Two Spinsters and a Corpse

Two Spinsters and a Murder Mystery #1

by Eve Tarrington

Two Regency era spinsters, one quiet and one quarrelsome, try to catch a killer before Christmas in this new historical mystery series.

Miss Judith St Clair is a frugal and pious young woman. When her father accepts a lucrative new position as the rector of a parish in Derbyshire just before Christmas, she is dismayed that she and all her siblings must move to this cold and inhospitable country while still in mourning for their mother. What’s worse, her father’s patrons are the rich and imposing Haddingtons, a family recently settled at Wycliff Castle.

Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington, after years of dismissing every possible suitor, is in love. But her parents, who will not consent to the match, have removed her and her reputation from harm by buying an enormous estate in Derbyshire. Louisa-Margaretta is determined to avoid everyone, but when she and the rector’s daughter both take refuge in the library to avoid dancing with gentlemen at a ball, they are unwitting witnesses to a murder.

Though each young woman despises the other, they know they will need each other’s help if they are to find the killer and save their families. With Judith’s quiet intelligence and Louisa-Margaretta’s fiery and flirtatious nature, they set out to solve the puzzle. But when one of them has a brush with death disguised as a hunting accident, they realise that they must be quick, or they shall risk running out of time.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Cozy, Ebooks, Fiction

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2024

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley for this earc

Soooo overall it was a cutie cozy little book think Clue meets Jane Austen. I do wish there was more plot or a storyline of the spinsters falling for each other because how crazy would not only a murder plot going on but a sapphic romance of spinsters.
I’m hoping more plot in the next series 💜

[norah · Rating 2 out of 5]

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2.75 | 😘=1 | 🤬=1 | ⚔️=2.5 | 14+

summary: the title says it all? two spinsters—one wealthy, one a rector’s daughter—have to solve a mystery in Regency England.

thoughts: the mystery is pretty good—classic cozy historical mystery shenanigans; we love to see it. however. however!! this should have been gay!!!!!! I can’t emphasize enough. with a title like “Two Spinsters and a Corpse” sapphic Regency shenanigans is inherently implied?? so please explain to my why in the final chapter of this novel one of the heroines professes interest in MARRYING HER COUSIN. you’re telling me we get incest and NO GAYS???????? shameful.

the mystery was still good though.

[eyes.2c · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this was rather hard to follow.

A wealthy family, the Haddingtons, have moved to Wycliffe Castle in Derbyshire county to avert the scandal of the daughter of the house, Louisa-Margaretta, falling in love with someone entirely unsuitable.
The eldest daughter of the local vicar, Judith St. Clair, becomes friends Louisa-Margaret’s with after several false starts.
They witness a murder and now have to alert their families to the facts except that the families pay them no attention.
I wanted to like this. I kept reading to find out what happened. In the end I found I didn’t care enough. The reading hurt my head

A Victory Edington ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

[Devon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two Spinsters and a Corpse follows two women at the dawn of the 19th century who are in their mid-twenties but lacking spouses. Judith St. Clair is grieving her mother and does not WANT to marry, whereas Louisa-Margaretta Haddington is in love with a Jewish man and has been carried away to the countryside to keep from making a match outside of her parents’ wishes. These two women meet at a ball, and are soon roped into investigating a murder when they realise that they had seen the victim and she could not have taken her own life.

This book just didn’t snag me like I would have enjoyed. Possibly because it is clearly setting up a series (the back has four other books listed to follow), this novel seemed to be more of a launching for the characters and less about the murder. There weren’t many clues for me to follow as it all happened off the screen and outside of my viewing as a reader, and the motives for any of the possible suspects were really flimsy, so it made it difficult to choose someone to be the possible murderer.

I preferred the character of Louisa-Margaretta to Judith. Judith lost her mother, so her grief is warranted, but she is rude and judgemental and then has the temerity to tell others off for also being rude. I felt for Louisa-Margaretta, separated from the man she loved and confined to a place she didn’t want to be, tricked into leaving her home and watched like a hawk so that she cannot even ride on her own nor send missives or correspondence to anyone. Her abrupt set-up with one of her cousins at the very end is shaky, while I found Judith’s similar pairing off to be more grounded in the text and thus better believed.

So, all in all, I found the character building to be decent, but the mystery to be quite lacklustre. I would give the second book a chance, but I would be wary to do so rather than enthusiastic.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Judith St Clair is a vicar’s daughter & following her mother’s death the family move to a parish in Derbyshire, her father’s patrons are the rich and imposing Haddingtons, a family recently settled at Wycliff Castle. Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington, after years of dismissing every possible suitor, is in love. But her parents, who will not consent to the match, have removed her and her reputation from harm by buying an enormous estate in Derbyshire. Louisa-Margaretta is determined to avoid everyone, but when she and the rector’s daughter both take refuge in the library to avoid dancing with gentlemen at a ball, they are unwitting witnesses to a murder.
A well written cosy mystery that flowed well after a slow start. I liked the attention to detail in the descriptions & the author certainly had done her homework. I liked both Judith & Louisa but didn’t love them, they were like chalk & cheese but gradually began to work well together. The mystery was intriguing & I was kept guessing until everything was revealed. An interesting series starter which laid the foundations to what is hopefully an interesting series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title was a definite draw with this one and I love a regency vibe so it was a certain pick up.

It was steady in the progression of the plot and I just love this era, especially with an added mystery and murder/ detective element. The main characters were also easy to like and the main story itself was investing enough that you needed to get to the bottom of what was going on but I did occasionally find my attention wavering on this one.

It took me longer to read this than I thought it would (not sure why) but I did find myself taking a few breaks from it and it was a bit of a struggle to get back again but my own issue not the book itselfs. Maybe because I was in want of a bit more action and adventure.

The regency era vibes were great though and I’m glad I saw it to the end of its conclusion. There are also a load more planned in this series so plenty more to look forward to if continuing on with this series!

Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The two young ladies have little in common, save for a desire to avoid matchmaking attempts at the ball. Hidden in the library, they become spectators to a heinous crime. The clergyman's daughter and the heiress must put aside their differences to solve a murder.

Gentle reader, I must confess that I lack any kind of affection for this time period nor did I immediately bond with the heroines, says the reviewer with her tongue firmly in her cheek. The Regency Era is popular with many, but I've never been a fan. It was with a fair amount of trepidation that I requested a chance to evaluate this story, but in the end, I was as enthralled with the proceedings as I would be with a plot set in the modern era. The characterisation was supremely well done and the mystery concealed its facets until the end.

A playful tease at the end of the story encourages the reader to continue to the next book. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us. I recommend this novel to those who love both the Regency period and cosy mysteries. It is a very clean read.


Thank you to BookSirens and Eve Tarrington for the opportunity to read this eARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marie Wikle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. I love books set in this time period. These adventures are always the best

[Barbara K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read and reviewed the 3rd book in this series, "Two Spinsters and a Madman." At the time, I assumed that had I read the first two books in the series I would have found the third book more enjoyable. I fear I did not.

My primary objection to the 3rd book was that the author assumed too much background knowledge of the reader and that would not be a problem with book one. In that aspect, I was correct. However, both books are very slow moving and calling "Two Spinsters and a Corpse" a murder mystery is giving it too much credit.

If you enjoy the slow moving style of a Regency novel, you may find this book more engrossing that I did. However, as much as I love mysteries set in an historical setting, I found both of these books "tedious" (I hate to use the word, but I cannot think of another more apt).

The author has talent in describing setting and mores of the period but needs honing of her plot development skills - and, unfortunately, of her character development skills (I couldn't warm up to anyone in either book).

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regency Period - During a ball at Wycliffe Castle, home of the Haddingtons, rectors daughter Judith St Clair, and Louisa-Margaretta Haddington are hiding in the library when they overhear a conversation. Later Miss Matilda Ross is discovered dead in the library. They decide to investigate believing she was murdered.
Overall an entertaining cozy mystery but I couldn't really take to the two main females or many of the other characters.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Faye Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

In "Two Spinsters and A Corpse," two Regency-era spinsters - Judith St Clair, a pious young woman, and Louisa-Margaretta Haddington, a lovesick heiress - are forced to work together to solve a murder they inadvertently witness at a Christmas ball. Despite their mutual disdain, the unlikely duo combines their strengths to navigate the dangerous intrigue surrounding Wycliff Castle. As they dig deeper, their investigation turns perilous, compelling them to catch the killer before Christmas, or risk becoming the next victims.

The Regency setting was richly detailed and felt thoroughly well-researched. I love Regency settings for stories, and a Regency-set murder mystery is always fun because of all the social rules and the impact that scandal can have, and how that could lead to murder. I enjoyed the murder mystery plot and, while I had my suspicions about who the murderer was, I didn’t figure out the 'why' behind the murders. The motive made complete sense when all the information was revealed at the end.

For me, a book of around 200 pages should have me racing through it as there isn't much room for filler in a book that length, but I found that this had a bit of a slow start. It does pick up pace when we get properly into the murder mystery, but there were still some chapters where not much happened. This was probably emphasized by how short some of the chapters were.

I see that this is the first book in a series, so the two main female characters, Judith and Louisa-Margaretta, will likely undergo a lot of development over the planned series, which is really promising. Now that the characters and their families have been established, the later books could dive right into the action of the new mystery plots, which will probably address the pacing issue I experienced here. This series definitely has potential for interesting mystery stories and character development.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

[LilliSt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars - a bit unfocussed but I really enjoyed it

I really seem to be developing a thing for Regency era whodunits, which I find oddly comforting and relaxing and Two Spinsters and a Corpse by Eve Tarrington really delivered: the murder mystery is intriguing and the social commentary around the gentlepeople of that time is light in tone but no less poignant.

The two spinsters are in this case Judith St Clair, the daughter of the rector who is called to serve in a new town, uprooting his family which is still grieving the death of Judith's mother. Judith is the quiet, plain and ascetic type, not having a lot of patience for the shenanigans of the rich.

The other is almost a polar opposite of Judith: Louisa-Margaretta, the daughter of the Haddingtons, who employ rector St Clair. She is headstrong, with lots of personality (and lots of privilege) - but in a difficult situation as the man she loves does not have the social status to be acceptable as a groom.

Both young women are actually not in an age when we would talk about spinsters, but times were different and being in your mid or late twenties made you all but unmarryable.

On an evening when the Haddingtons throw a ball a death does occur and for some reason or other the two young spinsters end up trying to work out who might have been the culprit.

The murder mystery is well done, I did not really figure it out beforehand. I also really enjoyed the budding friendship of two such very different personalities. And these differences were detailed very well, I had a good grasp of what kind of person Judith and Louisa-Margaretta were.

However, the other characters stayed a bit pale and two-dimensional and in the beginning I was also really rather confused about the Haddington family and how the many members of it were connected to each other.

Also, the writing and plot felt oddly unfocussed and meandering which made it a bit less easy to follow events, but this is not a significant gripe. 

All in all though, if you do enjoy Regency murder mysteries this is a solid addition to the catalogue and definitely recommended!

I have received an advance review copy via NetGalley and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you very much!

[Shaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Eve Tarrington for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Two Spinsters and a Corpse coming out September 1, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Miss Judith St Clair is a frugal and pious young woman. When her father accepts a lucrative new position as the rector of a parish in Derbyshire just before Christmas, she is dismayed that she and all her siblings must move to this cold and inhospitable country while still in mourning for their mother. What’s worse, her father’s patrons are the rich and imposing Haddingtons, a family recently settled at Wycliff Castle.

Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington, after years of dismissing every possible suitor, is in love. But her parents, who will not consent to the match, have removed her and her reputation from harm by buying an enormous estate in Derbyshire. Louisa-Margaretta is determined to avoid everyone, but when she and the rector’s daughter both take refuge in the library to avoid dancing with gentlemen at a ball, they are unwitting witnesses to a murder.

Though each young woman despises the other, they know they will need each other’s help if they are to find the killer and save their families. With Judith’s quiet intelligence and Louisa-Margaretta’s fiery and flirtatious nature, they set out to solve the puzzle. But when one of them has a brush with death disguised as a hunting accident, they realise that they must be quick, or they shall risk running out of time.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I absolutely loved it! I’m obsessed with historical mysteries. I loved the two main characters with their different personalities. I love that they teamed up to solve the mystery. I think the book was quick-paced and filled with action and excitement. I loved the glimpses of romance. I’m definitely excited to check out more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries!

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to Netgalley. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.


Judith St. Clair and Louisa-Margarita Harrington are two young spinsters who meet and try and solve a murder. Judith and Louisa-Margarita both start courtships with Louisa’s cousins. As time goes on Judith and Louisa figure it out. Judith and Louisa go after the killer who is the biological son of the aunt and uncle of Louisa who just wanted his inheritance. Judith and Louisa also start to develop feelings for the other two male cousins who didn’t murder their aunt. This book read very well and was an enjoyable cozy mystery.

[C.R. Comacchio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op/Tenacious Teacup Press for an ARC of this book.

The two spinsters of the title are Judith St. Clair, eldest daughter of a humble curate recently made rector, and the haughty Louisa-Margaretta Haddington, only daughter of a wealthy and aspiring industrialist. Her father buys himself into the ‘haut ton’ of Regency England as easily as buying Wycliff Castle, a former aristocratic residence.

The corpse in question is that of Louisa-Margaretta’s ‘Aunt’ Matilda, a widow and honorary family member. She has some influence among the Haddingtons because of her vague kinship to her cousins, and possible suitors, the Ramsbury brothers. The eldest, Ephraim, who mourns his young wife and struggles to raise their twin daughters, has particularly needed her help.

The two young women are opposites who form an unlikely partnership in a bid to uncover the murderer. Judith is a typical homely, scrawny and charmless spinster who pays little attention to her appearance. Louisa-Margaretta is as regal as her name, voluptuous, beautiful, fashionable, attracting suitors easily. Despite the gap in their social status, both have made their social debut. Both have been ‘out’ so long that are subject to family pressure to marry soon. Yet neither wants to, if for very different reasons, which leads to a certain amount of game playing, plotting, and collusion between them.

This is a classic ‘locked room’ mystery. Aunt Matilda, not really liked even by Ephraim despite his gratitude, expires in the middle of a ball that the recently-arrived Haddingtons have thrown to introduce themselves and the new rector into Derbyshire society. Ordinarily the St. Clairs would be excluded from such an event, but it happens that the curate is a close friend of the industrialist, who bought him the rectory and is, in effect, introducing Judith and the young Miriam to a possible dowry-less match.

In any event, neither Judith nor Louisa-Margretta want to be there. They separately take refuge in the library, where they meet rather awkwardly. Each is blunt-spoken and independent thinking, not admired traits in young women of their time. Judith is depressed about the sudden death of their mother, and bitter about being forced to move to the new parish in frozen Derbyshire. Louis-Margaretta was also forcibly removed to Wycliff Castle, where she is virtually imprisoned by her worried mother.

The two, barely capable of conversation, inadvertently witness some strange and suspicious activity. They see Matilda heading to a nearby bedroom, followed by her ‘nephew’ Morgan. They assume that he escorted the drunken Matilda to her bed.

In very short order, Mr Haddington announces that the festivities are over and all guests must depart. A doctor is summoned. Matilda is dead.

Did Morgan do it? He is a gentle soul, but he was seemingly the last to see her alive. What about Ephraim, though he was the closest to her? Or the dashing youngest brother, Theo, who had recently been challenged to a dual and now owed ‘a debt of honour.’ Although the women bicker over the suspects, the case, of course, is not that open-and-close. Every one of them has a possible motive, as do other family members and locals. And everyone, including Louisa-Margaretta, has a secret.

The plot is fairly familiar, but it is refreshing in how it shows the female characters, young and old, as quick-witted and sharp-tongued, despite knowing full well how they ‘must’ act in public. They do not see marriage as innately fulfilling, merely as a way to survive. For her part, Judith refuses even to concede that, wanting only to study mathematics and own her own bank. This is a quick, clever and humorous story, with interesting female perspectives and good attention to period detail. It is the first in a planned series of ‘two spinster’ murder mysteries that promise to be good fun.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

✨ Should have been gay ✨

The title drew me to this book. Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in a regency based who done it murder mystery. Sign me up.

Set in the countryside of Derbyshire, two families have recently moved to the village. A wealthy family, the Haddington’s with their daughter Louisa-Margaretta and the Rector and his family, employed by the Haddington’s.

Our unlikely duo are Judith the rector’s oldest daughter and Louisa- Margaretta. Both determined to be spinsters and shun the marriage market they are our two spinsters who are both smart, opinionated women. Which is always refreshing to read especially in this time period. The characters are both sharp-tongued despite how they ought to act as young ladies and the attention to detail for the era and inclusion of faith was a nice touch to ground the story in more depth. (Imagine Eloise Bridgerton but with no social skills investigating a murder.)

This context provides the familiar plot and story with a new backdrop which is enjoyable. As the two women try to solve the untimely death of a member of the house.

The ending clearly setting up for future series and adventures for the two spinsters to tackle, this is a clear introduction to their characters.

I did however find the pacing a bit off and the explanations of reasoning and conversations seemed to jump around a fair bit. This meant that at times I felt it was difficult to follow the timing of what was going on. As the story was simple enough that wasn’t too much of an issue. However it did feel we rushed to conclusions or judgments awfully quickly at times without laying the ground work.

There was also a side plot of romantic prospects, although this is not the main focus of the book so do not expect a romantic recency book with murder just to be clear.
However I did expect a bit more romantic build up, the ending in that regard felt rushed. I could have forgiven it for not having any romantic conclusion because it is a series but the rushed conclusion then disregarded that theory.

Most of all what I felt it missed was a clear opportunity to make the characters gay. A sapphic murder mystery recency book with these two gritty women would have really made this story sing, if romance was focused on more.

Either way an easy read and I am sure a fun series to continue.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

[thegildedfantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have surprisingly finished this book. However short it was compared to my other reads, i feared it would drag on forever. And yet, I have mostly words of praise for the author and her accomplishments.

Firstly, I must mention the bits I found extremely annoying. Let me tell you, when I figured out there would be no romance between our spinsters, half of my excitement went down the drain. I don't have anything against a well written friendship, but the context was way too tempting for them to not have fallen for each other. Also, the genuine murder investigation took place only in the last third of the book and that was so rushed I barely understood anything(well, i did understand, but everything moved too fast). The other two were simply spent building characters and scenery, having two inexperienced girls playing at detectives while finding no useful clues.

Secondly, there were parts I really loved. For instance the author's ability to create such uniquely characters all set in the same world, in the same house no less, without making things too crowded. Each insight into whatever character was present was dealt with such ease that left me curious for more every time. Another aspect that I found pleasant was the depiction of the world and the regency era. It was as if I was transported in those times, going on walks throughout the frozen grounds of Derbyshire. The author truly has a knack for world building and creating a mesmerising scenery to simply fall in love with.

Judith definitely deserves her own paragraph because she was splendid. I particularly loved the close analysis of her grief and ingeniousity regarding the murders and her interactions with Louise-Margaretta. This book is worth reading if only for her perspective and nothing else.

Overall, this book was a pleasant journey in which the good and the bad parts mixed together to form a compelling murder mystery and a particularly nice character analysis.

Many thanks to Netgalley for offering this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

[Zankhana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: This ebook was an ARC from BookSirens for an honest and unpaid advance review. This book will be published on 1st Sep 2024.
A historical fiction with a murder mystery - that's the best combination for slow evenings/weekends. The prose was beautiful and unlike other murder mystery books where you want to skip over unimportant details, I did not want to skip any here. The story moves at an unhurried pace, this worked best for me to read after working hours.

The 1st main character of the story is Miss Judith St Clair, the daughter of a rector. Her father has accepted a new position as the rector of a parish in Derbyshire just before Christmas. Judith's mother passed away a year before this move so she isn't happy with moving from their old home to some countryside. Her father’s patrons are the Haddingtons, a family recently settled at Wycliff Castle. The second MC is the daughter of the Haddington family Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington. She is like a prisoner brought here in her own home because her family moved here to prevent her from marrying the person she was in love with. Both the women meet at the party organised by Mrs. Haddington when they both take refuge in the library to avoid dancing with gentlemen at the ball. Little did they know that they would be accidental witnesses to a murder. Although both these women do not get along very well, they know they will need each other’s help to find the killer and save themselves and their families.

The story was constructed wonderfully and there was no dearth of suspects. The twist at the end did surprise me, and so did other revelations about the secrets of the family when the story moved forward. The partnership of Louisa and Judith was a portrayal of every female friendship that lasts for a lifetime. Because each woman is the opposite of the other and that's what makes their conversations interesting and makes the friendship meaningful and complete. The much more reserved Judith is sharp and the passionate and quick-tempered Lousia is brave and this collaboration makes the story engaging.

[Ariana Ochoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two Spinsters and a Corpse is a cozy historical mystery novel based in the Regency-era. Judith St. Clair is a pious daughter of a rector that has just moved to Derbyshire along with her father and siblings a year after their mother's death and right before Christmas. Judith, along with her father and sister, is invited to the Haddington Christmas ball at Wycliff Castle where the wealthy Haddington's reside.

As an act of rebellion, Lousia-Margaretta Haddington (daughter of the wealthy hosts) has hidden herself in the family library during the Christmas ball to avoid having to dance with gentlemen at the ball. It is there that she meets her foil character (Judith St. Clair) and witnesses a murder.

The two young women, deemed spinsters at the time, loathe each other but join forces to solve the case.

This book is an entertaining read for historical mystery lovers. There was a Jane Austenesque feel to the writing, which I did love. I also enjoyed the different personalities of the two main protagonists, Judith and Louisa-Margaretta, which seemed to propel the plot at times. Judith is intelligent and reserved, whereas Louisa-Margaretta has a fiery personality. Placing the story in the English countryside of Derbyshire against a wintery backdrop really set the mood for this murder mystery and made me realize how much I appreciate these types of novels that seem to amp up the arrival of the Fall/Winter seasons. Regency-era novels alone are always so exciting, especially when you sprinkle in a bit of mystery.

If you are a fan of The Ill-Mannered Ladies series, Veronica Speedwell books, Lilly Adler Mysteries, or Jane Austen mysteries, you will love this new series. Special thanks to BookSirens and the publisher for the ARC. This review is voluntary. All thoughts are my own.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judith and Louisa-Margaretta are as unalike as it is possible to be and neither thinks much of the other. Louisa-Margaretta is absolutely NOT a demure young Miss - more headstrong, self-centred and outspoken. The darling of her very rich parents she has been indulged forever. She has flirted her way through the Season, turning down all offers of marriage, until she fell in love with an inappropriate young man. Panicked, her parents promptly bought a dour mansion in the middle of nowhere, to sequester her until she agrees to marry their choice.

Judith is the intelligent and dutiful daughter of a vicar. She is deeply dismayed when they leave their parish and move to serve the parish of Louisa-Margaretta's family. Of course, there is an assumption that the young women will be companions for each other in spite of their mutual antipathy, so Judith finds herself frequently in Louisa-Margaretta's home.

Both young women find themselves taking refuge in the library at a ball and have to hide when they find themselves unwilling listeners to an illicit encounter. It is only later that they realise that they have heard a poisoning murder. Naturally, no one listens to them. Annoyance turns to horror when there is an accident during a shooting meet. Both are sure that this is an attempted murder and their minds turn to working out who could be the murderer, putting them both in danger.

I enjoyed this book but really thought that the author did not do as much as she could have with the potential for sparks between the young women. I'll look forward to reading the second in the series though, to see where she takes this.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 stars. Recommended

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a mystery set in the Regency period in Britain. This isn't a puzzle mystery. The heroines didn't work together, just investigated on their own and then told the other why their guess was wrong. They initially simply chose the person they least liked from the possible suspects. In the last quarter of the book, they did find clues but the author refused to give the reader even a hint of what they were until the big reveal. Neither heroine was skilled at thinking on their feet or logically thinking things through.

The heroines weren't likable as both were very self-centered and determined to dislike everyone. They had to justify meeting together and so called each other 'friend' enough that both eventually decided that the other was maybe tolerable. Neither was really a spinster, either. Louisa-Margaretta intended to elope with a Jewish man that her parents refused to allow her to marry, but she hadn't had an opportunity to run away yet. Judith showed no marked interest in any of the potential suitors at the Christmas house party, yet at the end, we're told she's interested in one of the men.

The historical details were generally okay, though some things made little sense (though I can't explain without spoilers). There was no sex or modern bad language. As I prefer mysteries where I can guess whodunit and which have likable heroines, this series clearly isn't a good match for me.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am an ARC reader and this is my honest opinion. I wavered between giving this book 3 stars or 4. In the end I decided to be generous, mostly because of the depictions of the characters of the women - the men not so much. The period was also depicted quite well. Fans of the Bridgerton TV series will recognise the traditional elements of ritual in historical Britain - the rich Miss Harrington and poorer Miss St.Clair have both been "Out" in society - presented at court and expected to attend balls and other events in an attempt to find a suitable husband. Miss St.Claire's situation - daughter of the Rector of the parish who have only recently lost wife and mother makes this almost impossible for her but she's really not interested anyway. Miss Haddington fell in love with a Jewish man - so scandalous at the time that her family moved to Derbyshire to remove her from temptation and try to interest her in marrying one of her 3 eligible cousins - a perfectly acceptable practice in Britain at that time. The two spinsters don't exactly see a corps and don't actually hate each other for long. They very soon realise they need to join forces to solve the murder that no one else in the family seen to accept that it was, in fact, a murder. I found a large swath of the book tedious and struggled to carry on reading it. When I finally got to the end it was kind logical but the desperate act of the villain to get away, I found quite silly, frankly. The story was left with the possibility of continuing in another book but I don't think I'll be bothering to read more.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover and the title drew me into choosing this book. I love the time period and female protagonists solving murders. There were definitely a few smaller “mysteries” that were initially intriguing, like was Louise-Margaretta Haddington actually being kept captive because of an affair and was she hiding a condition that was the product of it? That being said, as I read on I found the character to be mostly unlikeable and then didn’t care as much about what happened to her. While I found Judith St. Clair to be more likable, I couldn’t follow why she would want to befriend Louise-Margaretta. Their friendship felt rushed and unlikely and I almost felt like I had missed a section where they got to know each other better. I felt similarly about the scene where they overhear the murderer’s interactions with the victim. It felt that several scenes that held the most drama were written in such a vague and rushed way that I wasn’t sure what had happened. I think the idea of the plot was good but the style of writing made it difficult to follow and the characters written in a way that it was hard to like them. Some more time spent on character and relationship development would have helped, especially with more books to follow in the series.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Anna Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a phenomenal modern classic! This book had me hooked from the beginning, and narrated the tale with such flair for the social scene back then. It was positioned, presented, and read a true classic (and demanded that exacting grammar too!)

Louisa-Margaretta and Judith didn't seem like they'd become as close as they did, and the entire story of how was riveting. The differences in their social standing, and yet, their closeness and varied worldviews, perhaps because of those differences were beautifully portrayed. From the powerful riding, musical prowess, to sharp wit and accounting skills, these two are icons!

The book left no clues for the reader to guess the culprit, even up to the very last moment! The suspense was constant, and I could not help but finish the savoury read to a grand "aaahhhh" moment! That is not to say the book only presents mystery, there is romance, banter, heartbreaking love, and action that will have hearts racing!

The families of both our ladies definitely present someone relatable for everyone too, and their dynamics and dialogues were written so well! Thank you so much Eve Tarrington for the ARC! I'm excited and thrilled for this release, that's sure to be a classical treat!

[Helen McBay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two Spinsters and a Corpse by Eve Tarrington.

Two young women meet each other while trying to avoid dancing at a ball and find themselves overhearing events, which result in a murder. They join forces to piece all the clues together and unmask the killer.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as I like historical crime novels, but it was a very slow burner.

To begin with, I had to keep going back and checking previous pages as I kept getting confused about which character was which and what their relationship to the other characters was.

I did eventually get into the book and started enjoying it, but the end was a bit rushed, and I’m still thinking who the visitor at the end is.

I would have liked a more detailed account regarding Louisa-Margaretta’s time in London as it was dealt with in a couple of sentences but not really dealt with at the same time.

All in all, it is a fairly enjoyable read, but more character back stories are needed. I would read another of the series now that I'm up to speed with the characters.

For fans of cosy crime or historical crime novels.

Thank you to Net Galley and Eve Tarrington for my opportunity to read the book.

#TwoSpinstersandaCorpse #NetGalley

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

I liked and disliked this book. In the beginning of the book, it focuses on the characters and the setting, which is very well done. I enjoyed the characters and their stories. But it felt like the actual murder/mystery got lost in that. The mystery part itself was good, I just wish it wasn't so short compared to how slow the beginning of the book was.
I didn't really like either of the spinsters. She very much fit a woman of her time, always nosy and jumping to conclusions. She just wanted the tea honestly. But she had a judgemental side and very much disliked the rich. At first, I thought there would be a romance between the two, a sort of rivals to lovers but it didn't happen.
The two characters working together was interesting. Judith has a dislike for the rich and spoiled and Louise just wants to run away from her family and marry her lover. They barely tolerated each other since they lived very different lifestyles.
Overall, I didn't like it very much because it was a very slow start, and the mystery didn't seem to be the focus of the story.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the digital Arc!
Two Spinsters and a Corpse is a cozy historical Mystery story about two young unmarried ladies in Regency-era England, Judith and Louisa-Margaretta, who are brought together on a cold night when a murder is committed in Louisa's home. Together, they set out to find the killer and save themselves and their family before another crime is committed.

What I liked:
The writing was very well done. I loved the witty turn of phrases and giggled a couple of times! It reminded me of Jane Austen, without being tacky or over the top. The story was fast-paced and easy to follow. I enjoyed myself overall.

What I disliked:
Although it was a mystery, the story wasn't very thrilling or entertaining. The "plot twists" were written in a way that made them underwhelming, which made the story quite dull. I thought it was a great idea, and while I hadn't guessed who the murderer was, I was a little disappointed at the way the story ended. It resolved way too quickly. I understand it was historical fiction, but it could still have been exciting. I think I would have loved it more if it had been a sapphic romance. Missed opportunity in my opinion!

[Brianne C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two spinsters, Judith(the rector's daughter) and Louisa-Margaretta(the nobleman's daughter) happen upon each other in the library, when escaping the Christmas ball. They then sneak out when Louisa-Margaretta's aunt arrives. When the aunt is found dead, they realize they were unwitting witnesses to the crime and decide to find the killer, before the killer get s to them.

I really wanted to like this book, but I had a hard time reading it. It gave a lot of background on the characters, with very little given in the way of plot. While I understand this background will likely set up future books in the series, I found it tedious. The characters also did little to investigate the murder in the first half of the book. There was only one small instance in the beginning where each heard a random rumor, then made a decision on who the murder was based on it. I felt like thing could have moved faster if they actually tried to investigate. I hope the rest of the series is more focused on the actual mystery elements.

Thank you to BookSirens, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ruth Coulson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The two spinsters are not elderly as modern readers may think, but are young women in their mid-twenties who have not been married by the age expected in their society in the Regency era. Indeed One of them does not wish to marry and the other only wants to marry the young man ruled as unsuitable by her family. Judith is the quiet daughter of the local parson, who wants to keep to herself. Louisa-Margaretta is the quarrelsome and acerbic daughter of a much richer family.

They cannot be considered as friends. Indeed they are thrown together by the fact that they were both reluctant attendees at a ball, and were "hiding" in the room where a body is found. It is in their interests to find the culprit, to ensure their own safety and so that no blame attaches to them. In order to do this, they pretend to a friendship that almost, but not quite, comes about.

But there is plenty of time. This is just the first of a series with these characters.

It is a light read and suits anyone who enjoys Regency and also mystery stories.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This Regency mystery is the first of a series and is set in Derbyshire. Two spinsters, Judith St Clair and Louisa-Margaretta Haddington find themselves mixed up in a murder.

I enjoyed the book but felt it took longer to get into it than I would have liked. The characters went from hating each other for personal assumptions to being quite good friends and it felt sudden and unnatural. It was a bit awkward how Louisa-Margaretta was pining the entire book for the true love she left behind, and was horribly critical and condescending about her whole family. Then suddenly at the end of the book she was contemplating marriage, and working to be a matchmaker to Judith with people she spent the entire novel despising. It felt out of character and I could not figure out what prompted her change in feelings/personality. There was no closure between her past true love and moving beyond that to being open to marriage to someone else.