Mabel, a leader in the suffragette movement as well as a detective, in 1920's England works to solve another murder at the gathering of leaders of the movement in rural England. The story is character driven and the reader sees Mabel's soft side as well as her drive. The story did not move as fast as I would have liked. At times, all the characters seemed to slow the story line. There was excellent telling of the time and battle that these women faced to get the right to vote. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

Murder of a Suffragette by Marty Wingate sees Mabel Canning, in her persona as a temporary secretary from the Useful Women agency, is assisting in a meeting of former suffragettes and suffragists, the goal being to select a leader for the new push forward. The last woman has arrived and is greeted, not as warmly as some had been, and shortly went to her room, after offering to switch to accommodate another guest. In a while she was discovered dead by another participant. Mabel knew immediately she had bee suffocated, but called the local doctor for confirmation. Things heated up fast. She transformed into the investigator persona, while also play the part of daughter as her parents lived nearby, and nanny, as Augustus had turned up after slipping his minders. It was a school holiday and her father, Reg, and her surrogate mother, Mrs. Chandekar seemed to like Augustus so he stayed with them much of the time. Park was also there and held the ladies from the murder room until Tolly, Detective Inspector Tollerton from Scotland Yard, arrived.

This got very complicated, very quickly and Mabel was pushed to figure it all out. Thankfully she had the other members of the London Ladies Murder Club to help her out. She is an excellent character, one who is benefiting from those women that came before and paved the way for an independent woman, such as she. She has weaknesses, though, and among them are Park and Augustus. The scenes with Augustus at the green grocers with her father are particularly amusing as well as poignant. Poor Augustus. He chose his parents poorly. Mabel is nothing if not efficient and well-organized or she could never accomplish all she does. She is quite the character, and solves this mystery quite handily. It is a complicated story with lots of moving parts and Wingate manages to write it so well that the reader can keep track. Interesting book.

I was invited to read Murder of a Suffragette by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #MartyWingate #MurderOfASuffragette

Marty Wingate can always be relied upon to deliver a comfortable and cozy mystery, and Murder of a Suffragette ticks all the boxes! This fourth London Ladies' Murder Club book sends Mabel out of London and back to the countryside to work with suffragettes (love this!!!) and when one is murdered she must investigate, all while fighting for a woman's right to vote. Fun, fast-paced, and best enjoyed with a steaming cup of tea, I highly recommend Murder of a Suffragette!!! A+++

Although i hadn't read the first 3 books in the series i was still able to pick this up with no back story.
I absolutely adored Mabel and how she interacts with her counterparts, so much so that i've now read the first 3 books and can't wait for the next.

"Murder of a Suffragette" is a mystery set in 1922 England. It's the 4th book in the series. You can understand the story without reading the previous books (and I haven't), but it's like all the character development happened already and the author didn't bother in this story. It's like paper dolls delivered the needed lines. The dog had the most personality of the bunch, and she was also the true detective. The dog found bodies, missing people, clues, and even saved Mabel in the nick of time.

While there were clues, this wasn't a puzzle mystery which the reader could have fun solving. Mabel did basic interviews, and she and the dog's owner brought the clues to the detective (who couldn't be on the spot for long so left the leg work to her). However, she solved whodunit by walking into danger and managing to get whodunit to confess before trying to kill her. There was a little bit of suffragette history mentioned, but much more about the food they were eating or what the hats looked like.

There were no sex scenes. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, the story wasn't bad, but it didn't interest me in reading any more of the series.

Mabel Canning has been hired to manage a historical suffragette get together at a grand country mansion. Annie, one of the gathering, is suffocated and Mabel switches to murder enquiry agent to help Inspector Tollerton of Scotland Yard. find the perpetrator. Another suffragette? A staff member? A stranger? Murder of a Suffragette, the fourth in the London Ladies' Murder Club series, is a worthy historical mystery for your attention. Enjoy the village and slightly down at the heels mansion. Mabel is also resolving her romantic interests in this episode. Read and enjoy.

This was the first book of the series I picked up and I found it to be well written and intriguing.

I liked how the characters were not very young or very conservative. Also Mabel seemed to be a level headed person with experience. Also liked the characters of Park and Gladys.

The thing that kind of held me back was that nothing was happening even though everything was happening. I was reading on but the story didn't seem to move on. Also, I kind of guessed the killer early on, though definitely not the motive.

I think this is the last in the series, considering the hints on the epilogue, but if not, I would be happy to continue the series.

I received an advance copy of the book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Very cute cozy mystery! Got into the action right away and I definitely went back and forth guessing the ending. It took me a minute to get the characters straight as there's a lot of them introduced very quickly but I haven't read the other books in the series so that may be more my fault. I loved the historical setting and little tidbits from that time that are woven into the story.

As a Marty Wingate fan, I was excited to see that there is a whole series I had never heard of.
This is book #4, which I knew as I started reading. I'm thinking that perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I started with book one.
Mable is invited to a party of suffragists, where there is a murder. She is clearly the "sleuth", and sets out to find out who did such a thing. There are the usual back & forth, another murder, then mystery solved.
I just did not really connect with the characters, but I will see if I can find the other books & give this a re-read after doing so.
Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Wingate for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

In Sussex, 1922, the inimitable Mabel Canning of the Useful Women Agency is employed as private secretary to Lady Emma Fellbridge, hostess to a group of suffragettes/suffragists eager to continue the fight, which was suspended in 1914. Women over thirty now have the vote, but that’s not good enough for Emma, so the battle will continue until equality with their male counterparts is achieved. Annie Harkin, an ardent suffragette and presumed leader of the new campaign, is found murdered in her bed during that first evening in picturesque Fellbridge Hall. Mabel and friends Cora and Skeff, all members of the London Ladies’ Murder Club, begin preliminary interviews before being joined by DI Tollerton (Tolly) of Scotland Yard. With her respectful, calm demeanour and organisational skills, Mabel is an invaluable part of the team, stepping in as Tolly travels back and forth to London to keep up with other open cases. Her keen observations call attention to some friction in the all-female gathering, some of whom might want the coveted position of spokeswoman for the new campaign. Or did the killer get the wrong woman because Annie’s room was switched last-minute with another conference participant?

Wingate has picked a powerful theme for her fourth series entry, spotlighting the bold and fearless women who fought for rights we take mostly for granted with nary a thought for the sacrifice involved. Her portrayal of the fragile yet stalwart Dorothea, who suffered the violent degradation of being force-fed in Holloway prison along with Annie, is particularly well-drawn. This is no fluffy cosy but delves into vital events at a pivotal time and looks back on the history of the pre-war campaign. It’s a thought-provoking read particularly in light of current discussion regarding women’s freedom, which, sadly, is still being politicised and fought over 100 years on.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'Murder Of A Suffragette' by Marty Wingate


This is the first book I have read by this author but it wont be my last!. It is also the fourth book in Marty's 'London Ladies Murder Club' series but can be read as a standalone.

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TOMARTY WINGATE ON AN ABSOLUTELY ADDICTIVELY PAGE TURNING FANTASTIC READ.

AN absolutely successful unputdownable historical cosy mystery by the very talented Marty Wingate. I'm always a bit dubious with books based historically as I worry about not being able to 'deal' with the language used but I absolutely love how Marty has written her book. The language used is perfectly suited to the era whilst being easy to read. The atmosphere and descriptions were perfect. The synopsis and cover also suit the storyline.

This book is an absolutely fantastic, addictive and gripping historical cosy mystery that grips your attention from the first sentence all the way to the fantastic end!! I must admit that this is not my usual type of book, being historical based, but when I seen it I thought I would give it a try and I am extremely glad that I did as I absolutely LOVED IT!!! If this isn't the sort of book you would pick up then don't let that out you off, expand your literature genres and you will not regret it!!! This book had me hooked from the first page to the last. There was so much going on that I just couldn't stop turning the pages and as soon as I said just this last chapter and then bed something happened that meant I just had to read another one. In this brilliant page turner we are transported back to the year 1922 where we meet our protagonist Mabel Canning. Mabel moved to London in order to be independent and ended up working with the Useful Woman Agency as well as finding herself caught up in murder investigations! Mabel finds herself working at Fellbridge Hall organising a week long conference of suffragettes where they will plan their new campaign for the right for women to be able to vote. However the ladies have barely settled in when the body of the leading suffragette Annie Harkin is discovered murdered in her bed. The suffragettes are demanding justice for Annie but end up with two young police officers called Ned and Ted who the ladies have no faith in. Mabel and her London Ladies' Murder Club are asked to find Annie's killer and are determined to do so. However, can they find the killer before they strike again? Will the fight for women to vote be able to go ahead? Grab your copy of this brilliant page turner to find out for yourselves and I can guarantee you will not regret it!! You may even find a new favourite historical author to get addicted to! With a storyline ram packed with history, murder, suspects, romance, friendship and much more then what are you waiting for? Grab a cup of tea, get comfy and grab your copy of this fantastic cosy mystery today!! This book is extremely well and smoothly written and it captivated my attention straight away. I also love the fact that I really liked Mabel immediately and she very quickly became like a friend where I was rooting for her to solve the mystery throughout. I normally prefer to read books in order but there is a plus side to reading a later book in the series first and that is that I can now go back to reading the previous three books in this series while I am waiting for Marty's next book to come out! Thanks to Marty's exceptional evocative writing skills it felt like I had jumped into a time machine and ended up in Fellbridge Hall myself seeing the sights, getting to know the characters, hearing the noises and feeling my heart beat faster as I raced along with Mabel to find the killer!! Mabel and the rest of the characters also came to life in front of my eyes and it felt like I was right next to them trying to solve the mystery together with Mabel and the Ladies Murder Club. The fact that Marty has clearly done her research absolutely shines through the book so a huge well done Marty!! There is not much worse than when an author does little or even no research into their chosen topic as it then litters the story with unnecessary mistakes and can destroy what could otherwise be an excellent read but Marty has avoided this by doing plenty of research. It saddens, sickens and annoys me how women were treated during this era but it also goes to show how much society has come along, evolved and progressed when it comes to women and their rights!

Although this is the fourth book in this series I had absolutely no problems reading it without reading the first three books. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

It is also clear that Holly cares about her characters ensuring that Mabel is realistic, determined, fiery, strong and extremely likeable. Mabel really is a fantastic female lead and being female myself I am a huge fan of strong female protagonists and Mabel is one of the best I have come across and I just cannot wait to meet her again and again!! This book is absolutely rammed with history, crime, mystery and everything you could want in a gorgeous cosy historical page turner. There were so many times I was so absorbed that when I looked up from the book it took me a few moments to realise where I actually was! I don't read an awful lot of historical books but after reading this one I cannot wait to get stuck into more books in what promises to be a fantastic series!! The characters were all larger than life and realistic. Marty's fantastic writing skills brings each and every one of them to life. They all had a part to play and they all played their parts perfectly. There were characters that angered me, others that made me laugh and some that I loved. I loved getting to meet so many of them especially Cora, Skeff and Park just to name a few. One of my favourites though just has to be Park's dog Gladys!!! I am a HUGE animal lover and run Golden Oldies Cat Rescue And Hospice (you can find the gang on social media if you would like to meet them) so any animals in books have always been a huge bonus for me and Gladys is definitely one I wont be forgetting any time soon!!
I won't say any more about the characters as I don't want to give anything away. However, regardless of whether you love them or hate them they all worked perfectly to make this such an explosive start to a promising series (for me) I cannot wait to meet Mabel again and see what she gets up to in the next and previous "episodes".

If you are looking for an absolutely fantastic, cosy and addictive page turner then your in the right place!!

Overall an easy to read, addictive and cosy page turning mystery that will keep you up late at night.

@MartyWingate @Bookouture @BookoutureAnonymous

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Murder of a Suffragette is the fourth book in the cozy historical mystery series, London Ladies’ Murder Club, but it can be easily read as a stand-alone. Its protagonist, Mabel Canning, moved to London to be independent and has found employment with the Useful Women Agency, which provides any kind of job, but she often finds herself right in the middle of murder investigations.

It’s the year 1922 and Mabel has returned to her village to work as the personal secretary for Lady Fellbridge who is organizing a week-long conference of suffragettes to plan their new campaign for the women’s right to vote. When one of the women is found murdered and the only police available are two constables who seem to have just come out of school, it’s up to Mabel and her London Ladies’ Murder Club to investigate.

I really enjoyed this novel. The mystery is intriguing and full of surprises. The list of suspects is long: was the killer an outsider or was it one of the suffragettes? Or, like in any good mystery novel, was it the butler? Mabel needs to figure it out before someone else gets hurt and helping her are her two friends, Cora and Skeff, her beau and former policeman Park Winstone, and the adorable dog Gladys. Thanks to the presence of Park there is some romance as Mabel introduces him to her protective father for an entertaining family dinner and a surprising epilogue. I also really liked the historical aspects of the novel. In 1918, women over thirty had gained the right to vote, but their fight goes on until they are considered equal to men and have the right to vote at the age of twenty-one.

The London Ladies’ Murder Club series is another fabulous series for historical mystery fans and I am looking forward to more adventures!

There is nothing better than a historical mystery and this author is a pro at writing a great story!

Mabel finds herself and the London Ladies Murder Club having to solve a, wait, murder of course! But this time if is one of the suffragettes!

Wonderful characters who interact splendidly together, with answers from the past cropping up that will keep you hooked from the first page! Don't miss this latest installment!

In this 4th book in the series, Mabel Canning has taken an assignment from the Useful Women agency in her home village with Lady Fellbridge AKA Emma AKA mother-in-law to Mabel's now deceased friend Edith. Emma is hosting a Suffragette conference and Mabel is there with friends Cora and Skeff as well as her beau, Park Winstone. (I am very partial to him, as he reminds me of my Uncle Park who always greeted me with "How's my favorite neice?" Sorry, other neices!)
Shortly after everyone has arrived and found their rooms, Annie Harkins is found dead, smothered with a pillow. Was it one of the other Suffragettes, her estranged husband, her cousin, the butler, or someone from outside. Was it personal or did the murderer hate Suffragettes? A second murder complicates matters, as does the arrival of 8 year old Augustus Malling-Frobisher, another recurring assignment of Mabel's.
Eventually, Mabel with family and friends sometimes help and sometimes interferance, the culprit is unmasked.
This is a great series with great characters, done with humor and staying true to the era. I think Mabel would be a great friend to have. I enjoy how her friends lend their particular skills to whatever she is currently working on. Park is a great guy who believes in Mabel and supports her in even her wilder escapades (and frequently participates) Even her dad is behind her all the way, even as he wants to protect her.
A really good read!

A big thank you to Sarah Hardy and the publisher for issuing me with my review copy of the book and for inviting me to take part on the blog tour.

What a fantastic addition to an already excellent series featuring the investigations of Mabel Canning. In the last book in the series, we get an inkling that Mabel will be working with the suffragettes and this follows on seamlessly when she is tasked with helping to organise the latest suffragette conference at Fellbridge Hall which is actually very close to where Mabel herself grew up, it was really nice to be reacquainted with her father and Mrs Chandeker, who we always hear a lot about in the other books.

During the first night, one of the leading suffragettes is found murdered in her bed. Straight away, Mabel suspects something untoward has happened and is tasked with investigating until the local police arrive.

I have read all of the books in the series and have enjoyed them all – Mabel is a brilliant character, considering the times, she is a smart independent woman who is lucky in that she has a family that don’t force her to conform to what is expected of a young woman in her thirties. This is also shown with her friendships with Cora and Skeff (I was really glad they had bigger roles in this book as I think they are an absolute joy!). We can’t not mention Gladys, almost the star of the show and her owner Park. His friendship/relationship with Mabel has been lovely to follow through the series.

Back to the mystery……! I have to admit that I did guess the murderer although I think it was more that I did actually just guess, there was just something about them that seemed too good to be true! Just an inkling though and this didn’t spoil it for me though as I didn’t really have a motive – this was brilliant and not at all what I expected. Especially with the twists that were dotted about in the book.

I really enjoyed the ending and hope that it doesn’t mean the end for this wonderful series! A brilliant and well written series that I hope carries on for some time!

Women from all around the country have joined together to fight for the vote. But when one of them is killed, only amateur sleuth Mabel Canning can halt a murderer’s campaign…

This book ticks all the boxes of what I love, cosy murder mystery, strong female character, some comedy with added suffragettes and set in my favourite period in history the 1920s. Unfortunately other than “the boy” Augustus and the dog Gladys I found the characters a bit one dimensional and the suffragettes themself all too indistinguishable. Maybe if I had read the first three books I would have enjoyed it more.. The second half of the book was better than the first.

It’s 1922, and Mabel Canning has been hired through Miss Kerr’s Useful Women Agency to serve as personal secretary to Lady Emma Fellbridge at Fellbridge Hall, in England. Lady Emma is organizing a suffragette conference at her home and has invited women who have fought so bravely over the last many years. Mabel is delighted to return to Fellbridge because it is close to her home village of Peasmarsh. Before passing away from the Spanish flu, Mabel’s dearest friend was the daughter-in-law to Lady Emma,so Mabel has many memories of visiting Fellbridge Hall.

At the time of this story, some women 30 years of age and over had the right to vote with a list of restrictions. The women convening for the conference are to decide what are the next best steps to continue the fight for equal voting rights for all women.

Unfortunately, Mabel has barely finished checking in all the women for the conference when one of the lead suffragette’s is found murdered in her bed. Is the killer someone at the conference? While Inspector Tolly from London has his hands full with crime in the city, Lady Emma begs Mabel to begin the investigation. And it wouldn’t be a solid mystery if another body didn’t appear. Can Mabel solve the mystery before it’s too late?

This was a fun entry into the series because it took Mabel and friends outside of London and her lovely little flat. While I missed those details, I enjoyed seeing Mabel flourish in a new to us setting. It was also delightful to see her father in his home and store. I appreciated all my favorite characters from the previous books were a part of this story too. I did so love the epilogue but I’m a little worried that means it’s the end of the series…

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How did I just discover this series? If you like cozy mysteries AND historical fiction, this series is for you!
Murder of a Suffragette is book four in Marty Wingate's “London Ladies' Murder Club” series. In this story, Wingate highlights the suffragette movement in 1922. When the leader of the suffragettes is murdered, it’s up to Mabel to figure out who did it before it’s too late.
I devoured the book in just a few hours. I can’t wait to go catch and read the rest of the books. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#MurderofaSuffragette #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #BooksSetInEngland

The first three installments of the London Ladies Murder Club series were delightful cozies, but the fourth book, Murder of a Suffragette, left me a bit disappointed. From the get-go, the story seemed to drop me right into the action without the usual build-up or context. I even checked twice to see if I'd missed a prologue.

The story takes place in 1922, and instead of the familiar backdrop of London, we’re whisked off to a manor house near Mabel's home. English women over 30 now have the right to vote, but there's still a fight for equal voting rights for all women. Suffragette stalwarts have gathered to choose a new leader and plot their next move – until one of them ends up dead. Mabel, ever the curious investigator, finds herself in the middle of a mystery once again.

There’s a lot of the familiar cast returning, from Mabel's love interest Park, to her London neighbors Cora and Skeff, and of course, the lovable dog Gladys. We also get some fresh faces, like Mabel’s father and Mrs. Chandekar, who raised her. And if you loved Augustus, the mischievous boy from earlier books, he’s back too.

While I appreciated the historical tidbits about the suffrage movement (did you know suffragists and suffragettes aren't the same thing?), the mystery itself felt a bit underwhelming. It seems like the series is wrapping up, and though I’m sad to see it go, I wish it had concluded on a stronger note. A decent read, but missing the spark of the earlier books.

I'm always so disappointed when a book I've been eagerly anticipating doesn't work, doubly so in this case as the London Ladies' Murder Club series has proven a big hit for me.

Unfortunately this time Mabel and Co's case didn't click. From the start I felt like this story wasn't one written with the same love and affection that shone through in the first three books. The characters fell flat, as did the mystery and the situation overall felt forced and didn't flow.

With the epilogue it seems that this is the closing part to this short but overall fantastic series. It's closed on a dud for me but I did love seeing how everyone's individual story closed with well deserved happy endings all round and the first three books hold up as favourites in the cosy historical mystery genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital review copy of "Murder of a Suffragette" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.