A Lady's Guide to Sleuthing

by Mary Merton

Brighton, 1883. Two bodies. One spaniel. And a formidable lady who is determined to uncover the truth….

When the beloved Reverend Playfair is found stabbed in his study, along with his housekeeper, the polite residents of Brighton do what they do pretend that nothing is wrong and return to their tea.

But not Miss Lavinia Rathbone.

She may be a lady of leisure, but the razor-sharp spinster has no patience for sloppy conclusions, or for Inspector Chubb, who seems more interested in pork pies than motive.

With her loyal companion Miss Rose Vale, Lavinia sets out to discover what really took place.

Before long, she's uncovering secrets the good people of Brighton would rather stay buried. As the unlikely sleuths are drawn into the town’s murky underbelly, they find themselves on the trail of a killer who may be much closer than they realise…

For fans of Richard Osman, Agatha Christie, and classic mysteries with wit, warmth, and a twist of Victorian scandal.

Genres: Mystery

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2025

Reviews

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I think this is a good book why would I give it one star? This book was an interesting historical mystery and the descriptions were a delight to read but I have a problem. I honestly have no idea who actually wrote this book. I wish I could tell you about Mary Merton and her wicked way with words but there is nothing in her biography anywhere, not Amazon, Goodreads or even the publisher, Black Swan Digital . A publisher that just started out and published 25 books last month. I have a hard time believing that they found this many books this quickly.
I don’t like the idea of people using AI to write books because I know a lot of writers and this type of thing takes money from them and I worry that they will give up writing and we will be left with no human written books leading to a lack of creativity. Let’s be clear. I enjoyed this book and I am not saying that it was written with AI. I am saying that as I looked at the author and publishing company I feel like it was written that way and I personally don’t want to support it. If the company can change my mind then I am prepared to change my rating.
If all you want is a good read then go ahead with this book, but if you care about real writers and them continuing to write books then maybe pass.

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

[karen bushnell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave a 2 star rating because I thought the plot was interesting but there seemed something off about the way the story was written. There was an unusual amount of similes and repetition of adjectives. Lost count of how many times the word theatrical was used. Also I’m puzzled why there is absolutely no information about this author. Anywhere it seems. Not a bad plot but the constant attempts at witticism became annoying and I thought detracted from the flow of the story. I won’t be reading any other books from this author.

[Vidar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many similes

In all my voracious reading life I’ve never encountered such overuse of similes; the metaphors were nearly as distracting. Rather than clarifying or enhancing, they interrupted the flow, distracted, and eventually caused me to give up.

[Tiffani Erickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway, and I’m glad I did. Before anything else, I want to point out that the ebook cover art says **“Ladies” instead of “Lady’s,”** which is incorrect and a little distracting. It’s a small detail, but noticeable, and it doesn’t match the actual title inside the book.

As for the story itself, I enjoyed it overall. It’s a light, engaging mystery set in **1883 Brighton**, but at times the writing feels a bit off for the period. Some dialogue and behavior come across as distinctly modern, which occasionally pulls me out of the historical setting. The book wants to be a Victorian mystery, but certain moments feel more like a contemporary cozy with Victorian window dressing.

The main character—a single woman in her 30s who openly enjoys sleuthing—is fun to follow, and her sense of humor adds charm. I liked the funny moments, even if humor isn’t something I naturally associate with 1883 mysteries. That contrast makes the book entertaining but not always historically consistent. Her constant companion is also an interesting dynamic. Close friendships certainly existed, but the level of inseparability depicted here feels unusual for the era. It doesn’t read as romantic, but it does read modern.

Another thing that felt historically off was how openly people shared information with Lavinia. In 1883, a woman wasn’t exactly encouraged to insert herself into investigations—or much of anything outside domestic life. While “seen and not heard” oversimplifies things, it’s true that Victorian women were generally expected to be deferential and private. Yet in this book, people talk to her with a level of ease and honesty that feels far more modern than period-accurate. It works for the story, and I understand why the author chose this direction, but it does make the plot feel more fictionalized than grounded in reality. I don’t think events would unfold this smoothly—or safely—if a woman attempted to sleuth this openly in 1883.

Beyond these individual moments, there’s an overall modern tone woven throughout the book that kept pulling me out of the period. The dialogue often sounds contemporary, and many characters express attitudes that feel more like 2025 than Victorian England. Social norms are treated casually, Lavinia moves through spaces with few restrictions, and she faces almost no pushback for behavior that would have been considered inappropriate or even scandalous at the time. The humor, while genuinely enjoyable, also has a very modern flavor. The result is a charming story, but one that sometimes reads like a present-day cozy mystery dressed in Victorian clothes rather than a fully immersive historical novel.

Despite these issues, the book wasn't too bad. It’s light, witty, and accessible, and the characters are likable, or can be. Readers who want strict historical accuracy might find the inconsistencies distracting, but those who enjoy cozy mysteries with a Victorian aesthetic will likely have fun with it.

[Mary Beth M · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is, in my opinion, worth reading this odd book. In no way is it a typical historical mystery, although it has an historical setting, and a mystery. The author wants to make IMPORTANT STATEMENTS about gender, the repression of women, homosexual love and homosexual exploitation. So she comes out and makes them. There is not any subtlety. There's not much work for the reader. But the author seems quite serious in her intent to instruct before entertaining, and I do not fault her ambitions

What drove me craziest was the author's using the word "like" more than any 1980's Valley Girl would have countenanced. The metaphors and similes were thick on the ground. They were clever - until they became unbearable. Did this book have an editor? Did the editor read it? Did the editor do any editing? Surely, there weren't more similes left on the cutting room floor? The mind boggles.

I see by the icon and title above that the awkward title of the book as I purchased it, "A Ladies Guide to Sleuthing," has been changed to "A Lady's ..." So, what would have been my final observation is moot.

[Christene Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quoted quotation: “Don’t reduce this to neatness, … We owe them more than that.”. I have such mixed feelings about this book. I adored much of the author’s verbal style at first, so many quirky similes. And then, well, So Many Quirky Similes began to feel slightly off. Still, I enjoyed the language and writing. But the story itself also felt slightly off to me. Not so much bad as just a bit disjointed, not quite right. I hoped I would grow into the tale, I hoped I would learn to like the characters better than I did. I finally finished the read but it took some effort and I still feel a bit confused, a bit let down, and a bit unsure what exactly feels so off about the story.

[Cheryl Speir-phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clearly written good story

This catches the reader from the start to try to weave the truth. Both of the women show their own seeking. And Pip keeps a part throughout, of interconnect ion to them both.
The writing and descriptions are delightful and filled with beauty. A very good read. I'll follow this author with delight.

[Michael R. Zuelke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book difficult to read and follow. Maybe it was the attempt to be clever that left me more mystified than enlightened. Like other readers i could find nothing about the "author" anywhere, so i am beginning to think this may be an AI story. I prefer living authors to mechanical ones. Probably will avoid books by this publisher from now on.

[Delores Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a different style of mystery than I usually read and really didn't care for it, but had to finish it anyway to complete the story.

[Sarah Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just don’t think I’ve been in a reading mood so I found myself not picking this up and getting sucked in but I do think that’s more me than the story. I will probably read the second one

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

It tried to do too many things and wasn’t successful with any. Not the period piece, the witty repartee, the cozy mystery or the LGBTQ spin.