The Delicate Pursuit of Blood

The Ladies Society for Murder #1

by Blythe Baker

When Augusta Lockwood and her friends form a society to investigate crime, they don’t have long to wait before a murder falls into their laps. A disappearing gardener and the discovery of a gruesome crime scene launch a series of mysterious events that soon engulf even the bravest of the amateur detectives in danger.

Meanwhile, in the wake of an attempted burglary, Augusta takes a new lodger into her home. But the presence of the enigmatic Mr. Julian Hawksworth quickly proves to be anything but reassuring. Worse, with the recent death of her physician father, Augusta has old family secrets to unravel, a tangled thread that could lead her to truths she is unprepared for.

With so many mysteries surrounding them, will Augusta and her society friends survive long enough to shine a light on the shadowy threats closing in?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Amazon, Historical Mystery

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

Blythe Baker is a thirty-something bottle redhead from the South Central part of the country. When she’s not slinging words and creating new worlds and characters, she’s acting as chauffeur to her children and head groomer to her household of beloved pets.

Blythe enjoys long walks with her dog on sweaty days, grubbing in her flower garden, cooking, and ruthlessly de-cluttering her overcrowded home. She also likes binge-watching mystery shows on TV and burying herself in books about murder.

Reviews

[Janet Mahlum · Rating 1 out of 5]

I downgraded this from a 3 to a 1 in the hopes of warning potential readers. This book ends with the discovery of a skeletal hand beneath a floorboard a
in the doctor's study. If you want to know more, you have to read the next book. In the first place I deplore that trick by the author to try and make more money. I NEVER obtain a second book under such a shoddy ploy. In the second place, the writing was of such poor quality that before I knew of the "to be continued," I had already determined I wasn't interested in reading any more in this series. Too many books, too little time.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn’t connect

I wanted to like this. When I read the description it sounded right up my alley. I liked the idea of the women coming together and trying to solve problems sort of like the Women’s Murder Club but Victorian style. I just found this very difficult to get into. I also found it very strange that she would rent half her house out to a single man when she was an unmarried woman. That seems to go against the norm of the time. Very contradictory behavior. The mystery is ok but it just wasn’t enough to make me get past the lack of connection to the characters.

[Namrata Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review (★★★☆☆ / 3 out of 5)
I recently finished The Delicate Pursuit of Blood (the first book in the Ladies Society for Murder series) and I found it to be a quick, light read—enjoyable enough, but not quite up to the standard of some of Baker’s other works.

What worked:
I liked the setup — a group of ladies coming together to solve mysteries in a historical setting has that cozy, slightly old-fashioned charm that Baker does well. The story moved quickly, so it never felt like a slog, and I appreciated that it didn’t drag things out unnecessarily. It had a few nice atmospheric touches and the ending tied things together in a way that made me curious about what happens next.

What fell a bit short:
Honestly, I didn’t feel a strong connection with the characters. They were serviceable but didn’t leap off the page. I’d hoped for more depth, given the interesting setup.

The mystery itself didn’t surprise me often—it delivered what one expects from a cozy historical sleuth, but without major “wow” moments.

Because this is Book 1 of the series, some of the story naturally felt like set-up rather than a fully satisfying standalone. That’s okay if you’re reading the series, but if you expected a self-contained game-changer, it might feel a little light.

Final thoughts
If you’re a fan of historical cozy mysteries and Baker’s style, this is a pleasant addition to your reading list. It may not reach the heights of her strongest work, but it delivers an easy read and sets things up nicely for later books. I’ll be continuing with Book 2 to see whether the series builds into something more compelling. If I had to pick a rating: three stars out of five.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this was the first story of a series, I expected world building to tell us what was going on and to make a foundation for the entire series arc. This is quite often the tedious part of story building and this one was no exception. What the reader will find is a group of ladies who had been swindled by a scoundrel who used their need for security and romance to bilk them of any money they had available. Somehow these ladies managed to find each other through the same type of ads the swindler used to reach them. The ladies banded together a year ago and found the evidence to put both the man and his wife in prison. This story was started a year later and the ladies are getting restless till one of them found a pair of bloody garden shears and was convinced her gardener had been murdered. Most of the ladies scoffed at the idea, but the main character and the leader of the group, Violet decided to look into the matter. I can relate to these women because despite the fact I have read hundreds of murder mysteries, I would have absolutely NO clue how to even start, let alone find the missing man or his supposed murderer. I definitely recommend this story and look forward to the next one in the series.

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating amateur sleuth story

Blythe Baker gives some marvelous amateur historical sleuths in this first book in her The Ladies Society for Murder series, but beware because it ends on a cliffhanger. Luckily the next book is due out soon.
A number of ladies have started this society, but the book is mostly focused around Augusta Lockwood and the numerous mysteries large and small that have been swirling around her and her friends.
This is an easy fun read which takes us through different types of society at this time and points out a few of the inequalities between the classes without ever giving us a lecture. Baker has wisely written Augusta as a doctors daughter so she has a lot more knowledge of “real” life than many of the other women and yet is still of a social status to be part of group. I can’t wait for more shenanigans!

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story

This book had a different premise from most other cozy mysteries I've read. The settings for each event seemed very realistic. The characters are dimensional. The author has known and described things so vividly, I felt as though I was right there too. The only complaint is this; the cliffhanger ending. Yes, this would cause a reader to eagerly start the next book. However, that isn't always possible. It is a letdown to see that the mystery would be solved in part two, which I don't have. I will be reading the second book eventually. It's just a disappointment.

[J Shu · Rating 2 out of 5]

1/26. Augusta Lockwood is left with her house and maid after her physician dad's death. One night she finds an intruder in her dad's study. Very upsetting. She and a group of women are in a club looking to solve mysteries. One member thinks something horrible has happened to her gardener. Augusta and another club member, Violet, investigate. Will they find the gardener? What about the vouched-for boarder that Augusta takes on? Quick read - OK mystery - attitudes of women of privilege somewhat offputting to me given the current awareness of economic inequity. Have to consider the time and place of the story, I guess.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start to a new series, set in the days when a woman's main role in life appears to be to marry, bear children and keep house, which is what has lead these ladies to form this society. I am delighted to read about these ladies who are prepared to stand up against the norm and help others who have been put at a disadvantage, or been taken for a ride. An enjoyable read, but this book does end on a cliffhanger, so hopefully book 2 will be along shortly

[Heatherinblack · Rating 1 out of 5]

it wasn’t even clever (and the first letter of the review doesn’t automatically come up capitalized)

The idea of women working together to right, wrongs, is a great premise. But the story ended up being so shallow. As if the entire first book was figuring out who the characters were as the author wasn’t sure. The solving of the mystery was anti-climactic. I’ll stop here in the series (even if it is free to read).

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. I enjoyed the characters and I liked the story line. Augusta and her friends are a bright bunch. They make the story exciting.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent start to a series, but somehow just missed the spot. Part of that may be because norms of the day were being stretched quite a bit. The mystery was good and the last chapter does set the stage for book 2. Overall a series I think I will pursue.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters are all insufferable...

[Carol Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong women represented

I liked it because it was about women and them working together to solve a mystery/murder. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars Easy reading. Not terribly believable, but kind of a historical cozy mystery.

[Debra Jo Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow and light for a start but deep characters and a descriptive setting is worth continuing.

I’ve enjoyed other series by the author so I am sure I will enjoy this one too.

[Shalini M · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery the MC was working on was quite trivial. I continued this series for the mystery that she herself was embroiled in.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful read. Short and interesting.

[Carol Wienrank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un finished

This is not a complete book. You have too have a second book to come near having the full story.