Christmas at The Grange

Lady Hardcastle Mysteries #3.5

by T.E. Kinsey, Elizabeth Knowelden (Narrator)

Listening Length: 2 hours, 5 minutes

It’s Christmas 1909, and for once Lady Hardcastle—respectable gentlewoman, amateur spy—and her lady’s maid, Florence Armstrong, are setting sleuthing aside. They are invited to the festivities up at The Grange, as guests of Sir Hector and Lady Farley-Stroud.

But barely have corks been popped and parlour games played when a mysterious crime comes to light. Someone has broken in while the revellers were distracted and made off with a priceless pearl necklace. Lady Hardcastle and Flo are determined to catch the thief—but with so many Christmas guests encamped at The Grange, is it possible that the felon is hiding in plain sight?

With the clues stacking up, Lady Hardcastle bears down on her culprit. But just as the pieces come together, it begins to look as if there is something more devious afoot at The Grange…

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

3 pages, Audible Audio

First published December 12, 2017

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful little Christmas read from one of my favourite series. I love the relationship and the interactions between Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence. All totally out of character for England in 1909 but all the funnier for that.

In this short story the pair celebrate Christmas with their neighbours at the Grange. They find themselves eating and drinking far too much and becoming involved in a case of a missing necklace. Unusually there are too many clues rather than too few and a suspicious Lady Hardcastle solves it with ease. A nice little twist at the end leaves the reader feeling happy and in the Christmas spirit.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

reading vlog: https://youtu.be/beJJoEhjleQ

2024 re-read: 4.5 stars

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let’s open this book of Christmas delights! This little vignette builds on the short stack of Lady Hardcastle cozy mysteries already available. It is a nice reflection on what an early 20th century rural English Christmas entailed. Nothing too demanding, nor likely to cause any “psychic indigestion.”

"‘So much for a quiet Christmas at home,’ said Lady Hardcastle. ‘We had a quiet Christmas last year,’ I said. ‘Only because I’d been shot. It wasn’t nearly as much fun as I’d have liked.’"
"‘Well, this will be fun, too. We’ve never had a proper country Christmas. We’ve celebrated in London, Shanghai, Calcutta, Paris . . .’ ‘We have,’ she said. ‘And that peculiar time in Berlin with Count Pfumpfel von Schnerfenflerf.’"

A small mystery is coupled with a wealth of description of an English country Christmas. Not any important deviations from the pattern Kinsey has established in her previous “Hardcastle” novels. The reader will be amused, comforted and even at time enlightened in this shorter piece.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful cosy mystery by author TE Kinsey. Christmas at the Grange is #3.5 in the Lady Hardcastle Mysteries and a quick read at 67 pages. Set at Christmas in 1909, with the invitation to join Sir Hector and Lady Farley-Stroud at the Grange for the festivities, Lady Hardcastle and her trusty sidekick Florence Armstrong hadn’t expected to be involved in the solving of a mystery. They’d had plenty in the past but thought Christmas would be a break from it all. With the sheer number of guests to the Grange, would it be possible to find the culprit? Or would they fail this one? Fun, entertaining and highly recommended.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time reading and I loved it again! Just a light and cosy mystery set in 1909 England 🎄
I do agree with my original review though.

Original review:-
I love this series and a Christmas short story made my Christmas Eve!

If you don't know the series then don't start here as it might seem a bit lame but for fans of the series this was a fab Christmas treat!

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Christmas at The Grange too late for Christmas, but not too late to have some holiday good fun in January. The novella follows Emily, Lady Hardcastle, a spy disguised as a charming widow, and her sassy sidekick and maid, Florence Armstrong, as they investigate the theft of a pearl pendant from their neighbor's estate. Not the best in the series, but still good enough to make me smile and read it almost in one sitting -- and to make me look forward to the next novel in the series, which can't come soon enough for me!

[Hákon Gunnarsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know, I should have read this at Christmas, but even so, it was a delightful read. A lighthearted cozy mystery, it's short, with no real suspense, but funny, and has likeable characters. Pretty much what I want from a cozy mystery.

[Siv30 · Rating 3 out of 5]

לסקירה מפורטת בעברית, קישור לבלוג שלי -

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[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful interlude in the series! It was fun getting this short holiday cozy mystery and a whole lot of early twentieth century English country Christmas all wrapped up and tied with a bow.

Lady Hardcastle and Flo are invited to their neighbors up at the Grange for Christmas festivities, but are soon called up by Lady Farley-Stroud to discreetly look into the disappearance of her nephew's wife's pearl necklace.

A rousing cocktail party, Christmas goose, mince pies and Christmas pudding, carols, parlor games, Christmas midnight service, Boxing day with the villagers, Christmas variety show, and finally a case brought to its conclusion. It was not a difficult mystery, but was fun, nonetheless. The festivities and atmosphere were equally engaging.

I was glad to enjoy this one in audio with the brilliant Elizabeth Knowelden the regular series narrator doing her usual wonderful job with the characters and story.

All in all, it was light and festive and a wonderful edition to the series.

[Luce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

So much fun visiting at Christmas with Lady Hardcastle and her Lady’s maid Florence. They are invited for the Yuletide festivities by Sir Hector & Lady Farley-Stroud. It doesn’t take long for there to be a mystery to solve!

It is always a delight to visit with these two, their banter and their friendship is genuine despite their difference in station. If you haven’t read any of this cozy mystery series, don’t start with this novella. You probably won’t be able to appreciate it fully without knowing the history and the cast of characters of the past year. However, reading just the first book in the series would be fine. I also recommend the audiobooks, the narrator is excellent.

[Tony Hisgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little story, with a fun twist at the end of the investigation. Although the book was worth reading just for the interplay between Florence and Lady Hardcastle.

[Miriam Simut · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a delight! 🎄 Although it’s a novella it’s my favourite in the series so far! I just adore Christmas!💚❤️💚❤️

[Danny_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great example of a Christmas special done right!

Not to high stakes, but giving us all our favorite things from the series. I adore this duo!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

In this delightful Christmas Novella, we see Lady Hardcastle and her maid Flo spending Christmas and Boxing Day with their neighbours the Farley-Stroud's. But with a mystery to solve, it seems they will not be enjoying a relaxing break from sleuthing during the festive season. A member of the Christmas Party has had a necklace stolen from her room and it is up to Lady Hardcastle and Flo to catch the culprit.
This was a lot of fun and for once I managed to work out what was going on before it was revealed.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I enjoy these books - Lady Hardcastle and her sidekick Ladies Maid Florence Armstrong are hilarious and fun and their exploits even more so. This short-story finds them spending Christmas at The Grange [the home of their closest friends] and of COURSE a mystery occurs [though thankfully, NOT a murder] and its up to Lady Hardcastle and Armstrong to save the day.

I cannot wait for the next installment of these delightful books.

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4.10.2018
I needed a book for the cozy challenge and just could not find one that was a holiday AND available in audio and then this one popped up cheap on Audible and so I decided to give it a go. I love this series so much and I adored this narrator.

[Linda Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story from the Lady Hardcastle series joins my list of favorite "Christmas reads." The delightful Lady Hardcastle and her "tiny, but fierce" servant, Flo Armstrong, are invited to The Grange, where a mystery awaits them. Both ladies have led eventful lives all over the world, and they are hardly the typical Edwardian women. Since they moved to the village, they have often been called upon to solve several mysteries. This time, a valuable pendant has disappeared from a guest's room, and it is apparently an inside job. The owners of The Grange, the Farley-Strouds, are anxious that no police be called in. They have no doubt that Lady Hardcastle and Flo are up to the task.

I always enjoy this charming series with its gentle portrayal of a bygone era. An Edwardian Christmas may have been fraught with the sometimes negative emotions that characterize the modern holiday, but never in Lady Hardcastle's world. All is joy and plenty, despite a crime that may have occurred. The mystery may not have been challenging to solve, but the pleasure of getting to the answer is the point.

[Trish R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to try one of these cozy mysteries with Lady Hardcastle and I found it kind of silly but still fun BUT it shouldn’t have been written in the first person. It was a whole lot of I, I, I’s for such a short story.

It was about a missing a pearl pendant on a gold chain and it was up to Lady Hardcastle and Flo to figure out what happened to it.

This was a good story for a kid but Lady Hardcastle is definitely not for me.

As to the narration: Elizabeth Knowelden did a terrific job on all the voices.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short novella featuring our fav characters during the Christmas season. It did exactly what I wanted it to and I enjoyed it- I do not think that it pushed along the story arc but it was still enjoyable- I will be getting back to this series and reading the next book soon- the audiobooks are well done and I recommend them-

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm here for the banter, not the mystery. This series is the perfect palate cleanser.

[KBookblogger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely festive read with a good twist at the end ! 🎄

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely Christmas cracker of a story. The twist in the tale is cute. All the elements of the traditional house-party mystery without a murder, with a nice shift.

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only read two or three Lady Hardcastle's, and they are a most delightful read. This was a lot of fun.

Christmas at the Grange is a short story T E Kinsey. The story begins with a mention or two of Emily (Lady Hardcastle) and Flo’s past adventures. They are invited for the Christmas celebrations at The Grange. The whole village is invited too and there is drinks, food, and gifts for the young ones. The duo are enjoying the festive spirit when they are called to the Grange once again. A necklace with a priceless pearl pendant of Lady Farley-Stroud’s niece-in-law seems to be missing. The thief entered her bedroom and stole the necklace. Nothing else seems to be stolen. Emily and Flo discover cigar ash, a footprint and a piece of thread (torn from the
Lady Hardcastle and her maid Flo, are more like best friends than employer-employee. I loved the way their relationship’s portrayed in the story. And it is not just Lady Hardcastle, the hosts at The Grange are very friendly with Flo. They even ask her to sit at the table for Christmas Dinner.

The duo finally ‘find’ the thief. And it is not who they expected it to be. Or, should I say it is not what they expected it to be?

I loved the author’s writing style. The ending was unexpected and unique. Since it is a short story, I cannot comment much on the story or character development. This book is a part of the Lady Hardcastle Mystery series (#3.5). Nonetheless, it was a good read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up for $0.99 on sale on Audible and it was definitely worth it for that price. This was a cute, short, Christmas cozy. I wasn’t familiar with this series before but it was easy to just jump in and figure out who was who. The narrator did a great job with different accents to help differentiate among the many characters.

[Jenni Moeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun short story to go along with the series. I always love the interactions between Lady Hardcastle and Miss Armstrong.

[Jae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, light-hearted mystery.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming little addition to the lady hardcastle mysteries and a perfect read for Christmas.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute and fun addition to this terrific series.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 Reading Challenge: Featuring a Holiday
Cute little novella with mini mystery that was fun.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 bk 78 A house party turns 'solve the mystery' when a necklace is stolen. Lady Hardcastle and Flo enjoy the feasting at their neighbors as they work out the solution to the stolen property.

[Stacie Haden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great little novella.