Once Upon a Murder (Lady Librarian, Bk 2)
Author:
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Dollycas's Thoughts
The Duchess of Beaufort has formally hired Miss Tiffany Woodall as her head librarian, meaning the woman can be herself and leave her disguises behind. Miss Tiffany is also teaching 6-year-old Duke of Beaufort (Beau) until a proper governess can be found.
As she leaves her home, Bristle Cottage, to go to Astwell Palace, she trips over the body of a dead man, half covered in the snow. She recognizes that it's Mr. Bernard Coram, a former footman at the palace. Found in front of her home, she is named the prime suspect by the justice of the peace. In an effort to clear her name, she learns that on the night of his death, Mr. Coram was involved in a fight at the local pub, but also that he was blackmailing the love of her life, local bookseller and constable, Samir Lathrop. Soon, it is Samir who is arrested. Tiffany is going to need all the help she can get to prove his innocence. A new arrival in town adds to the drama. The Lady Librarian has her hands full. Can she find the real killer? Or will Samir hang for a crime he didn't commit?
Like in the first book of this series, A Novel Disguise, Ms. Larsen's characters come alive within these pages. They are diverse, coming from all classes, and Miss Tiffany Woodall interacts with them all. She beams as she teaches her young charge, really making learning fun. She is comfortable in her new position, and a new friendship blooms when she needs a friend most. She thought she knew where her relationship with Samir was going, but new developments, and he being accused of murder, could mean she may never get her happy ever after.
I really enjoyed the author's descriptive writing style, especially when Tiffany, her friend Thomas, and others traveled around the countryside trying to find the answers they needed. It's always great to have a friend with power and the right connections to help move investigations along. Through the author's words, I felt that I was right on the scene, whether it be at the palace, in the kitchen or library, the church, the pub in town, or the blacksmith shop in a town up the road.
I loved the way Tiffany fostered young Beau's love for books. The palace library was âsadly lacking in children's literature,â and she was determined to fix that by adding several books, including fairy tales. They were reading Gulliver's Travels, complete with dressing up as pirates with swords to search for hidden treasure and with mathematical pirates' problems to solve.
Ms. Larsen packs a lot into this well-plotted and well-written book. It is filled with twists and turns, a very satisfying reckoning, and a delightful final chapter and epilogue.
What we didn't know when this book was released was if there would be a book 3. I can now report that there is, but the release is unique in that A Poetic Pox is being released first as an audiobook/CD on July 22, 2025, and will be released in other formats a few months later.
Once Upon a Murder is a captivating and entertaining story filled with a smart and loyal protagonist, a motley cast of supporting characters all caught up in an intriguing mystery, that includes the perfect amounts of romance and humor. To enjoy this book to the fullest, I believe you have to read A Novel Disguise first, as Once Upon a Murder picks up right where it leaves off. Then you will be ready when A Poetic Pox hits stores.
The Duchess of Beaufort has formally hired Miss Tiffany Woodall as her head librarian, meaning the woman can be herself and leave her disguises behind. Miss Tiffany is also teaching 6-year-old Duke of Beaufort (Beau) until a proper governess can be found.
As she leaves her home, Bristle Cottage, to go to Astwell Palace, she trips over the body of a dead man, half covered in the snow. She recognizes that it's Mr. Bernard Coram, a former footman at the palace. Found in front of her home, she is named the prime suspect by the justice of the peace. In an effort to clear her name, she learns that on the night of his death, Mr. Coram was involved in a fight at the local pub, but also that he was blackmailing the love of her life, local bookseller and constable, Samir Lathrop. Soon, it is Samir who is arrested. Tiffany is going to need all the help she can get to prove his innocence. A new arrival in town adds to the drama. The Lady Librarian has her hands full. Can she find the real killer? Or will Samir hang for a crime he didn't commit?
Like in the first book of this series, A Novel Disguise, Ms. Larsen's characters come alive within these pages. They are diverse, coming from all classes, and Miss Tiffany Woodall interacts with them all. She beams as she teaches her young charge, really making learning fun. She is comfortable in her new position, and a new friendship blooms when she needs a friend most. She thought she knew where her relationship with Samir was going, but new developments, and he being accused of murder, could mean she may never get her happy ever after.
I really enjoyed the author's descriptive writing style, especially when Tiffany, her friend Thomas, and others traveled around the countryside trying to find the answers they needed. It's always great to have a friend with power and the right connections to help move investigations along. Through the author's words, I felt that I was right on the scene, whether it be at the palace, in the kitchen or library, the church, the pub in town, or the blacksmith shop in a town up the road.
I loved the way Tiffany fostered young Beau's love for books. The palace library was âsadly lacking in children's literature,â and she was determined to fix that by adding several books, including fairy tales. They were reading Gulliver's Travels, complete with dressing up as pirates with swords to search for hidden treasure and with mathematical pirates' problems to solve.
Ms. Larsen packs a lot into this well-plotted and well-written book. It is filled with twists and turns, a very satisfying reckoning, and a delightful final chapter and epilogue.
What we didn't know when this book was released was if there would be a book 3. I can now report that there is, but the release is unique in that A Poetic Pox is being released first as an audiobook/CD on July 22, 2025, and will be released in other formats a few months later.
Once Upon a Murder is a captivating and entertaining story filled with a smart and loyal protagonist, a motley cast of supporting characters all caught up in an intriguing mystery, that includes the perfect amounts of romance and humor. To enjoy this book to the fullest, I believe you have to read A Novel Disguise first, as Once Upon a Murder picks up right where it leaves off. Then you will be ready when A Poetic Pox hits stores.
