Book Review and Giveaway - Murder in Season (A Lady of Letters Mystery) by Mary Winters

My Review

In 1860 London, Amelia Amesbury is living a quiet life and secretly writing an agony aunt column for the local newspaper.  When her sister Margaret ("Madge) comes to town, everything changes.  She throws a party and her sister has words with a disagreeable male guest - who ends up dying suddenly.  Amelia works to solve the murder and to chaperone her sister in London, all while moving along in her  flirtation with Simon Bainbridge.

I wanted to read Murder in Season because I love historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, and have enjoyed the earlier books in this series.

I think this is my favorite book yet in the Lady of Letters mystery series!  Amelia has really come into her own as an advice columnist and I love the letters and replies that begin each chapter of the book - often tying in to the storyline in some way.

The mystery aspect of this story was well done.  I guessed as Amelia detected and she solved the mystery before I did!  

Of course I also love all scenes with Amelia and Simon!  I look forward to reading the next book in this series and finding out what happens next.

I recommend Murder in Season for fans of cozy mysteries and especially for anyone who loves historical fiction.  This entire series is so unique and delightful!

Book Synopsis

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.

Author Bio

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

Giveaway

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Book Review and Giveaway - A Perilous Premiere (Stone & Steele Mysteries) by Gail Meath

My Review

A Perilous Premiere is set in Hollywood in 1938.  Vivian Steele is a fashion designer with her own boutique.  When her husband is shot on the street, her life changes unimaginably.  She discovers he was keeping secrets, and she is thrown together with Hollywood playboy Preston Stone.  Suddenly they are both in danger and racing to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries, enjoy historical mysteries, and am a big fan of classic movies and old time Hollywood.

This was a delightful start to a new series!  Vivian is a fresh, smart protagonist.  I love her back and forth with Preston and especially enjoyed their scenes together.  

The classic Hollywood references - both places and people - are delightful.  Vivian is good friends with Carole Lombard, who plays a part in the story.  She also has a lovable Boston Terrier and there is a Saint Bernard in the book as well.

I loved that the chapters had descriptive titles and even pictures that helped set the scene!  This is unique and added to my enjoyment of the book.

As a mystery, A Perilous Premiere is fast paced with some twists and surprises along the way.

I enthusiastically recommend this book for fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for readers who enjoy old time Hollywood.

Book Synopsis

Solving their own murders is the least of their problems…and the beginning of Stone & Steele, a reluctant yet surprisingly skilled investigative team.

The Golden Age of Hollywood, 1938. Vivian Steele moved to California to start a new life. She opened a fashion boutique in Beverly Hills, befriended Carole Lombard, the actress, and married a successful banker. But when her husband is murdered, Vivian discovers she isn’t the only one hiding a few secrets.

An anonymous phone call lures Vivian to a plush hotel room where she stumbles upon the dead body of a beautiful young actress – her husband’s mistress. To add fuel to the fire, she’s not alone.

Preston Stone, her adversary and Hollywood’s notorious playboy, is standing beside her. Suspiciously, they part ways only to find themselves alone again at a movie premiere two days later, and the message becomes brutally clear. They’re both the next targets of a cold-blooded killer.

Together, Vivian and Preston are thrown into a deadly race to find a missing collection of valuable coins and stop a vicious killer before they become the next murder victims. But first, they need to stop pointing their fingers at each other.

A Perilous Premiere is the first book in this exciting new 1930s Stone & Steele mystery series starring a great cast of characters ranging from the rich and famous to Bella, a Boston Terrier, her new friend, Boris, a Saint Bernard, and a few other endearing folks. (A pretty clean read)

Author Bio

Gail Meath is the author of the multi-award-winning Jax Diamond Mysteries, the fun series about of a wise-cracking PI, his sweet German Shepherd partner, Ace, and his Broadway singing heartthrob, Laura, as they solve crazy crimes during the Roaring Twenties. She’s currently working on the first book in her exciting new 1930s mystery series, Stone & Steele Mysteries, takes place during the glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood. As always, she blends the most loveable characters with a good, solid mystery.

Gail also has a growing list of other award-winning historical romances, mysteries, westerns, and fictional biographies of true heroines. She lives in a small village in Upstate New York with her husband and their sweet, little Boston Terrier, and she spends loads of time with her grandchildren.

Author Links

Website:  https://www.gailmeath.com

Facebook:  https://facebook.com/gailmeathauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gailmeathauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220631482-a-perilous-premiere

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-perilous-premiere-by-gail-meath

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – 

Giveaway

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