Lord James Harrington and the Summer Mystery

Lord James Harrington #3

by Lynn Florkiewicz

A mega-cosy (amateur sleuth) crime novel. Introducing the third in the series of the Lord James Harrington books; a gentle mystery to while away a Sunday afternoon and become involved in the community of Cavendish. Sweet Mystery Books If you like a leisurely pace and a cozy mystery, a summer holiday could be a good thing. It always feels like catching up with old friends and hearing the small town news when I read these novels. I like that they are set in the 1950s which allows us to move back to a more trusting and less complicated and less violent time. I think we need that these days when life is hectic and so electronic. The annual events in these stories draw you in; the excitement of community gatherings, the gossipy neighbours, and the friends who are willing to step up to help each other in a pinch. It's sweet and delightful. A Prairie Girl Reads (previously CozyMysteryBookReview) I've enjoyed all of these books to date. They are a wonderful escape from the real world. Looking forward to Lord Harrington's adventures in the Fall. Meet Lord James Harrington and his delightful wife, Beth; residents of the tiny village of Cavendish, deep in the heart of West Sussex in England. They adore hosting seasonal events, running their country hotel, keeping the local folklore alive and listening to the latest murder mystery on the wireless. But mysteries don’t always remain on the airwaves......... It’s summer and the annual tennis tournament between Cavendish and Charnley is under way; but a sudden spate of jewel thefts prompts James to put his sleuthing hat on. His investigation suggests that the criminals are using an ancient smuggling network. Can he convince his good friend, DCI George Lane, of his suspicions? Are these thefts part of an international operation? Has the smuggling network reopened? Who are the wealthy couple staying at Harrington’s? Are the two cyclists really tourists? Is the murder of the tennis umpire connected? Could a long-term resident really be a criminal mastermind? James desperately struggles for answers as he explores hidden tunnels, studies old maps and examines the motives of his fellow villagers. Join Lord Harrington, and the Cavendish regulars, in his latest adventure. Heads This is the second edition of the Summer Mystery. For reasons unbeknown to me Kindle has not accepted a page break where Chapter Twenty ends and Twenty One starts even though it shows as a page break on the manuscript. Apologies.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 24, 2013

Reviews

[Karen Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ingenious and intriguing

Another fascinating story featuring the very people-friendly Lord James Harrington and friends. Apart from a slightly hard-to-believe ‘who’, this was an entertaining and fun read, as always. Well-drawn characters and an intriguing plot, with Lynn’s signature involvement of the surrounding village and countryside make for a great way to pass a few happy hours.

[Teddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cutsie cozy mystery. This one wasn't as good as the first 2 and the characters don't develop and seem exactly the same in all the books. I still can't picture a single one of them.
Some of what was happening was way too obvious to the reader and the killer seemed out of left field which I still have questions as to how they did it.
I'm determined to finish the series if I can continue to stand the "perky" characters.

[L Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing Mystery

Good mystery and lots of fun. It must be awfully fun to live in a small village, fun like living in a fishbowl! Everyone seems to know everyone else’s secrets. Except ... who is stealing the ladies’ jewelry. But Lord Harrington is not about to let such things happen in his little village even if it isn’t the old days of Lords and Ladies.

[Jan Duthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a nice series of amateur sleuth books. The main characters are very likeable and varied but so well drawn that you feel that you know them. The plots have plenty of twists and turns and the culprit or solution is well hidden. Very enjoyable read.

[Vanessa-Ann Dowsett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series ,a delicate balance between murder, mystery, local history and folk law. The narrator is also very good indeed. Highly recommended

[LadyS · Rating 4 out of 5]

The summer mystery was a little convoluted in my opinion but I enjoyed this nonetheless

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Lord James Harrington And The Summer Mystery - Lord James Harrington Mysteries Book 3
Author: Lynn Florkiewicz
Publisher: Lynn Florkiewicz
Published: 11-24-2013
E-Book ASIN: B00GWTWW5O
Pages: 206
Genre: Mysteries
Tags: Thriller/Suspense, British Detectives, Cozy Mystery
Overall Rating: Excellent 5 out of 5


Lord James Harrington and his wife Beth reside in a small village in the heart of West Sussex in England called Cavendish. Well liked they host seasonal events and often find themselves embroiled in unforeseen mysteries. It is Summer and they are hosting the annual tennis tournament between Cavendish and the neighboring village of Charnley. James is an avid mystery buff and enjoys his forays into these mysteries as they exercise his detective skills. Invariably there is a death, strangers and a few known questionable characters involved.


Following one of the matches there was a luncheon picnic type gathering of those who came to enjoy the match. Chief Inspector George Lane did something against his usual request to James of to stay out of the investigation into a rash of jewel robberies that seemed to be moving from London down into Cavendish. He wanted James to keep an eye out to anything unusual and report to him. Bert, a long time friend of James' proposed a game of observation of the guest around the field. Upon close observation their are a number of suspicious individuals. Some homegrown and some not; some known and some a surprise.


With guest at the manor house hotel and visiting family added to the mix of the robberies James has a lot to keep track of and with the help of Beth and his friends even murder will not keep James from solving this new mystery to come to his village. Charming does not begin to describe the latest book in the Lord James Harrington Mystery series. Set in a time after the end of WWII. when time was simpler and it was still safe to leave you door unlocked without fear, but times are changing even in the small village Cavendish. Follow along as the good people of Cavendish work to bring peace and safety once more to their village. Don;t be too quick to judge the people or you could be accusing the wrong one.



I have read the previous two mysteries in this series and The Summer Mystery lives up to the standard set by the previous ones. Lynn Florkiewicz involves you in both the lives of the villagers and the clues as the mystery as it evolves. This is a stand alone book as the references to the previous books in no way influence the story line. I would recommend that you download them because they are great cozy mysteries, and at less than $2.00 each they are priced well below their true value. If you want a great read with well developed and established characters in a setting that anyone would love to live in. Add in an ever changing mystery and you have the making of a wonderful afternoon of indulgence.


Thank you for allowing me the privilege of reading and reviewing your latest installment of Lord James and his ongoing mysteries. I look forward to seeing what happens during the Autumn time in Cavendish. Good luck in your writing and I will be waiting for the next installment.

[Jenny Schwartzberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is a cozy, English mystery series, set in a small Sussex village in 1957-1958. They are full of period details and while I'm not familiar with England of the 1950s they do sound reasonably authentic. As a historian it rather irritates me that Lord James' actual title is not given and I get the sense that the author is not familiar with British titles although she is English. However, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the books and will happily read any sequels.

[Alicia Marsland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good plot

Not an easy to solve mystery, lots of red herrings. Good recipes. For some reason, this was less satisfying than the two previous mysteries, which is too bad. It was well researched, with much information on smugglers' routes and operational details from earlier centuries.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light weight series set in the 50's with Lord Harrington and his wife get involved in mysteries upsetting their policeman friend. Quick reads.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

started book: 27 Mar 2014

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So... when is Fall coming out? Good series with likable characters. This is definitely a curl-up- with-a-good-book kind of book. Somewhat intricate plot but not taxing.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mystery a good plot and interesting characters. I still find it a bit too cozy at times and some of the wording is irritating but I will read more,

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not up to the standards of the first two. The small town aspects are fine.

[Prachi Deore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick fun read.

Enjoyed this one more than the last, even though I guessed the whodunit halfway through. Good historical background and local color.

[Beverly Mccollum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book three in the series. A quick and easy read for a rainy afternoon. I enjoy the English village setting and the characters. Fun. I'd recommend it to any who like these cozy mysteries.

[Linda Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dashing

A good book complicated in parts especially when trying to discover jewel thieves. A lot of misdirection at the end unexpected conclusion

[Diane Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read all four books in this series. Nice light reading with likable characters and lots of interesting tidbits about life in England after the war. Enjoyed them all.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Lord Harrington and his crew from Cavendish. The books are written in the way that makes you feel like you actually live there. Perfect bedtime reading.

[BookAddict · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are just fun. This one had the added fun of some interesting history about smuggling and a really good mystery. I really like these.

[Kim Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books. They take me back to a time I never knew, if you see what I mean. Life seems to have been much simpler back then.

[Karen Plummer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, especially the info about the history of smuggling, but it didn't keep my attention consistently. I like the characters although they don't seem as well developed as I would wish...kind of one-dimensional. I'm determined to finish the series though.