Currently Reading...

I'm currently reading Mystery at an Irish Wedding by L. C. Winters. This is the first book in the Half Moon Bay Mystery series.

Clementine Moriarty has been traveling for a year when she gets an e-mail from her mother offering airfare and a bus ticket back to Ireland and Half Moon Bay. Don't call, it's a surprise for your father's birthday, she writes. So Clem returns bringing the requested bottle of champagne. Only when she arrives she's accosted by her former fiancé who can't believe she's chosen that day to return. Clem soon learns that he's to be married that day, to her so called best friend, on the very beach where she planned to wed. Not only that, there is no party for her father and her mother never sent an e-mail. So who did? Emotions run hot and tempers flare leading to more than one argument, some hard partying at the wedding...and ultimately a death. Knowing that she must be a prime suspect, Clem decides she needs to investigate to prove not only her innocence, but that of her ex. 

Murder in Season - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

MURDER IN SEASON by Mary Winters
The Third Lady of Letters Mystery

Amelia, Lady Amesbury, is thrilled when her mother and younger sister Margaret come to London for an unexpected visit. Unfortunately, this isn't purely a social call. Margaret caused a bit of a scandal in Mells and has come to stay for the Season. While Aunt Tabitha isn't thrilled with the situation, or the rough and tumble Madge, Amelia is happy to spend time with her fun loving sister and decides to host a ball which will be both a debut for Madge and Amesbury Manor's first ball since Amelia has come out of mourning. However, when a guest falls ill after a verbal altercation with Madge and later dies, the detective in charge is certain that Madge is a murderer and will do whatever he can to find her guilty! Amelia will leave no stone unturned as she simultaneously searches for the real killer and the jewel thief who is plaguing Mayfair!

A tomboy sister from the country having her first London Season? You know that's a recipe for disaster...and a lot of laughs. Not only do I love Madge and her carefree attitude I love how Amelia both loosens up, and tries to reign her sister in...at least a little. As always, I really enjoy the letters to Lady Agony and Amelia's replies. They not only correspond to the plot, but give some housekeeping tips of the day. I love the addition of a notorious fence and hope we see more of him in future installments.

There is so much to love about the third Lady of Letters Mystery. A finely crafted mystery with well developed characters provides the backbone, but the subplot of Amelia's relationship with Simon is just as compelling. Men can be so vexing!

Scandals, power struggles, and a vendetta inlaid with charm, humor and romance combine to make MURDER IN SEASON a thoroughly delightful Victorian mystery.

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Murder in Season (A Lady of Letters Mystery) by Mary Winters

About Murder in Season

Murder in Season (A Lady of Letters Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - London, 1860
Publisher: ‎ Severn House; Main edition (December 3, 2024)
Hardcover: ‎ 240 pages

Join Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury as she tries to juggle a new Season and a new murder in this charmingly deadly historical mystery.

"A beautiful debutante, a wealthy widow, and a dead would-be baron. What could be more exciting?"

Countess by day, secret advice columnist by night, Amelia Amesbury has life happily balanced on a quill's edge . . . until her sister Margaret shows up in London under a blanket of scandal and Amelia is catapulted out of mourning and into the ton's unforgiving Season.

However Madge's Season debut is marred by a rather inconvenient death at the dining table as the infamous Mr Radcliffe takes ill and is later confirmed dead by poisoning. With Madge being the last person to have cross words with the soon-to-be baron, the ton's gossip mill - and the police - are looking to pin the murder on her.

Adding to the ton's troubles is a jewellery thief targeting the most lavish of Society's houses. Is the murderer and the thief one in the same? It falls to Amelia once again to uncover the secrets buried deep within the pages before her sister goes down for the crimes.

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. Three of her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. 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 Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop 

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Murder in Masquerade - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

MURDER IN MASQUERADE by Mary Winters
The Second Lady of Letters Mystery 

 

Concerned that his sister is encouraging the affections of a rogue and scoundrel Simon Bainbridge persuades Amelia, Lady Amesbury, to accompany him to the opera in order to keep an eye on Marielle. Upon meeting the man in question, Amelia finds him charming, although with an apparent eye for the ladies, and not just Marielle. Walking to their carriage after the performance Amelia stumbles upon a body, literally. George Davies has been stabbed to death! Amelia is keen to solve another murder as well as mend the rift between the siblings, but will she be successful?

Amelia is the most delightful protagonist. She's caring, funny, and oh so competitive! She and Lady Tabitha had me chuckling at their competitive nature and skill at various sports. I will never challenge these ladies at croquet! But the laughs, of which there are many, are only a part of this wonderful book and series. 

 

I love how Amelia is coming to grips with her new found status. Now that her mourning period is over, she's able to rejoin society, learn to be a mum to a tween daughter, and perhaps pursue a new love. One of her favorite tasks, and mine, is her secret job as Lady Agony. I particularly love how the letters she receives mirror the action of the mystery and her life. I enjoy how a letter proceeds each chapter.

 

The mystery was exhilarating, as were the scrapes Amelia found herself in. Running into a tree? The twists and turns kept me enthralled and even when Amelia knew killer, I was sure it was someone else! And the romance. The teases and forays into something more. I can't wait to see where things lead!

The Lady of Letters is a historical mystery series and the female characters are bound by the societal rules of Victorian England. That being said, I love how almost all of the female characters push those boundaries of propriety. Even Lady Tabitha, the woman with a strict code to follow the demands of propriety has a willingness to bend at times.

In a series that has it all MURDER IN MASQUERADE brings the best of historical drama with witty repartee, fantastic characterization, and a thrilling mystery. 

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 Murder in Masquerade (A Lady of Letters Mystery) by Mary Winters

About Murder in Masquerade

Murder in Masquerade (A Lady of Letters Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series
Setting - London, 1860
Publisher: ‎ Berkley (February 20, 2024)
Paperback: ‎ 336 pages

Extra, extra, read all about it! Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury finds herself playing the role of sleuth when a night at the theatre turns deadly.

Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury’s secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need. But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia's Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.

But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there’s much more at stake than saving a young woman’s reputation from ruin. It’s going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the dashing marquis, mend the familial bond, and find the murderer. Luckily, solving problems is her specialty!

About Mary Winters

] © Julie Prairie Pho

Mary Winters is the author of the Lady of Letters historical mystery series. She also writes cozy mysteries under the name Mary Angela. A longtime reader and fan of historical fiction, Mary set her latest work in Victorian England after being inspired by a trip to London. Since then, she’s been busily planning her next mystery—and another trip! Find out more about Mary and her writing, reading, and teaching 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  

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157979415-murder-in-masquerade  

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - BAM - Bookshop.org - Powell's Books - Hudson Booksellers

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Murder in Postscript - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

MURDER IN POSTSCRIPT by Mary Winters
The First Lady of Letters Mystery

Young widow Amelia Amesbury finds great joy in two things, being mother to her late husband's niece and writing an agony column for the newspaper. When she receives a letter from a maid fearing her mistress has been murdered and wanting to meet, Amelia wonders if it's merely a ploy to uncover her identity. Deciding to take a chance she agrees to meet the young woman, only to find her dead. With the help of the Marquis of Bainbridge, a good friend of the Amesburys, she'll undertake to find a killer.

I loved absolutely everything about this series opener. Well developed characters with lots of backstory to explore, a complex mystery, and what I hope to be a burgeoning romance kept me from all household tasks as I was compelled to keep reading this historical mystery.

Amelia Amesbury is a fantastic protagonist. She speaks her mind though her ideas may be more modern than Victorian. The Marquis is a solid foil, and the epitome of still waters run deep. Also not one to bow to convention, he's a perfect match for Amelia. Hopefully, he'll be able to trust as well as see that. The secondary characters are infused with rich detail and are not merely decoration. From maids to admirals they all have a story to tell.

Witty and wonderful, MURDER IN POSTSCRIPT combines fantastic characters, a well devised mystery, and a superb setting to create a spectacular start for the First Lady of Mystery series.

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 Murder in Postscript (A Lady of Letters Mystery) by Mary Winters

About Murder in Postscript

Murder in Postscript (A Lady of Letters Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - Victorian London, 1860
Berkley (March 28, 2023)
Paperback: ‎ 320 pages

When one of her readers asks for advice following a suspected murder, Victorian countess Amelia Amesbury, who secretly pens the popular Lady Agony column, has no choice but to investigate in this first book in a charming new historical mystery series.

Amelia Amesbury—widow, mother, and countess—has a secret. Amelia writes for a London penny paper, doling out advice on fashion, relationships, and manners under the pen name Lady Agony. But when a lady’s maid writes Amelia to ask for advice when she believes her mistress has been murdered—and then ends up a victim herself—Amelia is determined to solve the case.

With the help of her best friend and a handsome marquis, Amelia begins to piece together the puzzle, but as each new thread of inquiry ends with a different suspect, the investigation grows ever more daunting. From London’s docks and ballrooms to grand country houses, Amelia tracks a killer, putting her reputation—and her life—on the line.

About Mary Winters

 

Mary Winters is the author of Murder in Postscript, the debut novel in A Lady of Letters Mystery series. A longtime reader of historical fiction and an author of two other mystery series, Mary set her latest work in Victorian England after being inspired by a trip to London. Since then, she’s been busily planning her next mystery—and another trip! Find out more about Mary and her writing 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  

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61391814-murder-in-postscript  

Purchase Links Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop IndieBound Audible

 

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