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A Pinch of Poison
A Pinch of Poison
A Pinch of Poison
Ebook366 pages6 hours

A Pinch of Poison

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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A posh girls’ school charity luncheon serves the headmistress her last meal in this historical mystery series set in post-WWI England.

Lady Phoebe Renshaw—with the tireless assistance of her maid Eva Huntford—has organized a luncheon at her alma mater, the Haverleigh School for Young Ladies, to benefit wounded veterans of the Great War. She’s even encouraging the students to help with the cooking and baking. But too many cooks do more than spoil the broth—they add up to a recipe for disaster when the school’s headmistress, Miss Finch, is poisoned.
 
The girls at Haverleigh all come from highly respected families, none of whom will countenance their darling daughters being harassed like common criminals by the local police. So Lady Phoebe steps in to handle the wealthy young debutantes with tact and discretion, while Eva cozies up to the staff. Did one of the girls resent the headmistress enough to do her in? Did a teacher bear a grudge? What about the school nurse, clearly shell shocked from her service in the war? No one is above suspicion. But Lady Phoebe and Eva will have to sleuth with great stealth—or the cornered killer may try to teach someone else a lethal lesson.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 27, 2016
ISBN9781617738357
A Pinch of Poison
Author

Alyssa Maxwell

Alyssa Maxwell began a love affair with the city of Newport years ago. Time and again the colonial neighborhoods and grand mansions drew her to return, and on one of those later visits she met the man who would become her husband. Always a lover of history, Maxwell found that marrying into a large, generations--old Newport family opened up an exciting new world of historical discovery. Today, she and her husband reside in Florida, but part of her heart remains firmly in that small New England city of great historical significance. For more info please visit www.alyssamaxwell.com.

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Rating: 4.2812500625 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    A Pinch of Poison by Alyssa Maxwell; (2*); Alyssa Maxwell’s new story is set during the post Great War time and is the 2nd of this series. But I read it as a stand alone for I have yet to read to the 1st in the series.The story is about the young Lady Phoebe and her lady's maid, both of whom seem absorbed in solving any and all mysteries affecting the family and home. This particular mystery surrounds the school Phoebe attended and now her younger sister is in school there. As an alumna, Phoebe plans a tea and as a special treat for the headmistress, a little cake of her very own has been prepared for and presented to her. Unbeknownst to any of the attendees a poison has been placed in the pretty little cake. Soon upon ingesting the cake, the headmistress slumps over dead.So begins the sleuthing of the Lady and her maid. But they must be discreet so as not to endanger the life of anyone else.I found this little mystery to be pretty middle of the road. I could take it or leave it. It was a fun little read but nothing to write home about and I doubt I will ever get around the that 1st book of the series. I guardedly recommend it for those lovers of the cosy mystery.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have enjoyed this series (A Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery) and was happy to see the next book come out. Lady Phoebe seems to find herself in the middle of things and in this book it is no exception. She has organized a luncheon and unfortunately someone gets poisoned at it. Because there were many people involved, Phoebe and her lady's maid, Eva find themselves trying to sort out what happened. I like seeing how Phoebe thinks and the interaction between the characters. It was interesting to see how the different classes "interacted" during this time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A Pinch of Poison by Alyssa Maxwell is the second book in the A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mystery series. It is April in 1919 in Little Barlow. Lady Phoebe Renshaw is at a charity luncheon at Haverleigh School for Young Ladies. Phoebe has helped organize this event (along with the help of her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford) to help raise items and funds to help war veterans (Relief and Comfort for Veterans and their Families). The young ladies at the school helped collect the items, and they prepared the luncheon for today’s guests. The girls bring out the desserts and Zara Worthington presents the headmistress, Miss Henrietta Finch, with a Madeira cake. Several minutes later, Miss Finch starts choking and clutching at her throat. The nurse is called but Miss Finch collapses before Nurse Delacy can arrive. Chief Inspector Isaac Perkins and Constable Miles Brannock are called to scene. It is suspected that Miss Finch has been poisoned. Lady Phoebe assists with the questioning of the scholars while Eva helps with the staff. It turns out that Miss Finch was not well liked because of her progressive ideas (she was a suffragist and wanted the girls to learn mathematics as well as other unladylike subjects). Phoebe sets out to find the guilty party with help from Eva, Major Lord Owen Seabright, and Constable Brannock. The killer, though, does not wish to be caught and will go to great lengths to stay free. Will this investigation be Phoebe’s undoing?A Pinch of Poison was an engaging book. I liked the characters as well as the setting (and time period). I liked Phoebe’s attitude, determination and inquisitive mind. I summarized the main storyline, but there are other situations happening as well (Julia, Phoebe’s sister, is being particularly secretive). I found A Pinch of Poison to be nicely written and had a good, steady pace. I give A Pinch of Poison 4.5 out of 5 stars (I enjoyed it, but I was able to solve the mystery). There is a good moral lesson contained within the storyline. The mystery was complicated, but it can be solved if the reader pays careful attention to the clues (one in particular). I think many people will be surprised by the culprit which is the sign of a well-crafted mystery. While this is the second book in the series, you can enjoy it as a stand-alone. The author provides the needed information for the reader (you will not be lost). I eagerly anticipate the next novel in the A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mystery series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A pretty good mystery but not totally gripping. I'm not sure I will read the next book in the series. There's just something missing for me or the parts I want to read are coming out too slowly. The book and the mystery are written well but I don't feel motivated to read more of this author.

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A Pinch of Poison - Alyssa Maxwell

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