A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder

Written by Dianne Freeman

Narrated by Sarah Zimmerman

In Agatha and Lefty Award–winning author Dianne Freeman's third Countess of
Harleigh Mystery set in Victorian England, the widowed, American-born
aristocrat Frances Wynn finds her sister's wedding threatened by a vow of
vengeance …
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'
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' 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781705043714

Dianne Freeman

Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. Her debut novel, A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder, won both an Agatha Award and a Lefty Award and was nominated for the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award from Mystery Writers of America. She spent thirty years working in corporate accounting and finance and now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband split their time between Michigan and Arizona. Visit her at www.DiFreeman.com.

Reviews for A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder

[Amy McDougal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like the period the books are set in and the location. I like the characters. It's entertaining for me, and it's fun to try and figure out the mystery.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Frances, the Countess of Harleigh, has been hosting her sister Lily for a season and now she betrothed to Leo Kendrick, the wedding scheduled in 2 months. However, their timetable needs to be accelerated since Lily finds herself pregnant. Frances secret betrothed, George Hazelton offers Risings, his brother's estate, since there is a scheduled shooting party which could easily be turned into a wedding. The group travel to Risings, Frances and Lily's mother arriving a few days later, upset that the big society wedding is now an intimate family event. Accidents start to happen, but are they really accidents? Is someone trying to sabotage the wedding or is their another reason? Who is the target and how many will be killed or injured before the culprit is discovered?Truly a pleasurable read with great characters and a flair to history.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder
3.5 Stars

A house party in the Hampshire countryside is beset by a series of nasty accidents that Lady Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh, suspects are anything but accidental. Convinced that her sister's fiancé is the intended victim, Frances and her new beau, George Hazelton, are determined to find the culprit, especially when one of the mishaps turns into murder. Who amongst the assembled family, friends, and servants is a killer?

This installment in Freeman's historical cozy mysteries series is somewhat slower in pace as readers are introduced to various new characters and their possible reasons for staging the "accidents". There are several red-herrings with plausible motives, and Freeman manages to keep the reader guessing mainly due to the fact that much of the information needed to ascertain the culprit's identity is provided only toward the end - some earlier foreshadowing would not have been amiss.

The highlight of the book is actually the characterization. Frances and George have taken their relationship to the next level, but she is struggling with the changes the future might bring. Lily and Leo also have to deal with a life-altering surprise, but Lily's questionable behavior does not present her in a good light. Frances' overbearing and social climbing mother also appears on the scene. She is none too happy with either of her daughters' choices in men; nevertheless, she does have her moments and is very handy with a pitchfork.

Overall, this is not the best book in the series, but it is still a lighthearted and enjoyable read.

[katebaxter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oh my! As the Lady Harleigh mysteries continue in this third book in series, we find Frances' sister Lily's upcoming nuptials necessarily accelerated. But where are they going to find a quiet and suitable venue at this late date. Fear not! Dear sweet George Hazelton (Frances' neighbor), steps into the breach and offers up his brother's country estate which George is overseeing in his brother's long absence. All seems well until a series of "accidents" start piling up. Is it pure coincidence? Might someone have it in for the groom? Or is someone else caught in the crosshairs? Frances (with George's assistance, of course) must get to the bottom of this series of misadventures if Lily and company are to enjoy their blissful wedding. Can Frances resolve the matter in time? Only time will tell.Ms. Freeman has again spun a wonderful tale, poking fun at the social mores of British aristocratic behavior and ambitious deep-pocketed Americans. The suspects pile up quickly providing the reader with lots of red herrings. The character development is good throughout and the mise-en-scène effectively carries the reader to the Hampshire countryside of a hundred years ago. Well done, Ms. Freeman!

[murderbydeath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Historical mysteries seem to be all the rage at the moment, and fortunately, publishers have yet to monetise and ruin the trend to such a degree that you can’t find a selection of well written series to enjoy. While the quality of cozy mysteries has been abysmal the last several years, Historical Mysteries have filled in the gap nicely for me.A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder is the 3rd in a series I discovered at my first (and so far only) Bouchercon convention. It’s a good series, and this book is a strong 3rd book, moving the characters’ arcs along quickly, while presenting an interesting stand-alone plot, with clues easily missed and writing that skilfully misdirected the reader down several false avenues. As the story moved along, some of the misdirection became obvious, but some of it didn’t, rendering a delightful mystery well done.My only groan over the book was the introduction of Countess Harleigh’s mother who was caricatured for most of her page time, only to do the whole mama-lion thing and achieving what to me was an insincere redemption in the final pages. Fortunately she’s not around much in this book and it wasn’t enough to really weight the book down.

[vesper1931 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

1899 Frances, Countess of Harleigh's sister Lily is due to marry Leo Kendrick in two months time. But due to their stupidity they now must marry quickly. Friend George Hazelton offers Risings, his brother's estate, with its planned shooting party, to become a wedding venue for the couple.
Then the accidents start happening. How many people will die before Frances and Hazelton uncover the guilty party, or their motive
An enjoyable Victorian cozy mystery, but not one I found as entertaining as the first two. I seem to find Frances less likeable and parts of the story did drag slightly.
A NetGalley book

[auntie0nanuuq · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lady Frances, Countess of Harleigh's sister, Lily is pregnant. Lily, her Aunt, & her fiancée, Leo inform Frances that they plan to forego their society wedding and elope. To save the couple from a scandal, Frances's fiancée, George offers his brother's estate for a country weekend and a last minute wedding.Things seem to be falling into place, but then a string of accidents befall the guests & one of the footmen is poisoned, leading Frances & George to believe that Leo is the target.... Meanwhile Frances's & Lily's mother does everything she is able to thwart the wedding.There are plenty of suspects & plenty of motives; and just when George captures the main suspect, an undercover man from the Home Office, the twist in the plot is revealed.I like the characters, with the exception of Frances's mother; but as she is finally put in her place I'm hoping subsequent events & investigations will be a bit easier for Frances.

[arthistorychick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne FreemanBook #3: Countess of Harleigh Mystery SeriesSource: NetGalley and Kensington BooksRating: 4½/5 starsSince reading the first book in this series, I have become inordinately happy when I’ve come across the next book in the series on NetGalley. I have such a huge fondness for this series and the Countess of Harleigh. The opening scenes of this book find the Countess of Harleigh reveling in her secret engagement to the dashing George Hazleton and fretting over the bombshell her sister, Lily has just dropped on her. To avoid scandal of the highest order, Lily’s wedding must be moved forward by a significant amount and their mother must never know the reason for the sudden change. With the Harleigh Estate on the market, it isn’t an option for the wedding and the Countess has no idea how to solve this problem. With his usual grace and kindness, George Hazleton comes to the rescue and offers his own family’s estate for the impending nuptials.Risings is a beautiful and sprawling estate that offers a bit of everything for guests. There is hunting for the assembled me, riding for the men and women, and games aplenty for all in the evenings. With nothing but glad tidings and joyful events planned, the Countess and George are both looking forward to their time away from the city and sleuthing. Unfortunately, sleuthing is exactly what they are going to have to do as the “coincidental accidents” and one murder begin to pile up. Being so far removed from the city, both the Countess and George believe their culprit is most certainly among the assembled guests. As the Countess and George begin to investigate, they do their best to keep the bride and groom out of the loop so as not to put a damper on their upcoming wedding. Yet again, Fate has other plans which makes it impossible to keep them out of the loop. As the situation becomes ever more critical, the Countess and George narrow down the suspects and find the culprit’s identity absolutely unbelievable. In fact, the culprit’s identity is so unbelievable that George is forced to reveal to the Countess bits about his past he wished and hoped to always protect her from. The Bottom Line: I am just as enamored with this third book in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery Series as I was with the first two. The Countess, with her wit, intelligence, kindness, and cleverness is one of my favorite cozy mystery characters across the genre. The Countess is a woman ahead of her time and place, and one who refuses to be put in her place because of her gender. I absolutely adore the Countess and feel equally find of George Hazleton. Only a man such as George could partner the countess and see her as an equal and not a second-class citizen. The two together make a wonderful crime fighting team and they are most certainly supported by a lively and supportive cast of secondary characters. When you add in the setting and the interesting plot, this book has everything a cozy mystery lover is looking for. In all, a fine series that has a bright future.

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the third book in the Lady’s Guide series and while they are all stand alone, as with all series type books I think you are better for having read what came before and I will admit to being a little lost at times with not knowing past events. But that being written, I did enjoy the characters and the plot. This isn’t a deep book, but it is entertaining – murder notwithstanding.Frances, Countess of Harleigh finds herself with a family dilemma – her sister needs to have her wedding sooner rather than later and wants a small country affair rather than the large society bash their mother seeks. Her problem is solved when her fiance, George offers up his family’s estate. All seems to be going well, but the parents of the groom and the mother of the bride will needs dealing with and no one wants to do the dealing.As the guests arrive and people start settling in, accidents start to happen and people start getting hurt. George tries to discover if the accidents are just that or if someone is being targeted. Frances will not be left out of the investigation and the two of them work together to sort through the clues to find out who is to blame.This was a quick read – I read it in an afternoon on the deck. I didn’t want to stop reading until I knew who the culprit was! It was full of twists and turns and the story kept me guessing until the end. Ms. Freeman has created a couple that you want to root for. I would love to follow their exploits as they marry and continue on their adventures.

[kathy89_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Love this series! This time Frances is need of an immediate location to host her sister's wedding and George comes to the rescue by offering his family's estate. Upon arrival there's an accident at the train station knocking down George and Leo with a luggage cart. More accidents and a murder happen leaving George and Frances investigating the guests trying to figure out who is behind all this and who is the intended victim.

[kimkimkim-7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Miss Frances Price, lately known as Frances, Countess of Harleigh, is after the death of her “feckless and philandering” husband living an almost idyllic life. Bear in mind is it the fall of 1899 and the definition of idyllic for a woman was equivalent to constrained and confining. Ah well, there is an immediate wedding to be planned, a mother to be avoided, and a romance to be encouraged. With tongue in cheek, pluck and verve, Lady Frances is up to all these tasks and more. She takes us on a fun romp in the English country where unexplained accidents take their toll, bodies, alive and dead pile up and the hunt for a murderer is proving a disaster a minute. I spent a few hours chuckling and being amused in the company of Lady Harleigh and her entourage. I look forward to future installments in this series. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a copy.

[barbararogers-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Series: Countess of Harleigh Mystery #3Publication Date: 7/28/20Number of Pages: 304This new-to-me author was a delightful find. The story was very well written, the historical sights, sounds, language, etc. were period correct, the plot moved along at the perfect pace – and best of all there was romance. My favorite genre is historical mysteries, but I have to have a romance in those – and this one had TWO!This is the third book in the series, but I have not read the first two books and don’t feel I really missed anything in this story by not having read them. However, since this book was so much fun, I’ll go back and catch those first two!The characters are delightful – both main and supporting. There is a scene toward the end between Frances and her mother that will have you rolling on the floor laughing. It is absolutely perfect to see that side of Frances’ mother. When you get there, you’ll recognize it because you can’t miss it - think buckets of water, horse dung, and pitchforks.Frances and George are secretly betrothed. Not because they are hiding anything, but because they don’t want to tread on Frances’s sister Lily’s big moment – her own wedding. George isn’t thrilled with keeping it a secret, but he’ll honor Frances’s wishes. When the need arises to move Lily’s wedding up by several weeks, George is more than happy to offer his brother’s estate, Risings, as the perfect venue. There is a perfect small church and the house will accommodate the close family and friends. Perfect solution.Strange occurrences begin – accidents surely – but are they? The first couple of ‘accidents’ are viewed as just that, but as more accidents happen – and a death – Frances and George suspect there is a villain loose among them. Who is the intended victim? Is it Leo, Lily’s betrothed, or is it George himself? They both seem to always be at the scene of the accident and could have easily been the victim. Who could want Leo dead or injured? His brother-in-law? His best friend who might hold a romantic interest in Lily? What about George? Could someone from one of his past Home Office cases be coming back to seek revenge?With suspects and victims galore, George and Frances will have their work cut out for them. They’ll definitely need all of their skills to prevent more injuries or deaths and to catch the villain.I thoroughly enjoyed this read and surely hope you will also.I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

cosy-mystery, turn-of-20th-century, England, landed-gentry, amateur-sleuth*****What a charming and complex delight! Frances' first marriage was awful except for her now eight year old daughter, but she now has a man she shares love with and hopes to marry as soon as her younger sister's hurried wedding is accomplished. For which reason they are out in the country, both to have Lily's wedding away from the gossips and to minimize their mother's histrionics. All would have been well, but then arranged mishaps began happening and escalating. Time for Frances and George to get sleuthing in earnest. Great characters well drawn and plenty of misdirections and red herrings to keep me reading straight through to the end. Loved it!I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!