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Lord and Lady Hetheridge #2
Blue Murder
Two Dead Men
In London’s fashionable Chelsea, a Halloween bash goes terribly wrong. Emmeline Wardle, daughter of a frozen foods baron, throws a party which results in the demise of two university schoolmates. Handsome golden boy Trevor Parsons is dead. So is pasty computer nerd Clive French. Both died on the Wardle estate within minutes of one another, and both died the same way – an axe to the skull. Given the social connections of all involved, New Scotland Yard sends a real baron to investigate: Chief Superintendent Anthony Hetheridge, also known as Lord Hetheridge, ninth baron of Wellegrave.
Two Prime Suspects
This time around, Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield and her partner, Detective Sergeant Deepal “Paul” Bhar, have their work cut out. Bhar must contend with Emmeline Wardle, a spoiled blonde with a penchant for the finer things, including a certain illegal white powder. Kate must decide if Kyla Sloane, model-pretty and delicate, is being truthful about the events of that fateful night. And if Kyla’s connection to a former lover of Bhar’s means nothing – or everything.
Lord & Lady Hetheridge, Book Two
Return to the world of Ice Blue in Blue Murder, the second of the Lord & Lady Hetheridge series. In addition to solving the double murder in Chelsea, Anthony Hetheridge plans on proposing marriage to Kate for the second time. He has the ring. Now all he needs is the proper moment…
In London’s fashionable Chelsea, a Halloween bash goes terribly wrong. Emmeline Wardle, daughter of a frozen foods baron, throws a party which results in the demise of two university schoolmates. Handsome golden boy Trevor Parsons is dead. So is pasty computer nerd Clive French. Both died on the Wardle estate within minutes of one another, and both died the same way – an axe to the skull. Given the social connections of all involved, New Scotland Yard sends a real baron to investigate: Chief Superintendent Anthony Hetheridge, also known as Lord Hetheridge, ninth baron of Wellegrave.
Two Prime Suspects
This time around, Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield and her partner, Detective Sergeant Deepal “Paul” Bhar, have their work cut out. Bhar must contend with Emmeline Wardle, a spoiled blonde with a penchant for the finer things, including a certain illegal white powder. Kate must decide if Kyla Sloane, model-pretty and delicate, is being truthful about the events of that fateful night. And if Kyla’s connection to a former lover of Bhar’s means nothing – or everything.
Lord & Lady Hetheridge, Book Two
Return to the world of Ice Blue in Blue Murder, the second of the Lord & Lady Hetheridge series. In addition to solving the double murder in Chelsea, Anthony Hetheridge plans on proposing marriage to Kate for the second time. He has the ring. Now all he needs is the proper moment…
200 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews
September 19, 2025
This is second book in the series, and I am reading them in order. I think it could be read without reading the first but of course it adds to the background. The book was written in 2012 and it reads more to me like the Cagney and Lacey Era as far as women and minorities in the workplace (which makes it all that much more fun) but I think it is written as a contemporary book of the time. Very much a police procedural but with witty dialogue and interesting characters. There are words and themes that are no longer used just so you are aware. The murders are Axe murders, so some gore is involved. WOW what a twist at the end and I plan to read the next book soon.
February 24, 2021
Loved this second book in what is turning out to be a totally charming series.
There are murders and lots of police work, a clever mystery, a surprise (to me anyway) guilty party and lots of fun along the way. All this in a very nicely written package. However it is the characters who drive this series.
Lord Hetheridge, 9th Baron of Wellegrave, Chief Superintendent of New Scotland Yard, 60 years old but still a fox. Kate, nearly three decades younger but totally in love and Paul Bhar, detective and usually the source of the humour in the book. And do not overlook Mrs Snell and her mouth watering breakfasts.
So good that I have started book 3 already.
There are murders and lots of police work, a clever mystery, a surprise (to me anyway) guilty party and lots of fun along the way. All this in a very nicely written package. However it is the characters who drive this series.
Lord Hetheridge, 9th Baron of Wellegrave, Chief Superintendent of New Scotland Yard, 60 years old but still a fox. Kate, nearly three decades younger but totally in love and Paul Bhar, detective and usually the source of the humour in the book. And do not overlook Mrs Snell and her mouth watering breakfasts.
So good that I have started book 3 already.
August 17, 2019
Hail, hail, the gang’s all back together. That includes Anthony Hetheridge and his two key detective sergeants: Paul Bhar and Kate Wakefield….and, the absolutely essential, Lady Margaret.
“Hetheridge had made a career out of interviewing liars. And made a surprisingly good liar himself, when it suited him. More than once it had occurred to Hetheridge that if not for the triple accident of birth, breeding and ethical indoctrination, he might have climbed to the very top of the corporate crime ladder. God knew a position of authority within New Scotland Yard required a flexible interpretation of right and wrong, not to mention the truth."
This is a “contemporary cozy” with benefits: sex; occasional blasphemy and descriptions of murdered bodies are all included. Among the three working at Scotland Yard there are tensions: Bhar and Wakefield are somewhat competitors for their “gov’s” assignments and opportunities for advancement. Hetheridge and Bhar spar over nothing –"Why did you burst in?” “Hoping to catch you asleep at your desk.” “I do not sleep in this office.”
Bhar and Wakefield are both resented by many of the force. He because of his race and she because of her gender and both because they have the full support of Hetheridge. There are tensions. (Bhar to Wakefield) “Doesn’t change the main point,” Bhar said, grimacing as he tried to flex his left arm. “I have poor judgment. I’m not like the guv. Not like you. Whatever I think, whatever I feel—it’s sure to be wrong.” (Wakefield to Bhar) "What about you? Get your mum that Tesco ice cream?” “I did. But it proved unnecessary. Mum’s writing a new romance and on top of the world. Didn’t even ask me about the case, which is a very good sign.” “This isn’t another one like The Lordly Detective, is it? I had the feeling that was loosely based on our guv.” “You never mentioned you read my mum’s stuff.” “‘Course I do. Got a Kindle, don’t I?” she grinned,"
Hetheridge and Wakefield are attracted to each other but “the gov” knows that if they get together there will be consequences. Bhar is one of the few who understands what is going on. Wakefield knows that her East End accent and style would not fit in with Hetheridge’s upper crust family and friends. His chauffeur offers the following: “And what’s that? The correct sort?” Kate asked, cold. Harvey’s deep-set eyes sparkled as he released her door lock. “Someone he chose. Someone like you. I could clear your way, Detective Sergeant Wakefield. As Baroness Hetheridge, you’d never want for guidance. Never make a public misstep. Not with me to help.” Kate caught her breath. She had no idea what to say. “Just think about it,” Harvey continued. “And know if you decide to say yes—well. You’ll have at least one ally.”
So all this is going on while they are trying to focus on a high society double axe murder that has taken place at a mansion on Halloween when the parents of the party giver are away. There are plenty of drugs, and messy sex and even messier party favors as the police try to interview dozens of guests and not let the killer(s?) get away. This is particularly challenging: “…under ordinary circumstances, entering a public place with two axes in hand might be considered bizarre rather than cold-blooded. Except at this one time of year. At a Halloween party complete with rubber rats, joke blood, plastic body parts — and plastic axes, too, right?” “Right,” Hetheridge said. “We’ll have to reference the crime scene photos to be absolutely sure, but yes, I seem to recall fake axes. Not to mention the fact virtually every last one of the male party guests had a backpack. Not surprising, since they were all students. And a backpack or large satchel would make it easy to bring real weapons onto the scene.”
To add further complications, the suspect in another set of murders lives next door. Our team could never get him convicted. "Mind you, sociopaths experience many of the same needs we all do,” Hetheridge continued. “They attend schools, maintain jobs. I believe they can even love, in the way little children love—a combination of wanting and demanding. But sociopaths have no conscience, no innate sense of responsibility toward others. They cannot believe other people have separate lives beyond the sociopath’s own needs and expectations. Sociopaths are incapable of empathy, though the more intelligent ones are frequently able to fake it."
If you are in the right mood, this is very enjoyable, particularly because Jameson demonstrates a deft facility with observations that include demeanor, fashion and decoration….things that many other authors outline but fail to fill in. For example: "That back door opened into the Wardle family mudroom. It was a stark white rectangle, unadorned except for macks hung haphazardly on pegs, a line of Wellies in various sizes and an umbrella stand. Dutifully, Kate glanced about, finding nothing to flag for the FSS. Strange that people who led such antiseptically clean lives used a “mudroom” to prevent the spread of the world’s inevitable filth. In the very worst parts of Britain, family dwellings opened directly into the front lounge. In those places, a bit of tracked-in mud was the least of anyone’s worries."
From the name of the series you would expect something like Nick and Nora Charles solve the cases, but you (and I) would be wrong. The team is more inclusive and as of the end of this, the second book, there is still no “Lord and Lady Hetheridge.” Yet, for me, this series entertains. 3.5*
“Hetheridge had made a career out of interviewing liars. And made a surprisingly good liar himself, when it suited him. More than once it had occurred to Hetheridge that if not for the triple accident of birth, breeding and ethical indoctrination, he might have climbed to the very top of the corporate crime ladder. God knew a position of authority within New Scotland Yard required a flexible interpretation of right and wrong, not to mention the truth."
This is a “contemporary cozy” with benefits: sex; occasional blasphemy and descriptions of murdered bodies are all included. Among the three working at Scotland Yard there are tensions: Bhar and Wakefield are somewhat competitors for their “gov’s” assignments and opportunities for advancement. Hetheridge and Bhar spar over nothing –"Why did you burst in?” “Hoping to catch you asleep at your desk.” “I do not sleep in this office.”
Bhar and Wakefield are both resented by many of the force. He because of his race and she because of her gender and both because they have the full support of Hetheridge. There are tensions. (Bhar to Wakefield) “Doesn’t change the main point,” Bhar said, grimacing as he tried to flex his left arm. “I have poor judgment. I’m not like the guv. Not like you. Whatever I think, whatever I feel—it’s sure to be wrong.” (Wakefield to Bhar) "What about you? Get your mum that Tesco ice cream?” “I did. But it proved unnecessary. Mum’s writing a new romance and on top of the world. Didn’t even ask me about the case, which is a very good sign.” “This isn’t another one like The Lordly Detective, is it? I had the feeling that was loosely based on our guv.” “You never mentioned you read my mum’s stuff.” “‘Course I do. Got a Kindle, don’t I?” she grinned,"
Hetheridge and Wakefield are attracted to each other but “the gov” knows that if they get together there will be consequences. Bhar is one of the few who understands what is going on. Wakefield knows that her East End accent and style would not fit in with Hetheridge’s upper crust family and friends. His chauffeur offers the following: “And what’s that? The correct sort?” Kate asked, cold. Harvey’s deep-set eyes sparkled as he released her door lock. “Someone he chose. Someone like you. I could clear your way, Detective Sergeant Wakefield. As Baroness Hetheridge, you’d never want for guidance. Never make a public misstep. Not with me to help.” Kate caught her breath. She had no idea what to say. “Just think about it,” Harvey continued. “And know if you decide to say yes—well. You’ll have at least one ally.”
So all this is going on while they are trying to focus on a high society double axe murder that has taken place at a mansion on Halloween when the parents of the party giver are away. There are plenty of drugs, and messy sex and even messier party favors as the police try to interview dozens of guests and not let the killer(s?) get away. This is particularly challenging: “…under ordinary circumstances, entering a public place with two axes in hand might be considered bizarre rather than cold-blooded. Except at this one time of year. At a Halloween party complete with rubber rats, joke blood, plastic body parts — and plastic axes, too, right?” “Right,” Hetheridge said. “We’ll have to reference the crime scene photos to be absolutely sure, but yes, I seem to recall fake axes. Not to mention the fact virtually every last one of the male party guests had a backpack. Not surprising, since they were all students. And a backpack or large satchel would make it easy to bring real weapons onto the scene.”
To add further complications, the suspect in another set of murders lives next door. Our team could never get him convicted. "Mind you, sociopaths experience many of the same needs we all do,” Hetheridge continued. “They attend schools, maintain jobs. I believe they can even love, in the way little children love—a combination of wanting and demanding. But sociopaths have no conscience, no innate sense of responsibility toward others. They cannot believe other people have separate lives beyond the sociopath’s own needs and expectations. Sociopaths are incapable of empathy, though the more intelligent ones are frequently able to fake it."
If you are in the right mood, this is very enjoyable, particularly because Jameson demonstrates a deft facility with observations that include demeanor, fashion and decoration….things that many other authors outline but fail to fill in. For example: "That back door opened into the Wardle family mudroom. It was a stark white rectangle, unadorned except for macks hung haphazardly on pegs, a line of Wellies in various sizes and an umbrella stand. Dutifully, Kate glanced about, finding nothing to flag for the FSS. Strange that people who led such antiseptically clean lives used a “mudroom” to prevent the spread of the world’s inevitable filth. In the very worst parts of Britain, family dwellings opened directly into the front lounge. In those places, a bit of tracked-in mud was the least of anyone’s worries."
From the name of the series you would expect something like Nick and Nora Charles solve the cases, but you (and I) would be wrong. The team is more inclusive and as of the end of this, the second book, there is still no “Lord and Lady Hetheridge.” Yet, for me, this series entertains. 3.5*
April 3, 2020
This is second in a series and much of the setup happens in the first. You could start here if you like, but I highly recommend reading the first, er, first.
If you've read the first, then you know what to expect with this one, more or less. In a good way. We get a few sections from Bhar's PoV and the underlying plot/mystery isn't quite as strong with a key reveal left til late. But I liked the story and the characters remain my central engagement and it has a good pace and progression.
So it's a solid four stars, I think.
A note about Steamy: Tony and Kate get together in this one and there is sex. There's enough explicit goings on for me to mark it as Steamy, but only just. So the very lowest possible steam rating. Which works very well, I think, given the story and characters as written.
If you've read the first, then you know what to expect with this one, more or less. In a good way. We get a few sections from Bhar's PoV and the underlying plot/mystery isn't quite as strong with a key reveal left til late. But I liked the story and the characters remain my central engagement and it has a good pace and progression.
So it's a solid four stars, I think.
A note about Steamy: Tony and Kate get together in this one and there is sex. There's enough explicit goings on for me to mark it as Steamy, but only just. So the very lowest possible steam rating. Which works very well, I think, given the story and characters as written.
September 21, 2025
3.75⭐️ Like the first book, Ice Blue, this was short, entertaining, and loaded with compelling characters. While the gang is back, Deepal “Paul” Bhart was spotlighted.
Unlike the first, I had…
Quibbles
🤷🏻♀️Too many potential suspects—seven or eight. Could be me, but most were around the same age and not very distinctive. When a name was mentioned I had to do a quick who’s who in my head.
🤷🏻♀️Tony/Kate romance. While not closed door, it was like a clear plastic tarp taped over a bedroom doorway with a nightlight softly shining through. A little too coy for my taste.
🤷🏻♀️Not quite the tidy wrap up I expected. Maybe I missed something, but the timing of the murders is still a mystery to me. So are a couple of itsy bitsy matters, but will stay mum in order not to spoil anything. 🤐
Speaking of mum…
Paul’s mother is a romance writer with the usual self publishing issues. It felt like Jameson was slyly winking to her readers. 😊
So far, I’m still onboard for the series. Off to #3.
Unlike the first, I had…
Quibbles
🤷🏻♀️Too many potential suspects—seven or eight. Could be me, but most were around the same age and not very distinctive. When a name was mentioned I had to do a quick who’s who in my head.
🤷🏻♀️Tony/Kate romance. While not closed door, it was like a clear plastic tarp taped over a bedroom doorway with a nightlight softly shining through. A little too coy for my taste.
🤷🏻♀️Not quite the tidy wrap up I expected. Maybe I missed something, but the timing of the murders is still a mystery to me. So are a couple of itsy bitsy matters, but will stay mum in order not to spoil anything. 🤐
Speaking of mum…
Paul’s mother is a romance writer with the usual self publishing issues. It felt like Jameson was slyly winking to her readers. 😊
So far, I’m still onboard for the series. Off to #3.
May 26, 2017
Review written May 25, 2017
3 1/2 Stars - A second good enough in this series. Will continue.
Book #2
Enjoyed listening to the first, #1-Ice Blue (3.6 stars), and then immediately started this second. —Reading by myself this time.
May: Got the audiobook (7:14 hrs narrated by a old favorite by me, Matthew Lloyd Davies).
**********************************************
Blue Murder is the #2 part in the Lord and Lady Hetheridge series. Procedural mystery / crime fiction, with a added romantic (in the office) secondary plot, set in a contemporary London UK.
More about this series, characters etc:
**********************************************
It is Halloween and two young men are found murdered with axes in their heads at a posh party. It was hard to guess and many suspicious and intriguing characters to keep track of. Will not spoil anything here but it didn't end the way I thought for a long while.
Matthew Lloyd Davies isn't great at female voices but if you just don't let you get too upset about it, it is at least okay. Honestly he does a lot of other audiobook stuff (as grumpy male voices) very good luckily.
All in all a good thrilling crime solving. I enjoyed learning to know these three police characters more and more.
**********************************************
I LIKE - "My fair Lady" storylines with ordinary women winning the dream man
3 1/2 Stars - A second good enough in this series. Will continue.
Book #2
Enjoyed listening to the first, #1-Ice Blue (3.6 stars), and then immediately started this second. —
May: Got the audiobook (7:14 hrs narrated by a old favorite by me, Matthew Lloyd Davies).
**********************************************
Blue Murder is the #2 part in the Lord and Lady Hetheridge series. Procedural mystery / crime fiction, with a added romantic (in the office) secondary plot, set in a contemporary London UK.
More about this series, characters etc:
**********************************************
It is Halloween and two young men are found murdered with axes in their heads at a posh party. It was hard to guess and many suspicious and intriguing characters to keep track of. Will not spoil anything here but it didn't end the way I thought for a long while.
Matthew Lloyd Davies isn't great at female voices but if you just don't let you get too upset about it, it is at least okay. Honestly he does a lot of other audiobook stuff (as grumpy male voices) very good luckily.
All in all a good thrilling crime solving. I enjoyed learning to know these three police characters more and more.
**********************************************
I LIKE - "My fair Lady" storylines with ordinary women winning the dream man
January 29, 2021
When, thanks to a recommendation from a thoughtful cousin, I read the first book in this series, I was hooked. Even before I finished that one (Ice Blue), I'd headed back to Amazon to get the next two (and the day after that, the final two). I must say this one didn't delight me quite as much as the first, but neither did it in any way disappoint.
Lord Anthony Hetheridge, Baron of Wellegrave and chief superintendent of the New Scotland Yard, didn't get the answer he wanted when, in the first book, he proposed marriage to the beautiful Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield, a relatively new member of his team. But he's not about to give up; now, he's even got an engagement ring at the ready and is waiting for the right opportunity to make another request. But as fate would have it, murder intervenes. They, and other team member Paul Bhar, are called to a posh home in Chelsea, where two young men have turned up axed to death in the midst of an out-of-control fraternity-style party. One of the victims crashed the party, and the other just happens to be the boyfriend of Emmeline Wardle, whose conveniently absent parents own the home. Compounding the issue is that an old nemesis of Lord Hetheridge - a suspected serial killer - lives right next door.
Going on and on about how the investigation proceeds would do nothing except spoil the story for others, so I'll just say that most things up for grabs at the beginning are resolved by the end (and add that if things don't work out as planned between you and Kate, kind sir, message me and I'll happily send you my number).
Lord Anthony Hetheridge, Baron of Wellegrave and chief superintendent of the New Scotland Yard, didn't get the answer he wanted when, in the first book, he proposed marriage to the beautiful Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield, a relatively new member of his team. But he's not about to give up; now, he's even got an engagement ring at the ready and is waiting for the right opportunity to make another request. But as fate would have it, murder intervenes. They, and other team member Paul Bhar, are called to a posh home in Chelsea, where two young men have turned up axed to death in the midst of an out-of-control fraternity-style party. One of the victims crashed the party, and the other just happens to be the boyfriend of Emmeline Wardle, whose conveniently absent parents own the home. Compounding the issue is that an old nemesis of Lord Hetheridge - a suspected serial killer - lives right next door.
Going on and on about how the investigation proceeds would do nothing except spoil the story for others, so I'll just say that most things up for grabs at the beginning are resolved by the end (and add that if things don't work out as planned between you and Kate, kind sir, message me and I'll happily send you my number).
December 1, 2012
This is not a very good book on several levels.
First, the mystery part. While it's not quite the-butler-did-it simple, the story and the new characters are not fully developed. It is only 200 pages or so and it feels like the author had no ability to develop the mystery nor the people beyond a cardboard cutout.
Second, the romance part. The first book in the series had a good premise. A relationship mismatched on so many levels that their story could be taken to several different directions. The point of a good romance is to see how the people solve the difficulties thrown in their way. This author must have gone to a helicopter parenting style writing workshop since hardly anything is done with the potential conflicts in the relationship. The challenges are nicely swept under the carpet by various means (including the butler) and everything goes smoothly towards HEA.
Besides, if an author's idea of a romantic scene involves people dressed up for a formal ball (also happens in book #1) she has a very limited imagination.
All in all, a disappointing and boring book.
First, the mystery part. While it's not quite the-butler-did-it simple, the story and the new characters are not fully developed. It is only 200 pages or so and it feels like the author had no ability to develop the mystery nor the people beyond a cardboard cutout.
Second, the romance part. The first book in the series had a good premise. A relationship mismatched on so many levels that their story could be taken to several different directions. The point of a good romance is to see how the people solve the difficulties thrown in their way. This author must have gone to a helicopter parenting style writing workshop since hardly anything is done with the potential conflicts in the relationship. The challenges are nicely swept under the carpet by various means (including the butler) and everything goes smoothly towards HEA.
Besides, if an author's idea of a romantic scene involves people dressed up for a formal ball (also happens in book #1) she has a very limited imagination.
All in all, a disappointing and boring book.
March 30, 2021
The story continues...
Kate and Hetheridge have become secret lovers because she's afraid that Hetheridge wil suffer social ostracism if they get married! WOW!
It's funny that the concept has survived from the romance novels! LOL
But the mystery was good and the insight in high society lives is interesting! As the saying goes: "Not everthing that shines is gold" (or something like that... LMAOO)...
I'll keep reading this series! I want to know how things go with Bhar and his mother (who's a romance writer!)!
Kate and Hetheridge have become secret lovers because she's afraid that Hetheridge wil suffer social ostracism if they get married! WOW!
It's funny that the concept has survived from the romance novels! LOL
But the mystery was good and the insight in high society lives is interesting! As the saying goes: "Not everthing that shines is gold" (or something like that... LMAOO)...
I'll keep reading this series! I want to know how things go with Bhar and his mother (who's a romance writer!)!
August 12, 2018
There was not that much interaction between Kate and Tony. This needed more romance and less procedural.
April 28, 2020
Oooh yes, still just enjoying this series a lot.
October 14, 2019
3,5 stars really. An enjoyable quick read but somehow I expected more. I'll read the next one in the series though.
September 26, 2025
Two people are murdered at a Halloween party in fashionable Chelsea - both by an axe to the head. Scotland Yard sends in Chief Superintendent Anthony Hetheridge, AKA Lord Hetheridge, ninth baron of Wellegrave. Anthony is sixty years old, fabulously wealthy, and the cop they wheel in when anyone involved is wealthy and/or titled. His trusty side kicks are Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield and Detective Sergeant Deepal “Paul” Bhar (can I just say that I really hate that people call him Paul Deepal isn't a hard word to pronounce FFS). Despite being half his age and well below his social and economic status, Kate and Anthony have a budding romance.
To add to the mix, the party took place in the mansion next door to Sir Duncan Godington, an acquitted suspect in the macabre murder of his father, brother, and devoted butler, something that hurts both Anthony and 'Paul' quite badly.
Deepal is a sharp dresser who lives with his devoted mother. Kate looks after her brother who has an intellectual disability and her nephew because her sister is in a mental health facility. They encounter sexism and racism from both other cops and people they interview.
This was okay, I hope (but doubt) that Sir Duncan is going to be a recurring theme as I find him a bit too cartoon villain (twirling moustache-type).
Anyway, I thought the murderer's identity was quite obvious, maybe I've read something quite similar before? So the fact that it took them half a book to find their identity was a bit tiresome.
To add to the mix, the party took place in the mansion next door to Sir Duncan Godington, an acquitted suspect in the macabre murder of his father, brother, and devoted butler, something that hurts both Anthony and 'Paul' quite badly.
Deepal is a sharp dresser who lives with his devoted mother. Kate looks after her brother who has an intellectual disability and her nephew because her sister is in a mental health facility. They encounter sexism and racism from both other cops and people they interview.
This was okay, I hope (but doubt) that Sir Duncan is going to be a recurring theme as I find him a bit too cartoon villain (twirling moustache-type).
Anyway, I thought the murderer's identity was quite obvious, maybe I've read something quite similar before? So the fact that it took them half a book to find their identity was a bit tiresome.
December 11, 2012
After the first book in this series (and my not very flattering review, I'm afraid), I tried the next one. Wow, what an improvement. I'm giving it 4* because Emma Jameson walked the walk - she found someone who can give her the Brit speak to make this more readable, the writing has improved dramatically and the story line, whilst a bit OTT, was still interesting and kept my interest. I'll keep an eye out for the next one. Well done, Ms Jameson!
January 11, 2021
Again, I enjoyed this book, in spite of the romance, just like I enjoyed the first of the series.
I enjoy the crimes, the class differences, the characters and the dialogue.
As someone who generally hates romance novels, i realize I like this series because the crime is still first. Although the romance is woven through the story, it is not the obnoxious bodice ripper blueprint where they hate each other but lust after each other.
Good series so far.
I enjoy the crimes, the class differences, the characters and the dialogue.
As someone who generally hates romance novels, i realize I like this series because the crime is still first. Although the romance is woven through the story, it is not the obnoxious bodice ripper blueprint where they hate each other but lust after each other.
Good series so far.
February 19, 2013
I won this book on GoodReads.
A great read! I stayed up all night to finish it. I must confess, I have a weakness for British policemen, especially When they belong to the aristocracy. I will certainly find the first book in the series and look forward to the third one coming in the new year! I will recommend this book to my friends.
A great read! I stayed up all night to finish it. I must confess, I have a weakness for British policemen, especially When they belong to the aristocracy. I will certainly find the first book in the series and look forward to the third one coming in the new year! I will recommend this book to my friends.
April 3, 2016
In Chelsea, London a Halloween party goes badly wrong when two young men are found dead. The deaths are investigated by Chief Superintendent Anthony Hetheridge, Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield, and Detective Sergeant Deepal Bhar.
Didn't really like any of the characters.
Didn't really like any of the characters.
October 5, 2019
Great characters, sexy frisson, giggle-worthy co-worker needling, intriguing plot.
October 25, 2024
4.5⭐
Engaging and clever, this English procedural follows the traditional titled detective with a pulled up by the bootstraps female partner/love interest. Full of twists, but I love a mystery where I fail to guess the perpetrator but realize the clues were all there and fairly planted. Will read more in this series.
Engaging and clever, this English procedural follows the traditional titled detective with a pulled up by the bootstraps female partner/love interest. Full of twists, but I love a mystery where I fail to guess the perpetrator but realize the clues were all there and fairly planted. Will read more in this series.
June 18, 2018
2.75 stars, but hoping for more in #3.
As sometimes happens in a new series, the 2nd entry seems not quite up to the 1st.
I liked the first, Ice Blue, better. It was quite short, but it did set the stage with interesting characters, a reasonably good plot, and potential for intriguing relationships.
This one, however, really is too short to, or the writing not adequate to, develop the resolution of all the issues in the key relationship. There is so very much to work out, and it's not impossible for them to do so, but we don't see them address the most important of the problems - successfully bringing together a very young nephew, a mentally challenged adult brother, a sister in a psychiatric facility, a very questionable mother, a rather obnoxious expectant heir (who may lose out if there is a new birth) and possibly a difficult newly discovered adult daughter, into an unlikely May-December age match between police colleagues (one the boss of the other) who have only known each other a few months, where one is of the aristocracy and the other is quite, quite the opposite. Putting all these points together like this makes it sound ridiculous, however.....
Things can be resolved, but not likely in the time frame presented, and surely not without at least seeing some evidence of working through all the details that must be addressed in this unlikely match.
Good continuing characters and relationships need to be carefully developed. We know the physical attraction is real here, and the understanding of career responsibilities and dangers, too, but the rest has not been worked out at all, and we are asked to accept that 2 very smart and careful people have not dealt with those huge issues.
Frankly, I think it's too distracting to have so many things affecting a relationship - a few, yes, but every single thing that could possibly be a hurdle, not likely. So, it would help to realistically resolve the existing problems before moving on.
One other thing, though it is less bothersome, is that I hope we are not going to only be dealing with very unusually gruesome murders. That, too, is not realistic, and the awfulness of the crime is not what drives a good mystery, but rather the difficulty and skill of putting together all the clues, evidence, suspects and hidden details, and the character development, to arrive at the resolution.
Oh, and btw, everyone on the team doesn't need to have an injury or a very personal involvement with every single case to make it fascinating. See the pattern? Too much is just too much. Better to keep at least some things simple, and be selective about complications.
I will give book 3 a try, and hope for some improvement, as I think the author has the writing skills to do it if she commits to developing the details more carefully and realistically.
As sometimes happens in a new series, the 2nd entry seems not quite up to the 1st.
I liked the first, Ice Blue, better. It was quite short, but it did set the stage with interesting characters, a reasonably good plot, and potential for intriguing relationships.
This one, however, really is too short to, or the writing not adequate to, develop the resolution of all the issues in the key relationship. There is so very much to work out, and it's not impossible for them to do so, but we don't see them address the most important of the problems - successfully bringing together a very young nephew, a mentally challenged adult brother, a sister in a psychiatric facility, a very questionable mother, a rather obnoxious expectant heir (who may lose out if there is a new birth) and possibly a difficult newly discovered adult daughter, into an unlikely May-December age match between police colleagues (one the boss of the other) who have only known each other a few months, where one is of the aristocracy and the other is quite, quite the opposite. Putting all these points together like this makes it sound ridiculous, however.....
Things can be resolved, but not likely in the time frame presented, and surely not without at least seeing some evidence of working through all the details that must be addressed in this unlikely match.
Good continuing characters and relationships need to be carefully developed. We know the physical attraction is real here, and the understanding of career responsibilities and dangers, too, but the rest has not been worked out at all, and we are asked to accept that 2 very smart and careful people have not dealt with those huge issues.
Frankly, I think it's too distracting to have so many things affecting a relationship - a few, yes, but every single thing that could possibly be a hurdle, not likely. So, it would help to realistically resolve the existing problems before moving on.
One other thing, though it is less bothersome, is that I hope we are not going to only be dealing with very unusually gruesome murders. That, too, is not realistic, and the awfulness of the crime is not what drives a good mystery, but rather the difficulty and skill of putting together all the clues, evidence, suspects and hidden details, and the character development, to arrive at the resolution.
Oh, and btw, everyone on the team doesn't need to have an injury or a very personal involvement with every single case to make it fascinating. See the pattern? Too much is just too much. Better to keep at least some things simple, and be selective about complications.
I will give book 3 a try, and hope for some improvement, as I think the author has the writing skills to do it if she commits to developing the details more carefully and realistically.
March 18, 2025
This is the second book in the Lord and Lady Hetheridge mystery series by Emma Jameson. It's part police procedural and part romance. The main characters are sixty year old Anthony Hetheridge, 9th Baron Wellgrave, and Chief Superintendent at New Scotland, and his investigators, Kate Wakefield and Detective Deepal (Paul) Bhar, who still lives with his mother, a successful author of romance books.
They are called out to a Halloween party where two of the guests have been killed with an ax. Sir Duncan Godington, the accused but unconvicted suspect of another murder lives next door and the team is hoping they have him this time. They know he's gotten away with murder before, but did he have anything to do with this particular murder.
Tony is still trying to convince Kate to marry him but she's reluctant because she brings a huge amount of baggage with her, including her mentally handicapped brother and a young nephew she's responsible for. Paul is hilarious on every level. This is a quick, entertaining read that I enjoyed even though I wouldn't call it great literature.
They are called out to a Halloween party where two of the guests have been killed with an ax. Sir Duncan Godington, the accused but unconvicted suspect of another murder lives next door and the team is hoping they have him this time. They know he's gotten away with murder before, but did he have anything to do with this particular murder.
Tony is still trying to convince Kate to marry him but she's reluctant because she brings a huge amount of baggage with her, including her mentally handicapped brother and a young nephew she's responsible for. Paul is hilarious on every level. This is a quick, entertaining read that I enjoyed even though I wouldn't call it great literature.
August 13, 2012
I found this book quite well written and a fast easy read. I won this book on Goodreads. I'm always interested in new authors of books and love a good mystery. This author was new to me and found that I enjoyed her writing. I'm glad I was given a chance to read her. I just had to finish this book and find out what happened. Miss Jameson kept me really interest in the story.
Her main character of Tony, Kate and Paul just seem to mix well together and with the other characters. I was able to get to know them in this story even though I had not read the other book with them in it.
I found the story to flow well building up to wonderful climax of excitement. Miss Jameson just knew how to keep you interested and guessing what would happen next. This is a great book. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery and easy read. Even if you are not a mystery read and love something with a mix of romance and excitement this is the book.
Her main character of Tony, Kate and Paul just seem to mix well together and with the other characters. I was able to get to know them in this story even though I had not read the other book with them in it.
I found the story to flow well building up to wonderful climax of excitement. Miss Jameson just knew how to keep you interested and guessing what would happen next. This is a great book. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery and easy read. Even if you are not a mystery read and love something with a mix of romance and excitement this is the book.
September 17, 2012
The second book in a series. Lord Hetheridge is a rarity, a peer who also works for Scotland Yard as a detective. He's in the process of falling in love with, and (we presume) eventually marrying one of his subordinates. Together, they solve murders. It's not quite as Scooby-do-ish as it sounds.
The murder myster is pretty well laid-out, with enough red herrings to make it difficult. Hacking two college students to death at a Halloween party with identical axes is a good start to a murder investigation. Throwing in an acquitted serial killer as a next door neighbor gums up the works nicely.
The murder myster is pretty well laid-out, with enough red herrings to make it difficult. Hacking two college students to death at a Halloween party with identical axes is a good start to a murder investigation. Throwing in an acquitted serial killer as a next door neighbor gums up the works nicely.
September 27, 2022
This one started out pretty interesting, but partway through the book devolved toward Harlequin Romance territory. Also, the rapidity of the relationship between Kate and Tony is unbelievable. While the respect they have for each other as colleagues is believable, I'm not really sensing much chemistry between them. I'd have liked to see this aspect of the series progress at a slower pace.
I enjoyed getting a more in-depth look at Paul and a peek at his home life. And the guilty party was not immediately obvious, so that's a plus.
I enjoyed getting a more in-depth look at Paul and a peek at his home life. And the guilty party was not immediately obvious, so that's a plus.
July 4, 2012
With the return of Chief Superintendent Anthony Hetheridge, Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield, and Detective Sergeant Deepal Bhar I was transported to a present day London crime scene. Besides attempting to solve the two Halloween party ax murders before my favorite crime trio,I loved reading the details of the developing romance of Anthony and Kate.
Book 3 of the Lord & Lady Hetheridge series: "Something Blue" will be released January 2013...I can't wait to read it!
Book 3 of the Lord & Lady Hetheridge series: "Something Blue" will be released January 2013...I can't wait to read it!
September 1, 2015
Finally, the second in this series! I waited and waited and it was all over in 24 hours! Now I am bereft as I have to wait until next January.
However, book 2 was very good. Once again, the murder squad is faced with another murder and "posh" suspects. The crime was well plotted and the characters are a lot of fun.
Can't wait for book 3.
However, book 2 was very good. Once again, the murder squad is faced with another murder and "posh" suspects. The crime was well plotted and the characters are a lot of fun.
Can't wait for book 3.
July 17, 2012
This was a quick read for my Kindle. I was engaged without being puzzled by the plot. The characters are pleasingly diverse and it was a good book to read at night before bed - fairly brainless entertainment. Don't know if Emma Jameson has a third entry in the series, but I'd buy it to read on my Kindle.
May 1, 2018
I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this cozy mystery. I picked it up from BookBub so I was prepared for anything. But this was a pleasant surprise. I loved the murder plot and I loved the interactions between Kate and Tony. I would definitely be open to reading the other books in this series.
February 24, 2018
Emma Jameson spins another engaging and entertaining mystery. The murderer is no match for Tony and Kate. They are a perfect pair, professionally and romantically. I'm so delighted I discovered this wonderful series.
January 7, 2022
I wasn't as blown away by this one as the first in the series because the who-done-it didn't seem to fit. I still loved the character development, dialogue and Jameson's clever writing and that's why I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.
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