I remembered how much I enjoy Dianne Freeman’s Countess of Harleigh mystery series when I felt bad for Lady Frances and George Hazelton when I read that her mother had been staying with her for four months before her wedding. Frances’ family is nothing but trouble throughout A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder. The fifth book is as delightful as the previous ones.
Frances and George’s wedding was to be a small wedding for friends and family. Then, Frances’ mother invited Peter Bainbridge and her brother, Alonzo, asked that the Connors be invited since he’s hoping to court Madeline Connor. Of course, Brainbridge and James Connor were once business partners in America. Now, that they both made fortunes in silver, they’re always feuding, even in the newspapers. Just what Frances wants at her wedding, businessmen at war.
But, Connor declines and sends Viscount Fitzwalter in his place, another of Madeline’s suitors. Everyone makes it through the wedding, and Frances is walking on air, eager for the reception and the honeymoon in France. Just as the happy couple prepares to leave for their trip, Inspector Delaney puts a halt to their plans. James Connor was killed in his office, and Frances’ brother, Alonzo, has been arrested. It’s only natural that George will step in as Alonzo’s lawyer.
There are miscommunications, confessions, and duplicitous deeds before clues point Frances in the right direction. While I identified the killer long before Frances did, I enjoyed the lively action and characters in this entertaining mystery. As always, Freeman educates readers about the status of women in Victorian England. But, she makes those points with a light hand that only adds to the pleasure in reading the story.
A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder just might be my favorite in Freeman’s charming series.
Dianne Freeman’s website is https://difreeman.com/
A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder by Dianne Freeman. Kensington Books, 2022. ISBN 9781496731616 (hardcover), 304p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley to review for a journal.
