Decked with Folly

Pennyfoot Hotel #17

by Kate Kingsbury

Make room for murder with all the trimmings...

The Pennyfoot Hotel is decked out in holiday style, but when one of Cecily's candlesticks disappears, she realizes someone is lacking in Christmas spirit. Still, petty thievery seems the least of her problems when she learns a former employee has been found dead in her duck pond. He hasn't worked at the Pennyfoot in years, but his ex-wife is still their head maid-and now she heads the naughty list of suspects.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Cozy, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Holiday, Historical

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2009

About the author

Kate Kingsbury grew up in London, England, and at a very early age began telling stories to her school friends during the London Blitz of WW II while huddling in bomb shelters. Kate moved to the U.S. in the early sixties, and had passed her 50th birthday when she published her first book. Writing as Doreen Roberts, (her real name at the time) she published 26 romance novels for Harlequin/Silhouette. In 1991 her first Pennyfoot Hotel book was published and since then Kate has written 35 mysteries, including the Manor House mysteries, the Bellehaven House mysteries(written as Rebecca Kent) and the Raven's Nest mysteries, (written as Allison Kingsley.) Her new series, The Merry Ghost Inn Mysteries debuted in January, 2017 with Dead and Breakfast, featuring a B & B on the Oregon coast. She has one son, Regan, and lives with her husband, Bill, in the beautiful state of Oregon.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed this one more than any other book in the Pennyfoot series. Lots more action, more time spent wondering who could have been the murderer. AT this point it would seem obvious that the Pennyfoot or perhaps its occupants are cursed, especially around Christmas. It all works perfectly however, in keeping you involved in the stories each holiday season. No matter how many I read, I cant wait to read the next in line.
I highly recommend this one. It picks up a year later from the last book(of course) and the story continues. There is plenty of character development, but I still think you could pick this book up without having read any previous one and enjoy it just as much as a diehard fan.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cecily is glad the Pennyfoot Hotel is now a Country Club, so there will not be any more problems with the Constable about card games. Christmas is just a few days away, but before Cecily can get in the holiday mood, a former employee turns up dead in the nearby duck pond. Cecily believes there's a curse. Can the murderer be found before Father Christmas arrive?

Downton Abbey fans should enjoy this series. The mystery was not very complicated, but I enjoyed the upstairs/downstairs stories and the details of running a hotel in that era.

[Diane U · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Christmas time at Pennyfoot. Will this be the year with no problems? I doubt it! There's another holiday murder at the country club but this time it is a former employee who is the father of another's employees children. Who has a reason to kill Ian? Thankfully, the constable had to leave to spend time with his family for the holiday so Cecily has taken it upon herself to solve the mystery.

I read this book for my neighborhood book club. It was very interesting to me. We wanted to read a nice and easy book since everyone was so busy preparing for the holidays. This is the fifth holiday Pennyfoot mystery book. I may go back and read some more of them soon.

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Kingsbury's Decked with Folly celebrates another Christmas in Badgers End. Mrs. Baxter must solve another murder, but this one could put Mrs. Baxter's head housemaid, Gertie, behind bars as Christmas arrives. Luckily, Mrs. Baxter puts all of the pieces of the murder puzzle together so the real murderer goes to jail, and Gertie can spend Christmas with the twins, her children. I felt that this Christmas holiday mystery was not quite as dazzling as the others I have read, but it was fun to be at The Pennyfoot again.

[Marilyn Fontane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decked with Folly by Kate Kingsbury is another of her Christmas mysteries set at the turn of the century in the Pennyfoot Country Club in Badgers End England. The novels present a delightful setting for Christmas time with the turn-of-the-century decorations, food and activities in the background. In this novel Gertie Mc Bride, the head maid, is the primary character whose previous almost-husband Ian Rossiter (the father of her twins) is killed. She is obviously being framed for the murder, and Cecily Sinclair Baxter, owner of the hotel-club must find the real murderer before constable Northcott returns from his vacation and puts Gertie in jail. But finding the real murderer isn't easy. Is it one of two very different men now courting Gertie, Dan Perkins and Clive Russsell, both of whom work at the Club? Sidney Barrett, an avid womanizer and a third employee of the Club? Ian's real wife who Cecily stupidly allowed to stay at the Club while investigating her husband's murder? The new maid Mable, who is inept and lazy? Archibald Parker, an obnoxious guest who is not a seller of medical supplies? Any other guest? The list goes on. Meanwhile not only do the Baxters have a murderer in their establishment but also a thief who has stolen Mrs. Chubbs' wedding ring as well as some expensive jewelry from another guest.
Obviously, there is plenty of action involved in trying to solve these crimes, but there is a lot of humor too in the activities of the staff and the odd guests. The story is engaging and entertaining. However, the reader is still puzzled over exactly when the villain started to stalk Ian over the robberies. Why would he follow him from London, since the thefts occurred after he was in Badgers End. What all was stolen and when is not clearly presented. If the only thefts that occurred were the two in the Pennyfoot, the relationship between Ian and the murderer makes no sense. Why did the murderer come to Badgers End?
But the story is so entertaining, that one only thinks of this after finishing the book. It is a fun read.

[Alton Motobu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of flavor and atmosphere of turn-of-the-century English countryside with a cast of interesting characters. But the crux of the story line seems to be the characters withholding information from each other which complicates the story line: (1) children withhold information from their mother, (2) maids withhold information from the head housekeeper, (3) the head housekeeper withholds information from the inn keeper, (4) the inn keeper withholds information from the police and her husband, (5) lovers withhold information from each other, and so on. If everyone had told the full story from the beginning the mystery would have been solved - but then there would not have been a story.

[Dazey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a simple read that I don't feel you need to have read the series to jump right into the world. It gives the feeling of a comforting show that you put on for background noise. I love the characters and can picture them vividly with their British accents. I enjoyed the mystery, and it was not too hard to follow but was not exactly obvious from the start. I love the way the characters interact, and the demarcation of the different characters perspective is easy to see and know when the POV is switching. Very good cozy read, and I may have to get the rest of the series so I can read them when I don't feel like encountering a bunch of emotions or any difficulty with keeping my attention.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end! With a murder in the duckpond, the staff at Pennyfoot take it upon themselves to solve the murder. This is the first one I’m reading in the series and would definitely continue. My only comment would be it seemed to drag on a bit longer than necessary but was still fun to read and a page turner.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning was a bit slow, but after that it was a great read! Loved every minute of it.

[Michell Karnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great mystery at the Pennyfoot.

[Ilene B]

All of Kate Kingsbury's "Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery" series are quite enjoyable.

[Judy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Christmas Mystery book will keep your interest. Overall I like the book.

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

C. fiction, contemporary. from stash, discard

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

great Christmas read

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun

[Alicia Kemper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful. Keeps you thinking until the end.

[Maryann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun mystery as usual!!

[Kelsey Scanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and fast paced mystery book!!! Never thought a cozy Christmas mystery book is what I needed!! Great read and makes me want to read more in the future!

[Ms Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another enjoyable cozy mystery by Kate Kingsbury. It's Christmas time at the Pennyfoot hotel. Mrs. Baxter has her hands full. The constable is going out of town for the holidays giving Mrs. Baxter ample time to solve the mysteries afoot. I so enjoy all the different characters. There are so many pieces to the puzzle and in order to solve correctly she must find out what each person knows to keep her head housemaid out of jail. Thus putting the right person behind bars. This story is entertaining and will keep you engaged throughout.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Servant romance (Clive protects Gertie while rich Dan sweeps her off) simmers behind Cecily's search for killer. Curious heroine always dives headlong into danger. Strange how she believes Archie is detective and counts on him. I still didn't guess killer on re-read. Avg previous 5*+ this 3* to 4*.

Edwardian England holiday decoration candlestick bashes bigamist Ian Rossiter, after drunkenly threatening his twins' mother Gertie, designating her prime suspect. Incompetent local constable allows house arrest until the New Year for country-club owner Cecily Sinclair Baxter to save her chief housemaid. New hires are self-proclaimed Casanova, footman Sidney Barrett, wimpy incompetent Mabel, and odd guest is obviously fake patent-nostrum peddlar Archie Parker. The latter claims to be a private detective, but Ceci doesn't ask for identification, so he could just as likely be a member of the London jewel theft gang he claims to trace.

Other characters are distractions, soap opera carry-overs. Maybe Baxter was major, love interest previously, now smokes a pipe, lets wife run around with no help, minimal chiding. Inviting Gloria, Ian's (first) wife to free room and food has to cause trouble, Ceci's excuses are feeble, how can she "hope" for no "more trouble" p87? Gertie whines overlong about boyfriend Dan, rich walnut dashboard and leather seat 16 mph downhill Austin p101 and multiple butcher-shop owner, wishing for marriage commitment and ignoring protective maintenance worker Clive building children's tree-house in rainy cold dark. Are addled Colonel Frederick Fortescue and screechy flibberty wife Phoebe, unable to control performers in pantomime, (supposed to be) comic relief thread continuous in series? Her "wide-brimmed hat, loaded with pink ostrich feathers, blue ribbons, and purple grapes" p129 wobbling precariously? (Reminds me of Gail Carriger series milliner.)

Why are clues ignored, not put together until last minute chase, helter-skelter without backup? Cook Mrs Chubb misses her wedding ring from window ledge, Lady Roslyn dress-up jewels from her room. Second housemaid Pansy points out that Barrett knows Ian's name when he claimed he didn't p236. When toddler James shushes sister Lillian blurting about spying elf who left gift p111, 252, of course they saw the villain plant the weapon under Gertie's bed. Gertie does not tell Ceci about someone re-arranging clothes p119, truth dragged out in bib-bob dribbles. Ceci questions everyone, yet annoyingly, repeatedly, insists the investigation be left to absent useless policeman. She doesn't leave a note for her husband, pushes coachman Samuel head-first into a heavy frypan, and seems to make him drive back from town while suffering from concussion.

Finally Cece thinks to coax twins to identify Barrett. What if Ian had never showed Gloria the box of stolen jewels? Why would Barrett reveal location of sparklies stolen by Mabel from Lady Roslyn and cook Mrs Chubb? Ending disappoints when Clive melts away during carolling, letting Gertie and Dan kiss "Happy Christmas, love" p294, single statuses unchanged. Plot threads seem to snarl together into a final knot, not fully satisfactory, but does feel as if vacationing in homey comfortable pubs like long-running 11-years American TV "Cheers" and still-running 25+ years highly rated UK soap-opera "EastEnders".

[Drebbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cecily Sinclair Baxter loves celebrating Christmas at the Pennyfoot except for one thing - the Christmas Curse that seems to happen each year. She's hoping this Christmas will finally be murder free but her hopes are quickly dashed when the body of a former employee is found in the duck pond. The local constable is convinced one of Cecily's staff is responsible for the murder but agrees to hold off arresting anyone until after Christmas. Cecily must rush to not only prove her staff member is innocent but catch a killer before it is too late.

"Decked with Folly" is the latest holiday book in Kate Kingsbury's delightful cozy mystery series set at the Pennyfoot - an annual Christmas gift to her fans. The setting is a familiar one for her fans and the mystery is a bit lightweight - the constable all too conveniently disappears so Cecily can solve the crime herself and it is pretty easy to figure out who the killer - but Kingsbury fans will want to read this book (and the other books in the series) not for the mystery but to revisit favorite characters. All of them are here: Cecily and her beloved husband Baxter, her unconventional friend Madeline and Madeline's husband Kevin, her friend Phoebe (who isn't in the book as much as one would like - even her annual Christmas pageant is poorly treated), her household staff - Mrs. Chubb, Gertie, Pansy, and temperamental chef Michel. The book focuses mostly on Cecily and Gertie, alternating between the two of them - readers may want to shake Gertie and tell her to straighten out her tangled love life for once and for all, but that's the beauty of this series - Kingsbury has created characters that you care about and feel like family.

Fans of cozy mysteries will love "Decked with Folly" and spending the holidays at the Pennyfoot - I look forward to visiting there again next Christmas.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wouldn't be Christmas at the Pennyfoot without a dead body and mysterious doings. Several days before Christmas a body is found in the duck pond and the head housemaid is the chief suspect. Cecily is determined to clear Gertie's name and find the real murderer in time to enjoy the holiday. Then jewelry starts to disappear. Could there be more than one criminal on the prowl?

This is an enjoyable Christmas mystery, filled with holiday atmosphere. It was fairly easy to spot the evil-doer, but it was still fun watching Cecily work it out for herself. The pace did drag a bit at times. I have to admit that I find Cecily's husband, Baxter, a rather unlikable character, and the doctor, Kevin, isn't much better. That's true for me throughout the series so far though, and not just in this book. I keep hoping to find them more likable and that just hasn't happened yet. However, the other characters more than make up for any faults of Baxter and Kevin, and I return for more Pennyfoot each Christmas.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the Christmas edition of the Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery Series. A previous employee of the Pennyfoot, Ian, has been found dead in the pond on the property. There are a lot of suspects. Was it Gertie, the young mother who had married Ian and gotten pregnant with twins before finding out that he already had a wife. Ian had already tried to take one of the twins back to London with him and he showed up at the Pennyfoot again? Was it Clive, the employee that seems to have a silent crush on Gertie and often comes to her rescue? What about the strange guest, who always seems to know what is going on and constantly asking questions or the new footman who is always flirting and seems to be skulking around? And now it seems someone is stealing jewellery. Will Cecily solve the mystery and get Gertie off the hook? Will the countess get her jewellery back? My first book from this series and this author and I did enjoy it. A light cozy mystery.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining holiday cozy mystery set in the quaint Pennyfoot Hotel on the southeast coast of England. Manager Cecily Baxter hopes for a murder-free Christmas but, alas, the curse continues when a body is discovered in the duck pond. Cecily tries to simultaneously investigate, protect her staff, appease her husband, and run a country club. Suspects abound and, though the culprit is not much of a surprise, fun characters and upstairs/downstairs relations provide a light mystery, perfect for the holidays. 5th in a series.

[Ladysatel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The manager of The Pennyfoot Hotel dreads Christmas time, because every year something bad has happened at the hotel. This year is no exception when an ex-employee of the hotel is found dead in the duck pond.

At first it seems to be an accident, but on further investigation proves to be murder. The Manager does not wish to disturb the residents and so begins an investigation to find the culprit. The more she foind out the more suspicion falls on her housemaid, who she is convinced could not have
committed a murder.

A delightful cozy mystery by the author Kate Kingsbury.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not typically into historicals except for a few series and had never read any of these before but the Christmas season inspired me so I got this book. It was good and I like the setting. I'm not certain I like the couples in the book, Cecily and Baxter and the Dr. and his wife. Maybe I'd understand better if I'd read the series and seen character development. As it is, I just didn't think they were that great as couples. But overall, it was a good read.

[Margaret]

Not a bad cozy mystery. I like the idea of a hotel setting although I think the author could have done a little more in terms of the plot. Would have liked a little more action - most of the time Cecily was just questioning everyone who was suspect. Did like the holiday theme and it does work well at the Pennyfoot Hotel. Also liked the setting and period - England post-Victorian era just after the turn of the century. A nice holiday read.

[Lucy Janowiecki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pennyfoot Hotel series is an easy-read mixture of historical fiction and mystery. The setting is Christmas time in post-victorian England - a setting which allows me to escape the 21st century and its heat. This series is unnumbered, but is best read beginning with No Clue At the Inn...Brought me to the conclusion with 2 possible suspects left.

[Grey853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the better Pennyfoot mysteries. I liked how Gertie came across as a main character rather than a secondary one. I normally don't like it when a writer switches point of view, but it works for this series.

[Jessica Sinn (Books and Trouble) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a classic whodunnit that'll get you in the Christmas spirit - this one's for you. Decked with Folly is my first Pennyfoot mystery, and it certainly will not be my last! Check out my review here: http://loonachicklit.wordpress.com/