#SaturdaysAreBookish Book Review | feat. the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries by Dianne Freeman

Posted Saturday, 6 July, 2019 by jorielov , , , , , 2 Comments

#SaturdaysAreBookish created by Jorie in Canva.

After launching this lovely new feature of mine during [Autumn, 2018] it is a pleasure of joy to continue to bring #SaturdaysAreBookish as a compliment focus of my Twitter chat @SatBookChat. If you see the chat icon at the top of my blog (header bar) you can click over to visit with us. The complimentary showcases on my blog will reflect the diversity of stories, authors and publishers I would be featuring on the chat itself. As at the root and heart of the chat are the stories I am reading which compliment the conversations.

#SaturdaysAreBookish throughout [2019] will be featuring the Romance & Women’s Fiction authors I am discovering to read across genre and point of interest. Every Saturday will feature a different author who writes either Romance or Women’s Fiction – the stories I am reading might simply inspire the topics in the forthcoming chats or they might be directly connected to the current guest author.

I am excited about where new guests and new stories will lay down the foundation of inspiring the topics, the conversations and the bookish recommendations towards promoting Romance & Women’s Fiction. Here’s a lovely New Year full of new authors and their stories to celebrate!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By:

I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! HFVBTs is one of the very first touring companies I started working with as a 1st Year Book Blogger – uniting my love and passion with Historical Fiction and the lovely sub-genres inside which I love devouring.

It has been a wicked fantastical journey into the heart of the historic past, wherein I’ve been blessed truly by discovering new timescapes, new living realities of the persons who once lived (ie. Biographical Historical Fiction) inasmuch as itched my healthy appetite for Cosy Historical Mysteries! If there is a #HistRom out there it is generally a beloved favourite and I love soaking into a wicked wonderful work of Historical Fiction where you feel the beauty of the historic world, the depth of the characters and the joyfulness in which the historical novelists brought everything to light in such a lovingly diverse palette of portraiture of the eras we become time travellers through their stories.

As this blog tour features a new Cosy Historical Mystery author I hadn’t yet read, I requested the first novel in the series to read in tandem with the latest release. I was blessed by the publisher to receive both novels in order to understand the continuity and sequencing of the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries series. Thereby I received a complimentary ARC copy of “A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder” and a complimentary copy of “A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder” direct from the publisher St. Martin’s Press, in exchange for honest reviews. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

On why this series appealled to me:

There are two things I truly enjoy: Historical stories & Cosy Mysteries – when you find a serial which combines these two loves of my mine – you find yourself in the happy niche of *Cosy Historical Mysteries!* A discovery I made as a book blogger – wherein, authors are anchouring their Cosies into the historic past – moving us through different centuries of interest and giving us a wicked brilliant Historical Mystery to boot!

The main reason I wanted to read this series is because I liked the charm of it – a woman who was being encouraged to fit within high society & yet find herself not willing nor ready to take-on the duties that come with widowhood. She is quite the remarkable character – independent by nature & elevated to a certain seat of formality by the death of her husband, Frances has to re-invent herself & still be in a position of honour to raise her young daughter, Rose.

What I love most about Cosy Historical Mysteries though is the truer sense of how we can move through time but still find a happy place to reside whilst the amateur sleuths tackle their most curious cases and how each of us as readers find new authors to follow & lovely new series to capture our attention. These truly are my favourites to find and I am thankful that they haven’t yet gone out of style with the novelists who are endeavouring to write them!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

I decided to play honour to the cover art – purple for the colour itself and a cheeky nod to how addictive Cosy Historical Mysteries are to me as a reader – you just can’t eat one of these French cookies without feeling the desire to grab more – and that is how Cosies are for me in this branch of the genre – once I settle myself into one installment, I can’t remove myself until I fetch after more and feel truly rooted in the author’s vision for her series!

Unsplash Photography (Creative Commons Zero) Photo Credit: Anastasiia Ostapovych
Unsplash Photography (Creative Commons Zero)
Photo Credit: Anastasiia Ostapovych

A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder
by Dianne Freeman
Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Genres: Historical Fiction, Cosy Historical Mystery, Amateur Detective



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781496716880

Also by this author: A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder (Author Interview), A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder

Series: Countess of Harleigh Mysteries


Also in this series: A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder


Setting: London, England


Published by Kensington Books

on 28th May, 2019

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 288

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

my review of a lady’s guide to etiquette & murder:

Rather immediately, I found myself drawn into the life of Frances – not just because her husband was a cad and a louse of a husband but because of how Ms Freeman endeared us to champion her cause as a woman exiting her mourning period and getting on with her life! It was quite horrid for women in the 19th Century – still attached to that tradition of wearing dearly depressing hues of black and grey (in different increments which were rather strictly enforced!) for at least a year after becoming widowed. It was only then, where she could ‘re-emerge’ into her colours and start to make her presence more widely known in society. How those women managed it, I’ll never know not – as in the case of Frances, it most have truly become a chore knowing her her husband departed his life! Oyy, vie such a rat!

Her in-laws were quite typical – only out for themselves, more concerned with the affairs relating to their estate and less enthused to even entertain a thought of concern over Frances. For her benefit, she was made of stronger stock than they would have believed and she took her daughter (Rose) and herself off to the city to carve out their future elsewhere from the throes of the Harleigh family and the responsibilities therein. Freeman gave you such a hearty and joyful introduction to her character – part of her antics reminded me of why I have such cheeky joy in reading the Anna Blanc series and part of the exchanges also reminded me of my recent over the Discreet Detective Agency – there is something to be said for well-timed satire and humour in the Cosy Historical Mysteries your reading! The appeal of course is being able to burst into giggles alongside the allure of moving deeper into the context of the building mystery!

Of course, not all is ill for Frances – she has enough resources within her means to purchase a least outright for a house which still has eighty years to be lived inside! Imagine? She might have sparse furnishings and staff but something told me her and Rose would thrive here rather than having stayed on with the relatives at the estate. One of my favourite moments is when she bribes one of the maids not to spoilt her news by giving her the chance to make haste and away with her once she moves out. It was a ploy to cover-up the fact she had a bit of a rebellious nature inside her to where she did not like to leave things to fate if there was a loophole round the unknown! Smartly written, Freeman keeps you entertained from one chapter to the next to where it is just a delight to overhear what Frances will say next and what her next actions might be which become the new concerns of the family she’s left behind!

If it weren’t such a serious moment for Frances, you could giggle a bit more about it – as she recounted her discovery of her late husband and the goings-on shortly thereafter, you could tell she had a strong reason for not wishing to be next of doors to Mr Hazelton! And, yet, as life would have it – the things one wants and the things which happen to live a blight on a path towards newfound happiness are not entirely equal. Though I must admit, what was charming about this part of the story is how willingly she was helped by Hazelton and how he hadn’t broached the subject of that night since it occurred! Made you wonder – was her need of his services that night just a cheeky clever way of placing them on each other’s paths to where they could interact more down the road rather than of the concerns she had if he would hold it over her for a reason not yet known?

When Fi enters into the scene, you start to see Frances in her own element – as would be the case when your round your best friend who knows you better than you know yourself! Fiona surprisingly is the sister to Mr Hazelton – which I felt was a good bit of drama ontop of the fact the investigation into the death of her husband was becoming re-examined! Felt fitting in one regard but also entirely terrifying on the other hand as what could they find a full twelvemonths later? It left a curious note in your mind as you watched Frances continuing to build her life in the city. Curiously her mother seems to have found herself in wont of her daughter’s assistance in attempting to have a second daughter of the family wed to the London aristocracy. I, was in full agreement with Frances – wasn’t one marriage good enough? I was just thankful she had Rose – of all the grief she’d been put through, having a daughter of her own seemed to be the only bright light in her life especially as she was constantly attempting to be a better mother to her child than her Mum was to her growing up.

As fate continued to give Frances more headaches than smiles, you had to give it to her – she chose to set her attitude on the positive and despite the arduous circumstances alighting towards her at an alarming speed of haste from her brother-in-law, Frances wouldn’t let her resolve falter. There was much more at stake than inconvenient delays in the normality of her life – no, she simply turnt her chin up with a strength she might not have entirely felt but one which would see her through with the kindness of her friends. This was another instance where you could see how lovely it was for her to have Fiona in her life – the kind of huckleberry friend everyone needs and is blessed to have found.

Part of the joy of reading this series are the layers of etiquette permeating into the fabric of the story-line – fitting for this debut of the series itself as it lends a certain view of the absurdity of tradition these lords and ladies were put through when their era was in its heyday! All the confining points of societal regulations and the fact, you couldn’t just remove yourself from the obligations as that would be lent to scandal and gossip; Freeman takes you through the motions of how frivolous the ton can be and how determined you must become to outwit them all the same! Frances shows this by her unwavering belief that if you lead with strength and a resolve to overcome whatever befalls you, society will either a) move on to the next lead story or b) forget you completely; which I felt was her preference. Frances wasn’t the kind who welcomed notoriety – quite the opposite, I believed she wanted to live a more ordinary life without all the pops and poms of the elevated class.

As Lily becomes more convinced of her mother’s reasoning for sending her off to London (to fetch a husband!) the more protective Frances feels to guide her off that goal. For Frances learnt the hard way about what hard choices mean to a young woman whose caught up in the innocence of wanting to wed a man but without the proportional insight into what can go wrong if you act too impulsively and do not research a man’s character the level of knowing exactly what might be in your future if you were to wed. You felt for Frances in that scene – of wanting to be the sister who could spare another the same kind of misery she had faced herself but with the knowledge that despite her earnest hopes of doing that, it was truly left to Lily to take her counsel to heart and adhere to it.

What an incredible find in Mr Hazelton! Not only can this bloke handle himself under pressure but he continues to amaze me how much he will go to lengths to help Frances! Of course, in the back of mind, I was quite aware of the fact he could be smitten with her – as whom else would do all the tasks asked of him and on such short notice? It isn’t even the most typical of duties to be asked and yet, here his Hazelton – willing, able and happily lending his hand to Frances whenever she needs him, no qualms or questions asked! If anything, he is also her guiding sound board of advice – as sometimes she struggles to balance her own thoughts with the logic needed to re-assess things that are happening just outside her own control. He never fails to make me smile in other words because he’s such an easy-going bloke!

I was endeared to the plot long before I caught-on to the mysterious events happening in the background – for me, this series is wickedly driven by its characters – specifically everyone related into the  personal orbit and sphere of Frances! You can’t help but feel caught inside her life – seeing how even the most ordinary of lives can suddenly become a feast of trouble yet with a sturdy circle of friends and family; any obstacle can surely become defeated! I must admit, by the time I unearthed the actual crime and the person behind it – I was quite somber! I hadn’t expected the villain in the story to be whom they were as I was expecting it be someone else completely! The way in which Freeman related those finer details of the whys and hows lead me to believe the rest of this series is going to be as charmingly cosy to read as its debut!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

#SaturdaysAreBookish Book Review | feat. the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries by Dianne FreemanA Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder
Subtitle: A Countess of Harleigh Mystery
by Dianne Freeman
Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

How far will some go to safeguard a secret? In the latest novel in Dianne Freeman’s witty and delightful historical mystery series, the adventurous Countess Harleigh finds out…

Though American by birth, Frances Wynn, the now-widowed Countess of Harleigh, has adapted admirably to the quirks and traditions of the British aristocracy. On August twelfth each year, otherwise known as the Glorious Twelfth, most members of the upper class retire to their country estates for grouse-shooting season. Frances has little interest in hunting—for birds or a second husband—and is expecting to spend a quiet few months in London with her almost-engaged sister, Lily, until the throng returns.

Instead, she’s immersed in a shocking mystery when a friend, Mary Archer, is found murdered. Frances had hoped Mary might make a suitable bride for her cousin, Charles, but their courtship recently fizzled out. Unfortunately, this puts Charles in the spotlight—along with dozens of others. It seems Mary had countless notes hidden in her home, detailing the private indiscretions of society’s elite. Frances can hardly believe that the genteel and genial Mary was a blackmailer, yet why else would she horde such juicy tidbits?

Aided by her gallant friend and neighbor, George Hazelton, Frances begins assisting the police in this highly sensitive case, learning more about her peers than she ever wished to know. Too many suspects may be worse than none at all—but even more worrying is that the number of victims is increasing too. And unless Frances takes care, she’ll soon find herself among them…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Cosy Historical Mystery, Amateur Detective



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781496716903

Also by this author: A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder (Author Interview), A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder

Series: Countess of Harleigh Mysteries


Also in this series: A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder


Setting: London, England


Published by Kensington Books

on 25th June, 2019

Format: Paperback ARC

Pages: 277

Published by: Kensington Books (@KensingtonBooks)

Converse via: #CosyMystery OR #Cosy #HistoricalMystery
and #CountessOfHarleighMystery

Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook

About Dianne Freeman

Dianne Freeman

Dianne Freeman is a life-long book lover who left the world of corporate finance to pursue her passion for writing. After co-authoring the non-fiction book, Haunted Highway, The Spirits of Route 66, she realized her true love was fiction, historical mystery in particular. She also realized she didn’t like winter very much so now she and her husband pursue the endless summer by splitting their time between Michigan and Arizona. She’s been nominated for an Agatha and the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award, and won the 2019 Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

my review of a lady’s guide to gossip & murder:

Not too much time has run between our first meeting of Frances, the Countess of Harleigh and our second arrival into her life – we began this adventure in April, 1899 and we’ve re-attached ourselves to her by August of the same year! What staid with me of course is how cheeky the series is truly if you look at it through the lens of the titles? Frances is ever-much a 19th Century heroine fully aware of society’s view of her and well equipped to hold to those traditions they (ie. the ton) insist upon to be continuously revered but in so doing, she finds her own way of making ‘etiquette’ a working theory which evolves as time progresses forward! If her sister Lily hadn’t been carted off to London to join the Season of debutantes coming into their own and claiming their intentions to husband hunt – she might not have even realised her greater calling in life!

Each installment is like a primer of how to behave and carry yourself through the trials of life any sane Victorian lady would want to impart to the next generation! Especially if they find themselves in compromising situations which are not as readily easy to disclose to authorities such as Frances found herself properly pickled several times over in the first story. What is keenly imperative of course is how to keep one’s measure of confidence in such a state of unrest. Frances excels at making lemonade out of lemons and of sticking true to her own gumption whenever life chooses to through a wench into her ability to remain independent of her deceased husband’s family.

I had a small giggle of laughter over how Frances was contemplating the colour of lavender in fabric and cloth; as it was an unsettled row between the women in my family and my great-grandmother (of whom was bourne in the late 19th Century) – who was of the impression that the colour purple and its variances was never meant to be worn whilst alive! I hated to break it to her but that particular hue has long since been a favourite of my own but apparently there was mirth of purpose behind how this colour was simply unacceptable to the Victorians? I found it interesting Freeman inserted this bit of trivia into the story-line – as I felt, what have I missed about the superstitious nature of how this shade of the colour spectrum seems to displease so many of this era?

The one character I had forgotten to single out last time was Inspector Delaney! He’s this charming bloke of an investigator whom much to the contrary of what you would expect of him, has an affection for Frances as he respects her more than he ever suspected her of any wrong-doing in the past! I felt he views Frances on equal footing – an equal in which he can debate the merits of which direction to take an investigation whilst he is readily implored by what her own mind reveals whenever they are in a full discussion over such matters. Both are known for their discretion and their alacrity in situations which make make having tact trickier. What I liked about my straight-off is how direct and to the point he is but he allows you to have a bit of a say in what you feel might be equally as relevant to what he has broached forward. In short, he’s a curious fellow who happens to like keeping company with Frances as I felt he found her to be slighted in both life and marriage but truly applauded her abilities to see the positives in life and not become bogged down in the negatives as they arise. The fact he’s a doting father and blissful husband to his wife puts their friendship in good esteem and order.

Poor, dear Frances! Whenever she intends to be helpful to the Inspector, she twists herself into another pickle of a situation instead! The ways she sees the people in her life and the ways the law sees them are not entirely on the same ledger half the time but in this instance, is the further shock of having realised that when you start to mettle into people’s personal affairs, it is best to thoroughly know of them rather than just on the causal surface! Inspector Delaney of course was more than willing to remind her that sometimes a person’s truer nature is hidden from everyone and is not meant to be a reflection of their own faults for not noticing it but rather an ominous warning to be cautious about the friendships you keep.

Of course, Mr Hazelton is still ribbing Frances about how well they suited and how well they’d be if they were to form a union between them! I could see it myself – as he yields to her and she implores after him to help her sort out all the legalities she is befuddled to understand without his aide. They are two halves of a whole but from her side of it, you can understand her reasoning to play it safe and stay a singleton for now. She hadn’t had the best experience as a wife and despite the fact lightning doesn’t generally strike twice, I think for France she’s simply shy about yielding her heart to another man who might end up disappointing her all over again. Though how Hazelton could prove his trust and honour to a degree of certainty more than he already has is unknown. Sometimes I think people are just afraid to take the leap and place themselves in a cycle of a holding pattern without a way to exit it.

Her misgivings in marriage are also unsettling to Lily (her dear-hearted sister) who despite the curious situations previously actually found herself a winning match for a husband! You truly champion how it came about as she found the one bloke who was not just trust-worthy but his intentions were honourable. I just hope that Frances will table her thoughts on marriage and allow Lily the joy of being with her suitor. Their lives are not alike in that one regard – Lily it appears to be spared the kind of heartache of Frances but of course being sisters, one is always going to try to protect the other and that is something you can readily understand.

I love how Freeman has characterised young Rose – despite still being in the early years of her girlhood – she has this fierceness of independence insider her that I noticed surprises her Mum at each turn! Especially how keen she is to learn how to jump and take her horsemanship to the next levels – though in that, Frances cannot say too much as she ought to have known how passionate about this sport Rose had become as soon as she had bought the drapery fabric! Ha! I felt Rose was a strong compliment to Frances – however, knowing that, I believe its Frances who isn’t quite prepared for a daughter who is so closely similar to her mother! She should have realised she would be raising a slightly unconventional young woman knowing full well how she lives her own life, too!

Aside from Frances and Mr Hazelton, my third favourite character is actually Aunt Hetty! She has a smart mind and an appetite for business! Her sequences are such a cunning show of how women in the past might have had the clarity of mind to tackle business affairs but they weren’t given the power to use that knowledge as they are today. Aunt Hetty is a strong compliment to both Frances and Lily; she provides the assurances of age and wisdom whilst she helps Frances understand the finer points of the intrigues she’s working through as her mind is naturally investigative and deductive. I love seeing how Aunt Hetty sees things but also how she tries to etch out some well-placed advice in Frances. She’s such a cornerstone to Frances world, I am hoping that she will remain throughout the series as she adds quite a bit to the continuity and the enjoyment of Frances inner circle!

Ironically or not, if you were clued into how these stories are entitled, you’ll notice a few key words within those titles – strictly speaking, the word gossip this time round presents such a clever covering for what happens within the story, I was smiling as soon as I recognised the layers of its keen insight! I love how Freeman has developed her own personal stamp on Victorian Cosy Mysteries – she plays with the layers and she gives you a lot to chew on whilst your reading the stories themselves, yet its her continuity I love most. Any writer who can seamlessly merge us through installments is an author I am devouted to following because it is that kind of continuity I seek to find the most!

Again, for me – the crime took the backseat – it is the fuller scope of Frances, her family and her close-knit friendship circle who continue to draw me into the installments. The crimes are jolly good fun to follow – as they become more intricate than you’d expect out of a Cosy, a credit to the kind I was used to reading from Dame Christie – where the yarn of the crime is as enticing as the life of Miss Marple! Not that Frances is of that certain age – but her life is quite settled and she has a joy about her that someone older would usually feel than of a woman her age recently widowed still in the prime of life itself. Frances doesn’t put on airs, which I love about her and she has a deeper appreciation for what is most important in life – I think that is what won me over straight-off, how she’s not your typical heroine and how even her life is quite extraordinary when you consider the fuller circumstances of it.

I know one thing – I can’t wait for the third installment of this series because we were left on such a blissful cliffhanger between Frances and Mr Hazelton! I am sure it won’t be concluded in the third novel either – as Ms Freeman could carry this one for quite a long while or even until the conclusion of the series, but I simply am cheering for them! You can’t read this series and not find Frances and Hazelton such a perfect fit for one another – he challenges her and she invigorates him! They are such a winning pair and just seeing how they match off each other is pure folly! I definitely left this story with a heart full of mirth and a smile full of laughter!

on the cosy historical mystery styling of dianne freeman:

There is a causal familiarity within the series – almost as if Freeman had pondered about this series to such a heightened degree of continuous thought – by the time she put the story down to paper, the whole cast and setting simply emerged just as you’d expect it to be as if they were components of a real story and not set in a fictional world against the London Season. Freeman has a clear vision of where she wants you to enter this world but in the background, despite the touches of familiar sights for this era in History what makes it a charming Cosy is how she digs closer to Frances and truly envelopes you into her internal world. You get to see Frances in her day-to-day adventures – whilst she attempts to sort out her in-laws, the balance of her own family and the musings of mumhood. All of that equals a rather lovely experience to read as you tuck closer to Frances just as she is starting to emerge into the next chapter of her life.

What makes this series work as well as it does is the sharp dialogue, the witty situations and the loveliness of soaking into a series which not only breathes a life of joy to read but it has dimensional presence for the reader! You are so swept into Freeman’s style of a Cosy narrative you don’t want to exit the story-line! The goings on of Frances life is what anchours you into the exploits surrounding her – as crime has a rather curious way of following her round but even if you put that aside, it is how Frances was crafted to entertain you that I love the most!

Similar to Anna Blanc, the woman doesn’t realise how hilarious her life is truly being lived! Even without attempting to whet a thirst of humourous joy into your reading, here comes Frances – quite bemused herself by how circumstances seemingly ordinary can turn dire almost without warning and then, both of you are on this romp of an adventure that you don’t wish to see end anytime soon! I’m sure she could have done without a few of the headaches those situations caused to those who were most close to her – as no one wants to see someone put through that kind of anguish – but the rest of it? Goodness! Ms Freeman has crafted a Cosy Mystery series which gives you the joyfulness of the Victorian era with the curiosities befitting the Cosies!

I do rather look forward to seeing the third installment of this series release! I can’t imagine what shall come next for dear Frances & her circle, but what I do know is that I’m going to have a wickedly brilliant time discovering it! This is definitely one of my new favourite Cosies & an author I look forward to continuing to read as more of her stories become available!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

This blog tour is courtesy of:

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours - HFVBTFollow the Virtual Road Map

as you visit others participating:

As this particular one has a bookaway along the route:

A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder blog tour via HFVBTs I look forward to reading your thoughts & commentary!

Especially if you read the book or were thinking you might be inclined to read it. I appreciate hearing different points of view especially amongst readers who gravitate towards the same stories to read. Bookish conversations are always welcome!
If you’ve enjoyed my revelations on behalf of the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries – due look for my announcement of the interview I am putting together with Ms Freeman which will run after the blog tour! I had a delightful time conversing about the particulars of the series & of how Freeman approached writing it!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Reading this novel contributed to a few of my 2019 reading challenges:

2019 HistFic Reading Challenge banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Beat the Backlist banner created by Austine at A Novel Knight and is used with permission.

2019 New Release Challenge created by mylimabeandesigns.com for unconventionalbookworms.com and is used with permission.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

{SOURCES: Book cover for “A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder”, book synopsis, author biography, author photograph of Dianne Freeman, the tour host badge and HFVBTs badge were all provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Unsplash Photography (Creative Commons Zero) Photo Credit: Anastasiia Ostapovych. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. 2019 New Release Challenge badge provided by unconventionalbookworms.com and is used with permission. Beat the Backlist banner provided by Novel Knight and is used with permission. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Saturdays are Bookish banner, Historical Fiction Reading Challenge banner and the Comment Box Banner.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2019.

I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life

Comments via Twitter:

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

read more >> | Visit my Story Vault of Book Reviews | Policies & Review Requests | Contact Jorie

Divider

Posted Saturday, 6 July, 2019 by jorielov in #SaturdaysAreBookish, 19th Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Cosy Historical Mystery, Crime Fiction, Debut Author, Debut Novel, England, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Lady Detective Fiction, London




All posts on my blog are open to new comments & commentary!
I try to visit your blog in return as I believe in ‘Bloggers Commenting Back
(which originated as a community via Readers Wonderland).


Comments are moderated. Once your comment is approved for the first time, your comments thereafter will be recognised and automatically approved. All comments are reviewed and continue to be moderated after automated approval. By using the comment form you are consenting with the storage and handling of your personal data by this website.

Once you use the comment form, if your comment receives a reply (this only applies to those who leave comments by email), there is a courtesy notification set to send you a reply ticket. It is at your discretion if you want to return to re-respond and/or to continue the conversation established. This is a courtesy for commenters to know when their comments have been replied by either the blog's owner or a visitor to the blog who wanted to add to the conversation. Your email address is hidden and never shared. Read my Privacy Policy.

2 responses to “#SaturdaysAreBookish Book Review | feat. the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries by Dianne Freeman

  1. Carolyn Steele

    This book sounds truly delicious! Putting on my Must Read list! Thanks for your delightful review, Jorie; and for introducing me to yet another wonderful author!

    • Hallo, Hallo Ms Steele,

      I am overjoyed you’ve discovered my review for this lovely Cosy series!! :) You’ll be happy to learn one of my first guests for @SatBookChat in 2020 is *this!* author!! I haven’t made the official announcement yet – as I’ll be doing this next week – however, as I caught sight of her in #HistFicChat on Thursday (yesterday) – it was sweet bliss to chatter with her ahead of hosting her myself! :)

      I love uniting readers with #newtomeauthors – you gave me a light of joy knowing this is one on your TBR List now!

Leave a Reply

(Enter your URL then click here to include a link to one of your blog posts.)