The Mistress Murders

The Perfect Poison Murders #3

by E.L. Johnson

A poisonous letter writer is killing off the mistresses of London. Can Poppy find the culprit in time?

Welcome to book three in the exciting new series The Perfect Poison Murders from bestselling author E.L. Johnson!

In search of her mother, a mistress in the nation’s capital, Poppy goes to London and takes a position as a lady’s companion. But when her new employer is revealed to be a mistress, Poppy is at odds with herself. To ally herself with a woman of ill repute could damage her reputation, but to leave her employ would remove all chance of finding her mother.

Beatrice, Poppy’s new employer, needs more than companionship. Beatrice and her fellow mistresses have received threatening letters from an unknown person, with death as the end result. And with one mistress dead and another missing, these letters are no joke.

Poppy decides to stay, even if it means risking her reputation and consorting with pimps and prostitutes to find the truth. Poppy and her beloved constable, Henry Dyngley, must find the poisonous letter writer behind these attacks. But they also cannot ignore their growing feelings for each other, especially when Dyngley faces competition for Poppy’s affection.

Will Poppy find her mother? Will she and Dyngley track down the killer before another mistress dies? Will Poppy’s reputation be ruined for being a companion to a mistress? Ultimately Poppy must decide, is it worth a ruined reputation if it means finding the mother she never knew?

Find out in a new historical mystery from bestselling author E.L. Johnson. This is the third in the Perfect Poison series, starring Poppy Morton and Constable Henry Dyngley.

Read Free in Kindle Unlimited!

The Perfect Poison Murders
The Strangled Servant
The Poisoned Clergyman
The Mistress Murders
The Deadly Debutante

Genres: Mystery

349 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 22, 2022

About the author

I write novels. I'm a member of the Hertford Writers’ Circle and won the Sci-Fi London Film Festival’s 2014 48 hour Flash Fiction challenge.

When not penning stories I'm an avid reader, a decent epeé fencer, and live with my husband and cat Arya, named after the Game of Thrones character.

I also run a chatty book club in London and sometimes sing in metal bands in London.

Want fun updates from me on writing, fav tweets, lotsa books and mini mysteries?

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Reviews

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poppy goes to London to search for her mother and takes a position as a lady’s companion to Beatrice. But when her new employer is revealed to be a mistress, Poppy is at odds with herself. To ally herself with a woman of ill repute could damage her reputation, but to leave her employ would remove all chance of finding her mother. Beatrice and her fellow mistresses have received threatening letters from an unknown person, with death as the end result. And with one mistress dead and another missing, these letters are no joke. Poppy decides to stay, even if it means risking her reputation and consorting with pimps and prostitutes to find the truth. Poppy and her beloved constable, Henry Dyngley, must find the poisonous letter writer behind these attacks.
The third book in the series & it’s easily read on its own. I love Poppy & how her character has developed. A well written entertaining mystery with the hint of a romance. There are twists & turns & yes, red herrings. I was kept guessing as to who the villain was as there were quite a number of suspects. I thoroughly enjoyed the book & look forward to more
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Poppy Morton is a wonderfully written character, full of innocence and spunk finding her own way in a complicated and new-to-her world.

Read full review in the 2023 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of books in the mystery genre, but I also enjoy historical fiction, which was why this book appealed to me, and I was happy to be approved for a copy to review.

I really liked the pretty cover illustration and use of colours - soft pink and deep purple.

When I started reading, I knew what I was hoping for, and the book was exactly what I hoped it would be, and I really enjoyed it. It was a tasteful, elegantly written historical murder mystery, with a strong female lead character. I wondered initially if it would be a romantic story too, and I'd say there were a couple of slightly spicy moments, but nothing that would distract from the rest of the story.

I think this is part of a series, so I would probably be interested in reading some of the others. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

[Rainelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another splendid murder mystery from historical times. I enjoyed our illustrious Poppy roam London streets, tracking down a killer whose to close to home. I loved that Henry got some sense and did an about face to London to help his girl Poppy. I think that Poppy will make an excellent female Constable. How she worked around all those snide woman I couldn’t tell you.
But those women did help with the entertainment in the story. I enjoyed the shocking surprises of some characters as well as the ones I thought needed a new facial reconstruction. The story is a great read and I most definitely look forward to reading more from this writer. I give this story two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Diana N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This murder mystery definitely had a lot of potential suspects. I had some guesses as the book progressed, but really didn't completely understand the whole detail until the big reveal at the end (classic style of the murderer is in the room).

I really liked the character development in this book. Poppy moved to London to become a companion and to find her mother. To her surprise, she became a companion to a Mistress. Poppy got pulled into the murder mystery when each Mistress in the group of friends wound up dead after getting threatening letters. There were a lot of characters, but I thought the author did a good job at giving adequate description and introduction of each. I didn't feel like a ton of character were thrown at the reader at once, so it wasn't confusing to follow.

I liked that Poppy gained a bit of London flair in this book and was able to make friends with those at maybe not the highest of stations. I'm curious to see what mystery she gets into next, if her relationship with the Constable develops, and in her London friends make a reappearance.

Thank you to Dragonblade and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of The Perfect Poison Murder series. What I like about this series is it perfectly blends the Regency genre with mystery. I read a lot of Regency, but not much mystery, but I like the way the author blends these two together and creates the perfect combination. The series continues with Poppy taking a job as a lady's companion hoping to have a chance to find her mother, not realizing that she would be companion to a mistress. When she finds out, she is worried how this will affect her reputation, but when she learns of threatening missives the other mistresses are getting with the end result being murder, Poppy decides to stay and get to the bottom of it. With her beloved partner Henry helping, she investigates who is behind the threats and attacks.
The author does a really good job of pulling you into the story and bringing it along with the characters to life. It's a well-written mystery story with intrigue and suspense with a hint of romance. The plot was well done and kept me guessing till the end. A very enjoyable and entertaining read!
I received a complimentary copy from Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Doris Brase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder, Mayhem, and Misdirection.

Naive Poppy goes to London to be a lady's companion. There she gets introduced to the less moral side of life as her lady is a kept mistress. Not to be discouraged at her situation, Poppy makes friend with other mistresses and treats them with kindness and respect. Then she stumbles upon a body. Then threatening letters are revealed. Soon it becomes apparent that her new friends are targets of a serial killer.
In my opinion this is an unusual and complex plot. Although it is easy to figure out the culprits, the collections of clues, the personal interactions of the characters, and the progression of Poppy's romantic life make the story compelling. I hope for a volume 4 to be available soon.

[Vicky Lee Owen]

Good series

I really enjoyed this series good characters I hope she writes more books. I would like to know what happens to the people

[Kashelia B. Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better with each installment

This mystery series gets better with each book. The Poppy in this book is stronger and more discerning than the Poppy we meet in the first book. She has developed as a character and she's much more likable now. The constable grows as well and his relationship with Poppy is becoming clearer; his relationship with Poppy improves and grows stronger as their characters develop. It's a really good series and I've already pre-ordered the 4th installment!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poppy Morton takes the position of companion to a mistress in London. Yes, she wants to earn her own money, but really wants to find her mother. With the clues she found in her aunt and uncle's house and with her job, it should give her connections to find her. Poisonous letters are showing up in mistress's houses. Threats of death are real as bodies show up. Poppy makes it her mission to solve the murders. Constable Henry Dyngley is in London and becomes involved in solving the murders, too. Not so much of a surprise on the unveiling the murderers. A touch of romance, but I consider this mainly a murder mystery.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

I have just finished all 3 of these books and they are a brilliant read could not put them down hopefully there will be a 4th book

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

I absolutely loved the first book in this series (The Strangled Servant) and do not know how I missed the release of the second book (The Poisoned Clergyman)! I will have to correct that in the very near future because I obviously missed some big happenings in Hertford. For readers new to the series, you do not have to have read the previous books in order to enjoy this one, but it would probably help you in understanding the relationships between the returning characters a little better.

Now, back to The Mistress Murders, I really really liked this book! For one thing, I love the author's writing style - everything flows so smoothly it makes for a very easy and enjoyable read. Secondly, I love the character of Poppy. She's smart, determined, and perseveres when things get tough. In this book we really get to see her standing up for herself and go after what she wants despite the men in her life constantly telling her what to do. Another reason I so enjoyed this book was the mystery itself. There were some parts I predicted and others that took me by surprise. Although, I couldn't believe Poppy had trouble figuring out the identity of one of the people she overheard (think about it, Poppy!).

I also loved that Petunia was such a complicated character. At first I didn't really like her, then I loved her for yelling at the minister, then went back to finding her sanctimonious, then back to liking her. She is definitely the type of character you need to take as a whole. She would certainly make for an interesting investigative partner for Poppy (although I doubt that would ever happen).

I'm not usually a big fan of any kind of love triangle, but I did like the introduction of Tom Harris in this book. And I'm hoping we will get a little more with him in future books - there is obviously a lot more to him than we have been shown so far. It's also nice to see someone else recognize how great Poppy is. And I want to know why he hates Henry so much.

I do like Henry (afterall, he was the first to see the potential and value of Poppy as an investigator) but he tested that a few times here. When I learned some of what happened in the previous book my first thought was "how dare he do that to Poppy?". One of my favorite scenes in the entire book was when Aunt Rachel basically yelled at him for his treatment of Poppy - it was so great to see her standing up for her niece like that.

I don't want to give anything away here, but I will say that the parts of the story involving Poppy's mother are both happy and sad. And there's a nice little bit with her father too that I'm sure will have an impact on Poppy in the rest of the series.

I went to a panel with romance writers a few years ago and one of the authors said that historical romance novels exist in a make-believe world where there are no STDs. Which is one thing that makes this story stick out - the dangers of STDs at this time in history are a big part of the story here. I really appreciated that the author stuck with what would have been said at the time about the spread of the diseases and how the blame would have been placed on the women. And although there is a resolution to the mystery, it's not complete satisfying but still historically accurate.

[Inés · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm afraid I found this book disappointing, so much that I doubt I'll continue with the remaining books in the series.
The idea of the series seemed promising: mysteries set in Regency England, solved by a young constable and a country miss, with a slow romance between the two sleuths as a background story for the whole series. Furthermore, the mystery in each of the three books I've read has some merit. However, the execution is not good enough, at least not for me. After giving it three opportunities, I suppose I'll have to admit that the remaining books in the series won't improve and the flaws I found in the first book are here to stay. Some of the flaws are:
1) No one seems to have bothered with a timeline, to check that all the events are consistent. One example (without spoilers): this book starts in September and the previous one is supposed to have taken place in the summer (there's even a mention of August). However, in this book it says that several months have passed in between! There are many more inconsistencies of this kind; first, they left me nonplussed, after a while they began to irritate me.
2) There are also inconsistencies in how characters interact with each other (one moment, as mere acquaintances, the next, as intimate friends, later, back to formal and distant...), how the main protagonist, Miss Morton, remembers previous events (to the point of rewriting them so everything fits better in this book), etc.
4) The author writes in book 1 and here again about how she's researched some historical aspects. However, there are obvious mishaps, such as mentioning a London address in Belgravia that simply didn't exist in 1806, or having a pimp from Covent Garden dancing in a ball supposedly given by and for members of the ton. I won't get into excessively modern attitudes, manner of speech or behaviours, which abound and don't help to make the whole story believable.
I could go on ranting for a while, but there's no point. Suffice to say that everything reads too amateurish, as if someone had just put different scenes together, but couldn't be bothered with ensuring that they blend well and provide a credible storyline and credible character arcs in a credible historical setting.

Re the romance, there's no real chemistry between the two protagonists. First, as with the remaining characters, each time they meet they seem to be at very different stages in their relationship. No sooner they kiss or make eyes at each other than they are cold and barely talk... Also, they don't really collaborate with each other to solve each mystery, so there's no strong connection there either. In the end, I couldn't care less how their relationship will continue.

[Mary Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I liked this story. It's a series so our heroine is maturing. The hero has had a bt of shine taken off him and he looses a bit more in the middle of this story.
Poppy has found some letters that show her mother didn't die but was a mistress/courtesan so her sanctimonious uncle-in-law decided it was best for Poppy to grow up wthout her. Her aunt didn't necessarily agree but did realise any preceived bad character would rebound onto Poppy. Poppy goes to London to become a companion. She doesn't at first realise that her employer is a mistress and the man who rescued her purse was a pimp. The mistress and her friends are getting poison pen letters and soon the circle of women starts to get bumped off. Poppy starts to solve it herself and then Henry comes back into the picture and helps out some more. It's good that the reader can follow the clues and get to the solution quickly at the same time. IMO it was fairly obvious.. Poppy does meet her mother but it's short lived which is very tragic. I read that the author used the TV series Harlots as inspiration and that links in to the mistress circle way of life and the down sides of providing a sexual service in exchange for bed and board.

I'm enjoying this author and will look for more in this series. Heartily recommend.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mistress Murders by EL Johnson is a totally different kind ofplot. Poppy Morton is the orphaned niece of a clergyman, that is until she discovers correspondence from her mother. Her mother, who is alive and well in London. Poppy longs for independence and so answers an ad to be a lady’s companion. An appointment has been set and she is off, no matter how her aunt and uncle feel about it. When she arrives in London, she discovers the lady for whom she will will work for is a kept woman: a mistress. So are her friends, most of whom she likes. It causes her to change her outlook, especially when she discovers her mother is a mistress, as well, and has been for ever twenty years. Things get complicated when mistresses end up dead.

It is a refreshing change to see someone change long-held opinions based on their own experience. A lesson for modern times, which is, I’m sure, the lesson the author had in mind. Poppy was a naive character, but clever and open to new experiences. She is also supremely loyal. She needs to investigate the murders. That curiosity is innate. She is a well-written character.The plot is complex, but well done as more mistresses die. Her aunt and uncle even change some of their opinions. It is a delightfully different book!

I was invited to read The Mistress Murders by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #ELJohnson #TheMistressMurders

[Llynnya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mistress Murders is a entertaining murder mystery novel ... with lots of suspects that kept me guessing.

At about halfway through I had strong suspicions of the culprit but a few pages later I started to doubt myself.

A pleasant bonus for me is Ms. Johnson wraps up this enjoyable puzzle in my favorite way - with a nice classic reveal with all the pertinent characters gathered to reveal who did it and how it all ties together.

All in all this was a fast paced who-done-it with just a hint of romance, easy read with interesting characters and a satisfying conclusion.

Only a few of the characters are carried over from the previous books and enough information is given to the reader so that you don't feel lost if you have not yet read the previous two books. Can definitely be read as a stand alone.

E.L. Johnson is new to me and look forward to reading other books by this author.

I received this ARC from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank-you.

#TheMistressMurders #NetGalley

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have become obsessed with this series. This is the third story, and Poppy Morton has moved to London to be a companion to someone she does not know. It soon becomes apparent that the woman is a mistress. Although Poppy has religious qualms about assisting someone with this job, she is committed to meeting her mother and knows this is the only way to achieve that goal.

Soon after meeting the group of mistresses, Poppy learns that they are receiving letters warning them to stop, or they will be killed. As the death tally starts to rise, Poppy and Henry work to solve the mystery of who wants to eliminate the women. Like the past stories, this one has so many twists and turns. Overall score = 4.5 stars.

Perfect Poison Murder
1. The Strangled Servant (2022) -- VG
2. The Poisoned Clergyman (2022) – VG+
** 3. The Mistress Murders (2022)
4. The Deadly Debutante (2023)
5. The Betrayed Bride (2024)

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poppy goes to London to search for her mother. She takes a job as a companion, not knowing that her employer is a mistress. She meets the other mistresses in the group that they have formed and finds out that they are receiving threatening letters. When the murders start happening, she starts to investigate. This is the third book in the series, and even though it can be read as a stand-alone, I really feel I would have enjoyed it more if I had known Poppy's backstory. There are a lot of secondary characters and sub-plots in the story. I gave it 4 stars.

[Petula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy has lived with her aunt and uncle most of her life, believing her mother was dead. She helped the constable with a recent murder case and what happened has changed her. 

Its time she took charge of her own life. 

This historical murder/mystery has no real hero. Our heroine has two helpers in her latest investigation.  There are a lot of lessons for our heroine to learn and danger around every corner. 

Great fun. 

[Dee Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read this book as a lighthearted romp, then you can get through it without cringing too much.

The murder mystery is interesting but far too obvious. The characters are good. Each one developed without great depth but enough to add to the story overall.

We are left hanging, and some relationships are unresolved, which leaves room for the next book in the series.

[Avril Hemingway · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining murder mystery with lots of suspects to keep you guessing I did spot the perpetrators early on but there was still a twist which I missed. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[TerryRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

delightful!

Another delightful book! I’ve enjoyed the first 3 in this series and look forward to reading more about the wonderfully, intelligent, strong, innocent hero & heroine in this series! The storylines are complex, leading the reader through the personal growth of the main characters as well as the mysteries they find themselves entangled in! Well done!!!

[Sandi Niemeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Mystery

That read quite quickly for me. It was rather difficult to put down, as I really wanted to know the answers to my guesses. A well-written murder mystery with great characters.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Susan Harner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mistress Murders book 3

This book is very well written. All of the characters and places truly come to life with each turn of the page.

[Karin Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who killed them and why??? She told her the secret in confidence??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't care at all for the topic/theme of the book or taking the Lord's name in vain. Great plot and characters, though.