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Pennyfoot Hotel #12
Maid to Murder
Amateur sleuth Cecily Sinclair's job as owner of the Pennyfoot Hotel takes a bizarre turn when three of the hotel maids turn up dead, each missing a single shoe, and Cecily sets out to uncover the truth about the crimes, in a mystery set in Edwardian England.
204 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1999
25 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Kate Kingsbury
84 books568 followersKate Kingsbury grew up in London, England, and at a very early age began telling stories to her school friends during the London Blitz of WW II while huddling in bomb shelters. Kate moved to the U.S. in the early sixties, and had passed her 50th birthday when she published her first book. Writing as Doreen Roberts, (her real name at the time) she published 26 romance novels for Harlequin/Silhouette. In 1991 her first Pennyfoot Hotel book was published and since then Kate has written 35 mysteries, including the Manor House mysteries, the Bellehaven House mysteries(written as Rebecca Kent) and the Raven's Nest mysteries, (written as Allison Kingsley.) Her new series, The Merry Ghost Inn Mysteries debuted in January, 2017 with Dead and Breakfast, featuring a B & B on the Oregon coast. She has one son, Regan, and lives with her husband, Bill, in the beautiful state of Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 2, 2015
It was an okay book with a fairly decent plot. I always like the storylines that include Gertie and her private life.
Note to author: It is a pet peeve of mine (and I am sure other people's as well) when authors write book series and after a certain amount of books under their belt, decide to rewrite events from earlier books to suit future plotlines, or maybe they simply forgot their own books? (I'm doubtful on that one.)I've read this entire series fairly recently, so I know for a fact that Ian did indeed know that Gertie was pregnant when she told him to go back to London. I'm sure he doesn't know she ended up having twins, but he did know she was pregnant before he left. Gertie told him, and he was very angry about her pregnancy, presumably because he knew he had another pregnant wife already back in London. Another example of this was the part where it was being retold about Phoebe having been administered brandy in the rose garden by the Colonel. This may be nitpicking, but I know (being as I only just finished the book it happened in) it was gin that she was plied with, not brandy. Inconsistencies within books or especially series, should be watched for. Continuity is very important.
Note to author: It is a pet peeve of mine (and I am sure other people's as well) when authors write book series and after a certain amount of books under their belt, decide to rewrite events from earlier books to suit future plotlines, or maybe they simply forgot their own books? (I'm doubtful on that one.)I've read this entire series fairly recently, so I know for a fact that Ian did indeed know that Gertie was pregnant when she told him to go back to London. I'm sure he doesn't know she ended up having twins, but he did know she was pregnant before he left. Gertie told him, and he was very angry about her pregnancy, presumably because he knew he had another pregnant wife already back in London. Another example of this was the part where it was being retold about Phoebe having been administered brandy in the rose garden by the Colonel. This may be nitpicking, but I know (being as I only just finished the book it happened in) it was gin that she was plied with, not brandy. Inconsistencies within books or especially series, should be watched for. Continuity is very important.
August 19, 2025
I didn’t realize that this was the final installment of a series when I picked it up at a book fair. I chose it because of the funny title, and I enjoy a good mystery set in historical times. Although I enjoyed reading it, I gave it three stars because I wanted to learn more about the killer, his motive, and why he had an unusual habit of taking just one shoe - none of which the book explores.
August 19, 2014
Reading this book you can tell it was meant to be the last in the series, but since I started reading the series very late I know that thankfully it continues. I am curious to see how it will continue, though I will enjoy continuing to follow the lives of those we have come to know so well.
March 14, 2013
Kate Kingsbury is one of my favorite current mystery authors. I've enjoyed all the Pennyfoot Hotel Mysteries I've read, and I'm keeping an eye out for the books I'm missing in the series.
February 27, 2018
A memorable end to wonderful memories!!
Wow, how the minds of people works and what triggers their emotions.
What a story this one is, the Hotel really had a puzzling mystery this time. There was such tragedy, Cecily Sinclair had to face along with her staff, when there was so many strange characters moving around in the Pennyfoot. Baxter was beside himself trying to keep watch on Cecily and other staff members from any more harm came to them.
Three murders, and a strange man asking all kinds of questions about the Pennyfoot Hotel, a weird little man telling people the world is going to end.
The end is most satisfying, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!!!
Wow, how the minds of people works and what triggers their emotions.
What a story this one is, the Hotel really had a puzzling mystery this time. There was such tragedy, Cecily Sinclair had to face along with her staff, when there was so many strange characters moving around in the Pennyfoot. Baxter was beside himself trying to keep watch on Cecily and other staff members from any more harm came to them.
Three murders, and a strange man asking all kinds of questions about the Pennyfoot Hotel, a weird little man telling people the world is going to end.
The end is most satisfying, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!!!
August 25, 2024
This is the last of the Pennyfoot series There are a few more written specially for holidays. But as for the regular books, this is it. More murders make Cecily and Baxter, now her business partner and not manager, cause them to question whether or not the hotel is cursed in some way. 3 murders of brand-new young maids is not a good sign.
I'll miss all the characters, except Phoebe Carter-Holmes. Ugh! Broke and lonely she bats her eyelashes at every available male in the last few books.
I'll miss all the characters, except Phoebe Carter-Holmes. Ugh! Broke and lonely she bats her eyelashes at every available male in the last few books.
January 3, 2020
While it was a good read, it was too easy to figure out who dunnit before the end of the book. I have just started the next in the series and hopefully it will be back to the standards of the previous books in the Pennyfoot series.
March 3, 2017
I have read the first 12 in this series. Enjoyable, light reading.
February 13, 2019
Oh, my. Three murders in two days. A bit far-fetched I day. Oh, and will Mrs. Sinclair really sell the Pennyfoot? I guess it's on to book #13.
August 5, 2022
Happy that this is not the last book in the series
December 16, 2024
Fluffy series but I have to admit I’ve been sucked into the lives of the characters 😂 I think this one has been my favorite. Nice holiday, happy ending reading.
November 5, 2017
-Spoiler Alert-
And they lived happily ever after. The grand finale to the sweet romance between Cecily and Baxter find arrives. Loved this book and the ending was perfect.
And they lived happily ever after. The grand finale to the sweet romance between Cecily and Baxter find arrives. Loved this book and the ending was perfect.
September 13, 2016
This book is hard for me to give a fair review to. I picked it up on impulse because it was a historical mystery which I am currently really enjoying. I had never read another book in this series and it turned out this was the final book in the series. I gave it a 3/5 but for my experience it was closer to a 2.5/5.
This book was clearly not a good entry point to the series and instead a wrap up so there were a ton of characters who basically hooked up with their loves. By the time the book was through there were three couples engaged and hints that another couple was around the corner from an engagement. Cecily spends the majority of the book missing her boyfriend’s proposals or being re-proposed to when the initial proposal wasn’t ideal. The characters were okay but overwhelming. This was probably due to the book wrapping everything up.
I could almost forgive the character issues as it is the last book in the series but I was very disappointed in the mystery. Having never read the series before I don’t know what is normal for this series mystery wise but as a stand alone experience the mystery was disappointing and honestly pretty weird. I had no idea how things were going to turn out and when the killer was unveiled I just was scratching my head.
I liked the setting details though some of the dialogue was a bit over the top. I get that the writer was trying to show accents of time and place but I think it was a bit much.
This book was not what I hoped. I would not pick this book up as a stand alone mystery. At some point I may go back and try an older book in the series and see if the main issue was just that this was the final book. I read lots of mystery series and most can be entered anywhere along the series. I don’t think that is true for this series.
**** Note: I found out later that this wasn't last book. It just read like it.
This book was clearly not a good entry point to the series and instead a wrap up so there were a ton of characters who basically hooked up with their loves. By the time the book was through there were three couples engaged and hints that another couple was around the corner from an engagement. Cecily spends the majority of the book missing her boyfriend’s proposals or being re-proposed to when the initial proposal wasn’t ideal. The characters were okay but overwhelming. This was probably due to the book wrapping everything up.
I could almost forgive the character issues as it is the last book in the series but I was very disappointed in the mystery. Having never read the series before I don’t know what is normal for this series mystery wise but as a stand alone experience the mystery was disappointing and honestly pretty weird. I had no idea how things were going to turn out and when the killer was unveiled I just was scratching my head.
I liked the setting details though some of the dialogue was a bit over the top. I get that the writer was trying to show accents of time and place but I think it was a bit much.
This book was not what I hoped. I would not pick this book up as a stand alone mystery. At some point I may go back and try an older book in the series and see if the main issue was just that this was the final book. I read lots of mystery series and most can be entered anywhere along the series. I don’t think that is true for this series.
**** Note: I found out later that this wasn't last book. It just read like it.
February 20, 2017
This 12th, and originally last, book in the Pennyfoot Hotel series was well written. The murderer was more difficult to figure out than normal. As predicted, Baxter and Cecily became betrothed, but getting past the murderer to do so was an exciting storyline. And all the supporting characters’ storylines that had been brewing throughout the first eleven books were tied up.
The manner in which three of those storylines were tied up is the reason for the rating of 4. The author gave both Phoebe and Madeline an HEA that was rushed and, in the case of Phoebe, rather far-fetched. And the manner in which the sale of the hotel came to pass was a bit too convenient for the normal reality that the series had come to express.
The manner in which three of those storylines were tied up is the reason for the rating of 4. The author gave both Phoebe and Madeline an HEA that was rushed and, in the case of Phoebe, rather far-fetched. And the manner in which the sale of the hotel came to pass was a bit too convenient for the normal reality that the series had come to express.
June 8, 2011
Turn of the century England (1900s), and a hotel on the coast. The young maids starting work at the Pennyfoot hotel are not surviving their first week. Can Cecily stop the madman and is he one of their guests?
Glimpse of the times and the differences--a policeman than can close a hotel's doors. The importance of a marriage proposal. What a difference 100 years has made.
Glimpse of the times and the differences--a policeman than can close a hotel's doors. The importance of a marriage proposal. What a difference 100 years has made.
October 15, 2013
This was my first Pennyfoot Hotel mystery and it wasn't bad. It seems like there was a lot of changes going on with the characters personally, so I think seeing what happens in some of the following books would be interesting. The mystery itself was okay and although it seemed like a limited number of suspects I enjoyed guessing "whodunit".
September 26, 2012
Just so-so. The plot was so slow it bordered on not moving at all. This is the first book I've read in the series and, since it's #12, maybe I missed a lot of background from the previous books and never felt any connection to the characters.
June 30, 2014
Bonnie really likes Kate Kingsbury, and recommended this to me. It was OK, but I kept comparing it to the Robin Paige books, and - sorry - it just didn't measure up. I found myself not really caring whodunit. That's not how it ought to be in a murder mystery!
June 2, 2016
This book did not delight me as much as the earlier episodes, perhaps because I read too many of them in a concentrated period and the charm wore off. The plot seemed less complex and the whole book seemed to be "tossed off" perhaps due to a short publishing deadline?
October 20, 2016
I honestly enjoyed this one. I was disappointed because I guessed the killer really early on. And I pretty much could guess who the victims were going to be. I'm happy things worked out the way they did.
January 6, 2015
©1999 Recommended.
April 15, 2015
Wow
What a wonderful story! Romance and murder a great mixture. As usual Cecily solves the murders and Baxter saves her. But now there is no hotel business or is it
What a wonderful story! Romance and murder a great mixture. As usual Cecily solves the murders and Baxter saves her. But now there is no hotel business or is it
August 25, 2015
predictable... lots of couples getting together... 2.5 stars
September 14, 2015
Catching up with the Pennyfoot.
I had read all the new ones but had never read the beginning. Definitely worth it. Easy reading and comforting cozy with humor.
I had read all the new ones but had never read the beginning. Definitely worth it. Easy reading and comforting cozy with humor.
October 2, 2016
Penntfoot mystery's
I have enjoyed the series, funny, serious and of course mysterious. The characters are just like what you expect for that era.
I have enjoyed the series, funny, serious and of course mysterious. The characters are just like what you expect for that era.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews