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Lady Dunbridge Mystery #2
Tell Me No Lies
Miss Fisher meets Downton Abbey in Tell Me No Lies, part of the critically acclaimed Lady Dunbridge Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble.
Rise and shine, Countess, you're about to have a visitor.
Lady Dunbridge was not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She's come to New York City, ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm. The social events of the summer have been amusing but Lady Phil is searching for more excitement---and she finds it, when an early morning visitor arrives, begging for her help. After all, Lady Phil has been known to be useful in a crisis. Especially when the crisis involves the untimely death of a handsome young business tycoon.
His death could send another financial panic through Wall Street and beyond.
With the elegant Plaza Hotel, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the opulent mansions of Long Island's Gold Coast as the backdrop, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.
Rise and shine, Countess, you're about to have a visitor.
Lady Dunbridge was not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She's come to New York City, ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm. The social events of the summer have been amusing but Lady Phil is searching for more excitement---and she finds it, when an early morning visitor arrives, begging for her help. After all, Lady Phil has been known to be useful in a crisis. Especially when the crisis involves the untimely death of a handsome young business tycoon.
His death could send another financial panic through Wall Street and beyond.
With the elegant Plaza Hotel, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the opulent mansions of Long Island's Gold Coast as the backdrop, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.
364 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2019
146 people are currently reading
786 people want to read
About the author
Shelley Noble
31 books1,223 followersShelley Noble is a multi published fiction author whose books have been translated into seven languages. She writes women’s fiction as Shelley Noble and is also the author of several amateur sleuth mystery series, written as Shelley Freydont.
A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. She also consults on various dance and theatre projects, most recently the world premiere of a full length Tom Sawyer ballet commissioned by Kansas City Ballet.
Shelley is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Liberty States Fiction Writers.
She lives near the New Jersey shore. In her spare time she loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and boardwalks with vintage carousels.
A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. She also consults on various dance and theatre projects, most recently the world premiere of a full length Tom Sawyer ballet commissioned by Kansas City Ballet.
Shelley is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Liberty States Fiction Writers.
She lives near the New Jersey shore. In her spare time she loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and boardwalks with vintage carousels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
December 18, 2019
Tell Me No Lies, the second book in the Lady Dunbridge detective series was utterly charming and great fun! I love the characters and the historical setting. It’s as if the reader has been transported back in time, the writing is so rich with details without getting bogged down. The plot was very Agatha Christie-esque as amateur detective Lady “Phil”, along with her lady maid, the resourceful Lily, and her reliable butler Preswick, work together to uncover clue upon clue in resolving yet another murder mystery. She uses her keen mind, her social standing within her circle of influence, as well as her friends, to assist the honest Detective Atkins and the mysterious Mr. X to right the world once more. It’s delightful and interesting and thoroughly entertaining. I’m decidedly a fan!
January 2, 2020
4.5 stars rounded up
Phil, Lady Dunbridge, is happily ensconced in the Plaza apartment rented by the mysterious "Mr. X" after a whirlwind summer. An early morning note from him arrives to announce a visitor. Mr. Pratt needs some help. His wife needs comforting ... you see... someone died in his house... it was not an accident! Perry Fauks, heir to the Fauks fortune was found in the laundry shoot of the Pratt family mansion the morning following their daughter's coming out ball. Phil is shocked. She danced with Perry the evening before and now he's dead. When Phil meets Gwen Pratt she knows Gwen is stronger than she looks in spite of being asthmatic. She's shrewd too and asks Phil to investigate. Phil sets Lily out to find out what she can from the servants while Phil examines the body. With this much money and these powerful people, Phil knows she needs to call Detective Sargent John Atkins. He warns Phil to stay out of the investigation yet when his hands are tired, Phil knows he needs her help. She knows people and things he can't know, not being of Society. It seems the mysterious Mr. X is also on the case and needs Phil to find out what he can't. Phil does what she wants and that is to investigate the murder and find out who killed the young man and see justice done. Could his death be connected to the financial crisis?
This is a really great follow-up to Ask Me No Questions. Now Phil's story has been established the mysteries move a lot faster. She recaps a lot of the past in case you aren't caught up to speed. This mystery is pretty typical of Gilded Age/Victorian/Edwardian/1920s Society mysteries. Of course they blame it on the valet. It's never the servants. They're not that stupid. It's always someone wealthy or well-connected, that's why the heroine is needed to investigate. This book is no exception but I really enjoyed it anyway. I did not guess who the murderer was. I knew the motive had to be love, money, or revenge on a sexual predator. Which motive and which character are the questions that kept me reading way too late for two nights in a row. The history of the financial crisis was a bit confusing, especially how it relates to the murder. I didn't quite understand what was happening. I do know the headlines read much like the headlines of 100 years later. I felt the War Department balloon experiment was a little-known interesting piece of history. I'm not sure what they thought hot air balloons would do in a war but they're working on experimenting with early aircraft. Interesting that this was happening ten years before the U.S. got into WWI and 7 years before the war even began! They had no idea what sophisticated weaponry was ahead in just a few years. The introduction of this topic complicated the plot unnecessarily and the introduction of an airplane late in the story was random.
Phil is a great character. She's a New Woman, more 1920s than 1907. She isn't afraid to push boundaries and see her way to her goal. Phil takes lovers without a thought of a second marriage and lives her life on her own terms. I'm not sure I'd want to be friends with her. It would be a bit overwhelming, but as a literary heroine I enjoy her. One lover Phil is eager to have won't have her (Atkins) and the other she doesn't even know what he looks like (Mr. X). We finally get some more glimpses of Mr. X and a hint about who he might be. Phil is also friends with the real life Daisy Grenville, Countess of Warwick who most certainly didn't have an affair with the Prince Regent since he died in the 1820s but rather with the Prince of Wales (Kig Edward VII). I've been to her castle and heard about her escapades but I really enjoyed this look at older Daisy. She's done (she says) fooling around and wants to do good works. She's actively working for socialist causes but badly in need of funds since her husband, Brookie, can't hang on to a pence. Daisy is fun and interesting. I liked her better than Phil because of her philanthropy. Phil is compassionate and can afford to help a street urchin friend who looks after her.
Preswick and Lily are a major part of the investigation, especially Lily. I love them both. I love how New York agrees with Preswick. He's really come unstuffed and is an eager participant in the investigation. Lily is still mysterious but very very loyal. She's quick with the stiletto and eager to defend herself and her new "family" from harm- sometimes too quick. They provide some comic relief. Bobby Mullins is back too. He's funny but he's sharp. Having been a criminal, he understands criminal behavior. I like how dedicated he is to his horses.
I like Atkins. He's a good man. He's educated and knows how to handle the upper crust. He's fair and just without being corrupt. Unfortunately that places him in a tough spot with the NYPD since most of them are corrupt and willingly will look the other way when strong-armed by the wealthy.
The characters connected with the murder are too numerous to keep track of. I loved the Pratt family. Gwen and Luther are very much in love. He's protective of her in a kind way and loves his daughter as well. Agnes is young and bit silly. I feel very very bad for her though because of the things that happened in this novel. That's so terrible and no woman or girl deserves it. Their son Morris is a lazy young man about town and is shaping up to be a ne'er do well. He's not much of a prize and needs to grow up.
Gwen's sister and her family are staying in New York too. Ruth Jeffrey seems careworn and perhaps verbally abused. Her daughters are ninnies, especially Maude. I actually have a lot of sympathy for Maude. The timeline of events is unclear but I wonder whether she thinks she's in love because of Perry or she was in love with Perry and acted a certain way because of her infatuation. Mr. Jeffry isn't in the book too often. He seems like a moocher and has a temper. Also staying at the Pratt family's home is Luther's old friend and his daughter's godfather, Godfrey Bennington. He works for the War Department and is wealthy and well-connected. He has the power to make or break people and stop the investigation. He may know more than he's letting on. At first I found him creepy. I didn't think he'd murder anyone himself but rather hire someone to do the deed. I don't think it would happen in a moment of passion but he may have reason to wish Perry dead.
One other person connected to the mystery is Vincent Wynn-Taylor, Luther Pratt's secretary. Once a wealthy young man, Vincent now has to work for a living. He seems a bit angry and surly at first. He disappears from the story and pops up again later when he becomes a suspect. He has a good motive but I don't think he's capable of murdering one of his old friends even in the heat of the moment. Another suspect is Mr. Sheffield. Missing since the murder, could he have killed Perry? His storyline takes Phil in a direction I never expected and I learned something new and interesting. My heart breaks for his wife but she isn't a nice woman. She judges and in her grief has alienated the one person who should have been her support. It sure seems like Sheffield is a murderer since he has disappeared but why now after all these years? The motive has to be financial to make him a suspect and he isn't around to tell what he knows.
Elva, Gwen Pratt's maid, is loyal and supportive. However, as a woman of the working class, she's afraid of being too forward and speaking her mind. She's a tragic character. Atkins is not sympathetic or understanding enough.
I am eager to read more about Phil and her adventures. I'm dying to know more about Mr. X as much as Phil is!
Content warnings:
violence
mild language
sexual harassment, sexual assault/near rape/implied rape
adultery
consensual lovemaking fade to black
Phil, Lady Dunbridge, is happily ensconced in the Plaza apartment rented by the mysterious "Mr. X" after a whirlwind summer. An early morning note from him arrives to announce a visitor. Mr. Pratt needs some help. His wife needs comforting ... you see... someone died in his house... it was not an accident! Perry Fauks, heir to the Fauks fortune was found in the laundry shoot of the Pratt family mansion the morning following their daughter's coming out ball. Phil is shocked. She danced with Perry the evening before and now he's dead. When Phil meets Gwen Pratt she knows Gwen is stronger than she looks in spite of being asthmatic. She's shrewd too and asks Phil to investigate. Phil sets Lily out to find out what she can from the servants while Phil examines the body. With this much money and these powerful people, Phil knows she needs to call Detective Sargent John Atkins. He warns Phil to stay out of the investigation yet when his hands are tired, Phil knows he needs her help. She knows people and things he can't know, not being of Society. It seems the mysterious Mr. X is also on the case and needs Phil to find out what he can't. Phil does what she wants and that is to investigate the murder and find out who killed the young man and see justice done. Could his death be connected to the financial crisis?
This is a really great follow-up to Ask Me No Questions. Now Phil's story has been established the mysteries move a lot faster. She recaps a lot of the past in case you aren't caught up to speed. This mystery is pretty typical of Gilded Age/Victorian/Edwardian/1920s Society mysteries. Of course they blame it on the valet. It's never the servants. They're not that stupid. It's always someone wealthy or well-connected, that's why the heroine is needed to investigate. This book is no exception but I really enjoyed it anyway. I did not guess who the murderer was. I knew the motive had to be love, money, or revenge on a sexual predator. Which motive and which character are the questions that kept me reading way too late for two nights in a row. The history of the financial crisis was a bit confusing, especially how it relates to the murder. I didn't quite understand what was happening. I do know the headlines read much like the headlines of 100 years later. I felt the War Department balloon experiment was a little-known interesting piece of history. I'm not sure what they thought hot air balloons would do in a war but they're working on experimenting with early aircraft. Interesting that this was happening ten years before the U.S. got into WWI and 7 years before the war even began! They had no idea what sophisticated weaponry was ahead in just a few years. The introduction of this topic complicated the plot unnecessarily and the introduction of an airplane late in the story was random.
Phil is a great character. She's a New Woman, more 1920s than 1907. She isn't afraid to push boundaries and see her way to her goal. Phil takes lovers without a thought of a second marriage and lives her life on her own terms. I'm not sure I'd want to be friends with her. It would be a bit overwhelming, but as a literary heroine I enjoy her. One lover Phil is eager to have won't have her (Atkins) and the other she doesn't even know what he looks like (Mr. X). We finally get some more glimpses of Mr. X and a hint about who he might be. Phil is also friends with the real life Daisy Grenville, Countess of Warwick who most certainly didn't have an affair with the Prince Regent since he died in the 1820s but rather with the Prince of Wales (Kig Edward VII). I've been to her castle and heard about her escapades but I really enjoyed this look at older Daisy. She's done (she says) fooling around and wants to do good works. She's actively working for socialist causes but badly in need of funds since her husband, Brookie, can't hang on to a pence. Daisy is fun and interesting. I liked her better than Phil because of her philanthropy. Phil is compassionate and can afford to help a street urchin friend who looks after her.
Preswick and Lily are a major part of the investigation, especially Lily. I love them both. I love how New York agrees with Preswick. He's really come unstuffed and is an eager participant in the investigation. Lily is still mysterious but very very loyal. She's quick with the stiletto and eager to defend herself and her new "family" from harm- sometimes too quick. They provide some comic relief. Bobby Mullins is back too. He's funny but he's sharp. Having been a criminal, he understands criminal behavior. I like how dedicated he is to his horses.
I like Atkins. He's a good man. He's educated and knows how to handle the upper crust. He's fair and just without being corrupt. Unfortunately that places him in a tough spot with the NYPD since most of them are corrupt and willingly will look the other way when strong-armed by the wealthy.
The characters connected with the murder are too numerous to keep track of. I loved the Pratt family. Gwen and Luther are very much in love. He's protective of her in a kind way and loves his daughter as well. Agnes is young and bit silly. I feel very very bad for her though because of the things that happened in this novel. That's so terrible and no woman or girl deserves it. Their son Morris is a lazy young man about town and is shaping up to be a ne'er do well. He's not much of a prize and needs to grow up.
Gwen's sister and her family are staying in New York too. Ruth Jeffrey seems careworn and perhaps verbally abused. Her daughters are ninnies, especially Maude. I actually have a lot of sympathy for Maude. The timeline of events is unclear but I wonder whether she thinks she's in love because of Perry or she was in love with Perry and acted a certain way because of her infatuation. Mr. Jeffry isn't in the book too often. He seems like a moocher and has a temper. Also staying at the Pratt family's home is Luther's old friend and his daughter's godfather, Godfrey Bennington. He works for the War Department and is wealthy and well-connected. He has the power to make or break people and stop the investigation. He may know more than he's letting on. At first I found him creepy. I didn't think he'd murder anyone himself but rather hire someone to do the deed. I don't think it would happen in a moment of passion but he may have reason to wish Perry dead.
One other person connected to the mystery is Vincent Wynn-Taylor, Luther Pratt's secretary. Once a wealthy young man, Vincent now has to work for a living. He seems a bit angry and surly at first. He disappears from the story and pops up again later when he becomes a suspect. He has a good motive but I don't think he's capable of murdering one of his old friends even in the heat of the moment. Another suspect is Mr. Sheffield. Missing since the murder, could he have killed Perry? His storyline takes Phil in a direction I never expected and I learned something new and interesting. My heart breaks for his wife but she isn't a nice woman. She judges and in her grief has alienated the one person who should have been her support. It sure seems like Sheffield is a murderer since he has disappeared but why now after all these years? The motive has to be financial to make him a suspect and he isn't around to tell what he knows.
Elva, Gwen Pratt's maid, is loyal and supportive. However, as a woman of the working class, she's afraid of being too forward and speaking her mind. She's a tragic character. Atkins is not sympathetic or understanding enough.
I am eager to read more about Phil and her adventures. I'm dying to know more about Mr. X as much as Phil is!
Content warnings:
violence
mild language
sexual harassment, sexual assault/near rape/implied rape
adultery
consensual lovemaking fade to black
November 10, 2019
TELL ME NO LIES by Shelley Noble
The Second Lady Dunbridge Mystery
Free of the constraints of British High Society Lady Philomena Dunbridge is happy with her new life in New York City. A late night turns into an early morning when her host of the night before arrives before breakfast requesting her help. Another guest has had an unfortunate "accident" and is dead. Thrilled to look into matters Phil soon determines the young man was murdered, and powers higher than expected want the matter closed. Bringing Detective Sergeant Atkins on board, Phil is determined to help, much to his annoyance. Along with her plucky maid and loyal butler, Phil will join the high society bankers, businessmen, and their families to discover just who killed the heir to the Fauks fortune.
TELL ME NO LIES is a delightful mystery set within the posh backdrop of Gilded Age New York. I adore Phil. Though she may be a Countess, and a dowager at that, Phil is down to earth and well able to mingle with all classes and values the importance of them all. She is shrewd, loyal, and discerning, while also being capable of great fun. She knows what she wants and is not afraid to go after it. Phil also knows her limitations and strives to learn more, but is well aware when she needs to bring in help. I'm almost as drawn to Mr. X as she is. I like that his identity is still a secret and am curious just how many players there are. Is he the one supporting her in her new mission? Or is he working for that party? And what of Detective Adkins? Whatever the case, I enjoy the romantic overtones both bring to the page. Lily and Preswick also bring a great deal to the page. They are not just devoted servants, they are family and I love that Phil realizes this. Just a Friend is a great addition to the team and I'm delighted that several of the colorful characters from the first book are not only back, but back to help!
The mystery itself in this second Lady Dunbridge Mystery was fascinating. Just why was the young heir killed? Revenge for past deeds, business gone bad, love turned sour? I was as much at a loss as Lady Dunbridge. The stock market, banking, economics, war, how do these matters fit in? Do they? Although a historical mystery the themes and issues are as relevant today as they were then and readers should take note.
TELL ME NO LIES is a historical novel that has it all, comedy, romance, an intricately laid mystery, well developed characters, and a thrilling chase scene! I wait in eager anticipation for Lady Dunbridge's next adventure!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
The Second Lady Dunbridge Mystery
Free of the constraints of British High Society Lady Philomena Dunbridge is happy with her new life in New York City. A late night turns into an early morning when her host of the night before arrives before breakfast requesting her help. Another guest has had an unfortunate "accident" and is dead. Thrilled to look into matters Phil soon determines the young man was murdered, and powers higher than expected want the matter closed. Bringing Detective Sergeant Atkins on board, Phil is determined to help, much to his annoyance. Along with her plucky maid and loyal butler, Phil will join the high society bankers, businessmen, and their families to discover just who killed the heir to the Fauks fortune.
TELL ME NO LIES is a delightful mystery set within the posh backdrop of Gilded Age New York. I adore Phil. Though she may be a Countess, and a dowager at that, Phil is down to earth and well able to mingle with all classes and values the importance of them all. She is shrewd, loyal, and discerning, while also being capable of great fun. She knows what she wants and is not afraid to go after it. Phil also knows her limitations and strives to learn more, but is well aware when she needs to bring in help. I'm almost as drawn to Mr. X as she is. I like that his identity is still a secret and am curious just how many players there are. Is he the one supporting her in her new mission? Or is he working for that party? And what of Detective Adkins? Whatever the case, I enjoy the romantic overtones both bring to the page. Lily and Preswick also bring a great deal to the page. They are not just devoted servants, they are family and I love that Phil realizes this. Just a Friend is a great addition to the team and I'm delighted that several of the colorful characters from the first book are not only back, but back to help!
The mystery itself in this second Lady Dunbridge Mystery was fascinating. Just why was the young heir killed? Revenge for past deeds, business gone bad, love turned sour? I was as much at a loss as Lady Dunbridge. The stock market, banking, economics, war, how do these matters fit in? Do they? Although a historical mystery the themes and issues are as relevant today as they were then and readers should take note.
TELL ME NO LIES is a historical novel that has it all, comedy, romance, an intricately laid mystery, well developed characters, and a thrilling chase scene! I wait in eager anticipation for Lady Dunbridge's next adventure!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
November 9, 2019
It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
I loved the engrossing, entertaining plot with a well researched historical background and a lot of humour.
The cast of characters is well developed and interesting and I had no issue with them even if I didn't read the previous instalment.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I loved the engrossing, entertaining plot with a well researched historical background and a lot of humour.
The cast of characters is well developed and interesting and I had no issue with them even if I didn't read the previous instalment.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
May 16, 2019
This is the second book in the Lady Dunbridge mystery series. This book works as a stand alone. The mystery was good with many red-herrings. I would have liked to see more interaction between Phil and her butler. I felt it would have been a stronger book with more character development.
April 29, 2021
Lady Dunbridge is back at it in Tell Me No Lies by Shelley Noble and she's proven herself to be quite the sleuth when it comes to solving the pesky murders that keep happening to New York City's social elite. Lady Dunbridge is now living at the Plaza Hotel, which is being paid for by the mysterious "Mr. X." A man who keeps showing up and leaving her little clues, but she's not sure what side he's really on. Who is he and who does he work for? Why is he always there just when she needs him and why is she so attracted to this stranger? This and more will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. In this one a stranger appears at her door one morning begging her to come to his home to comfort his wife after a tragedy has struck their family. Of course she will, that's what the Lady does!
Lady Dunbridge, or Phil as she's known to her friends rushes over to his house where she learns a young up and coming businessman, who is the heir to a huge steel company has been found murdered and shoved down the laundry chute! This has all happened right after the stock market crash, banks are barely surviving and stocks are dropping like rocks. Phil and of course her trusty servants, her own team of investigators don't waste time and start doing what they do best, asking questions and getting to know those in the house at the time. They're an odd sort of group who are more worried about how their business will be affected than the actual death of this young man. As the clues begin to pile up Phil and her team get closer to the killer, the thrills and chills begin to mount and the plot thickens, as they say!
This series has been so fun to read, so far. I've loved the characters, especially Phil, her lady's maid and butler or the team I should say. With Phil being a countess she's obviously got a whole different perspective on how life should be led and feels others should accept her as is. I love her gumption and attitude. Her lady's maid Lily is a mystery, with Lily not even being her real name. I'm hoping in the next book or two I learn more about her, since even Phil has never asked for fear of losing her. This one takes place in the Gilded Age of New York City, which is one of my favorite time periods to read about. Such a time of change in America. These are just all around fun, easy reads with great characters. The hunt for the culprit, the close calls Phil and her team find themselves in and the back and forth between the handsome cop and Phil all make for a great story! Cozy Reader? Try this series, it's a good one! Happy Reading!
Lady Dunbridge, or Phil as she's known to her friends rushes over to his house where she learns a young up and coming businessman, who is the heir to a huge steel company has been found murdered and shoved down the laundry chute! This has all happened right after the stock market crash, banks are barely surviving and stocks are dropping like rocks. Phil and of course her trusty servants, her own team of investigators don't waste time and start doing what they do best, asking questions and getting to know those in the house at the time. They're an odd sort of group who are more worried about how their business will be affected than the actual death of this young man. As the clues begin to pile up Phil and her team get closer to the killer, the thrills and chills begin to mount and the plot thickens, as they say!
This series has been so fun to read, so far. I've loved the characters, especially Phil, her lady's maid and butler or the team I should say. With Phil being a countess she's obviously got a whole different perspective on how life should be led and feels others should accept her as is. I love her gumption and attitude. Her lady's maid Lily is a mystery, with Lily not even being her real name. I'm hoping in the next book or two I learn more about her, since even Phil has never asked for fear of losing her. This one takes place in the Gilded Age of New York City, which is one of my favorite time periods to read about. Such a time of change in America. These are just all around fun, easy reads with great characters. The hunt for the culprit, the close calls Phil and her team find themselves in and the back and forth between the handsome cop and Phil all make for a great story! Cozy Reader? Try this series, it's a good one! Happy Reading!
December 7, 2019
An intriguing mystery with an marvelous historical setting, Tell Me No Lies combines an American setting with the characters and features of an English country-house mystery. But the Dowager Duchess of Dunbridge is no Miss Marple--she's pretty adventurous, both in her personal life and in pursuit of a perp. I liked the characters from the start--not only Phil, but her servants, Lily and Preswick. The latter is all British butler perfection, but the former is a mystery herself, and one that I hope the author sees fit to unravel eventually, along with that of Phil's mysterious "boss."
I did find that the book started a little slowly, though I couldn't put my finger on anything besides my own mood that made me reluctant to engage. But once well into the story, it definitely took off, and as we neared the end I had to push on to see whodunnit, a solution that I felt I should have seen coming more clearly. The author did a good job with the misdirection on that score.
There were a few too many moments when my attention was distracted by a word used incorrectly or an awkward turn of phrase, but those problems didn't ride to the level of disqualifying the book for a positive review.
My Recommendation:
I always like to read series in order, but there were no issues with reading this book without its predecessor. I would recommend it for anyone who likes mysteries set in the 1920s, or those who enjoy a peek at high society, complete with some lovely gowns.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I did find that the book started a little slowly, though I couldn't put my finger on anything besides my own mood that made me reluctant to engage. But once well into the story, it definitely took off, and as we neared the end I had to push on to see whodunnit, a solution that I felt I should have seen coming more clearly. The author did a good job with the misdirection on that score.
There were a few too many moments when my attention was distracted by a word used incorrectly or an awkward turn of phrase, but those problems didn't ride to the level of disqualifying the book for a positive review.
My Recommendation:
I always like to read series in order, but there were no issues with reading this book without its predecessor. I would recommend it for anyone who likes mysteries set in the 1920s, or those who enjoy a peek at high society, complete with some lovely gowns.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
January 30, 2025
I have to say that Lady Dunbridge, Phil, is an absolute delight and such a joy to spend time with! This mystery was full of twists and turns, and fascinating characters. A smooth read with an engaging and playful heroine, the reader can't help but to root for Phil and her intrepid servants! Great fun!
March 6, 2020
I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and it kept my interest. I like period detective type stories. Lady Dunbridge is the main character and a character she is. It is set in a wealthy time where people behaved much different from today. I haven’t read the first in the series which is “Ask Me No Questions” but I plan too. If you want an easy fun read this maybe for you.
January 30, 2021
One of the best cozy mystery series, ever. Each book is a delight and I can't wait to read the next one. Memorable characters, great dialogue and a fascinating location.
January 26, 2020
A fun mystery. Lady Dunbridge is a great protagonist. The secondary characters are entertaining. The mystery has good twists and red herrings.
September 27, 2019
The second Philomena Amesbury, Dowager Countess of Dunbridge mystery sees her settled in a suite at the new Plaza Hotel along with her maid and butler. Her bill is being footed by a mysterious organization who wants to use her to investigate various things. She calls her contact Mr. X and he is a total man of mystery and master of disguises.
This case begins when she is called in by some new friends to help them figure out what to do about the murder of a young man who was a suitor for their daughter and a guest at her debut party. Parry Fauks is the heir to a company but also a man who wants to be in charge now. He and many others are looking for get rich quick schemes in the volatile stock market. Suspects for his murder could be his business associates or it could be a more personal crime since he has a bad reputation among young society ladies.
Phil is busy investigating even though she is being discourage by Detective Sergeant John Atkins. But Phil is the one who has access to the high society venues where the answers might lie and Atkins needs her. So does the mysterious Mr. X but Phil isn't at all sure what he wants her to do.
When a second murder happens, the case gets even more complex. Phil, her faithful maid Lily, and butler Preswick have to use all the skills they have gathered from their study of books on criminal investigation and detective stories to solve this crime and save the reputation of a young lady.
I enjoyed the setting. I like Phil who is a woman of privilege but little money. I like that she is finding a new purpose for her life solving crimes. I liked the way that history was woven into the story.
This case begins when she is called in by some new friends to help them figure out what to do about the murder of a young man who was a suitor for their daughter and a guest at her debut party. Parry Fauks is the heir to a company but also a man who wants to be in charge now. He and many others are looking for get rich quick schemes in the volatile stock market. Suspects for his murder could be his business associates or it could be a more personal crime since he has a bad reputation among young society ladies.
Phil is busy investigating even though she is being discourage by Detective Sergeant John Atkins. But Phil is the one who has access to the high society venues where the answers might lie and Atkins needs her. So does the mysterious Mr. X but Phil isn't at all sure what he wants her to do.
When a second murder happens, the case gets even more complex. Phil, her faithful maid Lily, and butler Preswick have to use all the skills they have gathered from their study of books on criminal investigation and detective stories to solve this crime and save the reputation of a young lady.
I enjoyed the setting. I like Phil who is a woman of privilege but little money. I like that she is finding a new purpose for her life solving crimes. I liked the way that history was woven into the story.
November 10, 2019
Originally published at Reading Reality
I picked up Tell Me No Lies because I really enjoyed the first book of Lady Dunbridge’s adventures, Ask Me No Questions. And yes, I sense a theme in those titles and I’m wondering where it goes from here. The (presumably) original Oliver Goldsmith quote, from his play She Stoops to Conquer, just say “Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no fibs.” Close enough.
So, here we have the delicious fun of Tell Me No Lies. And it is definitely delicious – and that’s no fib at all. And fun. Also deadly. But Lady Philomena Dunbridge, Phil to her friends and readers, is there to save the day.
Where in Ask Me No Questions Phil literally walked into the murder, and is caught in the middle of the investigation because she needs to get her friend Reggie and herself out of the frame that they have definitely been placed in, she has spent the several months since those events researching the proper procedures for conducting investigations, with the able assistance of her supposed servants, Preswick and Lily.
All in order to be of future assistance to the charming, mysterious Mr. X who is paying Phil’s rent in exchange for future investigative services – and possibly more.
Phil’s involvement with this new case is a direct result of the previous. High society in Gilded Age Manhattan is rather a tight circle, and Phil has developed a reputation for saving reputations where such is warranted. The morning after Phil’s attendance at the sparkling debut ball for debutante Agnes Pratt, Mr. Luther Pratt, the debutante’s father, appears at Phil’s door to request her immediate return to the scene of the festivities.
The corpse of one of the other guests has been found in the laundry. It’s up to Phil to figure out just how the man ended up dead, and whether the deed was done by one of the well-heeled guests or one of their respectable servants. But better a servant than a guest – especially since the guests were all important titans of banking and industry, and a scandal amongst them could precipitate a further destabilization of the volatile stock market.
Little do they know that it’s already too late for most of them to save themselves from either the investigation, the fallout, or the impending crash.
All Phil can do is make sure that only the guilty are punished for the crime. As soon as she can figure out the who, the how and most especially the why of it all. No matter how important the man who stands in her way.
Escape Rating A-: I enjoyed Tell Me No Lies every single bit as much as I did Ask Me No Questions. I absolutely adore the character of Phil, her perspective is witty and trenchant and just the right amount of cynical. That she reminds me very much of Phryne Fisher is certainly a plus.
Howsomever, I do have just a couple of quibbles. The blurbs describe this series as Miss Fisher (presumably of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries) meets Downton Abbey. Those same blurbs also set the series in Gilded Age New York City. There’s truth in those descriptions, as well as more than a bit of hyperbole.
Also more than a hint of misdirection. This entry in the series in particular is set in late October, 1929. As the story opens, the talk of the town is that J.P. Morgan and his business associates have just attempted to stop the fall of the banks by injecting millions of dollars of their own money into the system. (This really happened.) But their efforts were doomed to fail, a fact that is fairly obvious in the background of the story.
In other words, this story takes place in the days, the very last days, before Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the day the stock markets fell in a crash that had been anticipated for over a month – and was certainly both feared and foreseen by the many financiers in this story.
So not actually the Gilded Age, but the glorious excess of that Gilded Age probably sounds more lively than the Great Depression. Not that this book isn’t plenty lively in spite of the shadows of doom. Phil is guaranteed to put plenty of life into any party.
Also there’s not so much of Downton Abbey here. Not just because the story is set in New York, and service in the U.S. was never nearly as entrenched as it was in Britain, but also because Phil exists between the classes. By birth she is upper class, but she is also living by her wits. She knows how the upper class thinks and functions – at least back home – but she isn’t exactly a part of it the way the Crawleys are. And certainly her two loyal retainers, the butler Preswick and the lady’s maid Lily, are much more partners-in-solving-crime than they are servants in any traditional sense.
But the strong resemblance to Miss Fisher, Miss Phryne Fisher, is definitely present. Phil and Phryne would either get along like the proverbial house on fire, or would fight like two cats over the same territory – and possibly the same men. They are very much alike in perspective and attitude.
And Phil’s handsome cop with somewhat of a stick up his ass, Detective Sergeant John Atkins, is a dead ringer for Detective Inspector John “Jack” Robinson, at least as portrayed by Nathan Page in the TV series. With zero resemblance (by either) to the same character in the book series. The flirtation between Atkins and Phil certainly furthers the likeness.
At the beginning I referred to the Oliver Goldsmith quote as the source – so far – of the titles for this series. But there’s a Lynyrd Skynard song has a few more lines that might be relevant later.
"So, don’t ask me no questions
And I won’t tell you no lies
So, don’t ask me about my business
And I won’t tell you goodbye"
We’ll see. Hopefully. Soon.
I picked up Tell Me No Lies because I really enjoyed the first book of Lady Dunbridge’s adventures, Ask Me No Questions. And yes, I sense a theme in those titles and I’m wondering where it goes from here. The (presumably) original Oliver Goldsmith quote, from his play She Stoops to Conquer, just say “Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no fibs.” Close enough.
So, here we have the delicious fun of Tell Me No Lies. And it is definitely delicious – and that’s no fib at all. And fun. Also deadly. But Lady Philomena Dunbridge, Phil to her friends and readers, is there to save the day.
Where in Ask Me No Questions Phil literally walked into the murder, and is caught in the middle of the investigation because she needs to get her friend Reggie and herself out of the frame that they have definitely been placed in, she has spent the several months since those events researching the proper procedures for conducting investigations, with the able assistance of her supposed servants, Preswick and Lily.
All in order to be of future assistance to the charming, mysterious Mr. X who is paying Phil’s rent in exchange for future investigative services – and possibly more.
Phil’s involvement with this new case is a direct result of the previous. High society in Gilded Age Manhattan is rather a tight circle, and Phil has developed a reputation for saving reputations where such is warranted. The morning after Phil’s attendance at the sparkling debut ball for debutante Agnes Pratt, Mr. Luther Pratt, the debutante’s father, appears at Phil’s door to request her immediate return to the scene of the festivities.
The corpse of one of the other guests has been found in the laundry. It’s up to Phil to figure out just how the man ended up dead, and whether the deed was done by one of the well-heeled guests or one of their respectable servants. But better a servant than a guest – especially since the guests were all important titans of banking and industry, and a scandal amongst them could precipitate a further destabilization of the volatile stock market.
Little do they know that it’s already too late for most of them to save themselves from either the investigation, the fallout, or the impending crash.
All Phil can do is make sure that only the guilty are punished for the crime. As soon as she can figure out the who, the how and most especially the why of it all. No matter how important the man who stands in her way.
Escape Rating A-: I enjoyed Tell Me No Lies every single bit as much as I did Ask Me No Questions. I absolutely adore the character of Phil, her perspective is witty and trenchant and just the right amount of cynical. That she reminds me very much of Phryne Fisher is certainly a plus.
Howsomever, I do have just a couple of quibbles. The blurbs describe this series as Miss Fisher (presumably of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries) meets Downton Abbey. Those same blurbs also set the series in Gilded Age New York City. There’s truth in those descriptions, as well as more than a bit of hyperbole.
Also more than a hint of misdirection. This entry in the series in particular is set in late October, 1929. As the story opens, the talk of the town is that J.P. Morgan and his business associates have just attempted to stop the fall of the banks by injecting millions of dollars of their own money into the system. (This really happened.) But their efforts were doomed to fail, a fact that is fairly obvious in the background of the story.
In other words, this story takes place in the days, the very last days, before Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the day the stock markets fell in a crash that had been anticipated for over a month – and was certainly both feared and foreseen by the many financiers in this story.
So not actually the Gilded Age, but the glorious excess of that Gilded Age probably sounds more lively than the Great Depression. Not that this book isn’t plenty lively in spite of the shadows of doom. Phil is guaranteed to put plenty of life into any party.
Also there’s not so much of Downton Abbey here. Not just because the story is set in New York, and service in the U.S. was never nearly as entrenched as it was in Britain, but also because Phil exists between the classes. By birth she is upper class, but she is also living by her wits. She knows how the upper class thinks and functions – at least back home – but she isn’t exactly a part of it the way the Crawleys are. And certainly her two loyal retainers, the butler Preswick and the lady’s maid Lily, are much more partners-in-solving-crime than they are servants in any traditional sense.
But the strong resemblance to Miss Fisher, Miss Phryne Fisher, is definitely present. Phil and Phryne would either get along like the proverbial house on fire, or would fight like two cats over the same territory – and possibly the same men. They are very much alike in perspective and attitude.
And Phil’s handsome cop with somewhat of a stick up his ass, Detective Sergeant John Atkins, is a dead ringer for Detective Inspector John “Jack” Robinson, at least as portrayed by Nathan Page in the TV series. With zero resemblance (by either) to the same character in the book series. The flirtation between Atkins and Phil certainly furthers the likeness.
At the beginning I referred to the Oliver Goldsmith quote as the source – so far – of the titles for this series. But there’s a Lynyrd Skynard song has a few more lines that might be relevant later.
"So, don’t ask me no questions
And I won’t tell you no lies
So, don’t ask me about my business
And I won’t tell you goodbye"
We’ll see. Hopefully. Soon.
November 12, 2019
In Tell Me No Lies, the second book in the Lady Dunbridge mystery series, author Shelley Noble reprises her winning formula of spinning a tale with the most irresistible elements: Gilded-Age Manhattan high society, romance, rogues, scandal, intrigue, and delicious gossip.
Since relocating to New York City, Lady Philomena Dunbridge has proven herself to be a trustworthy and resourceful confidant—one to whom wealthy women turn when they find themselves or their families at risk of scandal and ruin. Thus, when Perry Fauks, the young heir apparent to a manufacturing company fortune is found murdered at the Pratt mansion after an extravagant gala, Gwen Pratt calls upon Lady Phil for guidance. Indeed, just the slightest hint of scandal can undermine patriarch Luther’s prospects for an appointment to the Banking Commission and daughter Agnes’s social reputation.
Just who stands to gain from the murder of Perry Fauks? Detective Sergeant John Atkins is formally assigned to the case, but it is soon apparent that powerful people are determined to derail his investigation. Reluctantly, he turns to Lady Phil for assistance. She proves to be an astute ally, using her access to the scene of the crime and her social connections quite effectively. Phil discovers that Perry was a cad in both his personal and business lives, operating outside of acceptable norms. Was Perry’s murder revenge for his personal peccadillos, or retribution for a shady scheme that caused financial devastation for several in his circle? In either case, there is a substantial number of suspects.
Tell Me No Lies is filled with vivid historical detail and a lively cast of above- and below-stairs characters—a veritable New York-style Downton Abbey. Protagonist Lady Phil is a force to be reckoned with, and her playful banter with DS Atkins is highly spirited and entertaining. Moreover, Noble uses the classic technique of drawing room questioning of the assembled group of characters to great advantage, and the daring chase to capture the fleeing killer after the identity is revealed is icing on the cake.
Author Shelley Noble has created an exciting series with massive appeal for fans of cozy mysteries, historical fiction, and old New York. And while Tell Me No Lies brings Lady Dunbridge’s latest adventure to a satisfying close, it also leaves readers pondering ongoing mysteries still swirling around our heroine: Who is her faithful lady’s maid Lily? Who is the anonymous donor responsible for funding Phil’s lavish apartment at the Plaza Hotel? And who is Mr. X, the mystery man and master of disguise watching over Phil, providing perfectly-timed clues for her investigations? Such curiosities give ample reason to anxiously await the further escapades of Lady Philomena Dunbridge.
Since relocating to New York City, Lady Philomena Dunbridge has proven herself to be a trustworthy and resourceful confidant—one to whom wealthy women turn when they find themselves or their families at risk of scandal and ruin. Thus, when Perry Fauks, the young heir apparent to a manufacturing company fortune is found murdered at the Pratt mansion after an extravagant gala, Gwen Pratt calls upon Lady Phil for guidance. Indeed, just the slightest hint of scandal can undermine patriarch Luther’s prospects for an appointment to the Banking Commission and daughter Agnes’s social reputation.
Just who stands to gain from the murder of Perry Fauks? Detective Sergeant John Atkins is formally assigned to the case, but it is soon apparent that powerful people are determined to derail his investigation. Reluctantly, he turns to Lady Phil for assistance. She proves to be an astute ally, using her access to the scene of the crime and her social connections quite effectively. Phil discovers that Perry was a cad in both his personal and business lives, operating outside of acceptable norms. Was Perry’s murder revenge for his personal peccadillos, or retribution for a shady scheme that caused financial devastation for several in his circle? In either case, there is a substantial number of suspects.
Tell Me No Lies is filled with vivid historical detail and a lively cast of above- and below-stairs characters—a veritable New York-style Downton Abbey. Protagonist Lady Phil is a force to be reckoned with, and her playful banter with DS Atkins is highly spirited and entertaining. Moreover, Noble uses the classic technique of drawing room questioning of the assembled group of characters to great advantage, and the daring chase to capture the fleeing killer after the identity is revealed is icing on the cake.
Author Shelley Noble has created an exciting series with massive appeal for fans of cozy mysteries, historical fiction, and old New York. And while Tell Me No Lies brings Lady Dunbridge’s latest adventure to a satisfying close, it also leaves readers pondering ongoing mysteries still swirling around our heroine: Who is her faithful lady’s maid Lily? Who is the anonymous donor responsible for funding Phil’s lavish apartment at the Plaza Hotel? And who is Mr. X, the mystery man and master of disguise watching over Phil, providing perfectly-timed clues for her investigations? Such curiosities give ample reason to anxiously await the further escapades of Lady Philomena Dunbridge.
February 25, 2020
This turn of the Century mystery focuses on upper class dowager duchess Lady Dunbridge from England, who is widowed at 26 and has a penchant for intrigue and mystery. The series features many enjoyable elements: a delightful main character, a puzzling mystery and meticulously researched terminology: clothing—from dresses of navy foulard with velvet jackets, Poiret tea gown of flowing chiffon to motoring weeds; hats--velvet cloche with pheasant feathers; Sheridan writing desks and Louis Quinze chaises; the mansions and cars of the time; men’s clothing, muttonchop whiskers etc.
The year 1907 was fraught with financial insecurity, stock market risks and corporate maneuvering, which makes a believable cornerstone for the plot. Wonderful minor characters enchant—the mysterious maid-servant Lily and Preswick, as well as the family that seeks Lady Dunbridge’s aid Gwen and Luther Pratt. In the fashion of an Agatha Christie novel we are introduced to a host of suspects who attended the ball. The group then moves to a picturesque and grand country mansion hosting a house party on Long Island Sound owned by millionaire Godfrey Bennington. Yet surrounding the immediate issue of the murder, and continued threat from lack of a viable suspect is the social expectation of a time when fortunes were made and lost with devastating impact, when women of all classes had few rights.
Lady Philomena is dubbed Phil for most of the book. While this tale portrays many strong female characters, the use of a male name to indicate this female investigator has the chops is unnecessary. Set in Manhattan, the tale lacks the distinctly Victorian morals of the time. The marvelous Police Detective Sergeant John Atkins is perhaps the only one possessing a believable Victorian reticence. The interactions between Phil and Atkins show promise for future books.
Written in a light, even amusing style that treats murder as an inconvenience rather than a serious matter, the puzzle builds with sufficient clues, red herrings and complications to keep readers engaged. Some plot complications are not entirely resolved, leaving scope for a future book perhaps? Additionally Phil’s benefactor the mysterious Mr. X makes numerous appearances, but has not yet been named, leaving scope for additional complications in future books. The socialism/ progressiveness of the day is introduced with a minor character Daisy, herself a Duchess, making a brief appearance in the latter half of the book. Since series books allow for character development over the course of the series, I’m hoping the funny and resourceful lady detective will find additional depths in future episodes. An enjoyable light read with potential for additional romps. Would be nice to have had an explanation for the wording of the title—Tell Me No Lies.
The year 1907 was fraught with financial insecurity, stock market risks and corporate maneuvering, which makes a believable cornerstone for the plot. Wonderful minor characters enchant—the mysterious maid-servant Lily and Preswick, as well as the family that seeks Lady Dunbridge’s aid Gwen and Luther Pratt. In the fashion of an Agatha Christie novel we are introduced to a host of suspects who attended the ball. The group then moves to a picturesque and grand country mansion hosting a house party on Long Island Sound owned by millionaire Godfrey Bennington. Yet surrounding the immediate issue of the murder, and continued threat from lack of a viable suspect is the social expectation of a time when fortunes were made and lost with devastating impact, when women of all classes had few rights.
Lady Philomena is dubbed Phil for most of the book. While this tale portrays many strong female characters, the use of a male name to indicate this female investigator has the chops is unnecessary. Set in Manhattan, the tale lacks the distinctly Victorian morals of the time. The marvelous Police Detective Sergeant John Atkins is perhaps the only one possessing a believable Victorian reticence. The interactions between Phil and Atkins show promise for future books.
Written in a light, even amusing style that treats murder as an inconvenience rather than a serious matter, the puzzle builds with sufficient clues, red herrings and complications to keep readers engaged. Some plot complications are not entirely resolved, leaving scope for a future book perhaps? Additionally Phil’s benefactor the mysterious Mr. X makes numerous appearances, but has not yet been named, leaving scope for additional complications in future books. The socialism/ progressiveness of the day is introduced with a minor character Daisy, herself a Duchess, making a brief appearance in the latter half of the book. Since series books allow for character development over the course of the series, I’m hoping the funny and resourceful lady detective will find additional depths in future episodes. An enjoyable light read with potential for additional romps. Would be nice to have had an explanation for the wording of the title—Tell Me No Lies.
November 3, 2019
Lady Philomena, Countess of Dunbridge returns to New York City after the death of her husband and is ensconced in a suite in the Plaza Hotel. Her title is her entre into Manhattan’s high society. While she’s been amused, she’s becoming bored. Then she has an early morning visitor who is asks her to involve herself in dealing with the untimely and unseemly death of a steel magnate’s heir. Her visitor is more worried that the death of the heir could cause a financial panic on Wall Street than he is that he has a dead body in his home.
This is the second book in the Lady Dunbridge series, you need not have read the first book to enjoy this one. Noble provides us with sufficient information of the on-going characters so we don’t feel like we missed something by not reading the first book, “Ask Me No Questions” (2018).
This is a well-written cozy mystery featuring a fascinating independent and intelligent woman who has a title and very little money. The author provides her readers with enough information to allow us to speculate on who murdered the young man and what motivated the killing.
Noble’s secondary characters are nearly as interesting as her main character. Lily, Lady Phil’s lady’s maid, carries a stiletto strapped to her leg, and her butler, Preswick, has many skills not all of which he learned in his apprenticeship to becoming a butler in a prestigious home. Then there is Mister X, first introduced in the first book and making another appearance here. It’s not clear how long Noble can continue with leaving the reader in the dark about him before readers give up on the series because he is not much beyond a device for explaining how Phil knows to do some the things she has no business knowing.
Noble is skillful in incorporating bits and piece of history into her story to make the reader feel like she’s with Phil as she moves amongst the city’s elite. There are no information dumps to give you the impression that the author is trying to impress readers with her research.
If you like your mysteries cozy and well written with interesting characters trying to solve a murder, then this is the book for you, and it deserves to be high on your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Forge Books and Edelweiss for an eARC.
This is the second book in the Lady Dunbridge series, you need not have read the first book to enjoy this one. Noble provides us with sufficient information of the on-going characters so we don’t feel like we missed something by not reading the first book, “Ask Me No Questions” (2018).
This is a well-written cozy mystery featuring a fascinating independent and intelligent woman who has a title and very little money. The author provides her readers with enough information to allow us to speculate on who murdered the young man and what motivated the killing.
Noble’s secondary characters are nearly as interesting as her main character. Lily, Lady Phil’s lady’s maid, carries a stiletto strapped to her leg, and her butler, Preswick, has many skills not all of which he learned in his apprenticeship to becoming a butler in a prestigious home. Then there is Mister X, first introduced in the first book and making another appearance here. It’s not clear how long Noble can continue with leaving the reader in the dark about him before readers give up on the series because he is not much beyond a device for explaining how Phil knows to do some the things she has no business knowing.
Noble is skillful in incorporating bits and piece of history into her story to make the reader feel like she’s with Phil as she moves amongst the city’s elite. There are no information dumps to give you the impression that the author is trying to impress readers with her research.
If you like your mysteries cozy and well written with interesting characters trying to solve a murder, then this is the book for you, and it deserves to be high on your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Forge Books and Edelweiss for an eARC.
November 7, 2019
Lady Phil Dundridge is a British countess living in New York during the Gilded Age. She is clever, worldly - and a gifted amateur detective. When a young society man is killed and stuffed down a laundry chute, Phil becomes involved in solving the mystery.
I wanted to read this book from the description that compared it to Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and Downton Abbey. It certainly did not disappoint! I absolutely loved the beautiful glimpse of Gilded Age New York. The period details were perfection, down to the smallest nuances of language.
Tell Me No Lies is the second book in the Lady Dundridge mystery series. I have not (yet) read the first book, but had no problem enjoying this book as a standalone read.
Phil is a fascinating character - very witty and bright, able to work well with society friends as well as the police detective working on the case. She is assisted by her lady's maid and butler, and in their spare time they even study books on detection!
This was a complex, sophisticated mystery with a large cast of characters. I would find a cast of characters page helpful in keeping track of family/society relationships. The mystery was well written and kept me guessing until the resolution.
There is an intriguing sub-plot about Lady Phil's relationship with Mr. X - a mystery man who appears and disappears, always in disguise, with mystery clues and romance. Even Phil does not know his true identity.
I thoroughly enjoyed Tell Me No Lies and would recommend it highly for fans of historical mysteries. I look forward to continuing the series and going back to read the first book as well.
I wanted to read this book from the description that compared it to Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and Downton Abbey. It certainly did not disappoint! I absolutely loved the beautiful glimpse of Gilded Age New York. The period details were perfection, down to the smallest nuances of language.
Tell Me No Lies is the second book in the Lady Dundridge mystery series. I have not (yet) read the first book, but had no problem enjoying this book as a standalone read.
Phil is a fascinating character - very witty and bright, able to work well with society friends as well as the police detective working on the case. She is assisted by her lady's maid and butler, and in their spare time they even study books on detection!
This was a complex, sophisticated mystery with a large cast of characters. I would find a cast of characters page helpful in keeping track of family/society relationships. The mystery was well written and kept me guessing until the resolution.
There is an intriguing sub-plot about Lady Phil's relationship with Mr. X - a mystery man who appears and disappears, always in disguise, with mystery clues and romance. Even Phil does not know his true identity.
I thoroughly enjoyed Tell Me No Lies and would recommend it highly for fans of historical mysteries. I look forward to continuing the series and going back to read the first book as well.
April 15, 2020
I enjoyed this second in the Lady Dunbridge series, though not quite as much as the first book.
I love Phil, and she is just as spunky in the second book as in the first. Perhaps part of what I missed was her tweaking the uptight British relatives of her late, no good husband, as they tried to bully her into giving them all her money and letting them treat her like dirt as their thank you. That was something I really loved in the first book, but as Phil has moved to the United States with her loyal butler, and maid Lily, that was missing in this book.
That said, Phil manages to insert herself into another murder investigation and annoy the Detective Inspector, as well as the rich New Yorkers she comes into contact with, so that was lots of fun!
I also love the interplay between Phil, Lily and butler Prestwick, as it is not at ALL how an upper crust person behaves with "servants". That Prestwick and Lily help Phil investigate is just fun and cheeky and I enjoy that.
This is a fun, fast, easy-reading story, with great characters, interesting murders and a wonderful main character in Phil. I recommend this series!
I love Phil, and she is just as spunky in the second book as in the first. Perhaps part of what I missed was her tweaking the uptight British relatives of her late, no good husband, as they tried to bully her into giving them all her money and letting them treat her like dirt as their thank you. That was something I really loved in the first book, but as Phil has moved to the United States with her loyal butler, and maid Lily, that was missing in this book.
That said, Phil manages to insert herself into another murder investigation and annoy the Detective Inspector, as well as the rich New Yorkers she comes into contact with, so that was lots of fun!
I also love the interplay between Phil, Lily and butler Prestwick, as it is not at ALL how an upper crust person behaves with "servants". That Prestwick and Lily help Phil investigate is just fun and cheeky and I enjoy that.
This is a fun, fast, easy-reading story, with great characters, interesting murders and a wonderful main character in Phil. I recommend this series!
June 7, 2020
I have to say that now I’m into the second book in the series I find that I like the characters even more than I did in the previous book. It took me a little while I think to get totally into it but I enjoyed it. I can’t say that I care for Hill’s lifestyle all the time but I certainly admire her tenacity and her spunk. She certainly has guts. I would imagine being a part of the peerage as she had been in being in the kind of loveless marriage she describes that would be a necessity. Anyway I love The members of your household. Do you have the quintessential copper butler and the ladies made who clearly is hiding something that I hope we find out more about as a series progresses. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series and hope it is available soon. Regarding this book, I found it extremely well written and though I had my suspicions about who the perpetrator of the crimes was, it took me a minute to get there. There were a lot of red herrings and fall trails laid out which only serves to make The story more interesting.
September 26, 2020
Miss Fisher meets Downton Abbey in Tell Me No Lies, part of the critically acclaimed Lady Dunbridge Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble.
Rise and shine, Countess, you're about to have a visitor.
Lady Dunbridge was not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She's come to New York City, ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm. The social events of the summer have been amusing but Lady Phil is searching for more excitement—and she finds it, when an early morning visitor arrives, begging for her help. After all, Lady Phil has been known to be useful in a crisis. Especially when the crisis involves the untimely death of a handsome young business tycoon.
His death could send another financial panic through Wall Street and beyond.
With the elegant Plaza Hotel, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the opulent mansions of Long Island's Gold Coast as the backdrop, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.
Rise and shine, Countess, you're about to have a visitor.
Lady Dunbridge was not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She's come to New York City, ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm. The social events of the summer have been amusing but Lady Phil is searching for more excitement—and she finds it, when an early morning visitor arrives, begging for her help. After all, Lady Phil has been known to be useful in a crisis. Especially when the crisis involves the untimely death of a handsome young business tycoon.
His death could send another financial panic through Wall Street and beyond.
With the elegant Plaza Hotel, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the opulent mansions of Long Island's Gold Coast as the backdrop, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.
March 3, 2021
"It looked like it was up to her alone to see justice done. And Lady Dunbridge was more than happy to oblige."
An even more amazing follow-up to an already amazing debut. Like Noble's first novel in the series, Tell Me No Lies has a wonderfully vivid cast of new characters and also brings back favourites from the last case.
I'm really starting to like Lady Dunbridge. It's hard for some writers to create a heroine that has a lot of poise and confidence without going over the edge and making them vain and pretty insipid to follow. I think Phil is a great example of overconfidence that just stops short of too much. The author also does a great job at giving her scenes with more meek characters to highlight the contrast between them.
That leads me to John Atkins, who may be the best love interest I've read about in a while. Please don't ask me why. There's no reason other than him being a teddy bear in a cop's clothes.
Nevermind. There's no reason.
Obviously I'm continuing with this series. And I'm really hoping Shelley Noble does the same.
An even more amazing follow-up to an already amazing debut. Like Noble's first novel in the series, Tell Me No Lies has a wonderfully vivid cast of new characters and also brings back favourites from the last case.
I'm really starting to like Lady Dunbridge. It's hard for some writers to create a heroine that has a lot of poise and confidence without going over the edge and making them vain and pretty insipid to follow. I think Phil is a great example of overconfidence that just stops short of too much. The author also does a great job at giving her scenes with more meek characters to highlight the contrast between them.
That leads me to John Atkins, who may be the best love interest I've read about in a while. Please don't ask me why. There's no reason other than him being a teddy bear in a cop's clothes.
Nevermind. There's no reason.
Obviously I'm continuing with this series. And I'm really hoping Shelley Noble does the same.
November 25, 2019
Last night dowager Countess Philomena danced at Agnes Pratt's debutante ball. Now Agnes' father is begging Lady Phil for help, as their houseguest, and Agnes' suitor, is lying dead in the laundry room. Mrs. Pratt, a charming woman, is a martyr to asthma, and her husband thinks she needs some support. As Lady Phil, now settled in New York as her escapades have made London too hot for her, investigates, she's not sure whether the motive for the death is high finance or low romance. All she knows for sure is that the handsome policeman in charge--the one honest man on the force--would like her off the case, and the mysterious Mr. X, a master of disguise whom she can recognize only by the whiff of his pipe tobacco, wants her involved. As for the equally mysterious organization that's paying for her suite at the new Plaza Hotel, heaven knows what they want, because they won't tell her.
September 12, 2019
solid 3 1/2 stars for me. Downton Abbey takes over New York City with an Agatha Christie type female detective. Lady Phil has come to New York for the summer and it is turning out to be interesting as she is asked to help a friend whose daughter's debutante party is tainted with the murder of the daughter's intended. Phil and her staff of butler and lady's maid (both of whom are well equipped to care for their boss both at home and in her professional capacity) begin sleuthing to find the killer. Phil is delightful, smart and loves danger especially the mystery man who may offer a romantic diversion. This is a must for those historical murder mystery lovers particularly those that appreciate a smart woman who doesn't cater to what polite society thinks. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
May 26, 2020
This book is described as Miss Fisher meets Downton Abbey, and being a Downton Abbey fan, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did! Author Shelley Noble has infused this traditional cozy mystery with a few fun elements that make the book an enjoyable and unpredictable read. First, Lady Phil has 21st century sensibilities, which makes her all the more relatable to us today. Second, her main character has a mysterious benefactor who shows up at unexpected times, but why he has chosen her to do some of his detective work and what his motives are, remain hidden from not only Lady Phil but also from the reader. Third, she has two very capable servants who are also sleuths in their own right and (with her 21st century values) treats them not so much as servants but rather as co-collaborators. All of these elements enter into solving the central murder in the book. I also thought Noble also did a good job of obscuring the identity of the murderer until the very end. I had not figured it out. I would read another in this series.
August 30, 2020
A young man has been murdered during a girl's coming out party. The host's family asks Lady "Phil" Dunbridge to provide emotional support to the women of the household and to do what she can to help them avoid social scandal. During her investigation, she encounters stock speculators, hydrogen balloons, and her mysterious Mr. X.
I can't say I was intrigued by this story. Phil herself remains a fairly unlikable character, and not in a pleasantly quirky way of characters such as Hercule Poirot. Lady Dunbridge is far less interesting, which is true of all the supporting actors in this particular mystery. Still, if you overlook that and what appear to be errors in the story's references to economics and aeronautical engineering, it's a serviceable whodunit, although not one I can recommend.
I can't say I was intrigued by this story. Phil herself remains a fairly unlikable character, and not in a pleasantly quirky way of characters such as Hercule Poirot. Lady Dunbridge is far less interesting, which is true of all the supporting actors in this particular mystery. Still, if you overlook that and what appear to be errors in the story's references to economics and aeronautical engineering, it's a serviceable whodunit, although not one I can recommend.
October 25, 2020
Lady Phil Dunbridge is residing at the Plaza Hotel with her maid Lily and butler Preswick. One morning they are visited by Mr. Luther Pratt who requests Phil's presence at his house to support his wife following the discovery of a body in the laundry chute. The deceased is a young man and heir to the Fauks Copper, Coal & Steel Co. Phil goes to the Pratt's house and after seeing the body and realizing it is murder, not an accident, convinces them to call the police and request Detective Sergeant Atkins. Phil insinuates herself into the investigation, much to Atkins' annoyance. Can they find the killer?
There are parts of this that seem a bit far-fetched to me, yet I found I enjoyed it and was drawn along wondering who the killer was and the motive behind it. I see that book 3 of the series just came out. I'll keep reading.
There are parts of this that seem a bit far-fetched to me, yet I found I enjoyed it and was drawn along wondering who the killer was and the motive behind it. I see that book 3 of the series just came out. I'll keep reading.
December 3, 2019
Poorly edited/written and thinly plotted but super long--I speed read to the end.
Characterization is flat and direct, dialogue clunky, and details trite.
I'm disappointed.
Here's a classic sentence: "The other sister--Maud or Effie--cried, "Oh, no," and threw her arms around the other sister and they clung to each other so closely that their masses of black curls and similar expressions evoked images of the two-headed lady Phil and Lily and Preswick had seen at Coney Island at the beginning of the summer." (60)
And then, shorter but still puzzling: "The look he shot Phil dared her not to comment." (352) In the context, he's daring her *to* comment.
So. Skip it, I'd say, even if you read a review suggesting it's a Downton Abbey sure hit!
Characterization is flat and direct, dialogue clunky, and details trite.
I'm disappointed.
Here's a classic sentence: "The other sister--Maud or Effie--cried, "Oh, no," and threw her arms around the other sister and they clung to each other so closely that their masses of black curls and similar expressions evoked images of the two-headed lady Phil and Lily and Preswick had seen at Coney Island at the beginning of the summer." (60)
And then, shorter but still puzzling: "The look he shot Phil dared her not to comment." (352) In the context, he's daring her *to* comment.
So. Skip it, I'd say, even if you read a review suggesting it's a Downton Abbey sure hit!
March 5, 2021
Countess Philomena (Phil) is invited to a debut ball where the intended fiancée is found dead inside the laundry chute. The mother of the young woman whose ball Phil attended has requested that Phil come and help find out who murdered the man & why.
Included is a high ranking government official, dubious friends of the deceased, Mr. X (they mystery man), and assorted family members.
The dead man was a schemer who teamed up w/ known financial schemers to bankrupt his company and a seducer of young women.
I liked this book much better than its predecessor and found the characters rounding out. The book held my interest and I most likely will continue with the series, where i had originally thought not.
Included is a high ranking government official, dubious friends of the deceased, Mr. X (they mystery man), and assorted family members.
The dead man was a schemer who teamed up w/ known financial schemers to bankrupt his company and a seducer of young women.
I liked this book much better than its predecessor and found the characters rounding out. The book held my interest and I most likely will continue with the series, where i had originally thought not.
June 12, 2022
Lady Dunbridge has an early morning caller. She is surprised to find it is Luther Pratt, host of the party she had attended until late the previous night. The body of one of the guests had just been discovered by servents blocking the laundry chute. Luther's wife knew of Phil's reputation for solving murder mysteries and requested her presence. Phil and her unlikely group of investigators were soon on the trail of the killer. The victim was a handsome young business tycoon. There had already been one crash to the stock market which had wiped out bank accounts of wealthy people. Was there a connection between this murder and more financial crisis to come? By the time the mystery is solved there are many government agencies involved. Great read!
January 5, 2025
2.5⭐️ As with its predecessor, there is more of a 1920s than Edwardian vibe. The mystery is simplistic but characterization is good. Atmosphere seems disjointed and anachronistic, but I’m hoping that with change as the series progresses.
The audiobook narrator makes horrendous mistakes in both books that broke my suspension of belief. First, it would seem to be more likely that the narrator would have an English accident, even if it’s omnipotent narration. Secondly, granted, there are many dialects and languages in the book, but pronunciation must be addressed. “Tout de suite” is NOT pronounced “toot dee sweet.” This mistake is not a “one off” and should be revisited by the editor or sound engineer.
The audiobook narrator makes horrendous mistakes in both books that broke my suspension of belief. First, it would seem to be more likely that the narrator would have an English accident, even if it’s omnipotent narration. Secondly, granted, there are many dialects and languages in the book, but pronunciation must be addressed. “Tout de suite” is NOT pronounced “toot dee sweet.” This mistake is not a “one off” and should be revisited by the editor or sound engineer.
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