[Alyssa Maxwell] ↠ Murder Most Malicious (A Lady Ladys Maid Mystery, #1) [Mystery Book] PDF ☆ Read Online eBook or Kindle ePUB

I was delighted to receive a copy of Allyssa Maxwell's new mystery set in England in the immediate aftermath of WWI. I had greatly enjoyed her series set in Gilded Age Newport, RI Murder at the Breakers, Murder at Marble House, Murder at Beechwood). They seemed to me well-researched and were populated with fully formed and believable characters. I wish I could say the same for Murder Most Malicious.

Set in the large country house of Lord Wroxley, the story takes place at Christmas in the immediate aftermath of WWI. Lady Phoebe, 19-year-old second granddaughter of the house, overhears a heated argument between her icy older sister, Lady Julia, and a houseguest, Lord Allerton. It is clear that Lord Allerton is a cad and the expected engagement between the two will never happen. The next morning, Boxing Day, dawns with the discovery that Lord Allerton is missing from the house. Later in the day, some very unpleasant inclusions are found in the Christmas boxes of several servants and villagers. The search for the body of Lord Allerton is unsuccessful, but it appears that he must be dead. When a footman falls under suspicion, Lay Phoebe and her maid, Eva, join forces to clear his name.

I found it very difficult to keep the large cast of characters sorted and kept putting the book down in sheer frustration. All the country house mystery tropes were trotted out; the bumbling village policeman, the eccentric houseguests, the rakish valet and the martinet housekeeper. This was an uncorrected proof, which I usually take into account when reviewing. Hopefully, errors get corrected before publication, but there were a couple in the early part of the book that seemed to betray a lack of knowledge and research that I couldn't overlook. Finishing the book was a struggle. I don't require a mystery that keeps me guessing, but I do need characters that seem real. Other than Lady Phoebe and Eva, such characters are not present.

I wish I could recommend Murder Most Malicious. It was a great disappointment to me, especially after Maxwell's earlier Gilded Age mysteries. Those I do recommend highly to fans of historical mysteries. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an advance digital copy in return for an honest review.

RATING-1 1/2 Stars


298 There were some interesting historical details, as well as some good reminders of the overlooked sacrifices and effects of WWI, but these were balanced by a few inaccuracies and anachronisms. It would be highly unlikely for a murder trial to be successful without a body and with so little evidence, for example, and I'm fairly certain a lady would have worn more underwear than was suggested. In addition, the copious number of tropes took it from a potentially fresh look to yet another Downton Abbey-style mystery. Just to name a few, there was the old bat, the kind and overly thoughtful daughter, the selfish daughter, and the blinkered policeman unwilling to consider another view.

So this was good as a one-off read, if you're looking for something slightly unusual and less fluffy than many, but I can't see myself reading it again, or any others.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Mystery 3.5-4 stars...

This is what I would call an upstairs-downstairs historical mystery novel, most likely the setting inspired by the ever popular Downton Abbey tv series. Time period is just after the end of WWI, (1918). I was delighted that it just after Christmas which is about when I started reading it:)

Our main sleuths are Phoebe, granddaughter of Foxwood Hall and Eva, Lady's Maid to Phoebe and her 2 sisters. Their friendship seems forged from a desire to correctly solve the mystery as much as anything else. A guest in the home for Christmas holidays goes missing mysteriously and certain things found lead them to believe he might not be still alive. Oh heavens!! A valet is arrested, but many wonder if he's really the culprit. There's many options for who might have a done it, and why.

It's light reading for the most part, but I enjoyed it. It wasn't terribly hard to figure out the whodunnit, but it kept me interested and wanting to read on! If you are looking for suspense and an intricate plot, this book is probably not for you, though.

I am excited to see what happens next and where future books take all the characters. I would definitely read others in the series and look forward to checking out the Newport mysteries also written by Alyssa Maxwell.

**Many thanks to NetGalley & Kensington Publishers for an advance reader's copy for review purposes** 9781617738302 I had high hopes for Murder Most Malicious and was delighted to find that this historical mystery not only met, but exceeded, my expectations.

This novel is a wonderful read for anyone who loves Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs. It has a great cast of characters both upstairs and down. The story takes place after the end of World War II. The period details are perfect, and sure to delight fans of historical fiction.

Murder Most Malicious is also a cozy mystery. I loved the way that Lady Phoebe and her lady's maid Eva became involved in the mystery and worked together to solve it. I found the mystery kept me guessing until the end.

The characters are well drawn, and the dialogue moves both characterization and plot along. I especially enjoyed all the scenes with Phoebe and Eva.

This is a lovely, leisurely read for a winter weekend ... perfect to enjoy with a pot of tea. Very highly recommended! English Review: MURDER MOST MALICIOUS by Alyssa Maxwell
(A Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery Book 1)

MURDER MOST MALICIOUS is an enterprising historical cozy mystery, set in rural England in December 1918, the first peacetime Christmas for Western Europe since the First World War. Life at Foxwood has somewhat settled, until Christmas night, when nineteen-year-old Lady Phoebe overhears, then interrupts, a nasty and uncivil argument between her sister, Lady Julia, and the generally expected fiance to be, Lord Allerton. Next morning, Boxing Day holiday, he is nowhere to be found; until the family servants, and a few village shopkeepers, open their presents from the manor house, only to discover gifts they neither expected nor wished. A nefarious and clever killer is at large, and independent-thinking Lady Phoebe bends her keen intellect to discovery. English

“As you said, the war is over. The men have come home. Time for you ladies to return to the roles for which God designed you.”

Miss Marple does Downton Abbey. Not your mother’s cozy murder mystery. A noble house guest disappears, then parts of him appear, and the family middle daughter and her maid go Jessica Fletcher trying to find the body and solve the assumed murder. Clues, motives, and suspects multiply.

“I’m not a modern woman. Not when it comes to matters like this. I need . . . time.”

Christmas 1918 evokes painful memories of The Great War and the Spanish Flu pandemic. Social and technical details conform to the Downtown Abbey norms, if not the actual 1919.

‘It was a situation where there could be no happy outcome.’

Characters are fully, if stereotypically developed. Excellent misdirection and foreshadowing before the climax reveal.
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“I suggest you both take a cloak. It’s deadly cold outside.”
9781617738302 Overall I liked this. It was refreshing to read a mystery in the shadow of WWI where the lady detective didn't have a secret husband in a sanatorium (9 out of 10 lady tecs of that era have secret sanatorium husbands). The romance was a little dopey but the friendships/family relationships were strong! However, and I know this is nitpick-y but still, Eton was misspelled as Eaton every time. In an otherwise sweet and seemingly well-researched novel, it was like accidentally biting tin foil. Blegh! 298 I really enjoyed this cozy mystery, hooked me from the first page. Excellent idea to choose as detective two young women from two different social classes, it was fun to see them interact and it was possible to see the lives of the aristocratic class and that of people who work downstairs.
Lady Phoebe belongs to the British aristocratic class and lives in Foxwood Hall with her two sisters, her brother and her grandparents. She lost her mother many years ago and her father was killed in the war. The morning of Boxing Day Henry, Marquess of Allenton, one of their guests, has disappeared. Unfortunately his fingers are found in various gifts received by households. The police arrest a footman but Phoebe doesn't believe that he is the culprit. The evening before his death Henry had quarreled with her sister Julia and was blackmailing her. In her investigation she is helped by Eva, her personal maid. So they can investigate anywhere without arousing suspicion, in this historical period women are not free to do what they want and people of a certain social class could not enter certain places. Will they find the real culprit?
I like the choice of the historical period and setting. I love this English estate covered with snow. It's the first Christmas after the end of the World War I and everyone is still shocked by the horrors of war. Many families have lost members and are trying to move forward. Excellent historical reconstruction, we see that the author did careful research. Murder Most Malicious is the first chance I have had to read anything by Alyssa Maxwell. It most certainly will not be my last.
This is a wonderful mystery with charming characters, strong and captivating storyline. The plot flows effortlessly and will keep the reader turning pages. Great debut for this new series, I hope to read soon the sequel.
I recommend it to those who love historical cozy mystery set in England in the early 1900s.
I received an advance reader edition of this book via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review. Alyssa Maxwell Dollycas’s Thoughts

Alyssa Maxwell has brought us a new team of sleuths, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her maid, Eva Huntford. Christmas at Foxwood Hall has brought several guests to the hall including the Marquis of Allerton and his family. He has asked Lady Phoebe’s sister, Julia to be his wife. Phoebe happens to hear the argument that ensues when he gets a very unexpected answer. The next morning the Marquis is missing and foul play is suspected. Phoebe enlists Eva’s help when she notices the police go after an easy suspect, not necessarily the right suspect.

In this story we are given fantastic characters to love and fantastic characters to hate.

Inspector Perkins is an incompetent twit. A man with a small mind who drove me crazy. Thank goodness for Constable Brannock. He was not so sure of the inspector’s findings and was open to listen to other theories. Henry Leighton, Marquess of Allenton, was a really gem, I say that very sarcastically. He has quite a checkered past that visited his present and could be the reason he ended up dead.

I really enjoyed the other characters, both those upstairs and down. Lady Phoebe is strong willed and a great protagonist. Her lady’s maid Eva, treads lightly when necessary but she has the trust of Phoebe and the rest of the family. Phoebe, her sisters, Julia and Amelia and their brother Fox, have been raised by their grandparents, the Earl and Countess of Wroxly. Grams and Grampapa are devoted to these children/young adults and want the very best for them. There are quite a bit of staff, shopkeepers, Eva’s family and the Allenton family as well. A big number of characters to keep straight but the author makes it easy because they all bring important qualities to the story as a whole.

The story itself is created with immense precision and flowed so perfectly. I was surprised at how quickly I reached the end. It has the expected twists and turns but that final one just caught me by total surprise.

The grounds of Foxwood Hall sounded so beautiful all covered in snow. I bet the place is gorgeous in the spring, summer and fall too. The hall seemed to be a complex place with so many rooms and hallways. Plenty of places to hide for a bit a eavesdropping. I would enjoy actually visiting a place like that.

I have loved this author’s Gilded Newport Mysteries. She takes us back in time so effortlessly. I know it takes so much time for her to research each story, and it clearly shows in her writing. I am so pleased she has traveled across the pond to bring us a new captivating series. 298 This was the first book I had read by this author, Alyssa Maxwell. She is an excellent author. Great descriptions, wonderful unique characters, a dastardly murder or should I say a most malicious murder. I lovePphoebe and her maid Eva. The only thing is--I am used to a story that moves more quickly. That was my only complaint. It was an intriguing mystery with two wonderful amateur sleuths, Phoebe and Eva, and a wonderful setting. I do enjoy the post World War I era since that was the true beginning of the 20th century. So I'm happy I read it but I wish it moved as quickly as I like books too but that's just my hangup!. 9781617738302

In postâ€"World War I England, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady's maid, Eva Huntford, step outside of their social roles and put their lives at risk to apprehend a vicious killer. . .

December 1918: As a difficult year draws to a close, there is much to celebrate for nineteen-year-old Phoebe Renshaw and her three siblings at their beloved family estate of Foxwood Hall. The dreadful war is finally over; eldest daughter Julia's engagement to their houseguest, the Marquis of Allerton, appears imminent; and all have gathered to enjoy peace on earth, good will toward men.

But the peace of Foxwood Hall is shattered on the morning of Boxing Day, when the Marquis goes missing. Not entirely missing, however, as macabre evidence of foul play turns up in gift boxes given to lady's maid Eva Huntford and a handful of others. Having overheard her sister and the Marquis in a heated exchange the night before, Lady Phoebe takes a personal interest in solving the mystery.

As the local constable suspects a footman at Foxwood Hall, Phoebe and Eva follow the clues to a different conclusion. But both young women will need to think outside the box to wrap up this case--before a cornered killer lashes out with ill will toward them. . . Murder Most Malicious (A Lady Ladys Maid Mystery, #1)