Murder Most Malicious
3.5/5
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About this ebook
December 1918: As a difficult year draws to a close, there is much to celebrate for nineteen-year-old Phoebe Renshaw and her three siblings at their beloved family estate of Foxwood Hall. The dreadful war is finally over; eldest daughter Julia’s engagement to their houseguest, the Marquis of Allerton, appears imminent; and all have gathered to enjoy peace on earth, good will toward men.
But the peace of Foxwood Hall is shattered on the morning of Boxing Day, when the Marquis goes missing. Not entirely missing, however, as macabre evidence of foul play turns up in gift boxes given to lady’s maid Eva Huntford and a handful of others. Having overheard her sister and the Marquis in a heated exchange the night before, Lady Phoebe takes a personal interest in solving the mystery.
As the local constable suspects a footman at Foxwood Hall, Phoebe and Eva follow the clues to a different conclusion. But both young women will need to think outside the box to wrap up this case—before a cornered killer lashes out with ill will toward them . . .
“A super-fun read featuring Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva, as they put aside their society roles to risk their necks in order to catch a killer.”—Suspense Magazine
“Details of the lives of the nobility and their servants, and the aftermath of the war, are woven throughout the story, and the forward-thinking Phoebe is a charming main character.”—Booklist
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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Reviews for Murder Most Malicious
19 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Murder Most Malicious by Alyssa Maxwell is the first book in Lady and Lady’s Maid Mystery series. It is Christmas Day at Foxwood Hall in Little Barlow, England (1918). Phoebe Renshaw, granddaughter to the Earl of Wroxley, is nineteen years old. Phoebe is inquisitive and likes to be busy. Now that the war is over, Phoebe is a bit bored. That evening Phoebe overhears an argument between her elder sister, Julia and her beau, Henry Leighton, the Marquis of Allerton. Everyone is hoping an engagement is going to be announced soon between these two (it would be a good match). However, Julia has other ideas.The next day the staff is given time off for Boxing Day. The staff are given their presents from the Renshaw family before they leave to enjoy their afternoon off. When Eva Huntford, lady’s maid to Phoebe and her sisters, opens her box she finds a finger with a ring attached. The ring looks just like the one Henry Leighton wears. Other people find similar discoveries in their gift boxes from the Renshaw’s (fingers with baubles inside). Why did just these people receive the body parts along with something valuable? And where is Henry Leighton? The Marquis of Allerton has not been seen all day. When the local constable suspects George Vernon, the head footman, Phoebe and Eva start investigating. Phoebe is concerned her sister, Julia may be involved. Murder Most Malicious sounded like such a good book. I found it to be just satisfactory. It is a very superficial book. We are not given much information on any of the characters. I also did not like that the murder occurred so early in book (no build up). Murder Most Malicious is written is a nice, easy style and the author provided good clues to help the reader solve the mystery. I received a complimentary copy of Murder Most Malicious from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An enjoyable cozy mystery. I may read more of the series since I liked the first one a lot. This reminds me of the Daisy Dalrymple series but with much more attention to what the downstairs life was like. The historical background felt pretty authentic as best I could judge.