A Dowager is Done In (A Duchess of Stortford Mystery): A Victorian whodunnit with a hint of humour

Duchess of Stortford Mystery #3

by Helen Golden

A mysterious summons. A fatal hot chocolate. And a duchess who never expected mourning to be this dreadfully dull.

Hampshire, 1891. Six months into widowhood, Alice, Duchess of Stortford, is restless. Black gowns and seclusion in the country have their limits, so when Clarissa, Dowager Countess of Romley, sends a personal summons asking for her discreet assistance with a troubling matter at Lawrence House, Alice seizes the excuse for a change of scene.

But what begins as a family gathering to welcome home the Dowager’s once-disgraced son ends in shock. Clarissa is discovered dead, her passing swiftly dismissed as a heart attack. Alice knows better. The Dowager had been afraid — and had trusted her to uncover the truth. Someone silenced her, but why? Was it to do with the announcement she made over dinner, or something even more dangerous?

Now everyone in the house is a the resentful heir, the returning prodigal, the mysterious guest with a too-familiar face. With her sharp-witted maid Maud, steadfast footman George, and her reluctant ally Lord Rushton at her side, Alice must act quickly. If the Dowager was murdered to keep her secrets buried, the killer will not hesitate to strike again.

The Dowager is dead. The clock is ticking. And the duchess is about to discover that country house parties can be murder.

Full of clever twists and a heroine who won’t give up until she finds out the truth, A Dowager is Done-in is the perfect escape for fans of historical cozies, sparkling banter, and mysteries wrapped in wit and warmth..

299 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 26, 2026

About the author

Helen Golden spins crimes that are charmingly British, delightfully deadly, and served with a twist of humour.

With quirky characters, clever red herrings, and plots that keep the pages turning, she’s the author of the much-loved A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series, following Lady Beatrice and her friends—including one clever little dog—as they uncover secrets hidden in country houses and royal palaces. Her new historical mystery series, The Duchess of Stortford Mysteries, is set in Victorian England and introduces an equally curious sleuth from Lady Beatrice’s own family tree—where murders are solved over cups of tea, whispered gossip, and overheard conversations in drawing rooms and grand estates.

Helen lives in a quintessential English village in Lincolnshire with her husband, stepdaughter, and a menagerie of pets—including a dog, several cats, a tortoise, and far too many fish.

If you love clever puzzles, charming settings, and sleuths with spark, her books are waiting for you.

Reviews

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Lady Alice has been given a puzzle to solve. She’s not quite sure about it, but Dowager Duchess Clarissa, has told her she thinks there could be a murdered living in her house. Then, after giving a most amazing announcement after dinner Clarissa goes off to bed and next morning is found dead. Alice’s maid, Maud, just happened to be near and helped the maid who discovered the body. Maud smells bitter almonds so knows it’s poison, but the doctor just says “heart failure”. So that leaves Alice to do the sleuthing which she does with the help of her maid, Maud, her friend, Baxter, and her footman, George, who is acting as a valet for this visit. Once again, an interesting read.

[Denise Duncan]

I’ve become a true fan of this new series from a favorite author. The core set of characters has become familiar over the prior two books, and in this one, we see more of each one’s strength and personality. The mystery in this book is “just right” — not too difficult, but not at all obvious. The final resolutions, for many different characters also felt believable and quite satisfying! You’ll be glad to have read this book.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Announcement Turns Deadly

These books are such fun! Even though she is only six months into her mourning period for her husband, Alice receives a letter from Duchess Clarissa to come to her home at Lawrence House to uncover a possible murderer. Alice takes up the challenge, travels to Lawrence House with her maid, Maud and first footman, George and she briefly discusses the dilemma with the Duchess. As the Duchess does not believe there to be imminent danger and she plans to make an announcement that night regarding her new will, she chooses to speak with Alice the next day. Unfortunately, the Duchess dies unexpectedly that night and it does not appear to be a natural death! With the help of her best friend and sister-in-law, Fee, and Alice’s childhood friend, Baxter, along with Maud and George, (and the rather reluctant aid of Fee’s husband, Duncan) the push is on to discover the killer before the funeral for the Duchess. Trying to eliminate suspects turns out to be quite difficult, but our sleuth manages to piece together all the clues just in time.
I am already looking forward to the next book in this series!

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my word !! What a story, once again Helen has excelled herself. A cleverly woven plot, with red herrings galore, I can guarantee you that you won’t be able to put this down. Helen is consistently going from strength to strength with her writing abilities, she takes so much care and effort in describing the minutest detail so that we, the readers, can feel that we are almost part of the story, the characters feel as though they are actually with us! Helen blends so many facets of the individual characters with the many situations within the story, weaving an intricate plot as the conclusion is reached, she is a master of her craft. A brilliant read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our MC accepts a somewhat enigmatic invitation to join a small gathering which quickly devolves from light repartee to the death of a matriarch.

Even though initially handled as a death due to natural causes, our MC realizes there were a number of people who may have helped to expedite the death with a poisonous cup of hot chocolate.

And the game is afoot!
And yes, a certain well-known detective requests a meeting with our MC.

Although it was my pleasure to receive this ARC from the author, it was completely my choice to share my honest review.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cozy romp through Victorian drawing rooms with the redoubtable Alice, Duchess of Stortford. An intriguing invitation to a house party. An untimely death. A list of suspects. Alice and her friends only have a few short days to prove, this was in fact murder. It took me a while to figure out whodunnit and I enjoyed the ridiculous attempts at sleuthing without anyone realising, but best of all, I loved the daily letters from Mrs Judith Thursby, the vicar's wife, with all the updates on the building of the new school.

[Julie Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series. A good mystery with lots of suspects and it isn't who you think it is.