The party at Grimstow House promises tremendous fun, with cocktails, games, costumes … and a killer on the loose!
England, 1922. Lady Felicity Quick’s success as a sleuth has upended her reporting career, yet she simply must answer a relative’s plea for help. Sinister letters are threatening her cousin’s reputation — but who’s the sender?
Posing as an innocent party guest at a remote country manor, Felicity investigates her cousin’s clique for hints of guilt. Amid raucous games, free-flowing champagne, and some ghastly squabbles amongst supposed friends, Felicity finds a trail of revealing clues.
But when a body is discovered, a dangerous web of intrigue is revealed, and a new deadly game begins… Can Felicity unravel the tangle of motives and alibis to identify the killer and avert another slaying? Or will the party finish with the wrong kind of bang?
If you love puzzling country house murders set in the old-fashioned elegance of 1920s England, then you will love this cozy mystery series!
Rosie Hunt is a British author of cozy mysteries both puzzling and historical. Her books include the Lady Felicity Quick mystery series set in the green and pleasant countryside of southwest England in the 1920s.
A history addict and former journalist, Rosie grew up immersed in the worlds of Poirot and Miss Marple. This early exposure to baffling murder mysteries rather coloured her outlook on life, and it was only a matter of time before she wrote her own.
Rosie loves clotted cream, knitting, and Golden Age crime fiction and never misses an opportunity to visit a National Trust property. She lives with her husband and their fluffy, four-pawed overlord on a river in Northern Europe.
I’ve really enjoyed the Lady Felicity cosy mysteries, and this is the best one yet. No quaint English village-the action all takes place at a cousin’s manor house. No cute little Pip coming along in a pocket or purse-just a huge Russian Borzoi and a powerful Rhodesian Ridgeback. Not a cup of tea to be seen-but plenty of champagne, Bordeaux, and brandy. And the threatening letters and stolen jewels aren’t even unsolved crimes-two confessions quickly put those issues right. And yet this mystery WORKS! All the attention is focused on Lady Felicity as she battles icy weather and unreliable lighting to sort out this mansion full of murder suspects. Best of all, she makes a bit of progress in her relationship with fellow journalist, Alex Cooper, in the process. What a team! I can’t wait to see what Rosie Hunt has planned for them next.
A 1920's house party murder mystery with plenty of shady characters to muddy the waters and keep me guessing.
Felicity and Alex attend a house party for the purpose of helping Felicity's cousin discover who is sending her threatening letters. However, it isn't long before events escalate to murder. Adding to the trouble, there is no working phone to call for help and with freezing conditions outside it isn't safe to drive. The party guests are forced to stay where they are even though there is a murderer amongst them.
Felicity has the unenviable task of interviewing the guests and keeping the peace until the police can be summoned the next day. There are plenty of suspects and suspicious circumstances to wade through before Felicity finally untangles the problem. I certainly didn't see where her mind was going until the big reveal. I enjoyed following her lead and discovering the truth along with her. It was very fast-paced and entertaining reading. She certainly found herself in more than one dodgy predicament but with the lucky knack of getting out of scrapes without much to do. Alex took more of a back seat in this investigation but he wasn't far away when needed.
In this instalment, Felicity seems to be considering all her options regarding her career in journalism and it will be interesting to see what comes of her conversation with her brother on the topic. Alex and herself also seem to be on the way to developing an understanding so it will be fun to watch this space.
Murder at the Ball by Rosie Hunt is another in her Lady Felicity Quick Mystery series. Felicity’s cousin, Helen, has contacted Felicity about some anonymous, threatening letters she has been receiving. Felicity and Alex make a quick trip to her home, expecting to handle this quickly. Instead, she finds her cousin has a “ball scheduled for this evening, although it will be somewhat abbreviated because of the weather. Helen is able to round them both up appropriate clothing and rooms for the night and Felicity is too worried about the weather to refuse. There are a sad variety of people in attendance, including Helen’s step-sister, her brother, and her fiance. After dinner Helen proposes that they play Murder, sort of an adult version of Hide and Seek. During the game Felicity hears a shot and goes to the drawing room to discover that her cousin, Helen, had been shot and killed. Between the weather, the sketchy electricity, and the fact that the telephone subscription precludes some hours, it is determined that one of the stable hands and Sir Charles, one of the guests, will set out for the police on horseback.
While they are gone there are a variety of interesting things that come to light: a long-lost twin, a marriage proposal, another shooting, and discovery of thefts, and a con-woman in attendance, making this a very interesting mystery, with lots of red herrings and misdirection. Felicity is a noblewoman who works for her family’s newspaper, much to the chagrin of her brother, who is the editor. She can’t seem to just report, but gets herself involved in investigating every time. Alex is a co-worker, friend, and more? He is a totally reliable, trustworthy, clever man. Both well-written characters. The plot works out well, almost solving itself, before the police arrive. Family relations are a work in progress and as the novel ends, Felicity finds herself outside her brother’s office to see if his patience has finally run out. An intriguing read!
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Murder at the Ball by the author. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #RosieHunt #MurderAtTheBall
Lady Felicity and her newspaper writing partner, Alex, have arrived at the family home of some of Felicity’s relatives. Her cousin, Helen, has been receiving some poison pen letters and Felicity is there to find out who is writing the threats.
The home is a very large estate in a remote location. Helen insists that Felicity and Alex stay to enjoy a large party she has planned.
When bad weather prevents many of the invited guests from attending. Even the band that was hired does not arrive. There is snow and ice. It is doubtful people can come to the party. It is also doubtful anyone will be able to leave the party.
The guests who are actually there are a mixed bag. Some are old familiar friends and there are some new faces. Many of the guests show animosity toward one another. Bitterness seems to be the mood of the day for some people.
The electricity regularly goes on and off because of the wind and ice and generally bad weather. The weather plays a large part in the actions in the story. The conditions do not help when there is a murder. It happens in complete darkness. And everyone has a different story about what actually happened.
This is an interesting mystery. There seem to almost be more suspects than there are people present. Nearly everyone has a motive to dislike the victim.
Felicity and Alex work together as a good team. These two leading characters are well developed. Secondary characters are also complete people. The reader gets a good mental picture of who people are, their actions and motivations.
This is part of a series, but it works fine as a stand alone read.
Ms Hunt is a talented writer. The only complaint for me is there are too many detailed descriptions of clothing, eye color and other incidentals.
But, the mystery unfolds in front of the reader. There is every opportunity to figure solutions. In short, this is a good mystery.
The fourth book in the Lady Felicity Quick mystery series is an exceptional quintessential English whodunit that had me baffled until the end. It takes place at a ball being held at a remote country manor and the hostess and host are Lady Felicity’s cousin, Helen, and her fiancé. Helen has asked Felicity to ferret out the author of the harassing letters she has been receiving. Felicity, with the assistance of Alex, a fellow reporter from her brother’s newspaper, agrees to attend the party with the true reason for their attendance remaining confidential. This already makes for a perfect historical mystery premise but when you add in the freezing cold weather, icy road conditions that prevent anyone from leaving or coming to help, and a large manor house with flickering lights that frequently go out due to inconsistent power you have the perfect conditions for that premise to succeed. And succeed Rosie Hunt does, in whetting my appetite with the twists and turns throughout the book. I couldn’t put it down so I read through until I finished in the early morning hours. It was well worth it! It was 80 degrees outside and my windows were open but I still felt a chill every time Ms. Hunt described the ice forming on the windows or the wind whistling through the halls of the manor. The cast of suspects is also spectacular as each seems to have amble reason to do away with Helen who is..um..was not the nicest person. I absolutely loved this installment! My thanks to #RosieHunt for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Lady Felicity has gone to see her cousin to help her with a rather troubling problem. Helen has been receiving threatening notes. She feels she’s nothing to hide but still she wants to know who’s playing this game. With Alex Cooper fellow reporter and occasional co- amateur sleuth CiCi is roped into attending a ball to find the culprit. When Helen’s stepsister confesses unprompted CiCi considers the matter shut and settles in to endure the rest of the night as the weather has made it too treacherous to return home. When a parlor game goes horribly wrong there’s a second case for CiCi to solve. There’s something terrible wrong and dangerous in this country house, can CiCi and Alex find out what before it’s too late? Stuck in an English Manor house with raging weather outside and a perpetrator inside definitely doesn’t make CiCi’s job easier. For the reader it’s a delightful take on a Christie-esque tale. I love the blend of modern and old world. I admire CiCi’s bravery when others doubt and even she begins to doubt herself she still soldiers on and leads the way to the guilty party. An open ending on where her future might lie career wise, I’m very interested to see what her future holds. A very entertaining story, can’t wait for the next one! I received an ARC from the author. This is my honest review.
Cozy mysteries set in 1920's England are one of my favorite stories to read. And I like Lady Felicity. My only complaint about her is that I want her to own her abilities and not step back from men who tell her she shouldn't be involved in crime solving. I mean really, had she not gotten involved in this mystery how many more people might have been hurt or murdered before the police were able to get there. Okay, rant over. It is all part of the time period I suppose.
I really wasn't sure who the murderer was until the reveal. There were some red herrings so I had people I suspected but I didn't figure it out. I really wasn't sure who was a good or bad guy.
There is just a touch of romantic tension in these books. It is definitely not a romance but we can see that maybe in future books we'll get to see that added to the mystery. Maybe. I do like Alex. I'd be happy if they did get together. But it isn't going anywhere fast.
Enjoyable cozy mystery.
Sex: no Language: no Violence: yes *I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Called by a cousin to investigate poison pen letters, accompanied by Alex, her colleague from the newspaper, Cici is forced to stay overnight by the force of the ice storm on the Devon high moors. The murder of her cousin and the subsequent very disturbing events cause chaos. The guests who had been able to get to the castle for the ball are mostly a strange group. Intrigue and danger are everywhere. Seemingly no-one is safe. As the mystery deepens, with blackouts and howling winds increasing the tension, Felicity discovers one person is there using a pseudonym! The solution will astound readers.
I was given a copy to read, but purchased a copy on Amazon, so I could keep it in my online library.
As usual, this is another terrific and enjoyable read. Felicity is asked by her cousin Helen to investigate who is sending her anonymous letters. Soon things escalate and a murder occurs.
I really enjoy this series. Along with the general setting, I like the characters of Felicity and Alex and their professional relationship and whatever the current state of their personal relationship is. There is a lot happening in this story and lots of characters to get to grips with, many with a motive. There's enough twists that when things become clear, you suddenly find you're wrong. Roll on the next book.
I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.
Felicity is attending a function at her cousin Helen's Grimstow House. There is a lot of disagreements between some of her relations. Helen is found dead with a pistol in her hand. She had been getting threatening letters which was damaging her reputation. There is a lot of mayhem and suspense as Felicity goes about sleuthing with Alex her partner a reporter working with her and trying to find more evidence in finding the killer .A very exciting read which has your attention from the start. There is jealousy, robbery and betrayal in the mix to make it a excellent read. I am on the ARC team and leave a honest review. I recommend this book to other readers.
It’s the 1920’s and Lady Felicity has been invited to Cousin Helen’s Grimstow House to help her figure out who has been sending her threatening letters! She’s accompanied by Alex Cooper, a fellow reporter at her brother’s Western Daily News. Helen reminds her of the Ball, so their stay is extended to attend. She quickly discovers the writer of the letters, but then a death and sone brutally cold weather stalls them further. Lady Felicity is also an amateur sleuth, and she and Alex start investigating what turns out to be a rather convoluted and complex set of circumstances. An exciting read, I received a free ARC of this book and write this review voluntarily.
This is the fourth installment in the Lady Felicity Quick series. There's so much happening that it's hard to believe it all transpired in just one day. People gather for a house party that doesn't take place due to a mysterious death. I noticed in this book that Lady Felicity's lack of self esteem almost derails her excellent sleuthing skill. Let's hope in the next book her friend Alex can boost her morale. If you haven't read these yet, start with the first book. You won't be sorry.
Here is another intriguing mystery filled with great characters and plot twists! Lady Felicity is invited to a party to help her cousin discover who is sending some menacing letters turns into a hunt for a murderer. There are plenty of suspects and motives to review while the police are held off by the weather. Totally fun and engaging storyline. Definitely recommend!
I received a free copy of this book for my honest review.
Felicity is summoned by her cousin Helen to Grimstow House to discover who is sending Helen threatening letters. Accompanied by Alex ,Felicity and Alex once again find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. As soon as one mystery is solved another presents itself creating an intriguing, multi-faceted drama. With plenty of suspects and red-herrings I was kept guessing until the end. The author's descriptions of Grimstow House to the clothing, especially the ball gowns, transport you back 100 years, adding to the enjoyment of this series! Highly recommend to all mystery lovers especially those loving 1920's background. I received an ARC from the author. This is my honest review.
Lady Felicity Quick comes to interview her cousin, Helen and gets caught up with her cousins death during a mystery game on the night of a ball As the ice and a winter chill rages on the outside, Felicity and her co-worker and fellow journalist Alex gather up clues of her cousins killer, some letters and jewelry disasppearance mystery and the puzzle comes together. Another great read from Rosie Hunt and her historical cozy sleuth, Lady Felicity Quick.
Diverting historical cozy set post WW1 featuring Lady Felicity who is pursuing a career as a journalist despite the disapproval of many. Her co-worker Alex has accompanied her to her cousin's house to look into some mysterious poison pen letters. Felicity is straightforward but doesn't always have a lot of confidence but she steels herself to take charge and has become a proficient interviewer, whether solving a crime or writing an article.
The latest adventure of Cici, and Alex, is another incredible immersion in the golden era, with glamour and grit coming together in post war Britain. The attention to details and excellent depictions of every character, with their flaws and merits, makes for a captivating experience reminiscent of Gatsby, Marple and Poirot.
Lady Felicity overestimates her talents as a sleuth! A bit of luck is the only reason she solves anything! Alex is a better detective! The author is far too verbose and takes six pages to get to the point! Very off putting! I skipped lots of pages to find out what was the crux of the matter! Lady Felicity is just a very boring character!
Loved the story, the setting and the characters. Felicity is quite feisty but still needs reassuring that she's doing ok and that's where Alex comes in. They're a great team and I love how they interact, can't wait to read more. If you like period stories then you'll love this.
I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Lady Felicity mystery it kept me guessing almost to the end with twists and turns throwing suspicion on first one character and then another.
It had a definite surprise ending. A good read but for me there were too many things going on. A lot of red herrings and the addition of the twins wasn't needed. I'd also like to see a bit of romance to start up between Felicity and Alex.
Enjoyable and fun to read. How does Felicity always gets into these situations. Luckily with Alex by her side. Though I never understood why she didn’t change her shoes. But it was good, unexpected ending.
A somewhat confusing cast of characters and a LOT of people involved in this story! It was hard to keep everyone in order! I can not recommend this book! Sorry!
This is an intriguing mystery with interesting characters and circumstances that are constantly evolving. The mystery deepens as we read. This is a very enjoyable read that did not disapoint.
I absolutely loved this new book! The characters are fascinating and well written. The part at the ball was perfectly detailed. This is a must-read, and I can't wait for the next in the series!
I really enjoy cosy mysteries but I couldn't quite follow the timeline on this book. They seemed to pack a lot in one evening. Still enjoyable and will read the next one!
Cici was asked to find out who wrote a few poisonous pen letters to her cousin Helen; an inconvenient irritant, but hardly serious enough even for an overnight stay. But the weather turns and it becomes too treacherous to leave, and when murder rears its ugly head, it then becomes too treacherous to stay.
Another winner from Rosie Hunt, intriguing, convoluted, surprising. Great read, as always!