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A review by laurenjodi
A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder by Dianne Freeman
4.0
A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder
4 Stars
When a murdered acquaintance is found in possession of notes indicating that she has been blackmailing members of the ton, Lady Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh, finds herself recruited to help in the investigation. Frances is eager to assist, especially as her cousin Charles, who was courting the victim, is the prime suspect.
Despite the rather anachronistic style and characterization, this is nevertheless an entertaining cozy historical mystery series. Unlike many cozy heroines, Frances is very likable and manages to become involved in the cases without being excessively nosy. Moreover, she also avoids the often ubiquitous TSTL moments that plague these heroines.
The mystery surrounding Mary Archer's murder is satisfying although it is easy to guess the reason for the notes in her possession and the motive for the crime (even though it takes Frannie and company much longer to realize the truth). The culprit is also rather obvious but the climax and resolution are exciting nonetheless.
The romance between Frannie and her sexy neighbor, George Hazelton, is progressing nicely and it is clear that they will ultimately marry. The question is how long it will take George to convince her to take a chance on love after her disastrous first marriage.
One final note regarding the audiobook - it is interesting to note that there are two separate versions of the series, one narrated by Sarah Zimmerman, an American, and the other by Karen Cass, a Brit. Both do an admirable job, but as I began with Zimmerman, I decided to continue on with her as well.
In sum, this is a fun series and I look forward to more of Frannie's investigations.
4 Stars
When a murdered acquaintance is found in possession of notes indicating that she has been blackmailing members of the ton, Lady Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh, finds herself recruited to help in the investigation. Frances is eager to assist, especially as her cousin Charles, who was courting the victim, is the prime suspect.
Despite the rather anachronistic style and characterization, this is nevertheless an entertaining cozy historical mystery series. Unlike many cozy heroines, Frances is very likable and manages to become involved in the cases without being excessively nosy. Moreover, she also avoids the often ubiquitous TSTL moments that plague these heroines.
The mystery surrounding Mary Archer's murder is satisfying although it is easy to guess the reason for the notes in her possession and the motive for the crime (even though it takes Frannie and company much longer to realize the truth). The culprit is also rather obvious but the climax and resolution are exciting nonetheless.
The romance between Frannie and her sexy neighbor, George Hazelton, is progressing nicely and it is clear that they will ultimately marry. The question is how long it will take George to convince her to take a chance on love after her disastrous first marriage.
One final note regarding the audiobook - it is interesting to note that there are two separate versions of the series, one narrated by Sarah Zimmerman, an American, and the other by Karen Cass, a Brit. Both do an admirable job, but as I began with Zimmerman, I decided to continue on with her as well.
In sum, this is a fun series and I look forward to more of Frannie's investigations.