernard Coram, a nasty former footman. The despicable Justice of the Peace, Sir Walter Abney, immediately suspects Tiffany of murder, then arrests Constable Samir Lathrop. Knowing he will not receive a fair trial, Tiffany is desperate to discover the real killer herself. But there are lots of secrets in this small village and villagers tend to stick together, especially against a foreigner. In 1784 England there's not a lot a single woman is allowed to do, but unexpected aid comes from the formidable Duchess of Beaufort. Will they be able to get to the truth?

Abuse, discrimination, and greed are the key elements of ONCE UPON A MURDER, but so are loyalty and family. We are witness to base behavior, and also cunning, for good, and not so good. Emotions run high and desperate measures are called for. There's a complex mystery, but also drama, and romance at the book's heart.

I enjoyed the first Lady Librarian Mystery and I loved this second installment even more. Tiffany is a wonderful protagonist, smart, determined, but not without insecurities. She also has to face discrimination, especially as a single mature women. While I don't understand the all consuming desire to have a family, I can appreciate Tiffany's feelings and appreciate how this portion of the storyline was handled. While I loved Samir in the previous book, I was appalled at his male idiocy in this one! And Mary's actions had me stunned and angry as well. Who I truly came to admire was the Duchess. I loved getting to know her better and witnessing her wily machinations. I'm so glad she's on Tiffany's side.

ONCE UPON A MURDER is a gripping historical novel with an intriguing mystery.

The second installment in the Lady Librarian Mysteries is divine. I loved the mash-up of so many fairytales in this Victorian setting, but most especially Little Red Riding Hood.

Miss Tiffany Woodall finds a dead body in front of her cottage and takes it upon herself, along with her crew of unlikely friends, to solve this mystery. I feel it’s important to read the first book in the series to get a feel for the relationships, as many revelations come to light throughout these pages. The connections are powerful and what solidified my attention to this book.

It was enjoyable to see this strong female lead cast aside the social norms of this time, while indulging in her deepest desires. The layers of the mystery were peeled off like layers of an onion, giving way to new clues and insights that gave this tale a fresh, crisp, competent feel and was very engaging. I love how everything came together and in such sweet, twisty, and surprising ways.

Content/TW with POSSIBLE SPOILERS: murder/death (not graphic); complicated relationships (infidelity, forcing oneself on others, unwed pregnancies); mild romance; talk of monthly cycles/childbirth

Once Upon a Murder by Samantha Larsen is the second book in the Lady Librarian mystery series. I found the first, A Novel Disguise, completely delightful, and this book is just as wonderful. I highly recommend that you read these in order. I know I’d be confused if I read this by itself without knowing the background of the characters, plus, I know you’ll love the first book!

Miss Tiffany Woodall is now the official head librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort. She’s also temporarily teaching the Duchess’s young son until a suitable governess is found. The way Tiffany teaches is completely the way young children should be taught! She brings literature to life for him all the while incorporating math and science and making it fun!

Tiffany is still crazy about the bookseller, Samir, and she believes he is about her too. No spoilers, so I’ll just say lots of stuff happens that might potentially keep them apart including Tiffany being a suspect, and Samir’s arrest for murder! All of that “stuff” is really exciting and brings about change.

As with the first novel, the characters come to life under the pen of Larsen. She also paints us a picture of the small 1700s village in which the story is set. As you can imagine, life at the palace differs greatly from village life. I enjoyed “visiting” a few different locations in this novel and getting to know new characters.

The murder mystery is well-plotted with Tiffany and her cohorts gathering useful clues throughout the investigation. Thankfully, Samir is cleared, but will Tiffany get the happily ever after she dreams of?

To get the most enjoyment out of this novel, be sure to read A Novel Disguise first! I highly recommend Once Upon a Murder for its well-written characters, carefully plotted mystery, descriptive scenes, and for the romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher; however, all thoughts expressed are my own. Once Upon a Murder is the second title to feature Miss Tiffany Woodall, an aging spinster who is working as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort. After being accused of murder just the year prior, Tiffany is dismayed to discover the body of a former footman for the duchess in front of her own home. Bernard Coram was a nasty piece of work, and it quickly becomes clear that there are many people who may have had motive to kill him. Unfortunately, the magistrate zeroes in on the owner of the local bookshop, Samir Lathrop who is also the local constable and of Indian descent which has caused many locals to view him with suspicion. Tiffany, with help from the Duchess and her adopted son, Thomas, races to find out who actually murdered Bernard before it is too late. One thing that is really interesting about this time period is just how quickly justice moved and the limited ability of the accused to mount a defense. There were things about this book that were a little too pat and may put some readers off, I found the overall story to be enjoyable so I was able to overlook them. Secondary characters are well rounded and interesting in their own right. I'm hoping there will be future titles featuring Tiffany and Samir.

I loved this story! I couldn’t put it down. It pulled me in from the first page and I didn’t want to stop reading. I enjoyed the first book but I think this one was even better. I loved how the author dropped little clues along the way but you didn’t know exactly what happened until the end. I thought this was an engaging mystery with wonderful characters and I hope there are more books in the future with these characters.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

A good balance of Regency romance and historical mystery, I enjoyed this solid mystery and rooted for the characters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane for an advance reader copy of “Once Upon a Murder.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Definitely from the romantic school of historical mysteries, “Once Upon a Murder” is for those who like a bit of a (murderous) puzzle in between the heart-shaped trials and tribulations of the story’s heroine. In this case, that would be Tiffany Woodall, the “Lady Librarian” for Her Grace the Duchess of Beaufort. And there’s a lot of tribulations, as first Tiffany is suspected; but then, worst of all, her beloved gets arrested for the murder of the dead footman that Miss Woodall trips over on the way to work. Well, author Samantha Larsen (and Tiffany) can’t have that, so with a mind for detection -- and the help of the redoubtable duchess -- Miss Woodall solves the murder and saves the day. True to the tenor of Georgian times, with a heroine that brooks no opposition, “Once Upon a Murder” finds everyone living happily ever after, well, except for the corpse in the lane, of course.

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload my review to Amazon on the publication day.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Samantha Larsen for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Novel Disguise coming out February 20, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was obsessed with the first book, so I was really excited to check out the second book. I feel like the murder wasn’t as exciting as the first book. There was also a lot of drama that I wasn’t expecting. I don’t want to give anything away, but I wasn’t super excited about a certain someone showing up. I thought that really didn’t fit with Samir’s character from the first book. But I can see the reasoning for some of the drama. I’m glad everything worked out, but the way it was handled was a little odd to me. I just love Tiffany and Samir, so I was willing to overlook a lot of the drama. Overall, I loved the book and I would definitely read more books if this ends up being a series.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical murder mysteries!

Accused of murder!

Lively, pirate playing governess, forty year old Tiffany Woodall, who’s the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort is in love with Indian Samir Lathrope. He’s the bookshop owner and constable in the village of Mapledown. Tiffany is also teaching the six year old Duke using unusual and quite joyful methods. I’m in love with her wonderful joie de vivre.
However their relationship is strained when Tiffany becomes the suspect in the murder of ex footman and altogether womaniser Bernard Coram, and Tiffany is arrested.
Not only that Tiffany discovers that Samir has been married for the last ten years. His pregnant wife Evie turns up in the village long enough to have the baby and depart, leaving Tiffany literally holding the baby.
To cap it off, Samir is accused of murdering Bernard. A trial date is set and Tiffany must do all she can to have Samir acquitted.
Interesting fact emerges about how the common folk went about divorcing. The husband would sell his wife at a fair.
A somewhat cozy 1784 Georgian Mystery with heaps of charm and plenty of action.

A Crooked Lane ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I loved this book! It is the second in the series, and picks up right where the first leaves off. Tiffany is once again embroiled in mystery and intrigue. She and Samir must work together to get to the bottom of the mystery of a death. But when Tiffany shares feelings that Samir doesn’t return, she has to work through things. I just loved it. We see characters from the first book, The author does such a good job of making you suspect every person in the book! And then not knowing until the very end! And just when you think you have it figured out, it takes another turn!

Thoroughly enjoyed! The audiobook was particularly fantastic! Such a well done story!

The way this book ends seems to indicate that this is the last of the series, but I hope it continues! Tiffany and Samir make a great investigative team. especially when they are proving each other's innocence. This book was such a fun, quick read. The chapters were short and the plot compelling. I couldn't wait to see if and how Tiffany and Samir would get their HEA! I think it could've been drawn out for at least a third book.

I didn't see Mary's character arc coming. I'm more than a little disappointed in her. Also, Duchess Catherine had a lot of character growth. She grew a down-to-earth, intelligent and caring personality since the last book. She was my fave secondary character this time around. I guess widowhood does that to a lady.

These are both such quick, cozy, sweet romantic reads I think I can recommend them to mystery readers, and every kind of romance reader. These would make a great gift from my mom. The covers are what initially attracted me to try this new author who I will be following from now on.

Once Upon a Murder is the second book in the Lady Librarian Mystery series by Samantha Larsen.

I am a huge fan of historical romance, and was excited to check out this mystery that has a touch of romance on the side, unfortunately it fell a little short for me.

Set in a small English village in 1784, Tiffany is working as a librarian at a local manor, when one morning on her way to work, she finds a dead man close to her cottage.

There were some things I liked about this book, such as the diverse cast of characters, and the historical notes at the end of the book explaining that some of the more unbelievable bits of this story were historically accurate.

Unfortunately there were also a number of things that really bothered me, not least of which is the number of time Tiffany's menstrual cycle, bloody rags, and cramping stomach were mentioned. Even though I had not read book one, I felt like some of the characters acted very, well, uncharacteristically just from what I knew of them from this book. I also found some of the dialogue a little more modern than I would have expected from a novel set in this time period

In addition I found some of the situations awkward, and the reactions of characters unrealistic. For instance, when Tiffany and her love interest are walking together, and she professes her love for him, he rejects her (rather harshly and with no explanation after previously having shown interest in her) and they just continue on to question people about the murder. I just found it all rather odd.

If you aren't looking for complete historical accuracy, this was a quick read, but I'm not sure I'll check out any other books in the series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Three stars for this one because it did at least try to be a bit different.

Set in 1784 the book has a number of historical references and descriptions of everyday life in a small village. Tiffany Woodall is an interesting character and Samir Lathrop even more so. There is plenty of action, lots of evil characters and some very cute moments with small boys and babies.

I was irritated by Tiffany's weak constitution though. I did a quick check on my Kindle and discovered she mentions cramps 14 times and her stomach 32 times during the book. And it is not a very long book. I doubt if I will look for another in the series.

A cozy and fun historical mystery! I didn't read the first installment in the series, so was a little lost but I enjoyed it!