Rating: 4 stars / 5
Summary: A Fianceé's Guide to First Wives and Murder (A Countess of Harleigh Mystery book 4) by Dianne Freeman
For Frances Wynn, widow to the late Earl of Harleigh, life has a cosmopolitan flavor of late. No sooner has she sent her mother and daughter off on a shopping trip to Paris than she and her fiancé, George Hazleton, are socializing with visiting members of the Russian royal family. Yet amid this whirlwind, scandal also comes calling when Inspector Delaney turns up outside Frances's house with a young French woman with a shocking claim: she is Mrs. George Hazelton.
As the future Mrs. George Hazelton, Frances assumes the woman is either lying or demented. Mrs. Hazelton, aka Irena, makes other outrageous statements. Among them, she insists that she is the illegitimate daughter of Russian royalty, that she has been abducted and held for ransom many times, and that someone is sending her threatening letters. When George arrives, he clarifies that he is certainly not married to Irena--though he can confirm her royal parentage. But even as he agrees to investigate whether Irena's life is in danger, her claim proves tragically true. Irena is found strangled in Frances' garden.
To uncover a killer--and clear their own names--Frances and George must determine which of Irena's outlandish stories were based in fact, and who stood to benefit from her death. And as the search reaches a shocking conclusion, they may find that villainy lurks all too close to home...(from Goodreads).
My review of this intriguing murder mystery
A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder
is book 4 in A Countess of Harleigh Mystery series by Dianne Freeman, published
by Kensington Books. The story is set in London 1899 when a French woman turns
up on Frances, Countess of Harleigh’s doorstep claiming to be her fiancée
George Hazeldon’s wife. She is later found dead in Frances’ garden and these
developments may have a detrimental effect on Frances’s and George’s reputations
and future marriage. With her usual energy and force Frances meddles in police
investigation with the help of her fiancée. Both use their social skills and
contacts to avoid a massive scandal.
Main
character is Frances, Countess of Harleigh who is like a dog with a bone when
it comes to mysteries and who has no problems taking risks. She seems a person
with a zest for life who deals effectively with whatever is thrown her way. I
love that about her.
Supporting character is the Hon. George Hazelton. There seems to be plenty of mystery related to his background, which I’m sure will gradually be revealed in future books. He seems attentive to Frances and has the makings of a good Victorian husband.
What I enjoyed the most about this story is that
it reads like a sitcom. It stands out with the particularly funny start when
George’s alleged wife turns up. The plot and characters are catching and keep
me fascinated all the way through to the totally surprising ending. I loved how
the murder victim’s mysterious background and her connections to Russia included
a lot of drama and surprise elements to the story. The drama of investigating
the murder understandably took center stage, but we are still able to sense the
connection between Frances and George. How they function as a couple in the
stressful situation when his alleged first wife turns up. In short this is an
unputdownable book I thoroughly enjoyed.
Similar authors to explore might be Anna Lee Huber or Katharine Schellman. Thank you to #Kensington Books, #Dianne Freeman and #NetGalley for this opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
Conclusion: A
Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder is the unputdownable new mystery
where Frances solves the murder of a woman with connections to Russia who
claims to be George’s first wife.
Where to get your Copy
Book Details
Publisher : Kensington (July 27, 2021)
Hardcover : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496731603
ISBN-13 : 978-1496731609
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