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Casebook of Barnaby Adair #6
The Murder at Mandeville Hall
#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens brings you a tale of unexpected romance that blossoms against the backdrop of dastardly murder.
On discovering the lifeless body of an innocent ingenue, a peer attending a country house party joins forces with the lady-amazon sent to fetch the victim safely home in a race to expose the murderer before Stokes, assisted by Barnaby and Penelope, is forced to allow the guests, murderer included, to decamp.
Well-born rakehell and head of an ancient family, Alaric, Lord Carradale, has finally acknowledged reality and is preparing to find a bride. But loyalty to his childhood friend, Percy Mandeville, necessitates attending Percy's annual house party, held at neighboring Mandeville Hall. Yet despite deploying his legendary languid charm, by the second evening of the week-long event, Alaric is bored and restless.
Escaping from the soiree and the Hall, Alaric decides that as soon as he's free, he'll hie to London and find the mild-mannered, biddable lady he believes will ensure a peaceful life. But the following morning, on walking through the Mandeville Hall shrubbery on his way to join the other guests, he comes upon the corpse of a young lady-guest.
Constance Whittaker accepts that no gentleman will ever offer for her-she's too old, too tall, too buxom, too headstrong ... too much in myriad ways. Now acting as her grandfather's agent, she arrives at Mandeville Hall to extricate her young cousin, Glynis, who unwisely accepted an invitation to the reputedly licentious house party.
But Glynis cannot be found.
A search is instituted. Venturing into the shrubbery, Constance discovers an outrageously handsome aristocrat crouched beside Glynis' lifeless form. Unsurprisingly, Constance leaps to the obvious conclusion.
Luckily, once the gentleman explains that he'd only just arrived, commonsense reasserts itself. More, as matters unfold and she and Carradale have to battle to get Glynis' death properly investigated, Constance discovers Alaric to be a worthy ally.
Yet even after Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard arrives and takes charge of the case, along with his consultants, the Honorable Barnaby Adair and his wife, Penelope, the murderer's identity remains shrouded in mystery, and learning why Glynis was killed-all in the few days before the house party's guests will insist on leaving-tests the resolve of all concerned. Flung into each other's company, fiercely independent though Constance is, unsusceptible though Alaric is, neither can deny the connection that grows between them.
Then Constance vanishes.
Can Alaric unearth the one fact that will point to the murderer before the villain rips from the world the lady Alaric now craves for his own?
On discovering the lifeless body of an innocent ingenue, a peer attending a country house party joins forces with the lady-amazon sent to fetch the victim safely home in a race to expose the murderer before Stokes, assisted by Barnaby and Penelope, is forced to allow the guests, murderer included, to decamp.
Well-born rakehell and head of an ancient family, Alaric, Lord Carradale, has finally acknowledged reality and is preparing to find a bride. But loyalty to his childhood friend, Percy Mandeville, necessitates attending Percy's annual house party, held at neighboring Mandeville Hall. Yet despite deploying his legendary languid charm, by the second evening of the week-long event, Alaric is bored and restless.
Escaping from the soiree and the Hall, Alaric decides that as soon as he's free, he'll hie to London and find the mild-mannered, biddable lady he believes will ensure a peaceful life. But the following morning, on walking through the Mandeville Hall shrubbery on his way to join the other guests, he comes upon the corpse of a young lady-guest.
Constance Whittaker accepts that no gentleman will ever offer for her-she's too old, too tall, too buxom, too headstrong ... too much in myriad ways. Now acting as her grandfather's agent, she arrives at Mandeville Hall to extricate her young cousin, Glynis, who unwisely accepted an invitation to the reputedly licentious house party.
But Glynis cannot be found.
A search is instituted. Venturing into the shrubbery, Constance discovers an outrageously handsome aristocrat crouched beside Glynis' lifeless form. Unsurprisingly, Constance leaps to the obvious conclusion.
Luckily, once the gentleman explains that he'd only just arrived, commonsense reasserts itself. More, as matters unfold and she and Carradale have to battle to get Glynis' death properly investigated, Constance discovers Alaric to be a worthy ally.
Yet even after Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard arrives and takes charge of the case, along with his consultants, the Honorable Barnaby Adair and his wife, Penelope, the murderer's identity remains shrouded in mystery, and learning why Glynis was killed-all in the few days before the house party's guests will insist on leaving-tests the resolve of all concerned. Flung into each other's company, fiercely independent though Constance is, unsusceptible though Alaric is, neither can deny the connection that grows between them.
Then Constance vanishes.
Can Alaric unearth the one fact that will point to the murderer before the villain rips from the world the lady Alaric now craves for his own?
226 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 2018
373 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Laurens
206 books5,587 followersStephanie Laurens was born in Sri Lanka, which was at the time the British colony of Ceylon. When she was 5, her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she was raised. After continuing through school and earning a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in Australia, Stephanie and her husband moved to Great Britain, taking one of the last true overland journeys from Katmandu to London.
Once in London, Stephanie and her husband both began work as research scientists in Kent. They lived in an area surrounded by history. Their own cottage was built in the 16th century, while next door were the protected ruins of an early Roman villa, and nearby was a 14th century castle.
After four years in England, Stephanie and her husband returned to Australia, where she continued to work in cancer research, eventually heading her own research laboratory. One evening Stephanie realized that she did not have any more of her favorite romance novels to read. After years of thinking about writing her own novel, during nights and weekends for the next several months, she began crafting her own story. That manuscript, Tangled Reins, was the first of her books to be published. After achieving a level of success with her novels, Stephanie "retired" from scientific research and became a full-time novelist. Her novels are primarily historical romances set in the Regency time period.
Stephanie and her husband live on peaceful acreage on the outskirts of Melbourne. If she isn't writing, she's reading, and if she's not reading, she's tending her garden.
Once in London, Stephanie and her husband both began work as research scientists in Kent. They lived in an area surrounded by history. Their own cottage was built in the 16th century, while next door were the protected ruins of an early Roman villa, and nearby was a 14th century castle.
After four years in England, Stephanie and her husband returned to Australia, where she continued to work in cancer research, eventually heading her own research laboratory. One evening Stephanie realized that she did not have any more of her favorite romance novels to read. After years of thinking about writing her own novel, during nights and weekends for the next several months, she began crafting her own story. That manuscript, Tangled Reins, was the first of her books to be published. After achieving a level of success with her novels, Stephanie "retired" from scientific research and became a full-time novelist. Her novels are primarily historical romances set in the Regency time period.
Stephanie and her husband live on peaceful acreage on the outskirts of Melbourne. If she isn't writing, she's reading, and if she's not reading, she's tending her garden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
August 19, 2018
2.5 Stars, rounded up because I'm feeling charitable today ;)
This is a country house mystery, which a lifelong Agatha Christie addict like I am can never resist buying. Prospective readers should be aware that despite the author being renowned for her romances, this book is about 90% mystery and 10% romance. Maybe even closer to 93%/7%. The writing itself is above average, and Stephanie Laurens is adept at drawing us into an authentic, fairly historically accurate world that's still very accessible to modern readers. (This is a tough balance for authors to strike, so I figured she deserved praise for it!) I also love how the heroine was somewhat atypical: extremely tall and large with a forceful (yet not obnoxiously rude) personality to match.
So given my love for historicals and British mysteries, this book should have been an all-time favorite, but I found myself disappointed overall. There are far too many characters: a slew of suspects, servants, and investigators, very few of whom have the time to display any remotely distinctive personality traits. The pace is extraordinarily slow, which is a shame given how fast-paced and dynamic a murder-at-a-house-party plot could potentially have been. Certain conversations that could and should have been summarized in a brief paragraph are instead tediously drawn out line-by-line for several pages. A few of the basic facts surrounding the murder are repeated over and over, like to the point where it felt like the author worried all her readers were suffering from short-term memory loss and didn't trust us to retain anything unless it was reiterated every couple of pages!
The mystery itself was maybe a C+. Suffice it to say that the aforementioned Agatha Christie would not have been particularly impressed! There are a couple of clues, but the main piece of information we need to solve the crime isn't given until right before the mystery is solved.
The romance is barely there. The H (a very typical, seemingly detached bad boy who's actually - surprise!- got a decent heart) and the h are among the several investigators. (Rant alert: why on earth are there, like, five or six different characters investigating this crime?! I get that the author wanted to bring back characters from previous installments of this series, but it led to a bunch of pointless, conspicuously overcrowded scenes. Two investigators, preferably the H and h, would have been more than sufficient!) Sorry for the parenthetical rant :) Anyway, the H and h investigate, sometimes not even together, and interact minimally along the way. Honestly, by the end of the novel it's hard to believe they had developed more than a vague mutual respect and faint interest, let alone everlasting "love."
There's just so much that's superfluous here: too many characters, too many reiterations of the same points we've already covered, too many loooong conversations that could and should have been a lot more succinct. This leaves very little room for the H and h to develop individually or as a couple.
If you're as hopelessly addicted to historical mysteries as I am, you might want to give this one a look, though I'd wait until you can find it at a reduced price. Despite my many complaints, the prose and dialogue are above average, and it's nice visiting the historical world that Stephanie Laurens creates. Just be prepared to tolerate a sluggish pace, too many unnecessary characters and conversations, and a very average mystery. And, most importantly for Laurens' regular readers, please don't expect much actual romance!
This is a country house mystery, which a lifelong Agatha Christie addict like I am can never resist buying. Prospective readers should be aware that despite the author being renowned for her romances, this book is about 90% mystery and 10% romance. Maybe even closer to 93%/7%. The writing itself is above average, and Stephanie Laurens is adept at drawing us into an authentic, fairly historically accurate world that's still very accessible to modern readers. (This is a tough balance for authors to strike, so I figured she deserved praise for it!) I also love how the heroine was somewhat atypical: extremely tall and large with a forceful (yet not obnoxiously rude) personality to match.
So given my love for historicals and British mysteries, this book should have been an all-time favorite, but I found myself disappointed overall. There are far too many characters: a slew of suspects, servants, and investigators, very few of whom have the time to display any remotely distinctive personality traits. The pace is extraordinarily slow, which is a shame given how fast-paced and dynamic a murder-at-a-house-party plot could potentially have been. Certain conversations that could and should have been summarized in a brief paragraph are instead tediously drawn out line-by-line for several pages. A few of the basic facts surrounding the murder are repeated over and over, like to the point where it felt like the author worried all her readers were suffering from short-term memory loss and didn't trust us to retain anything unless it was reiterated every couple of pages!
The mystery itself was maybe a C+. Suffice it to say that the aforementioned Agatha Christie would not have been particularly impressed! There are a couple of clues, but the main piece of information we need to solve the crime isn't given until right before the mystery is solved.
The romance is barely there. The H (a very typical, seemingly detached bad boy who's actually - surprise!- got a decent heart) and the h are among the several investigators. (Rant alert: why on earth are there, like, five or six different characters investigating this crime?! I get that the author wanted to bring back characters from previous installments of this series, but it led to a bunch of pointless, conspicuously overcrowded scenes. Two investigators, preferably the H and h, would have been more than sufficient!) Sorry for the parenthetical rant :) Anyway, the H and h investigate, sometimes not even together, and interact minimally along the way. Honestly, by the end of the novel it's hard to believe they had developed more than a vague mutual respect and faint interest, let alone everlasting "love."
There's just so much that's superfluous here: too many characters, too many reiterations of the same points we've already covered, too many loooong conversations that could and should have been a lot more succinct. This leaves very little room for the H and h to develop individually or as a couple.
If you're as hopelessly addicted to historical mysteries as I am, you might want to give this one a look, though I'd wait until you can find it at a reduced price. Despite my many complaints, the prose and dialogue are above average, and it's nice visiting the historical world that Stephanie Laurens creates. Just be prepared to tolerate a sluggish pace, too many unnecessary characters and conversations, and a very average mystery. And, most importantly for Laurens' regular readers, please don't expect much actual romance!
January 16, 2019
Series: Casebook of Barnaby Adair #5
Publication Date: 8/16/18
Number of Pages: 226
A historical murder mystery and lovely romance – what more could I ask for. As always, the writing is well above average, the story is well plotted and excellently delivered. I really enjoyed the romance in this one because the heroine is unusual. She is tall and statuesque and everything the hero thought he didn’t want in a wife. It shouldn’t bother me, but it does – you very rarely learn anybody’s rank or title in this series. I don’t want the title, etc. to be a big deal in the story, but it just helps me put things in perspective if I know.
Alaric, Lord Carradale is thirty-seven years old and head of his family. He’s finally come to the determination that it is time for him to wed since his cousin and heir is a complete putz. So, he’s been getting his affairs in order, updating his home, etc. and planning to find himself a peaceful, biddable bride. It is a bit of a hassle to attend his good friend Percy Mandeville’s house party while he’s trying to get everything ready for a bride, but he can’t hurt Percy’s feelings by not attending. He’ll attend the party, but he won’t stay over, he’ll just come and go each day since his estate adjoins Percy’s.
The attendees at this house party are different than those Percy usually invites. There are married couples and even a couple of single young ladies there. Alaric wonders at the change but doesn’t think much of it. He meets one of the debutants, Glynis, and she asks him to walk on the terrace with her. She chatters on pleasantly and then they return inside. Alaric soon decides it is time to leave for home.
Constance Whittaker has been sent by her family to retrieve her cousin Glynis from the house party. The family doesn’t believe it is a proper environment for Glynis and they want her home. Since Glynis’ mother is ill, Constance was sent in her place. Constance has resigned herself to spinsterhood, she’s too old, to buxom, to straight-forward, etc. for any man to make an offer for her.
As Alaric returns to Mandeville Hall the next morning, he discovered the lifeless body of Glynis lying in the hedges. As he is looking at the bruises on her neck, he sees an Amazon coming his way. At first, she accuses him of having murdered her cousin. Once she hears his story and sees his concern, she realizes he isn’t guilty and they decide to work together to find justice for Glynis.
The local magistrate is called, against Alaric’s wishes. He knows that with the new rules, Scotland Yard is supposed to be notified. Alaric also knows that Chief Inspector Stokes would be the one sent to investigate and Stokes would involve Barnaby and Penelope Adair. The local magistrate wants to sweep it under the rug until a second murder occurs and Alaric makes it all but impossible for them not to notify Scotland Yard.
This begins a lovely romance between Alaric and Constance and a double-murder investigation. Do they have more than one murderer or did the same murderer commit both crimes?
I thoroughly enjoyed both the romance and the mystery – although I have to say the murderer was pretty obvious to me from early on. Maybe I’ve read too many mysteries. That didn’t take away from my enjoyment – I just enjoyed reading to discover that my assumption was correct.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
Publication Date: 8/16/18
Number of Pages: 226
A historical murder mystery and lovely romance – what more could I ask for. As always, the writing is well above average, the story is well plotted and excellently delivered. I really enjoyed the romance in this one because the heroine is unusual. She is tall and statuesque and everything the hero thought he didn’t want in a wife. It shouldn’t bother me, but it does – you very rarely learn anybody’s rank or title in this series. I don’t want the title, etc. to be a big deal in the story, but it just helps me put things in perspective if I know.
Alaric, Lord Carradale is thirty-seven years old and head of his family. He’s finally come to the determination that it is time for him to wed since his cousin and heir is a complete putz. So, he’s been getting his affairs in order, updating his home, etc. and planning to find himself a peaceful, biddable bride. It is a bit of a hassle to attend his good friend Percy Mandeville’s house party while he’s trying to get everything ready for a bride, but he can’t hurt Percy’s feelings by not attending. He’ll attend the party, but he won’t stay over, he’ll just come and go each day since his estate adjoins Percy’s.
The attendees at this house party are different than those Percy usually invites. There are married couples and even a couple of single young ladies there. Alaric wonders at the change but doesn’t think much of it. He meets one of the debutants, Glynis, and she asks him to walk on the terrace with her. She chatters on pleasantly and then they return inside. Alaric soon decides it is time to leave for home.
Constance Whittaker has been sent by her family to retrieve her cousin Glynis from the house party. The family doesn’t believe it is a proper environment for Glynis and they want her home. Since Glynis’ mother is ill, Constance was sent in her place. Constance has resigned herself to spinsterhood, she’s too old, to buxom, to straight-forward, etc. for any man to make an offer for her.
As Alaric returns to Mandeville Hall the next morning, he discovered the lifeless body of Glynis lying in the hedges. As he is looking at the bruises on her neck, he sees an Amazon coming his way. At first, she accuses him of having murdered her cousin. Once she hears his story and sees his concern, she realizes he isn’t guilty and they decide to work together to find justice for Glynis.
The local magistrate is called, against Alaric’s wishes. He knows that with the new rules, Scotland Yard is supposed to be notified. Alaric also knows that Chief Inspector Stokes would be the one sent to investigate and Stokes would involve Barnaby and Penelope Adair. The local magistrate wants to sweep it under the rug until a second murder occurs and Alaric makes it all but impossible for them not to notify Scotland Yard.
This begins a lovely romance between Alaric and Constance and a double-murder investigation. Do they have more than one murderer or did the same murderer commit both crimes?
I thoroughly enjoyed both the romance and the mystery – although I have to say the murderer was pretty obvious to me from early on. Maybe I’ve read too many mysteries. That didn’t take away from my enjoyment – I just enjoyed reading to discover that my assumption was correct.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
April 28, 2019
Trigger warnings: murder, strangulation, death of a loved one.
Welp. This...was not good. To be perfectly honest, I bought it because of reasons that will probably make perfect sense if you know me IRL. Those of you from Melbourne may also have some inkling. But I digress. It's a terrible reason to buy a book, basically.
Because this is an 80,000 word book. If we were talking fan fic, I'd probably have that read in an hour. Instead, this took me two entire afternoons to read and both of them were a hard slog. I think the problem with this is that it's trying to be both a murder mystery and an historical romance and as a result it didn't do either very well.
The mystery side of things was...dull. Predictable to the point where I guessed who the murderer was before a murder had even occurred. The characters who died were barely more than introduced, so I didn't care that they were dead. The suspects with one exception are barely on the page at all so, like, HMM I WONDER WHO IT COULD BE.
As far as the romance went, the two had zero chemistry for the majority of the story. Like, none. And then about three days after they meet, they've declared their love for each other, they're engaged, and they're having a premarital bang fest. Which, like, you do you on the bang fest, kids. But, like, you've known each other for THREE DAYS. Even by Victorian standards, that's ridiculous.
So. Uh. Yeah. This was...not for me. (Also this cover is fugly and I would never have expected to discover that it was first published in 2018, because this looks like something straight out of the early 90s...)
Welp. This...was not good. To be perfectly honest, I bought it because of reasons that will probably make perfect sense if you know me IRL. Those of you from Melbourne may also have some inkling. But I digress. It's a terrible reason to buy a book, basically.
Because this is an 80,000 word book. If we were talking fan fic, I'd probably have that read in an hour. Instead, this took me two entire afternoons to read and both of them were a hard slog. I think the problem with this is that it's trying to be both a murder mystery and an historical romance and as a result it didn't do either very well.
The mystery side of things was...dull. Predictable to the point where I guessed who the murderer was before a murder had even occurred. The characters who died were barely more than introduced, so I didn't care that they were dead. The suspects with one exception are barely on the page at all so, like, HMM I WONDER WHO IT COULD BE.
As far as the romance went, the two had zero chemistry for the majority of the story. Like, none. And then about three days after they meet, they've declared their love for each other, they're engaged, and they're having a premarital bang fest. Which, like, you do you on the bang fest, kids. But, like, you've known each other for THREE DAYS. Even by Victorian standards, that's ridiculous.
So. Uh. Yeah. This was...not for me. (Also this cover is fugly and I would never have expected to discover that it was first published in 2018, because this looks like something straight out of the early 90s...)
August 21, 2018
FINAL DECISION: The mystery was good, but the solution was pretty obvious to me from the beginning. In compensation, however, the romance was a nice diversion as the two get to know one another and solve the crime.
THE STORY: Alaric, Lord Carradale has been a rake but something has changed recently and he is considering looking for a bride. Unfortunately, the sweet innocent young woman that would be the typical bride is someone who would likely bore Alaric in a week. While attending a house party by his friend and neighbor, Alaric ends up stumbling across one of the young women who is attending the party dead in the bushes. The young woman's cousin immediately comes across Alaric and it appears that he is the most likely criminal. Constance Whittaker has arrived too late to help her cousin but is determined to find the murderer. Soon Constance and Alaric have teamed up to solve the murder and bring in Barnaby Adair, his wife Penelope and Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard.
OPINION: I enjoyed this book, but the balance of the story wasn't as good as others in the series. The mystery was intriguing all the way until the reveal. Unfortunately, I had pegged the villain from the start and the exact reason for the crime. It made the resolution of the mystery anticlimactic.
While I enjoyed the story between Alaric and Constance, I missed seeing more of Barnaby and Penelope. Because there was no real conflict between Alaric and Constance other than the crime, I liked them as characters, but their relationship wasn't really something that I had to root for.
This was a fine one time read, but I have enjoyed others in the series more.
WORTH MENTIONING: The hero here briefly appeared in THE CURIOUS CASE OF LADY LATIMER'S SHOES.
CONNECTED BOOKS: THE MURDER AT MANDEVILLE HALL is the seventh book in the Casebook of Barnaby Adair series. The story here is self-contained, but Barnaby Adair and his wife and the Scotland Yard investigator are continuing characters. Here, however, they are not as prominent as the couple and thus this is a good standalone in the series.
STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.
This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
THE STORY: Alaric, Lord Carradale has been a rake but something has changed recently and he is considering looking for a bride. Unfortunately, the sweet innocent young woman that would be the typical bride is someone who would likely bore Alaric in a week. While attending a house party by his friend and neighbor, Alaric ends up stumbling across one of the young women who is attending the party dead in the bushes. The young woman's cousin immediately comes across Alaric and it appears that he is the most likely criminal. Constance Whittaker has arrived too late to help her cousin but is determined to find the murderer. Soon Constance and Alaric have teamed up to solve the murder and bring in Barnaby Adair, his wife Penelope and Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard.
OPINION: I enjoyed this book, but the balance of the story wasn't as good as others in the series. The mystery was intriguing all the way until the reveal. Unfortunately, I had pegged the villain from the start and the exact reason for the crime. It made the resolution of the mystery anticlimactic.
While I enjoyed the story between Alaric and Constance, I missed seeing more of Barnaby and Penelope. Because there was no real conflict between Alaric and Constance other than the crime, I liked them as characters, but their relationship wasn't really something that I had to root for.
This was a fine one time read, but I have enjoyed others in the series more.
WORTH MENTIONING: The hero here briefly appeared in THE CURIOUS CASE OF LADY LATIMER'S SHOES.
CONNECTED BOOKS: THE MURDER AT MANDEVILLE HALL is the seventh book in the Casebook of Barnaby Adair series. The story here is self-contained, but Barnaby Adair and his wife and the Scotland Yard investigator are continuing characters. Here, however, they are not as prominent as the couple and thus this is a good standalone in the series.
STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.
This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
January 24, 2019
Loved it. Murder, drama and romance. Waiting for the next instalment. 5☆
August 28, 2024
Alaric is attending the annual country house party of his close friend and neighbor Percy Mandeville. Noted for being a bit racy, Alaric is surprised that this year 2 innocent debutants and their chaperones are included in the party. During the first evening's soiree, Alaric escorts one of the debutants, Glynis, on a harmless stroll along the terrace, then leaves, heading next door to his home for the night. The next morning, as he cuts throught the gardens from the stable at Mandeville House, he stumbles across Glynis' body, strangled. Minutes later, Glynis' cousin Constance arrives on the scene having been sent by the family to bring Glynis home from this inappropriate house party. Another murder quickly follows, Scotland Yard's Inspector Stokes is finally called in, along with consultants Barnaby and Penelope Adair. All are on a very tight clock to discover the murderer before the house party is due to end and it will be impossible to keep all these members of the ton in situ. Needless to say, our intrepid protagonists manage to do so.
This is another in the Barnaby Adair Casebook series, thus centered mostly on detection than on steamy sexy encounters and romance. There is plenty of romance but it is not the main story here. Also, the Adairs and Stokes are secondary in solving the murders - it is Alaric and Constance really who do, falling in love while doing so. I enjoyed this but only give it 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because I liked the characters. The murder plot was thin - I spotted the murderer and his reason for committing murder from practically his introduction. Too many obviouis clues and actions were ignored or dragged out. Yet, the characters and setting were enjoyable and I truly did not mind the lack of challenge.
This is another in the Barnaby Adair Casebook series, thus centered mostly on detection than on steamy sexy encounters and romance. There is plenty of romance but it is not the main story here. Also, the Adairs and Stokes are secondary in solving the murders - it is Alaric and Constance really who do, falling in love while doing so. I enjoyed this but only give it 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because I liked the characters. The murder plot was thin - I spotted the murderer and his reason for committing murder from practically his introduction. Too many obviouis clues and actions were ignored or dragged out. Yet, the characters and setting were enjoyable and I truly did not mind the lack of challenge.
October 3, 2020
I always love Stephanie Laurens's writing. At the moment Stephanie Laurens is one of the authors that I can comfortably read and engage with when there is so much other stuff going on and I'm struggling to focus and concentrate.
I still absolutely adore Barnaby and Penelope as a couple, and how they manage their marriage as well as their work obligations with the investigation. I also love the relationship between them and Stokes - they are from completely different social classes but manage to engage and work together, and have a solid friendship, not something you often see in these Regency and Victorian romances.
The solution, I thought, was pretty obvious from the beginning, but that didn't mean that I didn't enjoy reading the journey, and the romance was a great discovery and journey for Alaric and Constance as it seemed quite natural, where some romances in this type of book seem quite forced and contrived.
I have missed reading Stephanie Laurens, and now I'm very tempted to re-read the Cynster, Bastion Club and Black Cobra series, to rediscover the stories of the characters that I love. I find them so easy to read and I love how engaging I find the stories, even if I know how the story is going to end.
I still absolutely adore Barnaby and Penelope as a couple, and how they manage their marriage as well as their work obligations with the investigation. I also love the relationship between them and Stokes - they are from completely different social classes but manage to engage and work together, and have a solid friendship, not something you often see in these Regency and Victorian romances.
The solution, I thought, was pretty obvious from the beginning, but that didn't mean that I didn't enjoy reading the journey, and the romance was a great discovery and journey for Alaric and Constance as it seemed quite natural, where some romances in this type of book seem quite forced and contrived.
I have missed reading Stephanie Laurens, and now I'm very tempted to re-read the Cynster, Bastion Club and Black Cobra series, to rediscover the stories of the characters that I love. I find them so easy to read and I love how engaging I find the stories, even if I know how the story is going to end.
September 21, 2024
3 stars.
Not so much an investigation as the murderer pretty much revealed himself. I get the connection between H/h but it's a bit too little too late for me.
Not so much an investigation as the murderer pretty much revealed himself. I get the connection between H/h but it's a bit too little too late for me.
January 5, 2022
Good, but a bit predictable...
Read
March 8, 2022First, let me write that this is the first book I 'read' with Barnaby and Penelope Adiar and the first book I have 'read' by Stephanie Laurens.
I found this audio book as a limited-time special with Chirp Audio Books when searching for historical fiction murder mysteries. And this book did meet all my search requirements. Additionally, there was an unexpected little bit of 'open door' romance near the end.
The characters particular to this story line seemed pretty well developed and understandably motivated, especially, Alaric Carradale and the Amazon, Constance Whittaker. And perhaps that is why we knew these two would find each other. Short-lived as she was, Glynis was the vapid and pliable girl Alric thought he wanted for a wife and not the stronger smarter woman the reader knows that he needs. Overall, I did not find much depth to Barnaby Adair, Penelope Adair, or the stereotypical Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard. Perhaps, I would understand and appreciate the Adairs more if I had read the previous six books in this series. In this book they are smart and observant, but seem to have no depth of character or reflective history. I did appreciate that they were not there to swoop in and solve the mystery (that the reader had already solved) and take all the credit for thwarting the final scenes. They certainly did not appear to be a 'Hart to Hart' or Sam and Remy Fargo couple.
The narration by SAG/AFTRA member, Napoleon Ryan uses good voice characterization to define the cast members of the book. However, I found the reading pace too slow for my taste. I also understand that life in aristocratic Edwardian England moved at a much slower pace. For me, a playback speed of 1.3x, kept the story moving and held my interest. Unfortunately, at 1.3x the vocal pitch and speech cadence of Penelope Adair became a challenge that prevented me from listening at any higher playback speed.
At some time in the future, based on this book, I may try another book by Stephanie Laurens.
I found this audio book as a limited-time special with Chirp Audio Books when searching for historical fiction murder mysteries. And this book did meet all my search requirements. Additionally, there was an unexpected little bit of 'open door' romance near the end.
The characters particular to this story line seemed pretty well developed and understandably motivated, especially, Alaric Carradale and the Amazon, Constance Whittaker. And perhaps that is why we knew these two would find each other. Short-lived as she was, Glynis was the vapid and pliable girl Alric thought he wanted for a wife and not the stronger smarter woman the reader knows that he needs. Overall, I did not find much depth to Barnaby Adair, Penelope Adair, or the stereotypical Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard. Perhaps, I would understand and appreciate the Adairs more if I had read the previous six books in this series. In this book they are smart and observant, but seem to have no depth of character or reflective history. I did appreciate that they were not there to swoop in and solve the mystery (that the reader had already solved) and take all the credit for thwarting the final scenes. They certainly did not appear to be a 'Hart to Hart' or Sam and Remy Fargo couple.
The narration by SAG/AFTRA member, Napoleon Ryan uses good voice characterization to define the cast members of the book. However, I found the reading pace too slow for my taste. I also understand that life in aristocratic Edwardian England moved at a much slower pace. For me, a playback speed of 1.3x, kept the story moving and held my interest. Unfortunately, at 1.3x the vocal pitch and speech cadence of Penelope Adair became a challenge that prevented me from listening at any higher playback speed.
At some time in the future, based on this book, I may try another book by Stephanie Laurens.
March 2, 2021
Alaric, Lord Carradale, is finally ready to settle down. He doesn't want to spread the news because it means that he will be inundated with "help" from his three sisters. While he is a wolf of the ton, right now, no one knows the extent of his family fortune. God forbid the matchmaking mamas start to look into him if and, if he even hints that he might be looking at marriage, they will dig and they will start pushing their daughters at him.
He's at Mandeville Hall to show up at the house party his friend Percy throws every year but he's not ready to partake of the licentiousness as usual. Instead, he plans to retire to his own home at the end of every evening. But when he comes back after the first day, he discovers a body.
Miss Constance Whittaker has been sent by her grandfather to retrieve her cousin from a house party that is known to be rather... licentious. But she arrives too late; her cousin is dead. And Alaric is cradling her body. But she doesn't think that he is the one who killed her. Instead, she decides to team up with him to figure out what is going on. Unfortunately, there is another murder and Scotland Yard needs to be called in. As this is a titled group of people, of course, Inspector Stokes and Barnaby Adair are called in to help figure out what is going on.
This book mainly focuses on Constance and Alaric which is good for seeing their relationship grow but won't be good for the people used to seeing Barnaby and Penelope in the middle of the action. And the mystery wraps up early with a heavy romance on the romance for the rest of the book.
He's at Mandeville Hall to show up at the house party his friend Percy throws every year but he's not ready to partake of the licentiousness as usual. Instead, he plans to retire to his own home at the end of every evening. But when he comes back after the first day, he discovers a body.
Miss Constance Whittaker has been sent by her grandfather to retrieve her cousin from a house party that is known to be rather... licentious. But she arrives too late; her cousin is dead. And Alaric is cradling her body. But she doesn't think that he is the one who killed her. Instead, she decides to team up with him to figure out what is going on. Unfortunately, there is another murder and Scotland Yard needs to be called in. As this is a titled group of people, of course, Inspector Stokes and Barnaby Adair are called in to help figure out what is going on.
This book mainly focuses on Constance and Alaric which is good for seeing their relationship grow but won't be good for the people used to seeing Barnaby and Penelope in the middle of the action. And the mystery wraps up early with a heavy romance on the romance for the rest of the book.
May 4, 2019
More mystery than romance, but still quite good
Stephanie Laurens is an author that I watch for. She consistently writes historical romantic adventure and mysteries that will draw a person in and not let them go! The pace in this story is breakneck, as the characters only have a few days to solve this mystery before people start trying to leave. The tone is mysterious and yet hopeful. The storyline is action oriented with a lot of character development. The characters are vibrant and engaging, with only one steamy scene at the very end.
If you like your historical romances with a lot of character and an avid mystery to solve, then this is for you. You don't have to read the previous stories in this series to understand the storyline, but you may want to do so. The Cynsters are also involved in the outskirts of many Barnaby Adair stories, so you would probably enjoy those as well. If this is your first Stephanie Laurens book, try it! I can bet that it probably won't be your last!! Enjoy!
Stephanie Laurens is an author that I watch for. She consistently writes historical romantic adventure and mysteries that will draw a person in and not let them go! The pace in this story is breakneck, as the characters only have a few days to solve this mystery before people start trying to leave. The tone is mysterious and yet hopeful. The storyline is action oriented with a lot of character development. The characters are vibrant and engaging, with only one steamy scene at the very end.
If you like your historical romances with a lot of character and an avid mystery to solve, then this is for you. You don't have to read the previous stories in this series to understand the storyline, but you may want to do so. The Cynsters are also involved in the outskirts of many Barnaby Adair stories, so you would probably enjoy those as well. If this is your first Stephanie Laurens book, try it! I can bet that it probably won't be your last!! Enjoy!
March 14, 2020
I bought this book on March 2nd for $.99 and now it’s $6.99. No wonder I don’t read SL, her books are too expensive, even the ones that are 6 and 8 years old. AND for it being only 226 pages the price is ridiculous.
It was all about who killed 2 young women at a house party. And the meeting of Alaric and his Amazon Constance, that’s what he referred to her as. There were 4 real suspects, so it was hard to figure out who did it. When you thought you knew who the killer was Barnaby, Penelope and Inspector Stokes would talk you right out of it.
There was non-descriptive sex and absolutely no swearing. Just a good clean murder mystery.
One reviewer almost talked me out of reading this because she mentioned insta-love. What a crock of shit! There wasn’t any thought of love until about 85% and no words of love until about 95%. Jeez, why do reviewers write shit like that?
As to the narration: That’s the main reason I bought this book. I love Napoleon Ryan. His reading emotions are awesome and when a woman speaks it sounds exactly like a woman. He’s an incredible narrator.
February 6, 2019
I wish I had been able to find the ebook version at the library, rather than the eaudiobook. I wasn't very fond of the narrator's overall reading style, especially the voices for the women. It's the type of mystery where the death of the victims is sort of glossed over and all the emphasis is finding the murderer. I found the culprit fairly obvious from the beginning, and felt the mystery aspect was a bit muddled with so many people investigating. I'm not sure if I missed something, but I felt that early on there was something odd that was never addressed - when Alaric is first introduced to Glynis, he noticed the woman with her seemed pleased, but that is never explained. Again, maybe I missed something?
Overall it was entertaining, just not one of her better books. I think the Casebook series should focus more on the mystery aspect, and not necessarily be yet another romance.
Overall it was entertaining, just not one of her better books. I think the Casebook series should focus more on the mystery aspect, and not necessarily be yet another romance.
November 11, 2018
I just couldn't get into this. Not even sure why, it just didn't grab me and I eventually did not finish it.
The writing was fine, the characters were good, and the plot [what I read of it] was well-conceived. I really don't know why I didn't get into it, even the narrator [I had this as an audio book] was good at bringing the characters to life. But ultimately, I found my attention continuously wandering away from the story, and that's always an indication that the book just isn't for me.
Maybe I have just read too many Victorian/Regency stories in a short period of time and my interest has become saturated. This could very possibly be a terrific read for another reader. For me, at this point it just wasn't a good fit.
The writing was fine, the characters were good, and the plot [what I read of it] was well-conceived. I really don't know why I didn't get into it, even the narrator [I had this as an audio book] was good at bringing the characters to life. But ultimately, I found my attention continuously wandering away from the story, and that's always an indication that the book just isn't for me.
Maybe I have just read too many Victorian/Regency stories in a short period of time and my interest has become saturated. This could very possibly be a terrific read for another reader. For me, at this point it just wasn't a good fit.
February 12, 2024
A young lady is killed at a house party, whose hosts usually has a more racy gathering. But his friend, finds the body, and just as that happens, her older cousing walks up, with the intent on bringing the young lady home. But Alaric, Lord Carradale, is out of suspicion, since his movements are accounted for - he returned to his home closeby the night before. And Miss Constance Walker is no milk and water miss, she's just as eager to find out who killed her cousing, Glynis. The local magistrte is an idiot, and thinks it's an itinerant vagrant. But then a second guest is killed, and Scotland Yard's Inspector Stokes, along with Barnaby and Penelope Adair, to figure out who has done the murders.
Great story in the series!
Great story in the series!
September 20, 2018
While this had the potential to be a cleverly charming murder mystery set in an impressive English country estate in the 1840s,several elements prevented that. The premise that murders committed in a manor full of guests had to be resolved with 72 hours seemed far-fetched, as was the final chase scene in which all able hands were never enlisted to save the damsel in distress. Moreover, the evocative Austen-like prose were destroyed by Laurens in her final chapters when she switched to a luridly salacious tone. By abandoning the innocence and quaintly repressed demeanor of her characters, she destroyed any chance to authentically recreate a period historic romance.
August 25, 2018
Quite satisfying
This was one of my favorites in this series so far. The characters were compelling and I finished with unfulfilled wishes to see more of them settled. I sincerely hope that perhaps Monty will reappear. I think his particular talent could be used to great advantage in the future. And I hope the host finds his happily ever after in a future instalment, either of this series or another. I am intrigued to see how he develops further. A delightful read. What are you waiting for? Buy it now!
This was one of my favorites in this series so far. The characters were compelling and I finished with unfulfilled wishes to see more of them settled. I sincerely hope that perhaps Monty will reappear. I think his particular talent could be used to great advantage in the future. And I hope the host finds his happily ever after in a future instalment, either of this series or another. I am intrigued to see how he develops further. A delightful read. What are you waiting for? Buy it now!
February 8, 2021
Boring book. I didn't care about the H & h, nor the murder victims. Unfortunately, I listened to the audiobook and did NOT care for the narrator at all. It was a male, Napoleon Ryan, and I wish they would have male narrators audition their female voices prior to hiring them. This reminded me of the old plays/movies with a man playing a woman with the very high, breathy voice. I don't think I would have been any more enthralled with the book with another narrator, but it couldn't have hurt. I feel two stars is generous.
September 24, 2024
I just love the Barnaby cases. This was a good mystery. Alaric is at a house party when he discovers the dead body of a young woman from the party. Just as he discovers her, one of her relatives, Constance, comes to find her. Why was the young woman at the house party? When Stokes, Barnaby and Penelope get there, will they be able to find the murderer. As Alaric and Constance help them find clues, they grow closer together. Constance is different from the other women that Alaric associates with and she just might be the one for him. If Alaric can keep her alive, that is.
August 26, 2018
I think I’m outgrowing this author. The book was ok. I had to suspend disbelief about the hero/heroine falling in love in like 3 days. And honestly there was no reason for that - she could have had them recognize the attraction and that there could be more and still had a good story. But when they both declared I love you that took me out. Also the case was only solved when the killer confessed. So the value of Barnaby Adair and company was not really highlighted for me.
April 18, 2019
I really enjoyed this story, so when I discovered that I could pick up the Audible version for $3, I was rather chuffed with myself. And while I still enjoyed the story (all 8hrs 47min), the narrators voice, while easy to listen to, was not suited to the female roles as they all sounded rather bland with these fake breathy voices. Not at all how I’d imagined the protagonist, Constance, to be.
Apart from that one quibble, it was an great way to reacquaint myself with the story.
3 stars
Apart from that one quibble, it was an great way to reacquaint myself with the story.
3 stars
March 9, 2021
This is another good book with Barnaby and Penelope helping to find out who killed two women.
They work with Alaric and Constance to figure out what happened and why.
They go about questioning people and find the clues they need.
Alaric and Constance grow closer during this time.
They come to find love with each other neither one expected but came to them and they do belong to each other.
They do end up finding the killer which is unexpected as to who it is
They work with Alaric and Constance to figure out what happened and why.
They go about questioning people and find the clues they need.
Alaric and Constance grow closer during this time.
They come to find love with each other neither one expected but came to them and they do belong to each other.
They do end up finding the killer which is unexpected as to who it is
July 2, 2022
I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narration was the most annoying performance I’ve ever heard (and I’ve listened to dozens). Regarding the plot, it was boring, and without historical substance to compensate for the blandness. Having read all but one of the Sebastian St. Cyr novels, my expectations are high as the author, C. S. Harris makes of the Regency period itself, an impressive character.
September 5, 2018
Loved it! I love this series! Completely written for readers who love mystery with a hint of romance. Alaric and Constance are the perfect match. They have this connection that can't be broken and strength that comes from within. The family dynamics in this book will make you think and the ending will catch you off guard. I can't wait for the next book in this series.
September 26, 2018
I like a mystery, romance makes it better.
I have followed this series for years and enjoy each new chapter, Stephanie Laurens knows how to keep me interested. I have all her books, and recommend them highly. This novel reads as a stand alone book, but my joy is I know all the players, and the new romance makes it last.
I have followed this series for years and enjoy each new chapter, Stephanie Laurens knows how to keep me interested. I have all her books, and recommend them highly. This novel reads as a stand alone book, but my joy is I know all the players, and the new romance makes it last.
October 28, 2018
This full-length novel poses a satisfying mystery (though I did guess the perpetrator before the end), and pairs a hero and heroine who were clearly made for each other. There is more than one murder, as well as a thwarted third attempt, so though I put this on the romance shelf, it also fits well on romantic suspense. I enjoy Stephanie Laurens' novels, and this is a good one.
April 7, 2019
Another winner by Stephanie Laurens. I specially enjoyed the larger heroine in this one. Even though she still has to look up at the hero, she's taller than some of the other men and owns it rather than trying to diminish her height. She also has a powerful demeanor and is accepted and loved as she is.
October 26, 2022
I'm really not surprised that the holier-than-thou, puffed up on his own and his family's prominence, and has a stick up his ass character was the killer. Those characters are 9 times out of 10 the type to do horrible things like that. The irony is that said character's actions have smeared the family that he regards so highly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2025
Alaric and Constance stumble upon a body, Constance's cousin. Why was she murdered? Who did it? Should we call Scotland Yard? They do call for Scotland Yard and Barnaby Adair and team show up to help find the murderer. When they show up there is already a second dead body.
Another good and fast read .
Another good and fast read .
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