Frances, Countess of Harleigh, is in the midst of preparations for her engagement party when a foreign woman arrives saying that she is married to Frances' fiancé, George Hazelton, Making all attempts to avoid scandal and to clear up the misunderstanding, George and Frances search for answers. The mysterious woman was mistaken and was married to another gentleman but before the error can be publicly corrected the woman is murdered.

So much fun with the mistaken identity aspect and the inclusion of the royals, fun time! ( )

It's rare that I DNF a book, and I enjoyed the first three of this series, but I got 45 pages in and ... a big fat no.

I'm never going to be able to suspend my belief enough to read about a spoiled rotten by-blow of the Russian royal family who baldly lies about being the MC's fiancé's wife so she can blackmail him into investigating someone sending her letters.

In an age where a woman would be sent to a sanitarium for merely reading the wrong book, the idea that this silly child could successfully throw this tantrum and manipulate the main characters is beyond ridiculous. I don't care that she does end up dead, it's a terrible, weak premise. ( )

A little slow ( )

What a deliciously fun Victorian cozy mystery this fourth book in the "Countess of Harleigh Mystery" series was. It opens as if reading a French farce with misstated identities divulged early on and it quickly spirals into a murder scene with unfortunate accusations and much scandal.

Our plucky protagonist, widow Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh, and her fiancé, George Hazelton, are looking forward to their upcoming engagement party. All is well until a French woman, escorted by the local constabulary descends upon Frances' doorstep, demands to know where her husband George Hazelton is. George adamantly denies being married to this woman but as it turns out, he had been acquainted with her, quite some time ago. Eyes are watching, conjecture and gossip ensues and Frances' standing in polite society is in peril. George and Frances must prove the fallacy of this woman's assertion and reestablish their place among the ton. It will surely be difficult and becomes increasingly more so when the young woman is found dead in Frances' garden. Inspector Delaney cautions George and Frances to stay out of the investigation, (as if they even could). There's too much on the line for these two and they must clear their names if they wish to move forward with their nuptials and remain within polite society.

Author Dianne Freeman does a spectacular job of spinning this yarn replete with many red herrings, twists and turns. Her discussion of the pitfalls within polite society resulting in scandal is well laid out and based in historical fact. The double standard between the sexes of Victorian England as to what passes as acceptable behavior among aristocrats is well illustrated. The constrictions placed on polite society are also well described and most informative. Ms. Freeman's writing is engaging and well crafted, carrying the reader toward a satisfying conclusion of this twisted tale.

I am grateful to author Dianne Freeman and Kensington Publishing Corps. for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publication Date: July 27, 2021
Pages: 304
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
ISBN: 9781496731609 ( )

For Frances, Countess of Harleigh, the future looks bright as she plans for her wedding to Mr. George Hazelton. Matters come to a halt when a young lady arrives, claiming to be Mrs. Hazelton. Before they can clear up that misunderstanding, the young lady is found strangled to death in Frances' garden. Scandal erupts, and the race is on to clear all of their names.

It has been a delight to follow this series from book one until now. Frances and George are one of my favorite couples in the historical mystery genre. They trust each other and they have learned how to work together. Even when they face the disapproval of society and the unexpected, they rely on each other to find the solution.

The book is plotted and written very well. The mystery was enjoyable and kept me guessing. As always, the characters were the best part of the story. They were believable, and even the supporting cast was memorable.

For readers looking for a fun historical mystery series, I would definitely recommend this. I received a free copy through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. ( )