The Deathly Portent

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sapere Books for a review copy of The Deathly Portent, the second historical novel to feature Ottilia "Lady Fan" Fanshawe and her husband, Lord Francis.

When the axletree on their carriage breaks Tillie and Francis take refuge in the nearby village of Witherley which she has yen to visit after hearing of the death of the blacksmith who has recently died in exactly the same way as Cassie Dale forecast in a vision. Nothing is as it seems and Tillie is determined to get to the bottom of it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Deathly Portent which is a light read with an engrossing plot. I must admit that I had a good inkling of the perpetrator from early on but no idea of motive or means and it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the journey to the denouement. I really like the setting of the novel which may be a bit clichéd with the sophisticated, smarter upper class characters in direct contrast to the uneducated yokels. The mass hysteria of the village about the "witch" Cassie Dale is very well done, being both understandable realistic within the context.

The novel is told in the third person from Tillie's point of view and as she is a smart, clever woman with a host of unexpected skills it is very readable and there is a hint of humour in the dialogue which, despite the subject matter, gives it a lighthearted tone. The plot revolves around Tillie's interactions with the other characters and her gradual uncovering of facts and snippets of information which eventually lead to a conclusion. There are also some unexpected action scenes to raise the excitement and leaven the chitchat. It's well executed.

The Deadly Portent is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I really loved the main characters and the brilliant plot. I read this book in one sitting and could not put it down. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

"The Deathly Portent" is a mystery set in 1790 in England. This novel is the 2nd in the series, but you don't need to read the previous novel to understand this one. This story didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books but it did frequently refer back to events in that story.

The mystery is a clue-based, puzzle mystery. There were plenty of people with motives. Lady Fan used her keen observational skills and ability to get people to confide in her quickly to gather clues. I was able to guess whodunit at about the halfway point, but Lady Fan misread which way certain clues pointed. Further clues only confirmed my suspicions and soon made Lady Fan realize who the murderer was. Only, how to prove it? She set a clever but dangerous trap. There was some suspense because certain villagers were determined to burn the "witch" for murder and they're willing to harm those who protect her.

The characters were interesting and enjoyable. The author used some local dialect and historical details to create the feeling of a specific time and place. There were only a few uses of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.

A great historical mystery! I enjoyed the unusual setting of the 1790s. A lot of fun. Can't wait to go back and read the first book in the series.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a second engaging story following in the footsteps of Lady Fan. Broken down near the village of Witherley Lord and Lady Fan are soon involved in the murder of the local blacksmith. You are involved in the twists and turns of the investigation and with so many suspects your perspective changes as often as Ottilia, Lady Fan. There is also Cassie Dale the lady with the sight who has become no 1 suspect in the village can Ottilia unmask the real killer in time before more predictions come true. You will enjoy this mystery set in a more enlightened time but find when murder is involved people still hark to the frightening past of witchcraft.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The second book in the Lady Fan series. It does not disappoint. Tillie and Fan’s carriage breaks down and they take refuge in a village where a young seer is being persecuted by the townspeople. The arrival of a young vicar, the murder of a villain and the relationships of the characters draw Tillie in and she puts her extraordinary mystery -solving talents to work. There’s still romance and plenty of twists. A great read.