The only thing worse than a persistent suitor? A dead one on your lawn.
London, 1892. Alice, Duchess of Stortford, has returned to town determined to enjoy her first Season as a wealthy widow. But instead of balls, flirtation, and whispered gossip, she finds herself besieged by ambitious bachelors—none more persistent than the insufferably smooth-talking Miles Fonthill. When Alice firmly refuses his sudden proposal, she assumes the matter is settled.
Instead, he turns up dead in her garden.
The police are happy to call it a tragic accident. Alice is less convinced.
Why was Miles climbing over her garden wall in the middle of the night? Why had he become so determined to win her favour? And what did he really want?
As Alice begins to dig into Miles’ final days, her search leads her into the glittering heart of London society, where old loyalties run deep, secrets are guarded fiercely, and reputation matters more than truth. But when whispers of the mysterious Order of the Golden Key begin circling dangerously close to her own late husband’s name, Alice realises this death may be far more complicated than one unwelcome suitor meeting an unfortunate end.
And if someone is willing to kill to keep their secrets…this Season may prove positively deadly.
Perfect for fans of feisty female sleuths, Victorian High Society, and secret scandals, all served with a dash of humour and a cup of tea.
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About Helen Golden
Helen Golden spins mysteries that are charmingly British, delightfully deadly, and served with a twist of humour.
With quirky characters, clever red herrings, and plots that keep the pages turning, she’s the author of the much-loved A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series, following Lady Beatrice and her friends—including one clever little dog—as they uncover secrets hidden in country houses and royal palaces. Her new historical mystery series, The Duchess of Stortford Mysteries, is set in Victorian England and introduces an equally curious sleuth from Lady Beatrice’s own family tree—where murders are solved over cups of tea, whispered gossip, and overheard conversations in drawing rooms and grand estates.
Helen lives in a quintessential English village in Lincolnshire with her husband, stepdaughter, and a menagerie of pets—including a dog, several cats, a tortoise, and far too many fish.
If you love clever puzzles, charming settings, and sleuths with spark, her books are waiting for you.
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My thoughts: Alice, Duchess of Stortford is coming up on a year since her husband’s death and the determined men are getting a bit too much. Especially the social climbing Miles Fonthill. His proposal leaves her cold, even more so when it’s clear he’s only after her money. And then his body is found in her garden, what on earth was he doing there in the middle of the night?
The police decide it was an accident, but Alice isn’t so sure. There’s some things that don’t add up, the mud on his shoes, the missing key to the garden gate. Then Alice discovers that Miles was a blackmailed, suddenly there’s plenty of suspects.
With the help of her footman George, her brother-in-law and the detective she’s used before, Alice will work out who wanted Miles dead and then, like her hero, Sherlock Holmes, she’ll hand the killer over to the police with all the evidence neatly gathered up. And still have time to decide what she wants to do about the other pesky suitors!
Funny, clever and charming, this entertaining series is tremendous fun and Alice is a great protagonist, even if heavily disapproved of, a Duchess shouldn’t be so keen on crime!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 