Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they’ve just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life.
But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There’s a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation…
As Lady Hardcastle and Flo delve deeper into rural rivalries and resentment, they uncover a web of intrigue that extends far beyond the village. With almost no one free from suspicion, they can be certain of only one fact: there is no such thing as a quiet life in the country.
I think I knew I was going to love this novel from the moment I saw the cover! I know we’re now onto book 6 (also amazing!) but I wanted to start my review with book one in this series. The dialogue is sparkling and draws you in immediately. The mystery element is incredibly clever and well plotted and keeps you turning the page. These are two exceptionally clever, interesting and witty characters, who will hold your interest and I promise that as soon as you finish reading this one, you’ll want to binge-read the rest of the series!
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