Review
The Fourth Lady of Letters Mystery
Always one to go her own fun loving way Margaret Scott is a bit of a troublemaker and not one for protocol or niceties, as her elder sister Lady Amelia Amesbury can attest. It still comes as a shock when Madge announces that she and Captain Fitz are to be wed and that the wedding is to be that very month! Now Amelia will have to perform miracles, with the help of her none too pleased Aunt Tabitha, to arrange a wedding in time. In addition to arranging everything for the nuptials Amelia has something else to deal with. A reader of her Lady Agony column says they know her true identity and is blackmailing her. At least she has the friendship of her vicar, Mr. Cross. But the following day his curate comes rushes to her home to tell her that Mr. Cross has been killed. While the police declare it's a robbery gone bad, Amelia believes it's murder. But how does the newspaper clipping he sent her fit in? Amelia will have to puzzle the pieces together all while planning a wedding and dealing with a blackmailer. Fortunately, she has her good friends to help her.
I absolutely love this series and MURDER IN MATRIMONY may be my favorite entry thus far. We have humor, romance, and a brilliantly confounding mystery. I love that Amelia and Simon are finally admitting their feelings for each other. And darn Maude's timing, although things happily worked out in the end. It was such fun having Amelia's family come to London. Uncle Henry with his drink and Aunt Gert with her duck had me grinning! I also like Amelia's relationship with Lord Drake and was happy to see more of Isaac Jakeman.
I was distressed when I discovered that Mr. Cross was our murder victim. I found him to be a wise and caring man and a good person to whom Amelia could speak honestly about anything and everything. As to his replacement...ugh. The church will be much poorer. I enjoyed how his murder was just the tip of the iceberg and Amelia had to solve a variety of other mysteries to get to the bottom of his death. I also appreciated Amelia's visits to the East End, witnessing how the poorer people actually lived. It changed her and it was nice to see her grow. I also really like seeing her friendships grow even stronger with one unlikely person coming to the fore.
Love, loyalty, and family combine in a cracking good mystery making MURDER IN MATRIMONY one of my favorite, if not most favorite read of the year.
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Murder in Matrimony (A Lady of Letters Mystery) by Mary Winters
About Murder in Matrimony
Historical Cozy Mystery 4th in Series
Setting - London, 1860
Publisher: Severn House
Publication Date: October 7, 2025
Hardcover Print Length: 240 pages
Digital Print Length: 248 pages
Countess-turned-advice columnist Amelia Amesbury has a wedding to plan alongside a new murder in this charmingly deadly historical mystery. Countess Amelia Amesbury has her work cut out. As well as balancing her alter ego—secret advice columnist, Lady Agony—and the blackmailer threatening to reveal her real identity, her sister has also announced she’s getting married. It’s joyous news, but places all the planning for a high society wedding firmly at Amelia’s door. Luckily, her good friend and local vicar Mr. Cross has agreed to the expedited nuptials, so that’s one less thing to worry about. Until Cross is found dead at the church. Now in between bridal arrangements, Amelia must follow the clues Mr. Cross left behind. Clearly, he’d made some enemies during his parishioner work, as strange mishaps begin to occur wherever Amelia goes. But when the danger becomes all too real, Amelia must rely on her friends and the handsome Simon Bainbridge to help solve the murder, save the wedding, and Amelia’s life too . . . Perfect for fans of witty historical mystery and Regency romances with a similar feel to Verity Bright and T.E. Kinsey.
About Mary Winters
Mary Winters is the Edgar Award-nominated author of the Lady of Letters historical mystery series. Book one, Murder in Postscript, was a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. Mary is also the author of two cozy mystery series and writes short fiction. Her stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Black Cat Weekly. When she’s not writing, she’s teaching, reading, or spending time with her family. She lives with her husband, daughters, and spoiled pets in the Midwest. Find out more about Mary at MaryWintersAuthor.com.
Author Links:
Website http://www.Marywintersauthor.com
Blog http://www.Marywintersauthor.com/blog
Facebook http://www.Facebook.com/marywintersauthor
Instagram http://www.Instagram.com/marywintersauthor
Purchase Links Amaz0n Barnes & Noble Bookshop
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