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A Christmas Crime, a Comte, and Miss Mifford
Miss Charlotte Mifford is facing another Christmas — and birthday — as an impoverished spinster living on the charity of her relatives.
When a tall, dark, and exceedingly handsome French Comte arrives in the cosy village of Plumpton, Charlotte sensibly assumes he would never look twice at a woman like her.
But when the annual Christmas Pudding Contest turns unexpectedly — and quite literally — poisonous, the Comte gallantly offers to help Charlotte clear her aunt’s name.
It is simply good Gallic manners, she tells herself… even as her treacherous heart suggests otherwise.
Gabriel, Comte de Roche, is accustomed to stares.
Tall, dark, and (if he may say so) a touch terrifying, he rarely inspires anything but wary admiration. Hoping for a peaceful holiday with an old friend after retiring from a life at sea, he instead finds himself drawn into a murder investigation, a riotous Cotswolds Christmas, and an unexpected infatuation with a relentlessly cheerful Englishwoman — one who does not seem to realise, in the slightest, where his attentions are leading.
As Twelfth Night approaches, they must uncover who murdered Plumpton’s postmaster… and Gabriel must realise that being big and brawny does not make a man brave — not unless he can voice the truth beating in his heart.
This is the seventh book in the fun, cosy, and romantic Regency Murder and Marriage series. It may be read as a cheerful Christmas standalone or enjoyed as part of the series as a whole!
When a tall, dark, and exceedingly handsome French Comte arrives in the cosy village of Plumpton, Charlotte sensibly assumes he would never look twice at a woman like her.
But when the annual Christmas Pudding Contest turns unexpectedly — and quite literally — poisonous, the Comte gallantly offers to help Charlotte clear her aunt’s name.
It is simply good Gallic manners, she tells herself… even as her treacherous heart suggests otherwise.
Gabriel, Comte de Roche, is accustomed to stares.
Tall, dark, and (if he may say so) a touch terrifying, he rarely inspires anything but wary admiration. Hoping for a peaceful holiday with an old friend after retiring from a life at sea, he instead finds himself drawn into a murder investigation, a riotous Cotswolds Christmas, and an unexpected infatuation with a relentlessly cheerful Englishwoman — one who does not seem to realise, in the slightest, where his attentions are leading.
As Twelfth Night approaches, they must uncover who murdered Plumpton’s postmaster… and Gabriel must realise that being big and brawny does not make a man brave — not unless he can voice the truth beating in his heart.
This is the seventh book in the fun, cosy, and romantic Regency Murder and Marriage series. It may be read as a cheerful Christmas standalone or enjoyed as part of the series as a whole!
- GenresMystery
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 26, 2025
59 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Claudia Stone
41 books144 followersClaudia Stone was born in South Africa but moved to Plymouth as a young girl. Having trained as an actress at RADA, she moved to New York to pursue her dream of acting on Broadway in 1988. She never did see her name in lights, but she did meet a wonderful Irishman called Conal who whisked her away to the wilds of Kerry, where she has lived ever since.
Claudia and Conal have three children, a dairy farm and a boisterous, black lab called Buddy. When she has any time left over, Claudia enjoys reading Regency as well as writing it.
You can also connect with Claudia on Facebook:
fb.me/ClaudiaStoneAuthor
Claudia and Conal have three children, a dairy farm and a boisterous, black lab called Buddy. When she has any time left over, Claudia enjoys reading Regency as well as writing it.
You can also connect with Claudia on Facebook:
fb.me/ClaudiaStoneAuthor
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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November 27, 2025The final installment of my Regency Murder and Marriage series is here! This time the Mifford's cousin Charlotte gets her chance to solve a mystery and fall in love. She teams up with the big, brooding, and very handsome Comte de Roche to try work out who killed Plumpton's postmaster. I love pairing a ray of sunshine leading lady with a grumpy hero and making his heart melt for her. Charlotte and Gabe are one of my favourite pairings - no one yearns quite like a Frenchman. I do hope you enjoy reading their tale.
Claudia xx
Claudia xx
December 24, 2025
Delightful
A warm and cozy tale with charming and slightly quirky characters. Murder, mystery and marriage is what makes this series so delightful. I'm glad Charlotte got her happy - every - after with Gabe. Looking forward to the next book about the village of Plumpton.
A warm and cozy tale with charming and slightly quirky characters. Murder, mystery and marriage is what makes this series so delightful. I'm glad Charlotte got her happy - every - after with Gabe. Looking forward to the next book about the village of Plumpton.
December 23, 2025
Fun Read
Good read. Interesting plot. Good Xmas read.
It’s not a long book but worth the time to read. Happy holidays
Good read. Interesting plot. Good Xmas read.
It’s not a long book but worth the time to read. Happy holidays
December 20, 2025
Great Addition
Great addition to the series. Love the holiday touches and of course the romance is Rooney. The family dynamic is warm and steady.
Great addition to the series. Love the holiday touches and of course the romance is Rooney. The family dynamic is warm and steady.
December 19, 2025
Sweet read
Sweet read for Christmas. Was looking for a light mystery to enjoy during the holiday and this fits perfectly! Highly recommend
Sweet read for Christmas. Was looking for a light mystery to enjoy during the holiday and this fits perfectly! Highly recommend
December 6, 2025
This series was fun and silly and I enjoyed it. This last story is for poor Charlotte, the poor neglected cousin. It's coming up to Christmas and she is feeling a little sorry for herself when she meets a dashing French Comte. They are of course, thrown together to try to solve a murder. They are adorably clueless about both their feelings and the murder. A great end to the series.
February 21, 2026
Absolutely love this series
I absolutely love this series! The characters are wonderful and addictive. The mysteries are well written, and held my interest until the last. From the first book until the last the characters are interwoven which makes for interesting reading, not to mention the humor which caused me to laugh out loud on many occasions. I highly recommend this series, and fervently hope Ms. Stone will continue to draw from the characters in the village and write many more stories.
I absolutely love this series! The characters are wonderful and addictive. The mysteries are well written, and held my interest until the last. From the first book until the last the characters are interwoven which makes for interesting reading, not to mention the humor which caused me to laugh out loud on many occasions. I highly recommend this series, and fervently hope Ms. Stone will continue to draw from the characters in the village and write many more stories.
January 10, 2026
Sucked in with no regrets!
Ahhh :). I'm swooning :). Book 1- amazing . Book 2- hmm ok.. Book 3, 4, 5- NO THABK YOU! Books 6 & 7? Ugh you won me over again, Ms Stone!
This is a sweet sweet love story of a spinster getting exactly the love that she deserves. When the hero messes up, he apologizes appropriately. She retains her self-respect with her head held high. What's not to love?
Ahhh :). I'm swooning :). Book 1- amazing . Book 2- hmm ok.. Book 3, 4, 5- NO THABK YOU! Books 6 & 7? Ugh you won me over again, Ms Stone!
This is a sweet sweet love story of a spinster getting exactly the love that she deserves. When the hero messes up, he apologizes appropriately. She retains her self-respect with her head held high. What's not to love?
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews