The Berylford Scandals: Lust & Liberty: or the Scandalous Tale of the Countess of Vyrrington

by Dale Hurst, Dan Lipski (Illustrator)

Lust & Liberty is a romantic mystery novel on an epic scale, detailing the town of Berylford’s forbidden liaisons, blackmail, bribery and deception, amid a society obsessed with social and financial status… The first part of THE BERYLFORD SCANDALS follows the grieved Countess of Vyrrington, considered by most as a paragon of virtue, wisdom and nobility. But also, a lady trapped in mourning for the three children she has buried, and for her declining marriage to Lord Wilson Vyrrington, who has grown cold, silent and reclusive. This, she has reinforced by taking on a lover, in the form of the handsome footman Jesse Blameford. A blitzkrieg on their pleasure, and on the Countess’ conscience, is the butler George Whitlocke, who is zealously loyal to his lord. Lady Vyrrington is forced to sacrifice her intermittent happiness for her lover’s own protection when a mysterious disappearance of a servant boy occurs, and suspicions fall on him. All the while, she grapples with threats to her person, her reputation and social rank, from both within and outside her household, and her own lustful desires. Her friends’ lives are far from peaceful either, for townswoman and military widow Judith-Ann Haffisidge must protect a secret of her own, when the past comes back to haunt her with an anonymous, cryptic message from an enemy she was not aware she had hanging over her. All the while, her nephew-in-law Luke Warwick, whom she mutually despises, plots against her for his own motives. As the separate dramas pulsate, lives of friend and foe alike are thrown upside-down, from the fiery Elspeth Urmstone, the formidable Abel Stirkwhistle and his tyrannical sister Miss Rebecca, to the greedily ambitious Judge Ezrington. All talk, or are talked about, in a place where there are no such things as private affairs.

520 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 21, 2018

About the author

Dale Hurst is a novelist and short story writer, specialising mainly in the historical, crime, mystery and black comedy genres.

Having dabbled with writing fiction from an early age, he independently published his first novel, the Regency era mystery The Berylford Scandals: Lust & Liberty in 2018, followed by a sequel Sin & Secrecy two years later. His short story, Sunday on the Boulevard (with my pet lobster) was published in two anthologies in 2022 and was also longlisted for the Bournemouth Writing Prize.

In 2025, Dale compiled a variety of short stories and poetry into his first-ever collection, Silhouettes. In the same year, his London crime story Cash and a Stranger was featured in Volume One of Veritas Noir by Veritas Entertainment.

Since 2021, he has presented his writing podcast, The Dale Hurst Writing Show, interviewing authors, playwrights, screenwriters and poets on their specialisms and areas of expertise. Now entering its sixth year, the podcast has featured at Bournemouth Writing Festival and is partnered with The Bournemouth Journal, in collaboration with Bournemouth University.

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was gripping from start to end. With quick pace and a number of reveals strategically placed throughout the book, I was left wanting more and more as I finished each chapter. This certainly isn't a genre that I delve into regularly but I was pleasantly surprised - the exciting scandals ensured that I will be returning to Berylford to read the second in the series.
The book has some fantastic characters which I loved and despised in equal measure, their stories carefully developed throughout the story. Even at completion, I am still unsure about my feelings towards a number of characters and will continue to reflect on them. I hope that I learn more about them in the next book!
What really stood out for me, was the unique and eloquent way that the story was delivered; the author clearly has a beautiful grasp of the English language and was able to manipulate his vast vocabulary in such a way that the story flowed in a consistent manner from chapter to chapter.
To end, here is my favourite section, a magnificent beginning to Chapter 47, 'The moon was a grand, giant pearl of striking, eerie, silver luminescence; a haunting sight to behold suspended motionless amid the black, starless sky, as though it were a ghostly ship abreast great waves of purple and smoke grey cloud.' Stunning.

[Alex Colvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing with an elegant and enviable sense of style, Dale Hurst keeps a quick pace as you follow the townsfolk or Berylford through a tumultuous time. Surprises and shocks abound in a wide-ranging story that has a deep focus on loss and grief, although there’s no shortage of betrayal or scandal to keep you turning the pages.

A classic for fans of historical fiction, and written with such style you just have to stop and admire some bits for how elegantly they’re crafted.