In this Regency-era murder mystery, two young women, while hiding out from a country ball in the grand house’s library, accidentally witness a murder. They barely know each other, and don’t much like each other, but with more people dying – and one of the young ladies escaping a brush with death herself – they must work together to solve the murder.

For some reason, I thought this was going to be a bit more fun and hijinks-y – sadly that is not the style of this book. It’s much more straightforward. But overall, it’s a fine little murder mystery. There was not much tension in the beginning and both of the spinsters are a bit unlikeable toward the start, and so it was a bit slow at first. But around the middle the tension picks up, and I started to warm up to the main characters as they warmed up to each other, so it was much more enjoyable from there on out. It’s nothing earthshattering but if you like historical mysteries, it’s a decent read. I’d read another if presented with one.

Excellent read. I love books set in this time period. These adventures are always the best

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for choosing me to read an advanced copy

This is what I would call cosy crime historical fiction. Two spinsters team up to uncover a murderer.
I sometimes had trouble keeping up with all the characters but it was enjoyable enough and cosy crime fans will like it.

As a fan of crime fiction, I was really excited to read this book as the idea of a murder mystery plot line set in the regency era sounded really intriguing. However, it was quite difficult to get through the book as the beginning was quite slow. When reading murder mysteries, readers often want to feel as though they are at the edge of their seats with the plot twists and actions but the plot seemed quite stiff in this aspect. Which only lead to me being quite unmotivated to continue reading.

Hello! Thank you for the ARC!

I was not a big fan of this book. I was hoping it would be more of a murder/mystery and it wasn't. I think the focus was the characters and their relationships with each other, even though they could barely stand each other. I think that the character development didn't make much sense either, especially for Louise-Maragretta.

I published my reveiw on goodreads on 08/09/2024.

Historical Mystery that follows two Regency era spinsters, one a rector's daughter and the other a rich man's daughter, as they set out to catch a killer before Christmas.

4/5 stars: This is the first entry in Tarrington's Two Spinsters and a Murder Mystery series which is a Historical Mystery featuring two Regency era spinsters, one a rector's daughter still grieving her mother's death and the other a rich man's daughter pining for the “unsuitable” man she loves, as they team up to uncover who poisoned a guest during a Christmas week party. With plenty of twists and turns, Tarrington has crafted a mystery that balances the suspects and weaves in plenty of clues and red herrings that will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Additionally, Tarrington's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Judith and Louisa-Margaretta may be complete opposites but find they have much in common. It's great to see them come together to figure out the mystery. Tarrington touches on some sensitive topics, so take care and the CWs. This is an interesting start to a new series and I look forward to reading more.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Tenacious Teacup Press in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I think there’s probably a good story here buried beneath a lot of irrelevant focus on Judith’s nonconformity. The book could use a good developmental editor to help the author improve the pacing and storytelling. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This regency era murder mystery had me hooked so quickly!.

Miss Judith St Clair and Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington were a surprisingly delightful duo that balanced each other well. I loved watching their friendship and will admit that I thought we might be getting a sapphic twist, but sadly it wasn’t meant to be. I really enjoyed watching their story unfold from their perspective and loved seeing all the twists and turns packed into this short story.

It had a very immersive setting and a satisfying conclusion. This was such a fun, quick read that was non-graphic/limited violence and will appeal to a wide audience. I would definitely recommend this, even to those who wouldn’t normally reach for this style of book.

Eve Terrington's *Two Spinsters and a Corpse* is a charming addition to the historical mystery genre. Set in the Regency era, the novel centers on two unlikely allies: Miss Judith St Clair, a reserved and pious young woman, and Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington, a spirited and rebellious socialite. When a murder disrupts their Christmas season, these two women must join forces to uncover the truth.

Terrington skillfully crafts a delightful narrative, blending witty banter with a gripping mystery. The dynamic between Judith and Louisa-Margaretta is the heart of the story, their contrasting personalities providing both humor and depth. Judith’s methodical and cautious approach complements Louisa-Margaretta’s bold and impulsive nature, making their sleuthing adventures both engaging and entertaining.

The setting of Derbyshire and the backdrop of Regency-era social mores add authenticity and charm to the novel. The plot is well-paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing. However, at times the resolution feels slightly predictable, and the secondary characters could benefit from a bit more development.

Overall, *Two Spinsters and a Corpse* is a delightful read for fans of historical mysteries, offering a blend of humor, intrigue, and period detail that makes for an enjoyable and satisfying escape into the past.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for giving me a free copy in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this book! I totally did not predict who the killer was so it was a nice surprise when it was revealed. I really enjoyed the friendship between Louisa-Margaretta and Judith and while I did see at least one review wishing they got together, I personally thought the ending was really nice as it is (and trust me, I'm ALL for a sapphic story). I thought the book was well-paced and had a cozy element to it. It was a nice historical fiction read in the sense that it gave off the proper vibes from that time period but the language did not feel stuffy. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be reading more from the author!
5/5 stars

This book is a mystery set in the Regency period in Britain. This isn't a puzzle mystery. The heroines didn't work together, just investigated on their own and then told the other why their guess was wrong. They initially simply chose the person they least liked from the possible suspects. In the last quarter of the book, they did find clues but the author refused to give the reader even a hint of what they were until the big reveal. Neither heroine was skilled at thinking on their feet or logically thinking things through.

The heroines weren't likable as both were very self-centered and determined to dislike everyone. They had to justify meeting together and so called each other 'friend' enough that both eventually decided that the other was maybe tolerable. Neither was really a spinster, either. Louisa-Margaretta intended to elope with a Jewish man that her parents refused to allow her to marry, but she hadn't had an opportunity to run away yet. Judith showed no marked interest in any of the potential suitors at the Christmas house party, yet at the end, we're told she's interested in one of the men.

The historical details were generally okay, though some things made little sense (though I can't explain without spoilers). There was no sex or modern bad language. As I prefer mysteries where I can guess whodunit and which have likable heroines, this series clearly isn't a good match for me.

I've given this book 3 stars - I really like the concept and feel like it was really promising! However, I think the book needed refining in certain areas. A rather big one to note is that Judith's friend is first introduced as 'Letty', then referred to as 'Lucia' for the rest of the chapter, and later comes back as 'Letty'.
I also felt like there were probably a few key sentences that were missing and left it hard to follow in places. I appreciate the author wasn't giving us all the information up front in order to keep the mystery until the end, but I think things were missing that meant when it all tied up together I was quite confused as to how the two heroines had figured it out. What made Judith think to check the registers, for example? How did Judith even know about the snuff boxes? At no point is there any indication that what was shared over the family time that morning with Louisa-Margaretta was later shared with Judith, so it seemed a bit odd that she suddenly knows enough to think to check the nursery. How on earth did that lead them to realise that it was Theo?
I also felt all the characters were introduced in very close succession, but not all together, which made it much more difficult to piece together who was who and how they were related.

All in all, I really like the idea of this book, but found the execution difficult to follow at times. The joy of a book for me is getting lost in the world, but the writing style meant that I was consistently having to return to previous pages as things didn't feel like they flowed well. But maybe it's just that this sort of book isn't for me!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it.

I really wanted to love this but I struggled to get through it. The pacing felt all over the place at times and the story was hard to follow with the story going off on a tangent sometimes. I did enjoy the setting, but it didn’t hit the Bridgerton x Agatha Christie vibes that I was expecting

Two Spinsters and a Corpse by Eve Tarrington.

Two young women meet each other while trying to avoid dancing at a ball and find themselves overhearing events, which result in a murder. They join forces to piece all the clues together and unmask the killer.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as I like historical crime novels, but it was a very slow burner.

To begin with, I had to keep going back and checking previous pages as I kept getting confused about which character was which and what their relationship to the other characters was.

I did eventually get into the book and started enjoying it, but the end was a bit rushed, and I’m still thinking who the visitor at the end is.

I would have liked a more detailed account regarding Louisa-Margaretta’s time in London as it was dealt with in a couple of sentences but not really dealt with at the same time.

All in all, it is a fairly enjoyable read, but more character back stories are needed. I would read another of the series now that I'm up to speed with the characters.

For fans of cosy crime or historical crime novels.

Thank you to Net Galley and Eve Tarrington for my opportunity to read the book.

#TwoSpinstersandaCorpse #NetGalley

Two Spinsters and a Corpse by Eve Tarrington

I had high hopes for this book because I love historical mysteries set in the UK, but this book was a disappointment. From the beginning, I felt like I was just dumped in the middle of some very unhappy young women’s lives. It was hard to follow along with the characters because most had the same last name and were referred to by their full name every time. I know that might have been historically accurate, but it made it very hard to follow and made much of the writing seem very formal and clunky. There was not one character in the book that was likable, maybe if there had been more character development, but it just wasn’t there. The ending was slightly better than the rest of the book, but even it felt very abrupt.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Regency Period - During a ball at Wycliffe Castle, home of the Haddingtons, rectors daughter Judith St Clair, and Louisa-Margaretta Haddington are hiding in the library when they overhear a conversation. Later Miss Matilda Ross is discovered dead in the library. They decide to investigate believing she was murdered.
Overall an entertaining cozy mystery but I couldn't really take to the two main females or many of the other characters.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes of this book, however they fell flat. It’s a slow book with few thrilling moments to keep you interested. I found there be a lot of fluff that I didn’t find engaging. Maybe it’s my personal fault, since I prefer more exciting, suspenseful books. If you prefer a longer more drawn out, cozy mystery this might be for you!

Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley Co-op for this is e-arc !!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
😘- no spice
🤬- little to no language
⚔️- mentions of people being found dead. Not descriptive though.

“Two Regency era spinsters, one quiet and one quarrelsome, try to catch a killer before Christmas in this new historical mystery series”

This was one wild ride!!! It took me a little bit to get into this book because the first bit is learning about our leading ladies, but I thoroughly enjoyed this read though!

It has a strong undercurrent of religion being that Judith is a rectors daughter. The author did well to be respectful even when the characters had different beliefs.

And the characters are all so solid and interesting!! The mystery was intriguing and the story progressed well!!

The only thing that kept this from a 5 star for me was how long it took me to really get into it. HOWEVER, I really think it’s a me thing and nothing to do with the book or the author, (I’m a mood reader)

Regency era stories are famous for all the things that must not be spoken of in polite society. Etiquette and pedigree were everything. The lady of the manor was so proper she renamed the Christmas “kissing ball” (mistletoe) the “praying ball.”

Miss Haddington and Miss St. Clair have little in common but the shared knowledge that a shocking death was murder, not suicide. They team up to catch a killer and forge a friendship along the way. I confess I had a little trouble keeping family connections straight. All’s well in in the end and the final scene seems to set up the next installment.

✨ Should have been gay ✨

The title drew me to this book. Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in a regency based who done it murder mystery. Sign me up.

Set in the countryside of Derbyshire, two families have recently moved to the village. A wealthy family, the Haddington’s with their daughter Louisa-Margaretta and the Rector and his family, employed by the Haddington’s.

Our unlikely duo are Judith the rector’s oldest daughter and Louisa- Margaretta. Both determined to be spinsters and shun the marriage market they are our two spinsters who are both smart, opinionated women. Which is always refreshing to read especially in this time period. The characters are both sharp-tongued despite how they ought to act as young ladies and the attention to detail for the era and inclusion of faith was a nice touch to ground the story in more depth. (Imagine Eloise Bridgerton but with no social skills investigating a murder.)

This context provides the familiar plot and story with a new backdrop which is enjoyable. As the two women try to solve the untimely death of a member of the house.

The ending clearly setting up for future series and adventures for the two spinsters to tackle, this is a clear introduction to their characters.

I did however find the pacing a bit off and the explanations of reasoning and conversations seemed to jump around a fair bit. This meant that at times I felt it was difficult to follow the timing of what was going on. As the story was simple enough that wasn’t too much of an issue. However it did feel we rushed to conclusions or judgments awfully quickly at times without laying the ground work.

There was also a side plot of romantic prospects, although this is not the main focus of the book so do not expect a romantic recency book with murder just to be clear.
However I did expect a bit more romantic build up, the ending in that regard felt rushed. I could have forgiven it for not having any romantic conclusion because it is a series but the rushed conclusion then disregarded that theory.

Most of all what I felt it missed was a clear opportunity to make the characters gay. A sapphic murder mystery recency book with these two gritty women would have really made this story sing, if romance was focused on more.

Either way an easy read and I am sure a fun series to continue.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review