Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
You might remember how much I enjoyed reading the Countess of Harleigh novels last July? I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms Freeman during the blog tour as well – as I was blessed to cross paths with this Cosy Historical Mystery novelist whilst hosting her tour as it routed through the book bloggers who like me have a fierce passion for Historical Fiction; hosting with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.
I remember when the books first arrived by #bookpost and how curiously I had looked upon them before I began reading the stories – the cover art danced in front of my eyes, a bit on the cheekier side and definitely with a keen eye for drawing your attention to their design! You had to wonder about the Countess of Harleigh and how her life and this Cosy Historical Mystery was going to resonate with you as you dug into her story and sorted out a new author’s cosy style of relating a mystery set during an era you rather enjoy visiting.
If you’ve missed my previous ruminations about this series let me share this ahead of #SatBookChat this Saturday morning:
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.
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!
-a quote from my review of The Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder
I’ve been listening to the audiobook version of the first novel in the series The Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder finding myself re-attached to the world Ms Freeman alights us inside and cheekily finding myself smirking into ready smiles all over again as I had when I first read the novel in print!
The narrator Sarah Zimmerman is a good match for bringing Frances to life – she has her sensibility and her personality perfectly perfected. I would imagine this might have been a hard role to fulfill because as soon as you begin reading these Mysteries you’ll notice the curiously brilliant styling of Freeman – she has the marked fixures of the era she’s writing but with the added bonus of giving us a heroine who reminds me of Lady Emily Ashton (from Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series) and Lady Darby (from Anna Lee Huber’s Lady Darby Mysteries).
The audio versions are a brilliant entrance and revisit of the series – Zimmerman has a tone of delivery I felt resonated with how I felt Frances would talk and relate her life to her listeners whilst at the same time, Zimmerman has one of those hypnotic voices which implores you to listen and to see how she delivers the story until the very end. I look forward to re-listening to these prior to the forthcoming third release A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder this Summer!
I hope you’ve brewed a cuppa to enjoy the information on this spotlighted post in conjunction with @SatBookChat whilst taking time to visit our past chats archived via the Moments on the chat’s feeds via Twitter. This chat will be archived after it concludes and a bit lateron from there to allow everyone the chance to interact, share and respond.
Without further adieu,
I give you the latest #SatBookChat spotlight
wherein you can learn a bit more about the author & her story.
The 3rd novel releases 28th July, 2020!
The Synopsis for A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder:
London is known for its bustle and intrigues, but the sedate English countryside can host—or hide—any number of secrets. Frances, the widowed Countess of Harleigh, needs a venue for her sister Lily’s imminent wedding, away from prying eyes. Risings, George Hazleton’s family estate in Hampshire, is a perfect choice, and soon Frances, her beloved George, and other guests have gathered to enjoy the usual country pursuits—shooting, horse riding, and romantic interludes in secluded gardens.
But the bucolic setting harbors a menace, and it’s not simply the arrival of Frances’s socially ambitious mother. Above and below stairs, mysterious accidents befall guests and staff alike. Before long, Frances suspects these “accidents” are deliberate, and fears that the intended victim is Lily’s fiancé, Leo. Frances’s mother is unimpressed by Lily’s groom-to-be and would much prefer that Lily find an aristocratic husband, just as Frances did. But now that Frances has found happiness with George—a man who loves her for much more than her dowry—she heartily approves of Lily’s choice. If she can just keep the couple safe from villains and meddling mamas.
As Frances and George search for the culprit among the assembled family, friends, and servants, more victims fall prey to the mayhem. Mishaps become full-blooded murder, and it seems that no one is safe. And unless Frances can quickly flush out the culprit, the peal of wedding bells may give way to another funeral toll. . . .
I love Cosy Historical Mysteries as they endeavour to give me a wicked good story set within an era of the past I am geniunely curious about travelling inside!
They are easier on the heart & mind being Cosies and as such they are a pleaure of joy to be read – you’ll note as you visit through my Story Vault, I’ve had the blessed joy of discovering numerous authors who befit this genre of interest the years I’ve been book blogging – I coined the term early-on as I wanted to make a distinction of interest about the kinds of Historical Mysteries I was reading as there are quite the variety out there to be found! Most are seriously hard-boiled and a bit on the grittier side of the ledger,.. but if you have a keen eye & a bit of patience – you’ll find the ones I *love!* reading the most – such as the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries!
What do you think?
Do you appreciate Cosy Historical Mysteries?
What do you seek out the most when you want a suspenseful plot of Mystery?
Which authors are you gravitating towards when they merge the historic past & a compellingly intersting plot such as this one!?
Be sure to give yourself a treat & start this series at the beginning,…
Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. After an obligatory year spent mourning her philandering husband, Reggie, she puts aside her drab black gowns, leaving the countryside and her money-grubbing in-laws behind. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York—for her first London season.
No sooner has Frances begun her new life than the ghosts of he r old one make an unwelcome appearance. The Metropolitan police receive an anonymous letter implicating Frances in her husband’s death. Frances assures Inspector Delaney of her innocence, but she’s also keen to keep him from learning the scandalous circumstances of Reggie’s demise. As fate would have it, her dashing new neighbor, George Hazelton, is one of only two other people aware of the full story.
While busy with social engagements on Lily’s behalf, and worrying if Reggie really was murdered, Frances learns of mysterious burglaries plaguing London’s elite. The investigation brings death to her doorstep, and Frances rallies her wits, a circle of gossips, and the ever-chivalrous Mr. Hazelton to uncover the truth. A killer is in their midst, perhaps even among her sister’s suitors. And Frances must unmask the villain before Lily’s season—and their lives—come to a most unseemly end . .
I hope as you enter into this series for the first time or revisit the series if you’ve already found it to your liking – that you’ll gleam a few new tidbits & insights through the convo we’ve shared during #SatBookChat today. It is a wonderful opportunity to chat with authors & to ask them questions about their writing process, their style of storycrafting and the elements of what makes their stories their own.
If you weren’t able to join us today – I look foward to seeing you join us on a future Saturday. Kindly note – you are welcome to read through our #SatBookChat feeds, adding new responses to the chat’s topic & the conversation at hand – be sure to remember to add our tag (#SatBookChat) to your tweets so they will *thread into the convo and everyone who seeks the convo out can find your additions.
This Dianne Freeman Spotlight is connected with the chat I hosted via @satbookchat featuring this lovely author on 11th January, 2020!
The press Materials are courtesy the author.
View the archived chat via Moments
(will update link after #SatBookChat!)
{SOURCES: Book covers for “A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder”, “A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder” and “A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder”, synopsis for the novels as well as the author biography and author photo for Dianne Freeman were all provided by the author Dianne Freeman and are used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: #SatBookChat Dianne Freeman banner and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2020.
I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life
.@SatBookChat | ?️#SatBookChat NEWS!
We have a booked Winter this New Year 2020!
Happily ANNOUNCING our January Authors☺️Visit & Follow our featured guests:@Difreeman001 + @VivWrites + @hlburkewriter
Reviews of their stories via #JLASblog
Chat Info: https://t.co/teHQOApezN pic.twitter.com/q2FxqIjssi— #SatBookChat (@SatBookChat) January 4, 2020
.@joriestory ?@SatBookChat returns!
Saturday, my #Romance & #WomensFiction chat returns to delight the #bookcommunity w/ featured authors talking about their book series & #newbooks alike!?@Difreeman001 will be discussing #HistoricalMysteries & the art of #CosyCrime!? pic.twitter.com/g45pR8p5IN
— Jorie (#WyrdAndWonder) ??? (@joriestory) January 9, 2020
.@SatBookChat For those of you who are unfamiliar w/ the Countess of Harleigh #HistoricalMysteries (a la Cosy!) be sure to visit my #bookreview wherein I had the joy of reading the first two in the series; join us tomorrow for #SatBookChat to discuss them https://t.co/SBCPJE7r3u
— #SatBookChat (@SatBookChat) January 10, 2020
.@joriestory Just a friendly reminder:
The bookish chat I love hosting on Saturdays is coming back this *weekend!* discussing #CosyMysteries #HistoricalMysteries and the cheeky fun of #amreading the Countess of Harleigh #Mysteries by Dianne Freeman!
Be sure to join us @ 11a EST https://t.co/orFARMGyQ6— Jorie (#WyrdAndWonder) ??? (@joriestory) January 11, 2020
Comments via Twitter:
Looking forward to a fun #SatBookChat with @joriestory this Saturday! #Histfic and #Cozymystery lovers, join us! pic.twitter.com/cagyOVfl52
— Dianne Freeman (@Difreeman001) January 9, 2020
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