I love this series! Being back in Paris is so much fun! The wonderful characters always take the stories to the next level! This book is a fast and fun read! I recommend for everyone!

A Daughter's Guide to Mothers and Murder is the eighth installment in the Frances Hazelton mystery series, the second of which to take place in Paris around the 1900 World's Fair and Olympics. Rival-turned-friend Alicia Stoke-Whitney asks Frances to investigate whether widower Carlson Deaver would make a good husband for her daughter. George returns home to reveal he's been discussing the still-open murder investigation of Deaver's first wife. Before long, the divine Sarah Bernhardt has been roped in as a potential suspect, and Frances and George are as focused as ever in cracking the case.

I did not crack the case this time. As a big mystery reader, to me, this is a signal that Dianne Freeman is truly bringing new ideas to the table - I highly recommend A Daughter's Guide to Mothers and Murder to anyone looking for a relatively cozy murder mystery that will keep you on your toes!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The eighth book in the Countess of Harleigh series. Francis and George are at the height of their crime-solving powers as they navigate Paris society looking for clues. This time, Sarah Bernhardt might be involved in the crime, if only in a peripheral way, and they have to tread carefully. The dialogue is witty, the plotting is complex and of course, the Paris setting is a delight. Can't wait for the next installment and hope this series goes on forever.

Fantastic! Dianne Freeman does not miss. A wonderfully lighthearted murder mystery with a terrific twist and great interpersonal dynamics. Frances is fantastic as our quick-witted heroine and George her long-suffering but equally quick-witted husband.

I actually thought about the twist - my brain went "hey, what if?" - but I got distracted by another detail until it happened and I went HA! out loud. I really enjoyed this book as I always enjoy this series and I can't believe I'm going to have to wait a year for the next one!

This book is one of my favorites of the series. George and Frances and varies friends and family members are all still in France and enjoying Paris. In this outing, George and Frances are trying to figure out if a possible suitor of a friend’s daughter murdered his late wife. The case has been languishing for almost a year, as the actress Sarah Bernhardt is on the fringes of the case as a friend of the murdered woman, and no one wants to tarnish her reputation. She meets George and Frances and then becomes further involved in the investigation when a second friend is murdered. It’s a difficult case, but George and Frances figure out what happened and then figure out how to trick the guilty party into confessing. If you haven’t read this series, I definitely recommend it. It’s got great characters, interesting locations, and good plotting.

Dianne, how are you going to beat this perfection now?

Frances and George are still in Paris. They were asked to help investigate a murder from a few months prior. They are so awesome, even the French police need them.

There are a few unexpected turns in this book, but the masterfully crafted mystery is not the reason why it’s the best book in this series. We already knew that Frances and George were the best sleuths in the world. (George is also the hottest.)

What stands out is the girl power; I loved the women in this book, and I loved the feminist undertones. Frances’s mom was mostly a Mrs. Bennet type in the previous books, but she redeemed herself in this one. The portrayal of early motherhood (Frances’s sister just had a baby) was very realistic and I loved the pragmatic approach the author took here. We need more books like this.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was fun!

Eight books into this series and she gives us a twisty mystery with extra snark and a decidedly pro-woman flavour. I dunno if Dianne was radicalized recently but this had a great undertone about men, power and motherhood that I loved.

You know I love an anti-men agenda, and though George is a golden retriever ideal husband and the exception that proves the ‘not all men’ rule, Frances was the star of this show (she usually is) and she kept him in his place as her low-level sidekick. Maybe I’m the one who’s radicalized 🤔.

Anyway I enjoyed this and I’ll probably tone down this review at some point but I’m annoyed by the world right now and any book that speaks truth to power will make me happy.

This installment finds in Freeman’s Countess Harleigh series finds Frances and George still in Paris, where the previous installment took them, and once again in the midst of a murder, where every installment finds them. If you enjoyed the earlier books, you will find this just as engaging: with Sarah Bernhardt on the scene, the Olympics in the background, explanatory backstory on American Mimi Deaver who resurfaces in Paris (having previously abruptly dropped her daughter on Frances to manage her London debut), and a détente between not only Frances and her own mother (who turns out to be a good egg and able partner in setting things to rights), but also (oddly) between Frances and the nemesis who had an affair with her first husband. The book requires some suspension of disbelief—from the Bernhardt appearances to the collaboration with the Paris police—to name a couple of plot devices. But it is buoying in its consistent theme of women serving as allies to one another, outmaneuvering many a man, and righting all manner of wrongs that are artfully interwoven in the plot.

This is the 8th book in the Countess of Harleigh series. Hard to believe it's been eight books. Frances and George are in Paris enjoying a little vacation when an acquaintance contact them to look into a potential suitor for her daughter. The suitor's wife was murdered less than a year before but because he's a rich American, he's prime pickings. The murder hasn't been solved, and the acquaintance is concerned about whether the American is the murder. Nothing points to him but you never know. The American's mother is involved with a Count who is living off her money. I thought I had the American's mother pegged for the murder but boy, was I wrong. A delightful story with lots of twists and turns in it.

In this gilded age murder, Frances Hazelton and her husband, George, are in Paris. She is approached by a British friend. Her daughter is engaged to a wealthy American socialite. But the socialite's first wife met an untimely death. Was the murder just a robbery gone bad like the police believe? Or was the husband the murderer?

It turns out that the police aren't so convinced that it was a robbery and murder. They might have a suspect. But she is Sarah Bernhardt, the famous French actor. And no one is brave enough to suggest that she might be responsible. It's up to Frances and George, working with the Paris police, to find the murderer.

This was a delightful book. The characters are likeable and well-developed. My only complaint was that the main characters spent quite a bit of time running through the options. Murder mysteries have to do that. But it can get a bit redundant. That wasn't a serious problem, but some of the summations could have been shortened. Otherwise, this was an excellent novel that I highly recommend.

What a treat to read the newest installment in the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries, A Daughter's Guide to Mothers and Murder, by Dianne Freeman. This is the eighth book in this historical series and one of the most interesting yet---though I think that about each of the books. Dianne Freeman illuminates the period's history like no other, and I love it.
Our power couple is back in Paris; at the request of Frances' one time nemesis she and George are investigating the murder of a former actress. The bereaved husband is a prospective groom for said woman's daughter, if he checks out. We meet the Divine Sarah Bernhardt during the investigation, experience the golfing portion of the Olympics, and the Paris Exposition. Frances' mother is back and we see a different side of her that I enjoyed.
The mystery is well written, the characters are well fleshed out, the pace is steady for the most part, and the ending packs a punch. This enjoyable read can be a stand alone, but I would read from the beginning if character development is important to you. Those who like cozy mysteries, historical mysteries, and/or strong female leads will love this series.

A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman

A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder is the latest mystery in the Countess of Harleigh series by Dianne Freeman. I really enjoy this series and this book was no different. The series is well written and researched and the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I liked the setting in France, but I am eager for George and Frances to get back to England. I miss the many fun characters in their lives. I did enjoy having Frances’ mother in another book and Sarah Bernhardt was a fun “guest star”. I look forward to the next book in the series and more adventures for the Countess of Harleigh!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to the review this book. All opinions are my own!

I kind of wished I had waited to read this until after the novella due out in April because I was pretty confused at the beginning of the book mentioning things that hadn’t happened yet. I went looking back and realized there was an upcoming novella but kept reading anyway. I enjoyed seeing a different side to Frances’ mother in this book and her interactions with other characters, it made me like her a bit more. I have to say that it wasn’t one of my favorite books in the series but I was definitely surprised by the ending and had no clue how the mystery would be resolved. I found I liked it more though once we started to get more details. I look forward to getting to read the novella and playing catch up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

4.25 stars

This is the 8th book in the County of Harleigh Mystery series by Dianne Freeman.

Frances is asked by her “frenemy” to find out what she can about a man her daughter was interested in. The man’s wife had been killed some months earlier. At the same time, new evidence in the wife’s murder has appeared, and Frances and George become part of the investigation.

I’ve read all of the books in this series and continue to find it enjoyable! A delightful historic cozy mystery – fun characters, interesting cases, low stakes mystery. Each book has its own mystery, and the books could easily be read as stand-alones.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

As Frances and George spend some well deserved leisure time in Paris before heading home, an unexpected job lands in Frances lap. Alicia Stoke-Whitney, seeks Frances’s help to investigate a personal matter. Alicia’s daughter is being courted by Carlson Deaver, a wealthy American shadowed by a very suspicious tragedy. Alicia asks Frances to investigate Carlson to make sure her daughter would be safe with him. Thus begins a very twisty turny investigation that leads to some surprising results.

Frances and George as well as the supporting characters are wonderful. The mystery was surprising an enjoyable at every turn. I would highly recommend this entire series.

In this 8th installment of the Countess of Harleigh mystery series, we find Frances and George still in Paris and enlisted by Inspector Cadieux to look into the murder of a former actress, the wife of the rich American, Carlson Deaver. The case brings them to the dressing room of world famous actress Sarah Bernhardt.

I continue to enjoy this historical mystery series. The wife and husband team in the upper echelons of society is fun to follow. There was a big unanswered question in this one that bothered me. All in all, a solid cozy mystery and a series I will continue to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having read all the other books in the series, I was excited to get this ARC approved! Over the years, my ratings for these books have varied between 3 and 4, and I'm happy to say that this one was definitely a 4. This installment is one of my favorites in the series. That said, though this probably could function as a stand alone, a new reader would have a much better experience starting the series from the beginning, as the character relationships and dynamics will make more sense.

As the title implies, this time, Frances and George are dealing with many complex mother-daughter relationships, from friends to family, to murder victims and suspects! Frances' mother, sister, Lily, and Lily's new baby daughter are all players in the story. So are Anne, Lily's sister-in-law and Patricia, Anne's mother and Lily's mother-in-law. Frances' old frenemy, Alicia, also gets involved in the plot over her concerns over her daughter. A new character, Mimi, is also mother-in-law of a murder victim from 6 months ago, whose case has been again brought to the fore thanks to a blackmailing note. Of course, Frances and Charles (and various friends and family) wind up embroiled in the investigation to their not-so-secret delight. Happily, in this book, Freeman manages to tone down the awfulness of Frances' family (one of things that has, in my opinion, weighed down some of the past novels) and make Frances' mother a much more redeeming character in this story. The family dynamics in general are much more positive and supportive this time around, which I enjoyed.

Freeman also takes advantage of the Paris setting, letting the characters travel around the city more and referencing topical events of the time, such as the Exposition and the Olympics. Good timing, with the most recent Olympics also having taken place in Paris. I felt the city of Paris got a little short-changed in the prior book, and it was nice to see more of it here. She also puts the Paris theater scene as the focal point of the investigation, and it was fun to see Frances "starstruck" by having to interview a famous actress.

Two small drawbacks - I found the final climactic ending ridiculous. I could not take it seriously, and it felt like it came completely out of left field. I can't say more without spoiling it. I know these are cozy, unrealistic mysteries, but it was still a bit much for me. It didn't spoil the story for me, but it did almost lead me to lower my rating to a 3, it was just so silly. Secondly, the book refers to Frances and George's honeymoon in ways that made me wonder if I had missed a book somehow. In fact, Freeman is releasing a novella this April that covers those events. I was able to read this whole book without any trouble not knowing those events, but I suspect it would have been a slightly better experience had I read the novella.

Overall, an very enjoyable addition to the series, and good go-to for a nice, period-piece cozy historical mystery, just look past that shaky ending.

I have been following Countess Harleigh’s mysteries since the very first novel. This is a great cozy mystery series with well developed characters that are very enjoyable.

I enjoyed her Mom getting more involved in the story to add some more humor to the mix. Twists and a turn do happen as you get toward the end. The middle moves a bit slow then picks up and takes off.

I look forward to the next book in the series.

Frances and Charles took their ward and her half sister back to England and then returned to Paris to solve another murder. This one was a bit far-fetched, but the historical tid bits are delicious: Frances drives a motor car! She learns to golf! And her sister-in-law is competing in the Paris Olympics golf tournament, which is getting little press because of the Exposition. The world is changing fast, and Frances and George are doing their best to keep up - while still enjoying their privileged lifestyle, of course.

Frances has also made friends (of sorts) with her former nemesis - the woman her unmourned husband was in bed with when he died. AND her mother arrives after a six month Egyptian trip.

Frances and George are at it again. While spending a well deserved vacation in Paris, they are approached to solve a murder. With the usual apblomb this book has its twists and turns, elite society, covert information seeking parties and plenty more to keep the reader entertained. I love this series.