A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder (A Countess of Harleigh Mystery)
In London in spring 1900, Frances Hazelton is newly married and happily planning to help yet another young lady make her societal debut and presentation to the queen. Meanwhile, George, who does “something” for the Home Office of the government, has an artifact to track down for the British Museum. When Frances pays a visit to the young lady, Kate Stover, she’s alarmed when the woman’s aunt, Frances’s old acquaintance Lady Winstead, faints dead away, clearly seriously ill. Only a month ago, Lady Winstead had been the picture of health. Both Frances and Kate suspect that someone in the family or among the servants may be slowly poisoning Lady Winstead, but whom? The plot thickens when Frances discovers a connection between Lady Winstead and the artifact George is searching for. With even Kate as a suspect, Frances must race to uncover the culprit before they succeed in blotting out the old woman.
Six books into the Countess of Harleigh series, Freeman’s spark is as bright as ever. Frances and her friends are a delightful mystery-solving squad, and the mix of both high-born and servants shows multiple aspects of life in London in the late Victorian era. Freeman provides just the right amount of exposition, allowing readers new to the series to jump right in without beating series veterans over the head with information they already know. Frances is both an independent woman and a true partner to her husband, who has full faith in her abilities. Well-placed clues keep the reader guessing without making the ending either too obvious or too incredible. This is a fun summer read.
