Manda Collins

Another intriguing romance/mystery from the inimitable Amanda Collins.

When Jane Halliwell’s father, a high ranking diplomat, committed suicide due to his gambling debts Jane was shocked. Jane and her mother returned to England from Rome, unable to endure the ostracism they experienced from the diplomatic community. That included Lord Adrian Fielding, who’d been in and out of their home in Rome, and for whom the young Jane had conceived a crush.
With no funds to support them Jane’s mother had fled to a cousin in Scotland. Jane stayed in London determined eventually to make her way as a novelist
Now, five years later, Jane is working as a governess in the home of a diplomatic friend of her father’s, Lord Guilford. Guildford’s wife was not pleased and made Jane’s life difficult, treating her as a servant. Jane meets Adrian again at a symposium on roses being held at the Guilford's home.
Disaster strikes. Jane discovers Lord Guilford's body in his study. He’s been stabbed.
Now it seems other diplomats whose deaths has been put down to natural causes may have been murdered.
Jane joins forces with Adrian and Detective Inspector Eversham, agreeing to act as hostess for the symposium guests, in order to puzzle out the mystery of who’s been murdering the diplomats.
The Duke of Langham, Adrian’s brother, and his wife Poppy, also a friend of Jane’s, arrive to give assistance.
A fast paced who dunnit with a rekindled (sort of) romance nicely filling the gaps between murders.

A Forever ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.… (mehr)

A Governess’s Guide to Passion and Peril by Manda Collins
Ladies Most Scandalous series #4. Historical murder mystery with romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but characters from the prior books play minor roles.
Jane Halliwell works as a governess though she grew up with social standing until her father died and the money disappeared. One night she is required to join the dinner table to even the numbers, when the hostess and her boss, tells Jane to fetch a shawl left behind in the library. When Jane discovers a dead body in the library, she is thrust into a mystery from the Foreign Office that may connect to her own father’s death. With the help of Lord Adrian Fielding, a longtime crush, Jane and Adrian ask questions, and follow clues to find a killer.

Friends from the prior books make an appearance but you don’t have to have read their stories to appreciate the helpful and supportive actions. The more connections, the more clues and potential reason for why the deaths are piling up. I liked the unswerving loyalty everyone had connected to the Foreign Office and how they helped each other. Quite the statement as opposed to the Ladies that thought Jane was suddenly unworthy. We need to do better.
Adrian and Jane together: smart is stronger than gossip.
The mystery is engaging. I admired Jane’s strength of character.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.… (mehr)

Hmm – strange things are afoot in the Foreign Office as this excellently-written, well-paced, well-plotted historical romance/mystery unfolds. The protagonists are very likable and relatable, while the antagonist is venal and vile – just the way I like it. You’ll love it all – and it will keep you on the edge of your chair wondering who did it.

Five years ago, Miss Jane Halliwell’s world crashed and burned – to a cinder. Her beloved father, who worked for the Foreign Office, committed suicide and left Jane and her mother destitute from his gambling debts. She is now governess to Margaret, the daughter of her father’s good friend, Lord Gilford. Lady Gilford is not a supporter of Jane and takes every opportunity to belittle her and assure Jane knows of her now reduced place in society. Therefore, Jane is shocked when Lady Gilford informs her that, to keep the numbers right, she must attend a dinner that is part of an international symposium sponsored by Lord Gilford.

Lord Adrian Fielding, brother of the Duke of Langham (from book three), was a new and very young Foreign Office diplomat five years ago when his mentor committed suicide. He’d befriended the man’s young daughter, but, after the suicide, he was immediately sent away from Rome to another posting without even being able to say goodbye. He’d caught a glimpse of her two years ago, but she wouldn’t speak with him and seemed very angry. Now, he’s at this symposium – and she is here – and still angry. Why? He’s tried to find her since their encounter two years ago, but it seemed there was no trace of her. He hopes to make things right with her.

Since this is a romance – with a mystery tagging along for the ride – we’ll need to know a tad about the mystery. Jane finds Lord Gilford stabbed to death in his study. Who could have done such a thing? There is no shortage of suspects as the house is full of foreign dignitaries, servants, Foreign Office representatives, and family. Detective Inspector Eversham (from book 1) is immediately called in and enlists Adrian’s assistance. They would prefer to leave Jane out of it, but she insists on helping as Lord Gilford was one of the very few to give her a helping hand after her father’s suicide. As they work through the clues – and uncover other happenings at the Foreign Office – the danger to them increases, and they grow closer. While the identity of the antagonist didn’t surprise me, the depths of his depravity did.

I can definitely recommend this book and this series. While this isn’t my favorite of the series, it was a lovely read, an exciting mystery, and provided us with a well-deserved HEA. We also got nice visits with the main characters of the previous books and a sweet epilogue. I hope you’ll give this book a try and enjoy it as much as I did. Happy Reading.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (mehr)