Framed by a Forgery

A Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery #8

by Fiona Grace

FRAMED BY A FORGERY (A LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY—BOOK 8) is book eight in a charming new cozy mystery series which begins with MURDER IN THE MANOR (Book #1), a #1 Bestseller with over 100 five-star reviews!

Lacey Doyle, 39 years old and freshly divorced, has made a drastic change: she has walked away from the fast life of New York City and settled down in the quaint English seaside town of Wilfordshire.

November has arrived, bringing the crisp weather, farms, and the promise of Fall holidays, and Lacey is thrilled to be auctioning off a rare and priceless letter. But after selling it to an eager buyer, the letter turns out to be too good to be true—it’s been forged, and the buyer wants his money back.

But the person who sold it to her is now dead.

Can the forgery and murder be connected?

Lacey, with her beloved dog, must solve the crime and unearth the source of the forgery before she herself is implicated and her business is taken away from her.

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

Audible Audio

First published April 6, 2021

About the author

Debut author Fiona Grace is author of the LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY series which includes MURDER IN THE MANOR (Book #1), DEATH AND A DOG (Book #2) and CRIME IN THE CAFE (Book #3). Fiona would love to hear from you, so please visit www.fionagraceauthor.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does anyone else think Lacey is a teenager in a 40-year-old woman’s body? She still hasn’t learned that she doesn’t have to answer the phone just because it rings. She hasn’t learned that some things are too good to be true. She is not a good detective; she regularly accuses the wrong person and is then forced to apologize profusely.

I love the setting and some of the characters. If not for that, I’d have stopped reading this series long ago. 3 ⭐️ for the story, despite Lacey.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lacey is busy wedding planning and dealing with her father's sudden reappearance in her life when a man walks into the shop with a letter from Queen Victoria to Charles Dickens. Ronan Pike wants Lacey to auction off the letter, valued at 1 million pounds! Confirming the legalities with Percy, Lacey is thrilled to hold an exclusive auction only for the most wealthy and museums. The bidding heats up fast and furious with the museum people dropping out and one Lord Fairfax, 38th in line to the throne, declares himself the winner. Shortly after the record high sale, Lord Fairfax returns, outraged that Lacey sold him a forgery! He demands a return of his money AND extra for his emotional distress. Lacey doesn't have that kind of money, she already gave Ronan his money minus her commission, plus there's bank fees and there's no WAY she's paying this wealthy young Lord for emotional distress. Hoping to speak with Ronan and catch a forger, Lacey arrives at his rental cottage only to discover Ronan has been murdered. Of course she's the chief suspect again and determined to prove her innocence before her reputation is ruined for good. She also has her hands full mediating between Tom and Frank who don't seem to like each other much.

This story has more plot holes than Swiss cheese, or at least it seemed like it at first. The letter doesn't sound authentic to me and why would Ronan bring it to a silly, dim witted antiques dealer instead of a rare books and manuscripts dealer? Why not an auction house? Apparently he did have it appraised and he doesn't want to deal with a big auction house? Um what? They have specialists who deal with manuscripts and know how to get them sold. They handle the marketing and everything. Lacey is a moron who doesn't even know how to auctioneer. I've never been to a live auction but I know you don't START at the appraised price UNLESS the seller has a reserve. SO then she would have let everyone know the reserve bid was 1 million GBP and then it would go up from there. 1 million 1000, 1 million 2000, etc. etc. and you have to do it that way and not let the rich guy buy it. He could have called out his price. Plus museums don't typically have the kind of money to BUY artifacts. They rely on donations. Realitically, if the letter goes to auction, it will wind up in the hands of a private collector. Witness the broo-ha-ha over Jane Austen's ring and how long it took the museum to raise the money to buy it back. The murder method is also kind of silly. The plot doesn't go where I expected at all. Still, it did keep me reading and interested so I guess that's something.

Lacey is the most annoying character in this series. She's not very bright and her sleuthing consists of asking questions and then accusing the wrong person. She's very harmful. Lacey also acts like a kid, unable to talk to her father or her fiance about things that matter. She continually pushes Tom away with her inability to act like an adult. He should run away from her! Tom is too good for Lacey. He's normally a nice, easygoing guy but his rivalry with Lacey's dad shows another side of him. He's stubborn and competitive sometimes. Lacey's dad, Frank, seems to want to pick up right where he left off when Lacey was a little girl. Part of this is because Lacey lets him and doesn't talk to him. She doesn't want to have a serious conversation and doesn't ask "What happened?" He doesn't offer up any information either. Frank is not such a great guy. He barges into Lacey's life and just can't read social cues at all. He dismantles her alarm system without asking and doesn't seem to have intentions of repairing it. Lacey seems to have inherited her non-confrontational side with her dad because he isn't talking either. I want to bang their heads against something!

Suzy has come into her own and really seems to be more of an adult than Lacey. I actually like her now. I do not like Carol of the B&B. She's a nasty gossip and is snide and biting too. Taryn is acttually being NICE for a change but flirting with Lacey's dad? Oh ew!

Gina is a terrible employee and friend. If she doesn't know what kind of wedding dress Lacey would like by now... antique doesn't always mean attractive or appealing. In every book Gina takes off and leaves the back door open. It's super bad for business. Finbarr is a wimp and doesn't add anything to the story. The dogs are excellent and my favorite characters. The police act as incompetant as ever but I have a lot more sympathy for Turner after making it this far!

So Ronan Pike is either a deliberte forger who set out to swindle Lacey or he's an innocent dupe. I'm leaning towards criminal based on one little detail they discover about him and because he "doesn't trust" big auction houses. Lord Fairfax is a flamboyant, spoiled, brainless young man. I can't stand him and neither can anyone else. He is apparently the one lord with money and claims his status as 38th in line to the throne gives him the leave to do whatever he wants. That isn't right and Lacey just takes him at his word that he is who he says he is. The line of succession is easily available online. Since she sent out special invitations, how did he even know about the auction? He brings along a bodyguard/valet, Hounslow. Hounslow looks menacing and scary. He's sent to threaten Lacey and get his employer's money. Hounslow could be a co-sleuth if Lacey lets him. Lord Fairfax outbids a woman named Penelope. Is she the murderer? Is she angry with Ronan for selling the forged letter for higher than she could pay? Did they have an arrangement? I think she has more motive to kill Lord Fairfax. The same with the other bidders: The Witherbottoms and Sir Julian Gardner. Possibly even Clare Peterson from the V&A but again they might all want to kill Lord Fairfax.

Other suspects include the mysterious John Smith. Who is he and why is he wearing sunglasses indoors? Ronan's brother Callum is the best suspect. Anrgy and being cheated out of his inheritance, he may have killed his brother either because he lost out when his brother sent the item to auction or when it was discovered as a forgery. Who forged the letter? I think that is the question that will lead to the killer, unless the forger was Ronan's late father, then we're back to square one.

This series is not really my cup of tea. I was curious about what happened to Frank all those years ago but so far, no answers are forthcoming.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn’t do it. I wanted to finish this series, but after 7 books of Lacey, I just couldn’t take any more. I think the final straw was when she finally found her father and didn’t ask him a single question. I think after 30 years, “Hey, where ya been?” is fair to ask! I just want to shake Lacey by the shoulders and tell her to grow a spine.

Tom is oblivious to her needs, wants, and emotions, and this is the man she’s marrying? She lets her family, her friends, her employees, and even Taryn bulldoze her at every turn. And she doesn’t solve cases so much as “accuses the wrong person, gets them arrested, then stupidly stumbles into the right answer.”

I don’t know if it’s an English thing, but it’s also irritating that she brings her off-leash dog EVERYWHERE and no one ever seems to mind. Though to be fair, Chester probably does more to solve these murders than Lacey.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

The Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery Series by Fiona Grace is a fun cozy mystery series with an amateur sleuth, whodunnit vibes, crime & investigation, suspense, tension, intrigue, drama, and intriguing developments.
Lacey Doyle is almost forty, and newly divorced - and in desperate need of a fresh start. So, she quits her job and her horrible boss and makes a sea change- moving to the charming seaside town of Wilfordshire, and opens an antique shop. But no sooner has she started to settle in, when one of her customers turns up dead- and Lacey is definitely prime suspect in the eyes of the town. She has no choice but to try and solve the crime so she can clear her name. Her fresh start, business, and reputation are on the line.
‘With a business to run, a next-door neighbor turned nemesis, a flirty baker across the street, and a crime to solve – is this new life all that Lacey thought it would be?’
As the series progresses, Lacey seems to attract trouble and mystery- getting drawn into investigations and mysterious developments….. all of which make for a fun read.
Each instalment in the series follows a fairly predictable ‘recipe’- especially after you’ve read a few of the books- but with a few clever touches from the author, she keeps you turning the pages, engrossed till the end. Even though the stories were a little predictable, it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment and appreciation of the stories/series at all- in fact I found it to be part of their ‘charm’.
The Series contains:
-Murder in the Manor (Book #1)
-Death and a Dog (Book #2)
-Crime in the Café (Book #3)
-Vexed on a Visit (Book #4)
-Killed with a Kiss (Book #5)
-Perished by a Painting (Book #6)
-Silenced by a Spell (Book #7)
-Framed by Forgery (Book #8)
-Catastrophe in a Cloister (Book #9)

Happy Reading…

Thank you, Fiona Grace!

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book is the first I've read by this author, it is the 8th in her Lacey Doyle mystery series and now I'm hooked! What a great story. I had no trouble jumping right into the plot even without the back stories in the first 8 books.

I loved the family dynamics of Lacey, now in her 40s, reconnecting with her father who abandoned his family when Lacey was a child. Lacey, originally from New York, is an antiques dealer with a shop in an English town. Her friend Gina helps run the store and her fiancé Tom owns a patisserie across the street. (Note that her dog Chester is a major character as well.) When her father showed up out of the blue, Lacey found she has to resolve not only her own feelings, but also those between Tom and her father.

In the middle of the family drama a man came to the shop with a request that Lacey auction off a letter he found in his late father's belongings, a letter he says was from Queen Victoria to Charles Dickens which had been authenticated by a reputable appraisal company.

At first the auction was a roaring sucess netting the owner £2,500,000 less Lacey's commission and taxes. When the letter is exposed as a forgery, and the letter's original owner is found dead, Fiona decided she had no choice but to track down the murderer to save her badly tattered reputation.

After many red herrings and run ins with the police over her involvement in the case , Lacey sucessary figured out the killer's identity.

The book was well written with but a few errors & typos (but not enough to lower my rating). I am looking forward to reading the other books by this author, some of which are already in my kindle library queue "to be read."

I was fortunate to receive an Advanced Review Copy from Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Carol Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the eighth of the Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery Series. Our story finds Lacey preparing for her upcoming marriage to Tom. To add to her excitement, and also add some stress to her life, she has just reconnected with her father who abandoned the family years ago. When her father shows up for an unexpected visit, things get even more stressful for Lacey as it becomes apparent that Tom and her father are not going to become fast friends as she had hoped. When she gets the opportunity to auction off a very high end piece of correspondence from The Queen, with a very lucrative commission attached, her family and friends rally to ensure the sale is a success. However, when the document is found to be a forgery and its previous owner is found dead, they must rally around her for different reasons: to keep her out of jail and restore her reputation.

Having not read the previous books in this series, I felt as though I was missing a lot of the backstory that would have made this book a great read. While I did enjoy the book, I think I would have really loved it had I read it in the order it was intended in the series. The first half of the book really just focused on Lacey and her life. Having not formed any previous attachment to the character, I found myself wanting to skim though that section to get to the real action. Once the body is discovered and the efforts to solve the mystery began, I was hooked. The author is a good storyteller and had no problem keeping my attention once the mystery began. I particularly enjoyed the humor dispersed throughout the story.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good Cozy Mystery. However, I would recommend that the book be read in its intended order in the series to maximize the reader’s understanding and enjoyment. There are no sex scenes and only a few curse words in the story, so it is appropriate for most ages.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first book in this 9 book series.

I don't think you need to read the books in order, I felt fine reading this as a stand alone. The background of the relationships between characters was quickly mentioned so you could easily understand their importance.

I did have a few problems with the plot.

First, why on earth would Lacey take her father's side over Tom? She hasn't seen this man in 30 years and within one day she is siding with him over Tom (her fiance). I found that so irritating...If she had at least vented her frustration re: her father's behavior I could have tolerated it a tad more. This was a big negative for me.

Second, and most importantly, I can not stand when the murderer is a character out of nowhere. Yes, the character is mentioned when Lacey goes to the second B&B...BUT, I went back and reread the auction chapter 3 times. There is no mention of the character being there UNTIL the end of the book when Lacey "remembers seeing him standing against the wall during the auction". (Please correct me if I'm wrong and missed that during the chapter of the auction and I will stand corrected with a change in rating).

I consider this a lazy plot twist.

So although you can read this as a standalone, for mainly the 2nd con I rated this 2 stars.
I don't foresee myself reading any of the other books in the series.

[Betsy Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona Grace wrote Framed by A Forgery, Book #8 in the Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery series. This was the first book that I read in the series and the author caught me up with what had transpired in Lacey’s life up to this point.
Lacey is reunited with her father that she had not seen for many years. Frank has agreed to walk her down the aisle for her wedding to Tom. In the meantime, a customer comes into her shop and wants her to auction something that he brought to her shop that he had already had appraised. It was a letter to Charles Dickens that had been authenticated with a value of a million pounds. Lacey could not believe that this had been brought to her shop to auction and with the commission that it would bring, she could fund her wedding.
The sale went on with a select group of attendees. The person who bought it had his own authentication done and found it to be a forgery. Then, when Lacey tried to confront the seller, she found him murdered! What was she to do? How could she make restitution? She had to find out who the murderer was!
This was another good book by Grace and one that is part of a series. It can be read as a standalone, but the storyline does continue in a future book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. #FramedByAForgery #ALaceyDoyleCozyMystery #FionaGrace

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lacey has been searching for her father since she moved to Wilfordshire and... she's finally found him! Not counting this as a spoiler as she literally finds him on the first page! When he shows up unexpectedly at her shop, she's a little overwhelmed. He jumps right in fixing her security system and acting like she's twelve. He also takes an instant dislike to Tom. Then Lacey is asked to auction a letter from Queen Victoria to Charles Dickens and it has to be done quickly. Feeling flush from the auction, she discovers the letter was fake and the original owner is found dead. Lacey has to find the killer so she can recoup the funds to give back to the bidder. Add in all of the family drama plus planning her wedding and she is feeling a little frazzled. Can she do it without winding up in jail herself? Will Tom and Frank (her father) be able to come together to support Lacey? Will the wedding ever get planned and will any of it be what Lacey wants? Don't miss out! Read on for a great time!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book, and I would like to read the others which preceded it. This latest offering in the series can be read as a stand-alone, of course, but in some parts I feel it's better to have read the earlier ones. It's well-written, and I liked the characters and plot. However, as in many digital books I have read, there were more errors than in printed books(printed books seem to be having more errors than those published in the past, and perhaps this is due to using a computer program to check errors instead of a human being.) The errors were in punctuation, and spelling, and sentence construction. Some of the sentences could be written in a different manner. However, those errors didn't really detract from the reading of the text. I would recommend it, but , like me, you may like to read the series in chronological order. I think this was an ARC, and if so, I would expect the errors would be corrected. Either way, it made for pleasant reading. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I jumped in on the eighth book in this series (I wouldn't recommend that), so some of the relationships previously established were lost on me. That isn't to say the story was impossible to follow; on the contrary, the story did a decent job of standing alone, while still enticing me to want to read more of the series. Ms. Grace does well at creating the environment for her people to "live" in; I could easily picture many of the locations and surroundings described. One thing I was confused about was whether or not Lacey was American or British. There were a few instances of confusion on my part due to expressions that I'm not familiar with in my American English, so assumed they must be British English. Yet Lacey was using them, so on which side of the Atlantic does she call her place of birth? Overall, it was a clean, enjoyable, realistic mystery novel that left me wanting more.
I did receive an ARC for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[moxieBK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Framed by a Forgery (A Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery #8) — Fiona Grace/Narrator: Mary Sarah (Prologue + 28 chapters + Epilogue) June 26-27, 2024

A love letter written and sent by Charles Dickens to the Queen of London is brought to Lacey to sell at an auction. When the buyer storms back to Lacey demanding a refund because it is fake, Lacey is determined to find out what happened; instead she finds a body.

It up to Lacey and her friends to discover the criminal and save her reputation before the killer gets away.

As a subplot, Lacey’s dad shows up, and the tension between him and Tom is obvious. Will they come to blows and ruin the wedding for Lacey?

Another good story. Lacey has calmed down a little bit in this one.

The narrator still has a dramatic voice; I am getting used to it. I am finding that some lines repeat in the audio. I am unsure if this is because audio breaks are not accounted for in the digital version.

Four stars.

[Alice Hazelbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner by Fiona Grace! Lacy, who owns an Antique shop in Wilfordshire, is in the midst of preparations to marry her fiancé, Tom. She has been trying to locate her Dad, who walked out of their family when she was young, hoping to reconnect and ask him to walk her down the aisle. But when found, Dad can be a challenge. A man shows up with a letter penned by Queen Elizabeth to Charles Dickens, which he says was authenticated by a well-known firm and estimated to be worth a million dollars. He wants Lacy to auction it off, claiming not to trust the big firm, and he wants it to be soon. When everything goes bottoms up and Lacy is almost arrested for selling a forgery, she decides she needs to find the real culprit. I received an ARC from the author and write this review voluntarily.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lacey Doyle left her fast-paced life in New York City to settle down in the quiet and quaint English seaside town of Wilfordshire. Lacey is asked to handle the auction of a rare letter from Queen Victoria to Charles Dickens. But the buyer finds out the letter is a forgery! The buyer naturally wants a refund. But Lacey finds the one she bought it from is dead!

If Lacey cannot solve the crime and find out where the forgery came from, she could be the one held responsible as she loses her business and her freedom! Can she get the money back to refund her buyer? Can she also juggle the family drama at home?

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seaside Harbor Framed by a Forgery is Book 8 in A Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery. Fiona Grace writes such enjoyable stories with well developed characters. There are several themes in this book. Lacy tracks down her father after about 30 years absence and her mother and sister are not happy about Frank showing up after so long. Besides the family drama, there is a hand written letter from Queen Victoria to Charles Dickens that Ronan Pike wants auctioned by Lacey followed by Ronan’s murder. There is lots of action to keep my attention. I really enjoy a Fiona Grace book. I can’t wait to read book 9. I received an arc for free, and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Pamela Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this great Lacey Doyle must-solve cozy mystery that immediately pulled me in and kept me totally involved in all that was happening until I read the last word. I feel like I could be friends with Lacey and love her dynamic with the other characters. If you like mysteries that are smartly-crafted with twists, turns and a bit of mayhem, you will love "Framed by a Forgery". I can't wait to see what happens next with Lacey, her English shepherd dog, Chester, her friends and family. I received an advance reader copy from Book Sirens and am voluntarily leaving my review. I liked it so much, I purchased a copy to read again later.

[Linda Beilstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading a lot of historical fiction set in the World War II time frame and needed something that would keep my interest but also not as heavy as what I have been reading. This book was just the ticket. A nice cosy mystery with fraud and a murder and all loose ends tied up at the end. I would definitely recommend this book for a nice easy read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lacey seems to have grown up a bit in this book. She wasn’t as self absorbed as in other books in the series. Her father, who has been gone from her life for over 30 years, is now back in her life. He and Tom are both vying for her attention. But another murder gets in the way and The police put her at the top of the suspect list. A few red herrings as Lacey tries to clear her name, but she prevails!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book eight in the A LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY it is now November in Wilfordshire and Lacey has another murder to solve. There is suspense, drama, a letter, murder, a reunion with her Dad, and preparations for her wedding to also get done. I enjoyed reading and want to read the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lacey’s Dad

Lacey finally finds her Dad and he makes a visit. He and Tom don’t get along but why? Is it jealously? Lacey auctions off a very valuable letter, or so it seems, then she has to solve the murder. Good reading! I love these books and hope they continue with more mysteries. Jo

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last we met Lacey’s father! I did not initially care for his character but in the end he redeemed himself. Anxious to hear his backstory in the next audiobook, and to experience the family reunion at the wedding. Hope to meet Tom’s family too. The mystery in this audiobook was interesting, and of course Lacey again rushed to judgment but solved the crime in the end.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story very much. We are introduced to Lacey's long lost father and he is quite a character. The mystery of the forged Queen Victoria letter leaves us guessing as to who the killer can be but Lacey, as usual, follows the clues and uncovers the murderer.

[Jeanne Chepko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun Lacey Doyle murder mystery. Family and friends interactions are very entertaining. You won’t guess who did it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions in this review are my own.

[Gretchen Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these characters

I love how real these characters feel. I love the story line. She made me cry at one point and laughing for plenty. Don’t miss this series!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this series

[Tomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculous

[Don M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

There seemed to be a fair number of annoying typos in the last chapters. Perhaps the proof readers were not paying attention.

[Kathy Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Laura Poppenwimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming mystery and the characters are well defined and human. this is a great series, the story flows well and the pages just fly by.

[Mary K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, Lacey Doyle grew up and became a fully functioning adult character. A fun cozy mystery, well-developed and a great platform for the next book.