What to Read This Fall
A Murderous Twist: A Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mystery by Lynn Messina-- Regency Cozy Mystery/Regency Romance
I recieved a free e-ARC from NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own and not affected by the giveway.
The former Beatrice Hyde-Clare, now Duchess of Kesgrave, is worried sick and perturbed when she learns her husband lied to her about his whereabouts and didn't come home to her bed. The next morning, when she learns her beloved husband has returned home, she rushes to his side to confront him, only to discover the duke hugging another woman! Not just any woman, but the ravishing courtesan, Mrs. Penelope Taylor, his former mistress! Bea knows all about this woman, yes she does, and would dearly love to send this woman away so Bea can have it out with her husband. But wait! Bea is not your average duchess and Penelope needs Bea's help! Penelope's greatest frenemy, a fellow courtesan, has been stabbed to death with Penelope's hat pin and Penelope's dearest friend and neighbor, Sir John Piddlehinton, a retired magistrate, has accused Penelope of the crime! Penelope asserts she is innocent of murder and believes she was the intended victim. How can she prove her innocence when not even her friend believes her? Enter the Lady Runner, Beatrice, Duchess of Kesgrave! Will Bea REALLY want to prove this woman's innocence? Well, yes, to see justice done. This case proves to be quite confounding! With very few clues to go on and the suspect list dwindling, Penny's chances of being hanged for a crime she claims she didn't commit are becoming greater and greater. Can Bea save the day?
EEEEE!!! SO excited to be back investigating with Bea! As usual this story is funny and sweet at the same time. The investigation kept me guessing and I never once considered the murderer to be THAT person! I missed the clues Bea eventually remembered. Very clever! It was fabulously fun to have Kesgrave's former mistress along for the ride. It added some extra humor to the story and the planning and catch the killer scenes are so farcical they belong to a screwball comedy film of the Great Depression. As always, the dialogue shines brightly, far more than the narration. Some of the language sounds a little too modern and I would prefer it if Bea kept using euphemisms. "The cherub" is cute but then she should also use increasing or the more vulgar breeding and not pregnant.
This one takes place just as A Lark's Flight is ending. Be sure you read Verity's story first because there are spoilers. It was great to read Damien's reaction to learning about Verity and his feelings about the matter. He hasn't had time to consider why he likes her and why he was attracted to Bea in the first place. I do believe he is attracted to intelligent, tenacious women because they embody the best qualities his mother had (and used for her own selfish purposes). While the former Duchess was a horrible person, Verity has used her intellectual prowess for good, just as Bea has. I hope the two women team up to investigate a murder together soon!
I appreciate the complex layers to the story, incorporating the characters' back stories and ruminating on the plight of women in the early 19th-century. While Bea's mother had enough social status to write about women's rights, not all women enjoy that privilege or are treated like human beings. At first glance, being a courtesan sounds more fun and glam than being a wife ("The purpose of a wife is for procreation.") Then, once the story gets going and Bea and Kesgrave dig deeper, it shows that all that glitters is not gold. The life of a courtesan like Penny is not a good one. Even though she seems to have wealth and status, she is little more than a commodity to be bought and sold. Her word is not to be believed and the men she once entertained would turn their backs on her if they thought she was a murderer. (murderess?) Because this is fiction, that doesn't quite happen, but the darker undercurrents are there in the story if you read the narration carefully.
As always, the Duke and Duchess are the cutest couple! They're so sweet. At first I was a bit worried because there was trouble in paradise but because Damien knows Bea so well, he knows what she's thinking and knows how to calm down her racing mind. Like mature married couples should, they talk about their problems and work it out. They're so cute together! He worries about her safety and doesn't LIKE her investigating. He WANTS to forbid her but knows he shouldn't and can't so he won't. He tags along to help keep her safe but I think the self-defense lessons are coming along nicely. He truly loves Bea so much and now his own past is coming back to haunt him and he's in HIS head about it. He tries to protect Bea even though he knows she's strong and tough, she's still a little insecure. Bea should know and would know if she had more self-esteem, that he would NEVER NEVER do anything to hurt her. The past is in the past where it belongs.
Poor Bea! She's still reeling from the visit to the orphanage and is still psychologically damaged from the emotional abuse she suffered from her relatives. She's only recently married and can't see herself the way her husband sees her just yet. Her past as an insignificant nobody comes back to haunt her and she's in her head about it, as always. She's trying to move past it and when she's investigating, she exudes confidence and doesn't take no for an answer. That is the real Bea. I hope she can move on from her past trauma and come to value herself for who she is now. Her family's attempts to make it up to her are too funny, especially Flora. Flora's silly at times but she does love Bea like a sister and truly wants to be useful herself. While Flora was treated better than Bea, she was still subjected to her mother's teachings! Aunt Vera really needs to learn to be confident and strong herself. Bea's mother would be so proud of how far Bea - and Flora- have come in terms of being equal partners to men who love them for their intelligence.
Penelope is hilarious. On the surface anyway. She's over-the-top but not vulgar, showy and supremely confident. Everyone claims she's trying to get the duke back but is she really? Her rivalry with Millie sounds more like they were frenemies than enemies. I think Penelope would have found a way to bump off the other woman discreetly or accidentally kill her frenemy in the heat of the moment. This crime was planned. Both women were greedy and tried to sleep their way to the top. Penny, being more voluptuous and having a better start to her career, has money. She's a wealthy courtesan who can choose her next "protector." She's not showy in a vulgar way but she likes to show off. It helps her image and keeps her on the tip of every man's brain. She has to stand out in a crowded field. was jealous and wanted to have what Penny had. Her life is sad and pathetic. She started in a brothel so it's no wonder she wants Penny's life. I don't blame her. Is it true what they say- imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? I'm not sure. It sounds very annoying for Penny to constantly have someone else copying her and trying to steal her lovers. However, in this instance, I believe is right to be upset. Penny deliberately set out to get Waltham once he came into the inheritance. She had rejected him previously so he went to instead. That was a low blow, Penny. Really.
Millie came over to Penny's early one morning, drunk on brandy and making a scene. Being drunk, especially that early, was unusual for Millie. It was mentioned several times that Millie's breath smelled of brandy and Pomfret Cakes (a licorice lozenge used both as a candy and cough drop). I'm wondering if someone poisoned Millie's candy and it made her act drunk or more unhinged than she would normally be drunk? It has to be a clue.
While Penny doesn't seem too broken up about Millie's death, she's brash and confident enough to believe it will work out in her favor. There's a discussion about how Penny has had to hide her emotions and compartmentalize because of her chosen profession and because of societal expectations. She's maybe a little too confident. She firmly believes she was the intended victim and not Millie. Someone killed Millie by mistake. Several ex-lovers and would-be lovers have reason to want to get rid of Penny. Which one killed Millie?
The Marquess of Waltham is new to his title and Society. He was the cause of Millie's disturbing the peace early in the morning. He's a cad and not too bright either. He seems genuinely shocked and broken up by the murder even if he did use Millie badly. Waltham really, really wants to be with Penny and settled for Millie as second best. Millie should have kicked him to the curb instead of taking him to her bed. And really, he behaved badly and if he ended up dead, I'd suspect Millie did it.
Baron Debenham keeps sending Penny threatening letters because she jilted him. He's the possessive, jealous type and it's no wonder she ditched him. Julian Barlow hates Penny because he believes she corrupted his brother, causing his brother to be killed in a duel. The dude was 22, old enough to be responsible for his own behavior and make his own choices. I don't trust Barlow at all. He's a sexist pig and teaming up with ultra Conservative MP, Lord Liverpool to enact a law to punish "scheming" women, like Penny, for "corrupting" "helpless" youth. (Sure let's blame the woman why don't we.) Debenham is truly vindictive and he wants to see Penny publicly humiliated, held up as an example of all that is corrupt and evil in the world and expose her "crimes" in the papers. Yikes! I guess that leaves him off the list of suspects? Or maybe he did target Millie as a clone of Penny. Maybe he thought it was easier to get rid of Millie because she wasn't well known enough to bother with a public trial? This guy is an arrogant arse and I hope he is the murderer!
The Earl of Audenshaw owes Penny money, or so she says. He gave her a bad parting gift and she is planning to get a hit out on him if he doesn't cough up the jewels. Yikes! That makes Audenshaw a prime suspect for murderer. The investigation at his house is too funny. He's another one who is sexist yet married to a formidable, intelligent woman. I suspect LADY Audenshaw was the murderer. After all, a woman could plan a discreet murder and would be familiar with hat pins and how to use them to protect herself.
Dudley St. Ives, another former lover, is young, only 23. He's whiny and throws a tantrum when he doesn't get his own way. Not even his father can control him but not for lack of trying. This kid behaved badly towards his family and towards Penny but he still seems to want her back. Another callow youth is Nettleby, a boy of 20, He is Penny's most stalwart defender. He wants to be with her so badly, he believes she's innocent. He's sweet but kind of annoying. Nettleby is not wise in the ways of the world yet, his frontal lobe hasn't developed to give him common sense and he's a typical young man lusting after the most famous courtesan. He believes he has a chance with Penny, as long as he courts her. Nettleby is a fool and oh so funny. There's no way he's the killer. He couldn't figure it out even if he tried. I don't even know if he would know what to do if he did have a woman like Penny! He's trying desperately hard to be a man though and escape his uncle's strict behavior.
Sylvester Nettleby is the nephew of Lord Hartlepool, one of Kesgrave's oldest friends. I don't see how they can be friends. Hartlepool is sexist, misogynistic and snobby - the exact opposite of Kesgrave. A ha! I think Kesgrave is wrong, totally wrong, to tread lightly in dealing with his friend's nephew. I think his friend is the killer! How far would Lord Hartlepool go to protect his family name and reputation? He's supposed to be looking out for his cawker of a nephew. How much "looking out" is necessary? How much is too much? I believe, given his opinions about women, he would totally murder a courtesan without a second thought and feel no remorse. He would probably say something like "taking out the trash" (or "binning the rubbish")!
The dark horse candidate is Mrs. Marshall, Penny's neighbor, who is always complaining about Penny bringing down the character of the neighborhood. Mrs. Marshall is fussy about appearances and about noise. She sounds like a stuffy prude to me and probably did slip in unnoticed and murdered Millie for making a scene and framed Penny, thus "killing two ladybirds with one stone." Yuck.
I can't get enough of this series and I am sure I need to read this again, along with all the others and Verity's stories. Names and fragments of information kept coming back to me but there was so much going on and so many books, I forget all the details. Read this if you like swoony Regency romances, funny romances and cozy mysteries.
Penny's relationship with Sir John Piddlehinton is hilarious. He's the only man who doesn't want to bed her. She's comfortable enough with him to entrust him with her finances and they exchange a lot of witty banter. When push comes to shove, however, he's not a loyal friend. He's not very bright or imaginative. Sir John acts officious and pompous, like he's just humoring Penny but believes she is responsible for the murder of her frenemy. That's low. He's sexist and thinks all women are incapable of being rational and are ruled by our emotions. He thinks of Penny as nothing more than a prostitute, a thing, not worthy of consideration due to a fellow human being. That's not right. I was beginning to think HE was the murderer, especially at the end.
EEEEE!!! SO excited to be back investigating with Bea! As usual this story is funny and sweet at the same time. The investigation kept me guessing and I never once considered the murderer to be THAT person! I missed the clues Bea eventually remembered. Very clever! It was fabulously fun to have Kesgrave's former mistress along for the ride. It added some extra humor to the story and the planning and catch the killer scenes are so farcical they belong to a screwball comedy film of the Great Depression. As always, the dialogue shines brightly, far more than the narration. Some of the language sounds a little too modern and I would prefer it if Bea kept using euphemisms. "The cherub" is cute but then she should also use increasing or the more vulgar breeding and not pregnant.
This one takes place just as A Lark's Flight is ending. Be sure you read Verity's story first because there are spoilers. It was great to read Damien's reaction to learning about Verity and his feelings about the matter. He hasn't had time to consider why he likes her and why he was attracted to Bea in the first place. I do believe he is attracted to intelligent, tenacious women because they embody the best qualities his mother had (and used for her own selfish purposes). While the former Duchess was a horrible person, Verity has used her intellectual prowess for good, just as Bea has. I hope the two women team up to investigate a murder together soon!
I appreciate the complex layers to the story, incorporating the characters' back stories and ruminating on the plight of women in the early 19th-century. While Bea's mother had enough social status to write about women's rights, not all women enjoy that privilege or are treated like human beings. At first glance, being a courtesan sounds more fun and glam than being a wife ("The purpose of a wife is for procreation.") Then, once the story gets going and Bea and Kesgrave dig deeper, it shows that all that glitters is not gold. The life of a courtesan like Penny is not a good one. Even though she seems to have wealth and status, she is little more than a commodity to be bought and sold. Her word is not to be believed and the men she once entertained would turn their backs on her if they thought she was a murderer. (murderess?) Because this is fiction, that doesn't quite happen, but the darker undercurrents are there in the story if you read the narration carefully.
As always, the Duke and Duchess are the cutest couple! They're so sweet. At first I was a bit worried because there was trouble in paradise but because Damien knows Bea so well, he knows what she's thinking and knows how to calm down her racing mind. Like mature married couples should, they talk about their problems and work it out. They're so cute together! He worries about her safety and doesn't LIKE her investigating. He WANTS to forbid her but knows he shouldn't and can't so he won't. He tags along to help keep her safe but I think the self-defense lessons are coming along nicely. He truly loves Bea so much and now his own past is coming back to haunt him and he's in HIS head about it. He tries to protect Bea even though he knows she's strong and tough, she's still a little insecure. Bea should know and would know if she had more self-esteem, that he would NEVER NEVER do anything to hurt her. The past is in the past where it belongs.
Poor Bea! She's still reeling from the visit to the orphanage and is still psychologically damaged from the emotional abuse she suffered from her relatives. She's only recently married and can't see herself the way her husband sees her just yet. Her past as an insignificant nobody comes back to haunt her and she's in her head about it, as always. She's trying to move past it and when she's investigating, she exudes confidence and doesn't take no for an answer. That is the real Bea. I hope she can move on from her past trauma and come to value herself for who she is now. Her family's attempts to make it up to her are too funny, especially Flora. Flora's silly at times but she does love Bea like a sister and truly wants to be useful herself. While Flora was treated better than Bea, she was still subjected to her mother's teachings! Aunt Vera really needs to learn to be confident and strong herself. Bea's mother would be so proud of how far Bea - and Flora- have come in terms of being equal partners to men who love them for their intelligence.
Penelope is hilarious. On the surface anyway. She's over-the-top but not vulgar, showy and supremely confident. Everyone claims she's trying to get the duke back but is she really? Her rivalry with Millie sounds more like they were frenemies than enemies. I think Penelope would have found a way to bump off the other woman discreetly or accidentally kill her frenemy in the heat of the moment. This crime was planned. Both women were greedy and tried to sleep their way to the top. Penny, being more voluptuous and having a better start to her career, has money. She's a wealthy courtesan who can choose her next "protector." She's not showy in a vulgar way but she likes to show off. It helps her image and keeps her on the tip of every man's brain. She has to stand out in a crowded field. was jealous and wanted to have what Penny had. Her life is sad and pathetic. She started in a brothel so it's no wonder she wants Penny's life. I don't blame her. Is it true what they say- imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? I'm not sure. It sounds very annoying for Penny to constantly have someone else copying her and trying to steal her lovers. However, in this instance, I believe is right to be upset. Penny deliberately set out to get Waltham once he came into the inheritance. She had rejected him previously so he went to instead. That was a low blow, Penny. Really.
Millie came over to Penny's early one morning, drunk on brandy and making a scene. Being drunk, especially that early, was unusual for Millie. It was mentioned several times that Millie's breath smelled of brandy and Pomfret Cakes (a licorice lozenge used both as a candy and cough drop). I'm wondering if someone poisoned Millie's candy and it made her act drunk or more unhinged than she would normally be drunk? It has to be a clue.
While Penny doesn't seem too broken up about Millie's death, she's brash and confident enough to believe it will work out in her favor. There's a discussion about how Penny has had to hide her emotions and compartmentalize because of her chosen profession and because of societal expectations. She's maybe a little too confident. She firmly believes she was the intended victim and not Millie. Someone killed Millie by mistake. Several ex-lovers and would-be lovers have reason to want to get rid of Penny. Which one killed Millie?
The Marquess of Waltham is new to his title and Society. He was the cause of Millie's disturbing the peace early in the morning. He's a cad and not too bright either. He seems genuinely shocked and broken up by the murder even if he did use Millie badly. Waltham really, really wants to be with Penny and settled for Millie as second best. Millie should have kicked him to the curb instead of taking him to her bed. And really, he behaved badly and if he ended up dead, I'd suspect Millie did it.
Baron Debenham keeps sending Penny threatening letters because she jilted him. He's the possessive, jealous type and it's no wonder she ditched him. Julian Barlow hates Penny because he believes she corrupted his brother, causing his brother to be killed in a duel. The dude was 22, old enough to be responsible for his own behavior and make his own choices. I don't trust Barlow at all. He's a sexist pig and teaming up with ultra Conservative MP, Lord Liverpool to enact a law to punish "scheming" women, like Penny, for "corrupting" "helpless" youth. (Sure let's blame the woman why don't we.) Debenham is truly vindictive and he wants to see Penny publicly humiliated, held up as an example of all that is corrupt and evil in the world and expose her "crimes" in the papers. Yikes! I guess that leaves him off the list of suspects? Or maybe he did target Millie as a clone of Penny. Maybe he thought it was easier to get rid of Millie because she wasn't well known enough to bother with a public trial? This guy is an arrogant arse and I hope he is the murderer!
The Earl of Audenshaw owes Penny money, or so she says. He gave her a bad parting gift and she is planning to get a hit out on him if he doesn't cough up the jewels. Yikes! That makes Audenshaw a prime suspect for murderer. The investigation at his house is too funny. He's another one who is sexist yet married to a formidable, intelligent woman. I suspect LADY Audenshaw was the murderer. After all, a woman could plan a discreet murder and would be familiar with hat pins and how to use them to protect herself.
Dudley St. Ives, another former lover, is young, only 23. He's whiny and throws a tantrum when he doesn't get his own way. Not even his father can control him but not for lack of trying. This kid behaved badly towards his family and towards Penny but he still seems to want her back. Another callow youth is Nettleby, a boy of 20, He is Penny's most stalwart defender. He wants to be with her so badly, he believes she's innocent. He's sweet but kind of annoying. Nettleby is not wise in the ways of the world yet, his frontal lobe hasn't developed to give him common sense and he's a typical young man lusting after the most famous courtesan. He believes he has a chance with Penny, as long as he courts her. Nettleby is a fool and oh so funny. There's no way he's the killer. He couldn't figure it out even if he tried. I don't even know if he would know what to do if he did have a woman like Penny! He's trying desperately hard to be a man though and escape his uncle's strict behavior.
Sylvester Nettleby is the nephew of Lord Hartlepool, one of Kesgrave's oldest friends. I don't see how they can be friends. Hartlepool is sexist, misogynistic and snobby - the exact opposite of Kesgrave. A ha! I think Kesgrave is wrong, totally wrong, to tread lightly in dealing with his friend's nephew. I think his friend is the killer! How far would Lord Hartlepool go to protect his family name and reputation? He's supposed to be looking out for his cawker of a nephew. How much "looking out" is necessary? How much is too much? I believe, given his opinions about women, he would totally murder a courtesan without a second thought and feel no remorse. He would probably say something like "taking out the trash" (or "binning the rubbish")!
The dark horse candidate is Mrs. Marshall, Penny's neighbor, who is always complaining about Penny bringing down the character of the neighborhood. Mrs. Marshall is fussy about appearances and about noise. She sounds like a stuffy prude to me and probably did slip in unnoticed and murdered Millie for making a scene and framed Penny, thus "killing two ladybirds with one stone." Yuck.
I can't get enough of this series and I am sure I need to read this again, along with all the others and Verity's stories. Names and fragments of information kept coming back to me but there was so much going on and so many books, I forget all the details. Read this if you like swoony Regency romances, funny romances and cozy mysteries.
Penny's relationship with Sir John Piddlehinton is hilarious. He's the only man who doesn't want to bed her. She's comfortable enough with him to entrust him with her finances and they exchange a lot of witty banter. When push comes to shove, however, he's not a loyal friend. He's not very bright or imaginative. Sir John acts officious and pompous, like he's just humoring Penny but believes she is responsible for the murder of her frenemy. That's low. He's sexist and thinks all women are incapable of being rational and are ruled by our emotions. He thinks of Penny as nothing more than a prostitute, a thing, not worthy of consideration due to a fellow human being. That's not right. I was beginning to think HE was the murderer, especially at the end.
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