Frauds On Favourite

Teddy Quillfeather Mysteries #2

by P.J. Fitzsimmons

Large-living, lark-loving, golden-age flapper Teddy Quillfeather is off to the races in her second caper, a multi-layered multiplier mystery of dark horses and dodgy courses, pawky jockeys, unstable stables, impossible odds, crooked bookies, and a track-wide conspiracy to deny the punter an even chance. That’s more than enough to invite a counter-con from Teddy, but when the family paddock is implicated in race-fixing, she does what she does best when the odds go against her — she raises the stakes.

Like all of Teddy’s titles, Frauds On Favourite is a clean and clever cozy in the canon of Quillfeather and Boisjoly, and will appeal most to those who like a little comedy in their crime.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy, Humor

190 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2025

About the author

I’m a freelance ghost for mainstream genres but when I’m my own man I write strictly for the laughs. I dream of an alternative reality in which PG Wodehouse wrote locked room mysteries, and in which I’m PG Wodehouse.

Reviews

[Athena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining mystery from my favorite living mystery author. Teddy saves the day yet again amidst a blur of horses, misrepresentations, and wardrobe changes for all and sundry.

Thank you to BookSirens for my e-ARC.

[Kym · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teddy Quillfeather is back in another lighthearted caper in which she must investigate just about everyone involved in Middleditch horse racing in an effort to protect her uncle's stable from being banned. Some questionable betting and results in recent races led to questions about race fixing and possible conspiracies. Teddy and her friend Stilts see that there are some very dodgy and unlikely odds and outcomes, and Uncle Markham's explanation for his horse's sudden improvement on the track is completely unbelievable to everyone but himself.

Teddy is brilliantly observant and practical, but her bright wit and unserious demeanor allows her to question suspects, make everyone her ally, glean information, and cleverly resolve situations. In short, she is a truly unflappable flapper. The characters are all delightfully ridiculous and even the 'villains' have a sense of fair play and good humour. Even the young racehorse Spoons is a point of view character in some sections. Both narrative and dialogue are fast-paced and full of wit, puns, clever alliterations, and comedic turns of phrase. Descriptions of characters and actions made me feel like I was watching a hilarious but sophisticated cartoon.

With stable owners, bookmakers, jockeys, tea ladies, touts, leg men, the vicar, the butler, and others involved in the story, the narrative was a challenge to keep track of in some places, especially when there was a lot of racing or betting lingo, but the story fit together for me. There were several mysteries or conspiracies to be unraveled ― whether the races are being fixed in the first place, who is giving the incredible betting tips, who the potential swindlers or conspirators were, and how it benefitted those involved ― but the solutions were surprisingly simple when all was revealed. Another clever cozy that I truly enjoyed.

**I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Karen (BaronessBookTrove) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Frauds On Favourite by PJ Fitzsimmons has Teddy investigating at a horse race.

Will Teddy unravel all these mysteries? Are they all connected? Do they have one thing in common?

Teddy Quillfeather
Teddy Quillfeather is back for another mystery. She and her fiancé, Tilden 'Stilts' Stollery, are going to her uncle's house to watch some horse races. The problem is that right away, Teddy gets a whiff of a mystery, and she has to solve it. I love Teddy so much. She's such a hoot and always seems to make me laugh. It's always fun to return to Teddy's world and help her solve a mystery.

The Mysteries
Teddy's uncle is getting pushback from a so-called friend about how one horse lost five races in a row, but all of a sudden wins one race. As Teddy is solving this mystery, she gets caught up in two more mysteries that involve betting at a horse race. Teddy has her work cut out for her as she tries to solve all of these cases. I can't believe how Teddy was able to solve all of these cases and how some of them were practically interconnected. Mr. Fitzsimmons did excellent work on this one.

Five Stars
My rating for Frauds On Favourite by PJ Fitzsimmons is five stars. I like how Mr. Fitzsimmons is focusing on cases that don't involve death for Teddy's mysteries. It seems like always solving a mystery about murder would be hard on the sleuth. It's nice and refreshing. Teddy Quillfeather is one of my favorite characters in this series, and the other one is her Aunt Azalea Boisjoly. Azalea Boisjoly is amazing. I love how she doesn't like strangers and is always dressing up in ways to distract people from talking to her. All of the characters in these mysteries are so full of life. I greatly recommend you give this series and his Anty Boisjoly Mysteries a try.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Frauds On Favourite by PJ Fitzsimmons.

Until the next time,



Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Lawrence FitzGerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good prose, good characterization, good world building, very good story, very good humor. Thus 5 stars.

I enjoy a good cozy and Frauds on Favorite is perhaps the best cozy ever written.

There are many "cozies" where the crime is murder (which, to spare our sensibilities, is kept off page). But often finding the victim in a pool of blood, missing a head, face half submerged in a shallow stream, or other such circumstances is ghastly. And the villain is evil, not merely on the grift. Thus Fitzsimmons excludes murder from his cozies. But there is plenty of grift, coincidence, and innocent bumbling to go around.

Our amature sleuth is one Theodora "Teddy" Quillfeather known for the innocent but elaborate "larks" of her youth (including policeman's helmets and penguins). She has a reputation for getting to the bottom of things and is serially called upon to do so. She has a taste for cocktails, a facility with wordplay, and a rather keen mind.

The secondary characters range from the common to the elaborately eccentric. The bookie Jimmy "James Fairleigh" Fairly, inseparable from the most aristocratic snob; The bookie Oy Roy who goes beyond Cockney rhyming slang all the way to Mockney; Aunt Azalea with her eccentric methods for avoiding conversation with anyone; Tilden "Stilts" Stoller (sp?), one of Teddy's helpers and sidekicks; I could go on and on but I won't. They're all fun.

This entry is set in the racing world and Fitzsimmons gives a masterclass in bookies, punters, owners and the entire horse racing culture. (I confess, I learned a bit.)

A good cozy is seasoned with a dash of humor. PJ Fitzsimmons marinates his cozies in humor. He explores dimensions of humor even beyond PG Wodehouse and that's saying something.

The plot is beyond elaborate and challenges even Agatha Christie the doyen of elaborate plots. It involves several independent moving parts, coincidence and couple dollops of minor grift. There's a bit of a twist at the end that has almost completely eluded me. I look forward to rereading.

This is the second entry in the Quillfeather series. Jump right in and read this one, you can read the first entry at your leisure (it was pretty good as well).

[Daryl P Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teddy triumphs in soggy Shropshire scam.

After an eventful and related opening in London, we learn why Teddy literally lays low in a soggy part of Shropshire. There are tracks and there are beatings, but this clever author avoids the cliche.

More wryness than the outright guffaws Teddy's cousin Anty might provoke, but clever and intricate plotting mixed with passively aggressive grand dames, colourful characters (both literal and figurative) and besotted ally all make for a very satisfying and entertaining mix. Use of Cockney rhyming slang (with abundant translations) adds to the quirky humour.

The author sets several hurdles for Teddy to overcome - even though we are all about flat racing in this tale. Giving the account from a horse's point of view at times was sheer genius as well as amusing. I hadn't worked out the ending as intricately plotted, but the riders and runners came out well and justice was seen to be done. Looking forward to hearing more about our flapper girl who is the cucumber in the gin.

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

[Lisa Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like cozy mysteries set in the Golden Age of Detective fiction, then the Teddy Quillfeather books should be at the top of your TBR list!

Note - there are no murders in this book, just a series of intriguing mysteries set in the world of horse racing. Accordingly, a colourful cast of characters including bookies, owners, jockeys and punters are sprinkled throughout the story as Teddy tries to discover exactly what's going on in her beloved uncle's racing stables. Why her uncle's horse, Spoons, loves having a chicken on his head is just one of the puzzles on offer.

Assisted by the ever-faithful Stilts, who remains bemused as to why Teddy keeps gently turning down his marriage proposals, Teddy skilfully, charmingly and humorously unravels the many mysteries that she's presented with.

Delightful characters, witty dialogue and excellent mysteries will keep you entertained. Highly recommended.

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

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

P.J. Fitzsimmons has done it again; created a story that is both compelling and witty. As I've said before, he must wear out 2 or 3 thesauri a year. He can come up with more rhyming words than anyone I know. Plus, it never seems to interfere with the stelling of his story. It all flows along so well. I very much enjoy Mr. Fitzsimmons' take on the British aristocracy of the 1920s. I don't know if they were as snooty and "high-flaunting" as he presented them. but I love it. He always makes me laugh. In the midst of all of this, Mr. Fitzsimmons manages to weave a very creative mystery, one that only Teddy seems able to solve and she always comes through.
I received a review copy from the author via BookSirens and this review reflects my honest and voluntary opinion. I highly recommend this series for those who enjoy mysteries, British society, witty barbs, and more rhymes than one can shake a stick at.

[Jacqueline]

I am an ARC reader and this is my honest opinion. This book is the second in the Teddy Quilleather mysteries - or rather 1920s romps. The author has also written a long series of similarly Wodehouse style mystery, crime busting farces staring Anty Boisjoly (pronounced like the French wine), who is Teddy Quillfeather's cousin. This book, like all the others, is light hearted and fun but apart from navigating various Lords and Ladies with improbable names, the plot is so convoluted and complicated that until Teddy's clever denouement I had no clue who did what and when. The author is to be congratulated on his research into the world's of horse racing, bookmakers language and cockney rhyming slang. The book is deceptively clever and full of moments to make the reader smile.

[MsBitsyB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once attended a Kentucky Derby themed event & it was so fun, especially the lady’s hats! As this fun novel begins (an ARC copy was received for an honest review) it reminds me of some lyrics to an old Sawyer Brown song “The Race is On” just an absolute classic!

Frauds on Favorites is a fun, and new kind of mystery that grabs your attention from the opening of the gates! The writer uses fantastic storytelling abilities to picture events taking place, along with all the surroundings. And who could alter a horse race? Mystery abounds in this fun book, Frauds on Favorites a Teddy Quillfeather Mystery, by new to me author PJ Fitzsimmons. I’ll be searching out more of their stories! Don’t miss this second book in the series. It’s fabulous!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the Teddy Quillfeather series was fun, though I have to admit it dragged a bit for me in the middle. But the fast and furious ending made up for that. How does she piece all those dangling clues together so well?! Lots of word play and droll British humor, as well as caricatured characters kept me turning “just one more page.” And the last page is a delightful stroke of justice! A perfect ending to this cozy mystery. I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to post a review.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frauds on Favorite is Book 2 in A Teddy Quillfather Mystery by P J Fitzsimmons. I love this series and the heroin, Teddy. Set in the early 1900s, Teddy is a thoroughly modern flapper with a nose for setting things right. She is setting her sights on crooked bookies and fixed races. I feel that the author writes excellent mysteries with an excellent story. You can jump into a world of champagne and see if you can solve the mystery before Teddy. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fraud is rampant in this comedy of errors. Hold your bingo cards, because it's difficult to tell who the real winner is and, who the fake/fraud is. This odd ball group of off the wall characters are an interesting group that you never know what to expect from them, and they keep you guessing what's next. Spies, blackmail,, and trickery involved laced with liberal amounts of gin. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest opinion.

[Geraldine Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a laugh out loud caricature of the English upper classes and their foibles in the Golden age of the 20s and 30s.

Teddy Quilfeather is hilarious and a match for anyone, including a scheming mother who wishes to see her wed, London police constablesand conniving aristocrats to name but a few.

As a delightful extra, I learned a lot about the noble sport of horse racing.

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

[Shrikanth Venne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frauds on Favorite is the 2nd book of Teddy Quillfeather. Teddy find out that her Uncle's stable that is Lord Markhram's stable is going to be warned off for life due to some ongoing fraud in the races. Teddy believes that her uncle is innocent and how Teddy quiets this rumours is the book about. Once again an author has done an interesting research on the race that happens around 1920s. Overall this good is quite interesting and very good Goodreads....🙂

[Mary Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this but I found it a bit too complex overall. The backdrop of the whole horse racing scene was great and is something I generally enjoy. It just felt like there was too much going on and I found myself quite confused for a lot of it.

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

[Deborah Ortega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teddy is at the race track her Uncle owns and he is being accused of betting on his horse which just won a major race. The bookies are upset that a little gray haired lady and a short bearded fellow are giving tips on winning horses and payouts have been heavy. This was a fun story and I recommend it.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i don't know how P.J. Fitzsimmons keeps writing such brilliant books, he is a master storyteller.
each is different, so many authors just revisit one book several times in different venues. oh no, not him. each is a different treasure. thank you so much for your books, long may you write.

[Teddi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I still like the characters and the base stories there way too much going on here. Plus, unless you really like British horse racing, it's all too much focused on that subject and the in and outs of betting, types of races, etc. The wrap up was confusing as well.

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just spectacular! Teddy sure can give Anty a run for his money in mysteries and hijinks! Thoroughly enjoyed this read, it was laugh out loud funny and I can’t wait for more! Will happily re-read as an audiobook if they’re ever released too!

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love Fitz style, you will love Teddy!!

The frolic and flippancy mix so well with rational resignation. PJ writes with yarn spinning fashion. The stories are so much fun and oddly, exhausting!!

[Sharla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun!

[Ali Kate Horsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the strongest of the series - was a bit hard to follow

[Diana Holdridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally adore P.J. Fitzsimmons and Teddy is a wonderful character but this one had FAR too much racing jargon to be enjoyable for me. Still a great writing style but just too confusing!

[Anam Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm only a chapter in, but I'm just not loving this book. Sad because I've always loved the author's writing....


Update. I have read half of this book. While I have loved everything else the author has written, I simply could not get into this one. All theater books I had a hard time putting don. This one I almost groaned when I knew I needed to pick it up to read. Maybe it's because I know so little about horse racing. Maybe the dialog was to strange (there was a translation for almost everything one character said). I don't know, but I just couldn't do it.

This book will officially be a DNF.

[Elaine LaBonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unique farce is about horse racing and fraud. Theodora 'Teddy' Quillfeather: The protagonist is a clever and resourceful woman who navigates the complexities of horse racing and betting scams to uncover the truth and protect her family's interests.. Teddy's aunt, Lady Llewella 'Lulu' Quillfeather, is deeply attached to her winning horse, Spoons, who refuses to race properly without his favorite chicken on his head. Teddy's love interest, Stilts, is tall and often finds himself in humorous situations due to his height. The setting is a world of country houses, clubs, and wealthy social circles, with a colorful cast of characters including bookies, owners, jockeys, and punters. The intrigue is often played for laughs, with unexpected turns that are not overly serious.

It took me a few pages to get the flow of the author's style. My progress had slowed painfully, even as my interest and enjoyment grew. There are many characters, topics, snorts, and outright laughs. I loved it overall and will read more books by PJ Fitzsimmons. This unique comedy explores the topic of cheating in horse races. Theodora "Teddy" Quillfeather, the main character, is a clever and resourceful woman who uncovers the truth and safeguards her family's interests in the intricate realm of horse racing and betting scams. Lulu Quillfeather, Teddy's aunt, is close to her winning horse, Spoons. He won't race properly without his favorite chicken on his head. The mystery is often played for laughs, with turns that come out of nowhere and aren't too serious.
Stilts is Teddy's love interest. He is tall, which gets him into many funny situations. I received an advanced review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. The story occurs in a world of country homes, clubs, and wealthy social groups. The characters are quirky, including bookies, horse owners, jockeys, and punters. The mystery is often played for laughs, with turns that come out of nowhere.