Death by Misadventure is another Lady Emily story by Tasha Alexander. I have been reading this series forever and it never fails to satisfy. The last several books have been duel timeline books and that adds some depth, as well as history, to the story. Lady Emily and her husband, Colin, find themselves at a house party at a chalet in Bavaria. It is a mixed group, to be sure, but should be entertaining. They are there to celebrate the completion of Baroness Ursula von Duchtel’s strikingly modern villa. As always, there is one guest that wouldn’t be missed if they weren’t in attendance, but overall it was a congenial group. As the story progresses we see the Baroness’ connection to Mad King Ludwig, which is the second storyline. It makes it all so personal. There appeared to be some half-hearted attempts on the life of the Baroness’ son-in-law, Kaspar Allerspach, but nothing serious until Kaspar returns from a sleigh ride with wife proclaiming she is dead; she has been shot. By this point the group is snowed in so it is plain the murderer is one of then.

Emily and Colin whip into investigative mode, although with the snow it is not easy. Meanwhile the party goes on. It is uncomfortable, knowing one of the company is a murderer, but everyone is confident that something will happen to uncover the culprit. There is art and there is music and wonderful food. The Baroness knows how to entertain. No one particularly cared for Kaspar and assumed Sigrid’s death was an accident, the murderer having been after Kaspar. The worst had happened so they soldiered on. Emily, as usual, managed to put together the clues to determine the murderer and everyone was astounded. Emily had this gift and she used it. She is a wonderful character as is Colin. This book is an example of what historical mystery should be. It is a good story, whether one chooses to read it or listen to it. A better story cannot be found.

The narrator is Bianca Amato and she is excellent. She has just the voice to portray Lady Emily and does well differentiating the other characters. She makes this an extraordinary listen, having such good source material.

I was invited to listen to Death by Misadventure by MacMillan Audio and to read by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #StMartinsPress #TashaAlexander #BiancaAmoto #DeathByMisadventure

At first, I was thrown off by the dates, as they didn't align in a way that made sense in my head. About halfway through, it started to make sense and I figured out half of the twist.

Germanic music history is something I researched in my college days (I majored in Music Education) and love a good Richard Wagner story. The man was fascinating and when this book started in on Neuschwanstein Castle, I knew I couldn't stop listening!

The narrator was fine. She did voices well, but she wasn't very moving. I loved the story and can't wait to purchase a physical copy of this book. This was the first Lady Emily book I have read and now I need to go back and read the previous 17!!

Thank you for the copy, this is my honest opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy of the audiobook. This mystery takes place in two time periods, alternating each chapter. I have read a few others in the series and I feel this one was the least adventurous. For one thing, most of the action takes place on a single estate in Bavaria. The murder is a bit late in the book as well. The connection between the two stories takes quite a bit of time to make much sense, but that did not take away from the effect. I think there was too much focus on one character and not enough on the supporting cast in the main story line. The past story was effectively told.

Tasha Alexander has once again created an entertaining read in an exotic locale in the harsh beauty of Bavaria. Lady Emily and Colin are their usual intelligent but heartwarming selves. I really cannot get enough of these two, and it is always a treat to see Cecile. The story is relatively complex, and I did not identify the villain in advance. Unfortunately, I am not sure that is because of the complexity or because I really did not care about most of the characters beyond Emily, Colin, and Cecile. While I enjoyed the read, this was not my favorite book in the series. Even though I much prefer the books that include some mixture of Jeremy, Ivy, Margaret, and more recently the Hargreaves children, I usually consider even the unlikeable non-recurring characters created by Ms. Alexander interesting. That was not the case here. I also grow tired of the dual timelines, particularly because the older timeline is always depressing and hopeless. In recent books, I have begun to skip the chapters with the second timeline and find a greater enjoyment of each book. That said, I look forward to Lady Emily's and Colin's next adventure.

It’s the winter of 1906 and Lady Emily and her husband, Colin, are at a house party in Bavaria near Neuschwanstein Castle. Although they are unfamiliar with the majority of their fellow guests, they quickly discover that not everyone in the party is beloved. What appear to be murder attempts start occurring soon after everyone convenes.

When one of the guests is murdered and everyone is isolated at the villa due to a snowstorm, Emily and Colin begin questioning everyone to determine who committed the crime.

The primary action is set during the house party, but there is a dual timeline aspect to this one. The secondary timeline covers the story of a young German, named Niels, who grows close to King Ludwig, who is famous for his construction of Neuschwanstein Castle (among other things), nearly 40 years before the house party Emily and Colin attend.

I will openly admit that when I requested this one, I did realize that it is part of a series but did not realize that it is book 18 in that series. I feel I probably would have enjoyed this more had I already been a fan of the series.

I appreciated the setting and varied cast of characters as well as how Emily and Colin treat each other as equals.

Although there are various clues and red herrings planted in regards to the murderer’s identity in the narrative, when it comes time for the reveal, there is more telling than showing.

The lead-up to the murder and the investigation themselves drag in this one.

And while I learned more about King Ludwig than I had previously known, I do not feel like the entirety of that plot line is necessary background to the events set in 1906.

All that being said, I could see this book (or this series) being adapted and made popular by PBS.

Bianca Amato’s narration portrays British, German, and French accents in this one. There’s a large cast of characters, and Amato utilizes different voices for each one.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

I learned so much from this book about King Ludwig. I really enjoyed the way the historical timeline interwove with the modern (still historical to the reader) timeline.

I enjoyed our heroine and her husband a lot, and the interplay to their different (and similar) detecting styles. The relationship felt fresh still, even though I'm almost positive this isn't the first in the series. The other characters were all interesting and rich, and I enjoyed reading about all of them.

This was a great cozy historical mystery and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes those genres.

Richly detailed historical mystery thriller.

In the winter of 1906, Lady Emily and her handsome husband Colin are invited to the recently renovated home of Baroness Ursula von Duchtel in the Bavarian alps. Her art collection is amazing. Outside is a panorama of the Alps and a winter wonderland with a view of Mad King Ludwig's fairy tale castle. The eclectic group of guests are enjoying a winter house party except that there are several incidents where Ursula’s son-in-law, Kaspar Allerspach, finds himself hurt or nearly killed. Though there’s no love lost between Ursula and Kaspar, everyone is shocked when a death occurs and it’s not Kaspar. In a dual timeline, the narrative unfolds to reveal hidden desires, tumultuous passions, and unfortunate liaisons that destroyed lives.

I loved this multilayered story with its historical details and complicated plot. The writing is excellent and this series is definitely so well researched and interesting. I like the characters of Lady Emily and Colin, and they always find the most interesting cases on their travels.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Bianca Armato, was absolutely amazing with her voice, accents, and dramatic flair. Her performance definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book as it was an excellent production.

I look forward to the next book in this fabulous series.

This dual time line murder mystery was very confusing to a new reader to this author. It seems like these are best read in order to have the background to the main characters and even some supporting characters in this book. The narration was excellent. The story was just ok to me.

Thank you to the publisher for a chance to listen to a copy of the audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was not familiar with the Lady Emily Hargreaves series and I suspect this was the wrong entry for an introduction. Lady Emily and her husband Colin are guests of Ursula, a wealthy Baroness with a country estate in Bavaria. Nearby is the "fairytale" castle of Ludwig II of Bavaria, a/k/a "Mad King Ludwig." There is a house party including Ursula's daughter Sigrid and her boorish husband, an old family friend who Ursula hoped Sigrid would marry. A beautiful young woman accompanying another family friend. Ursula's old friend Cecilia who is the connection with Lady Emily. Also present is an art dealer, Liesl, who has brought two paintings for Ursula's inspection and possible addition to her well known and large collection. There is tension in the air as to a number of the relationships among the guests.

This novel is a two timeline piece with a story about a young German man named Niels, who befriended Mad King Ludwig 40 years earlier and their "problematic" friendship that runs quite deep.

I love dual timeline novels. I like Tasha Alexander's Writing. The version I received in audio is read by a narrator named Bianca Amato and she gives a lovely performance filled with various entertaining accents. The problem is, this book just dragged and dragged for quite a while, like for 2/3 of the novel. I try hard to finish all of the books I get from NetGalley to give them a fair shake, but this got really boring. There were various accidents and incidents directed at various guests that suggest evil is afoot. The dual story lines seemed only to have the location of the players in common and the connection became apparent only at the 2/3 mark. This meant that the book felt disjointed rather than entertaining until the final third of the move. I was very entertained by the last third and since read some reviews of earlier novels in the series and recognized I might really enjoy them.

So, it was a 2-3 star book for me until the 67% mark and then a 3-4 star book for me, which would be a good rating from me. I'm giving it a solid 3. It needed something else and I believe that fans of the series will feel less negative than I do and I plan to read at least a couple of the earlier books to further decide about Alexander's writing in general.

Death by Misadventure is the 16th book in the Lady Emily mystery series. In 1906, Lady Emily and her husband, Sir Colin, are staying at Baroness von Düchtel's recently completed Villa in Bavaria. The guests were enjoying themselves until several accidents, initially dismissed as pranks, started to occur, ending with one murdered guest. Trapped at the Villa due to an impassable snowstorm, Emily and Colin began investigating. Intertwined and set in 1868 is the tragic story of the fairy tale King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

The mystery in Death by Misadventure is a skillful creation, balancing two different timelines that gradually become connected. The story is filled with numerous clues and red herrings, maintaining a steady pace and enough intrigue to keep the reader engaged. The ending, however, is a stroke of genius - clever and completely unexpected. Even if you haven't read the other books in the series , this book can be enjoyed as a standalone. But be prepared to be surprised and satisfied by the conclusion!

The audio version of the book, narrated by Bianca Amato, was delightful.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Audiobooks for providing me with the advanced audio copy of Death by Misadventure in exchange for an honest review. And thank you, Tasha Alexander, for writing another amazing book!

Another remarkable story from Tasha Alexander. The characters and plot are captivating. They draw you into the book and keep you wanting more. Highly suggest you read this series from the beginning to truly understanding the main characters. Colin and Emily’s relationship is a solid one and they work together wonderfully.

After a string of suspicious “accidents” at a secluded Bavarian villa, Lady Emily uncovers a web of secrets and hidden passions dating back to the reign of Ludwig II. With the guests entangled in fear and suspicion, Emily must stop the killer before another tragedy strikes.

This is an atmospheric novel with a varied cast of unique characters. The mystery kept me guessing to the end. The audiobook narration was well-done, though I struggled to understand the German accents. I ended up reading the ebook instead.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to Tasha Alexander, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a while to get into this book. Part I wasn't focused, part the beginning lacked an interesting hook, and part the B storyline confused me. I did not absorb anything prior to the one guy's ski boot breaking. It's a little murky after, too, but I started paying attention around 45% when the suspicious happenings started building up and tension began to escalate. I figured out the B story and sorted who was who.

I cared little about the B storyline, and I'm not a huge fan of dual timelines in general, so I was usually impatient to move on from those segments. It was a sad story about miserable people with no HEA. No, thank you. The only thing that interested me about that bit was the king's suspicious death and the associated conspiracy.

The main storyline didn't thrill me either. Revenge by the resentful "other" child or "other" lover/spouse is so utterly trite. If that's your twist, you better tell a damn entertaining story with very charismatic leads, or it'll just be so much forgettable cliche. This one was not entertaining or energetic, and Emily and Colin ceased being interesting leads several books ago. Every fall I remind myself I don't like this series anymore, but for some reason I click request. Nostalgia, I suppose, or hope. Or the gorgeous covers. Alexander needs a fresh new series, or to give up the mysteries and just do straight historical fiction.

The 18th Lady Emily mystery by Tasha Alexander does not disappoint! What I loved most: the very tight connection between the two timelines. Usually, in historical fiction of this type, they are set centuries apart, but here it is just a few decades. The way in which they eventually connect is very well done and I really enjoyed the interplay. The death of the title is accompanied by a series of misadventures, which throws uncertainty over everything and makes it difficult for Emily and Colin to unravel the culprit, as they attend a house party and meet some intriguing people. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this play out on audiobook, and the narrator did a wonderful job of presenting the international cast of characters with a variety of accents. The setting in the snowy Bavarian Alps was delightful, and provided a great backdrop to the crime at the center of this book. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook and offer my honest opinion.

Well, I certainly joined the series late at book 18, ha. Still, I didn't have any problem getting into the story. Lady Emily and her husband Colin are on holiday at a castle called Villa von Duchtel, in Bavaria. It's winter and they spend a lot of time skiing. One member of house party is murdered and then they are trapped by a snowstorm. I enjoyed watching Lady Emily and Colin solve the crime. They have a very loving relationship and it shows.
.Bianca Amato was a great choice for the narrator. She sounds just like I think Lady Emily would sound. And she does male voices well too. Excellent choice all around.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.