Murder by Misunderstanding

Hazel Martin Mysteries #2

by Leighann Dobbs

Mystery novelist Hazel Martin’s maid suspects foul play when her childhood friend Doris jumps from the third-story turret of Farnsworth Abbey. Unable to resist an investigation, especially one that’s staged to look like suicide, Hazel calls in help from her chauffeur, her cook, and even the mysterious butler her husband hired before his death. Hazel soon learns that Doris’s death was no accident. Someone had a secret, and they wanted to keep it that way. With her trusty Siamese cat, Dickens, by her side and handsome Detective Chief Inspector Gibson at her disposal, Hazel follows a trail of clues to reveal a surprise twist that even the killer didn’t suspect. USA Today Bestselling Author Leighann Dobbs brings back the spirit of the Golden Age of mysteries in this classic whodunit set in the 1920s.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Historical

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2017

About the author

USA Today bestselling author, Leighann Dobbs, discovered her passion for writing after a twenty year career as a software engineer. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband Bruce, their trusty Chihuahua mix Mojo and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty.

Her book "Dead Wrong" won the "Best Mystery Romance" award at the 2014 Indie Romance Convention.

Her book "Ghostly Paws" was the 2015 Chanticleer Mystery & Mayhem First Place category winner in the Animal Mystery category.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catching up…

I found this book that I had read years ago, in my Facebook memories today.

And wondered…

Have you read this author before?

And…

How can you resist this cover?

For me…

It was…

A delightful cozy.

[Prachi Deore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring!

Hardly any mystery at all. Knew who the murderer was barely a quarter into the book. What kind of detective goes around in crazy convoluted circles like this!

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are OK mysteries. I do enjoy the characters. I am able to guess most of the "who dun it" plot. The books are a short read and enjoyable.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder by Misunderstanding is the second book in the Hazel Martin Mysteries series by USA Today bestselling author, Leighann Dobbs. This is the first book I have read from this series, but it was written as a stand-alone so I didn’t feel as if I was missing “pieces” or relevant details. The setting is based on England in the 1920’s. I’d classify it as a historical fiction cozy mystery story. The protagonist, Hazel, is a young widow who writes mystery novels. Hazel is an astute woman who learned quite about crime and murder investigations from her deceased spouse who was employed as a police Inspector. Now Dickens, Hazel’s Siamese cat, listens intently as she sounds out ideas and theories for her mysteries. Doris, her maid Maggie’s childhood friend and godmother's niece has died. The authorities believe she committed suicide. Maggie strongly disagrees and asks Hazel to investigate. In cozy mystery style vs. historical fiction, Hazel's cook, maid, chauffeur and butler, as well as, Detective Chief Inspector Michael Gibson, help her in informally investigate Maggie’s death. It becomes apparent that the circumstances surrounding Maggie’s death have been covered up! Hazel is up against old and titled money, and is appalled at the attitudes of the upper aristocracy towards their servants being as it's in the early 1920's. The characters are well-developed and the plot is crafted with unexpected twists and turns. Ms. Dobbs accurately portrays attitudes of the aristocrats of this time period and the extent of scandal, deceit, and skullduggery. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-integrated historical fiction book with all elements of a cozy mystery. I enjoyed this book, appreciated the attention to detail and I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I enjoyed this second book in the Hazel Martin Mystery series. I have not read the first one. This is a period piece reminiscent of Downton Abbey with a few twists. The series takes place in 1920's England. This is a standalone story that will not leave you feeling left out from not reading the first one.
Hazel is a fairly recent widow approximately 35 years old, who writes mystery novels. Her deceased husband was a Detective/Inspector with the police department and he used to discuss his cases with her. Since his passing, Hazel discusses her plots and theories with her Siamese cat, Dickens.
One of Hazel’s servants requests of Hazel to figure out what really happened to her childhood friend. She is convinced the young lady did not commit suicide.
This is where it swerves from the standard English period piece, Hazel's staff (her cook, maid, chauffeur and butler) help her in solve the crime along with Detective Chief Inspector Michael Gibson. whom clearly is interested in Hazel.
I liked the differences between Hazel’s treatment of her staff and the entitled stereotypical treatment of staffs in England.
This is clearly a case of cover ups and keeping up appearances. I did like the intrigue, the twists and turns , and well developed characters. Hoping to see more of this series.
I received an ARC from the author and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover is the best part of this book, I'm afraid. This was a tiny bit better than the first one. Still too much running in circles and asking the same questions over and over.

[Priya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seriously!??
Hazel Martin has to be the most obtuse amateur sleuth ever.
Watching her go round and round on a single strain of thought was exasperating!
One of the ideas that lead to murder, was pretty clear from the moment it was hinted on the pages but no, our sleuth didn't see it for all the other major hints till about the end of the book.
Thankfully there are no more of this series even though the previous one was good enough.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hazel Martin Mysteries.

I'm a fan of Leeann Dobbs. Have read several of her series. This one is set England during the 1920's. Hazel Martin is a widow whose husband was a Scotland Yard inspector. As an author of a successful mystery series, Hazel has a gift for solving mysteries. She helped her husband on many of his cases. Book 2 has an intriguing mystery but was repetitive in its narrative. I like the characters and will continue to follow Hazel and friends.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I enjoyed this second book in the Hazel Martin Mystery series more than the first one. The series takes place in 1920's England and this one "feels" more English than the first one. You don't have to read the first book to understand this one. Hazel is a fairly recent (3 yrs) widow in her mid to late 30's, who writes mystery novels. Her deceased husband was a Detective/Inspector with the police department and he used to discuss his cases with her. Since he's deceased Hazel discusses her theories with her Siamese cat, Dickens.
This book in the series has Hazel trying to figure out who killed Doris, a maid at a nearby Jacobean estate who was a childhood friend of Hazel's maid Maggie. The pieces don't fit. The people who might've had a motive have solid alibis and the ones who have the means have no motive. What is Hazel missing?
I love how Hazel's staff (her cook, maid, chauffeur and butler) help her in solving the crime. Of course Detective Chief Inspector Gibson (Michael) is there solving the murder and this time he doesn't try to stop Hazel from doing her own sleuthing. I guess he learned his lesson from the previous murder. I like how we're shown the difference in the way the titled treated their staff and the way Hazel treats hers. I also like how Hazel is slowing warming up to Detective Chief Inspector Gibson a.k.a. Michael.
I admit I figured out who the murderer was a couple of chapters before the end, but I thought it was a good mystery.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hazel decides to investigate the death of Doris, her maids childhood friend and godmother's niece. Because Maggie is certain that her friend would not jump from a third story window and commit suicide. Detective Chief Inspector Gibson welcomes Hazels help, as she had been very helpful in a previous case. Hazel is up against old and titled money, and is appalled at the attitudes of the upper aristocracy towards their servants being as it's in the early 1920's.
The Mistress of the house is determined to give her children the perfect matches to continue the family name, and preserve the honor of their name. While rying to prevent one of her children from acting rashly, she overlooks the actions of others in her household.
Lee Dobbins brings a story rife with deception, scandal, and the bigoted attitudes of the very rich, and the assurance that their names and fortunes are above reproach, even while their actions are not. The story has nicely defined characters, a strong plot line, and plenty of twist in it to make yourself second guess your second guess about who the murderer will be.

[Patricia Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder By Misunderstanding is the second book in the Hazel Martin Mysteries series by Leighann Dobbs. It is the story of mystery novelist Hazel Martin. Her maid has asked her to investigate the death of her friend Doris, a maid in a neighboring household. It is being said that Doris committed suicide but Hazel’s maid knows this cannot be the truth. Hazel quickly learns that Doris did not commit suicide .She also learns that there are many secrets being kept in the residents of the house.

With the help of her staff, her Siamese cat, Dickens and of course Detective Chief Inspector Gibson Hazel is able to work through the secrets and clues to discover what happened. With all the secrets there is one secret even the killer wasn’t aware of.

I especially loved this book as we got to know Hazel’s staff and Detective Chief Inspector Gibson better. I also liked that Hazel’s staff helped her solve the case. If you like cozy mysteries then this is a must read.

Disclaimer-I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A period piece taking place in the early 20s has widow of a detective and murder mystery author Hazel Martin getting involved in solving the mystery surrounding the death of Doris, a maid who worked for a very upper crust family, the Farnsworths. The Farnsworths pushed the suicide narrative but Hazel's maid, Maggie was Doris' childhood friend and knew her well enough to suspect something wrong. In Maggie's mind suicide was out the question. So...Hazel, with her entire staff set out to find the answers along with Inspector Gibson who was friends with her husband and actually let her follow what clues she found as long as they shared information and she was very careful. There are a lot of twists and turns and red-herrings. The ending will surprise you. I loved this book, the story flowed and was well written. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves period mysteries with lots of surprises. I received an ARC from the author, but the opinions expressed here are stricly my own.

[Lisa Millett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as it is set in 1920s England. It begins with our heroine Hazel Martin, a mystery writer who has a maid come to her about the supposed suicide of her childhood friend. The young lady is the maid at Farnsworth Abbey and she has reportedly jumped from the turret room. Hazel's maid doesn't believe that she would have committed suicide so she asks Hazel to investigate. Hazel rushes off to the Farnsworth Abbey to offer her condolences and to begin investigating. She speaks with Mrs. Farnsworth as well as to some of the servants under the guise of using the information in one of her books. At first it looks like the maid might have had a lovers quarrel and she did commit suicide. Hazel enlists all of her servants and with their help begins to unravel the mystery proving that it was murder. Also a very handsome chief inspector aides her to the surprising end. I highly recommend this book to any and all cozy mystery readers. You will love it.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another charming mystery in the Hazel Martin series. Hazel, a widowed mystery writer, is still mourning her detective chief inspector husband while writing her novels, a developing new iconoclastic relationships with her staff. When her maid asks her to look into the apparent suicide of another lady's maid in the household of the ancient family of Lord Wakefield, her compassion and curiosity is awakened. Her social status gains her entree into these homes along with her fame as a bestselling author. As she inserts herself into the investigation, she again partners the delightful Chief Inspector she now calls Michael.

The mystery is complicated enough to keep the interest in this frothy, short novel. While some reactions and elements are somewhat implausible to me, the journey is fun!

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first book in this series much more than this. Both of these books I listened to as audiobooks. The reader of this one sounds like a very elderly woman. That said her voice, as the voice of 38-year-old Hazel was a real distraction. I have never met someone that age who sounded like an old woman.

The storyline was okay. The fur on the roof was the very first clue Hazel stumbled on and yet never took into account while trying to solve the mystery. She chose, instead, to take whatever she was told as the gospel truth. Made the story get a little boring because it made her have to go in circles just to disprove what she was told.

With the introduction of a potential love interest for Hazel I really thought there could have possibly been a third book but it appears the author just cut her loses and dropped this sleuth anyway.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the loss of her husband Hazel misses her sleuthing. When she is asked by her maid to look into her friends death and Detective Gibson is ok with that the journey begins. Hazel quickly decides that it was not suicide as reported by the Mistress of the house. There are many twists and turns and it seems for awhile that there really is no one who could have done anything to her because all are accounted for. You will need to read the book to find out what happens but it is another great story by Leighann Dobbs. I loved the book and can truthfully say that if you enjoy a good mystery you will love this one.

[Catherine Winslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pretty much love everything I've read from Leighann Dobbs. I did purchase the first Hazel Martin book because it was written by Leighann, but haven't read it yet. I did receive the opportunity to read the 2nd book for a review. I wasn't sure if I would like 1920s era (though I love historical, much earlier eras), but I'm glad I did. I didn't feel like I missed anything by reading the book out of order. I like the main character, Hazel, and felt the book flowed effortlessly. A nice plot and I love her description of the setting. I'm partial to Leighann's book as they are well-written, but also how she draws the reader into the story. Very talented with her different series.

[Ann Bahil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting is 1920s Great Britain. The main character, Hazel, is a 30-something widow of a police detective. Her maids friend, a ladies maid in another household, fell or was thrown to her death from a third story window. Hazel and her servants join forces with a police detective to solve the murder.

This is an entertaining read which has the potential to be a good series. Hazel becomes a little irritating when she doesn't pick up on clues that are somewhat obvious to the reader. I would read more of the series because I like the setting, but Hazel needs to live up to her potential.

[Gail Gassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful mystery

I enjoyed this fun and lovely mystery.. I liked the first one in this series much more than this book, I was a bit disappointed in that, except this is a wonderful book on its own. Its a delightful mystery really, & well worth the time & money. I enjoyed all the characters & how they all worked together too find the killer. I like how they enter acted with each making them more of a family instead of servants & mistress. I'm looking forward too the next book in the Hazel Martin Mysteries!

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hazel is a sleuth in her own right , set in the 1920s thus mystery will have you guessing until the end . With the help of her trusty Siamese and the Chief Inspector , Hazel sets out to help her servants who she treats like family to get to the bottom of a Suicide of their loved ones . Leigh Ann Dobbs does it again with a great story which is authentic to the time period . I felt like I was right there in the 20s. Highly recommend !

[Sherrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder by Misunderstanding

Hazel Martin is the widow of Chief Inspector Detective Charles Martin. Her maid, Maggie, comes to her stating that her friend Doris has died of a supposed suicide but Maggie states her friend Doris would never commit such an act. Thus the adventure begins with complicated characters and a detailed plot containing more than one twist.
This is a full fledged book-not just an episode It reads quickly. It is a clean read: no profanity or sex.

[Argum · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok now this is just silly. It is 1923 - we say that several times. Except women running about alone at lingerie shops is okay and we discuss its raciness and then they are dining alone in public. No this is so not period appropriate, but boy do we know a lot about pens and the names of them. Ridiculously not period attitudes and then the whole thing falls apart on how the motive works because of this fake time period. Makes no sense at all in how these people behave.

[Izlinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable but with some enjoyable characters

Spoilers ahead:
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Once the idea of pregnancy and the purchase of a pregnancy corset was raised it was very obvious who the expectant mother would be and the culprit. Two thirds through the book I skipped to the end to find out if my hunches were correct and they were.

Things I did enjoy was the inclusion of the staff in solving the mystery and further openness to Michael.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. A little better than the first one in the series, I suppose, but still slow and predictable. I found both books in this series annoyingly repetitious. Perhaps the author was required to increase the word count? Considering how short the story was, I had a hard time slogging through it. I read two other books between starting and finishing this book. Though, that is an improvement over the first series installment, during which, I read four other books!

[Diana Eichhorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good who-donnit

I like how the story progressed, only wish the detective could figure out the preggo thing sooner as it was obvious to the reader. The end was odd with the hoity toity lady W doing an about face on bastard ill-bred children not being wanted to then cherishing the potential said grandchild.

[Lyn Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Era Distorts the Crime.

Means, motive and opportunity go hand in hand with when, why and whom. The reason I don't like period pieces is because of the "old fashiondness" of them. The Hazel Martin series however makes the era interesting and doesn't constantly force the out dated ideas in your face all the time.

[Lawanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook performed by Alison Larkin. I agree that it was obvious early on who the murderer was and why the murder occurred. Hazel dithered far too long and overlooked too many clues to be a competent detective. However I do like the characters and if it is the author’s intention to show Hazel growing over the course of the series, this book may be redeemable in hindsight.

[Holwanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery, particularly strong on character and setting. The gradations in British society, with an emphasis on how they treat others, is particularly well-drawn.

I am very fond of Hazel, Alice, Dickens, and like the Inspector a great deal. I love the cooking and meals, too. Just the right book when a break is needed from more serious matters.

[Debi Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the 1920s setting in Britain. The main character is Hazel Martin. I enjoyed how Ms. Dobbs has Hazel making changes to her appearance to modernize herself since her husband passed away. I love the descriptions of her new bob haircut, her new flapper-style gowns and her increased self-reliance. It was very interesting to follow the twists and turns of Hazel's thought processes as she considered the various suspects. This book has believable characters and a strong plot. I would recommend it to any reader who enjoys historical cozy mysteries and all things British. A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.

[louise davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It grabs your interest and you can't wait to see who is guilty. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. I received an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.