A fatal fall. A duchess determined to uncover the truth. And barely any time for tea.
Fenshire, 1891. It was meant to be a birthday celebration weekend in the country— cucumber sandwiches, polite conversation, and maybe a waltz or two.
But when the Duke of Stortford is found dead in a crumpled heap at the foot of the stairs everything goes dreadfully sideways. The police declare it a tragic accident. His wife, Alice, has her doubts.
After all, only hours before, the Duke had promised to give up his mistress and make a go of their marriage. Now he’s inconveniently deceased.
Driven by a need for answers, and helped by her fiercely loyal maid Maud, her observant footman George, and her childhood friend Lord Rushton, Alice sets about uncovering the truth. But as she navigates a house full of secrets, simmering tensions, and more than one
guest with murderously bad manners, her suspect pool grows to include those closest to her.
Can she piece together the truth? Or will her husband’s murderer get away with it after all?
The guests are leaving. The killer may be among them. Time is running out…
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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 visiting her parents’ estate for her father’s birthday, it’s also a reunion with her erstwhile husband, and a chance for them to give their marriage another go, after leading rather separate lives. Unfortunately Alice’s cousin, who also happens to be her husband’s mistress, is also there, as well as a rather determined widow looking for her next assignation.
And things seem to be going in Alice’s favour, when tragedy strikes and her husband, Vance, is found dead at the bottom of the stairs. But did he fall or was he pushed? Alice launches into investigation mode, perhaps to stave off her grief, but the things she uncovers could get someone the rope.
Everyone’s a suspect, even Alice’s family, until she can rule them out, or in. Either way, this is not quite the jolly weekend anyone was expecting.
With her signature humour and clever quips, once Alice gets a canine or feline chum, this will be classic Helen Golden crime, and all the more enjoyable for it!
*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 