Death Comes to the Nursery
4 Stars

When the body of their new nursemaid is discovered brutally murdered in a local farmer's field, Lady Lucy Kurland and her husband, Sir Robert, are determined to catch the culprit even if the killer is someone closer to home . . .

The mystery is rather straightforward with a number of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. That said, a seasoned mystery reader might be able to figure it all out as the killer does fit a common stereotype.

Once again, the relationship between Lucy and her husband as well as the other secondary characters is the real highlight of the book. The manner in which Lucy and Robert bounce theories off one another in engaging particularly as the series is set in Regency times. The depth of their love and trust in one another is delightful.

All in all, another light and charming addition to the series and I see that the next book is in the works. ( )

Meh. A generally solid cozyish historical series, this one fell flat for me. It wasn’t bad, but it felt too busy and a tad too contrived. Some characters veered into tropes, which is something previous books avoided. That a woman (a nursery maid) so beautiful could come on the scene and suddenly make historically staid and responsible male characters start following her around (3 of them, at least), forgoing their responsibilities and breaking out in fisticuffs over who gets to walk with her is just too far beyond reasonable for me.

Further adding to the mediocrity of the story, the man who turns out to be the murderer was obvious from the start, because the author’s red herrings were just too, too red.

I have the next one and still have hopes it will be enjoyable. Though this historical series is cozy in its atmosphere, the author doesn’t shy away from bringing real issues to her characters: women who struggle through miscarriages, women who don’t want children at all (a challenging thought in the 1700’s), a bit of PTSD for the main male character, making the characters more interesting, rather than more romantic. ( )

1825, Kurland Hall. As Lucy, Lady Kurland is expecting her second child and she is delighted when Agnes, her current nursery nurse recommends her cousin Polly Carter to help in the nursery. But Polly's ways bring trouble to the Hall and Village of Kurland St. Mary, ending in her body being discovered in a ditch on the Estate. Sir Robert and Lucy investigate.
Another entertaining and well-written histroical mystery which is not fully resolved until the end. The cast of characters in this series are very likeable and it is a joy to read about them.
A NetGalley Book
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I really like this series and especially Robert and Lucy and how they've grown and matured along the way. Lucy is expecting her second child soon and hires a new nursemaid on the recommendation of Agnes who is her son's current nursemaid. Polly arrives and is very pretty and all the male servants are paying her lots of attention and causing jealousy amongst them. It's not too long before Polly is missing and found dead. Lots of suspects and Kurlands' investigate by talking to all and even going to London with Dr. Fletcher and his annoying wife, Penelope. A very fast-paced ending. ( )

It has been a little over a year since the last book in this series, Death Comes To Bath, and I was beginning to suffer from anxiety pangs waiting for this one. This is an absolutely delightful series and this book was a terrific addition. It has been wonderful watching Robert and Lucy’s relationship grow and mature. Robert has mellowed – at least a tad – from the taciturn curmudgeon we first met and Lucy has settled a bit as well. At the end of the last book, Lucy was expecting their first child after suffering two miscarriages. In this book, we meet the captivating Ned who is now almost three years old. NOTE: The book blurb says eighteen-month-old, but the ARC I read said he was nearly three.

Robert never thought he wanted children – those noisome small creatures who would be constantly underfoot. Then Lucy came into his life – and then there was the wondrous addition of Ned to the family. Robert is now totally besotted with both his wife and his son. How could life get any better? He quickly finds out when Lucy tells him that she is now expecting their second child in a few months. Their calm, peaceful routine quickly gets turned on its head when Lucy hires another maid for the nursery. Lucy is tiring quicker and can’t do as much and with a new baby in the nursery, they’ll need more staff. Luckily, their current nursery maid, Agnes, has a cousin who is looking for a position. Lucy is delighted when Agnes recommends Polly because she is very well pleased with Agnes.

The chaos sets in almost immediately. Polly excels in the nursery and Ned quickly comes to love her – as do all of the single males within the household and the village. While Polly does nothing to encourage the men – actually she does quite the opposite – they still come to fisticuffs on a regular basis. Robert is at the point of firing all of them – and then Polly comes up missing. When her lifeless body is found, Robert and Lucy quickly set out to find the murderer.

This book has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Is Polly more than she seems? Is she even who she says she is? Polly is Agnes’ cousin but … Agnes is plain and Polly is breathtakingly beautiful. Who is the hostler who began working at the Inn at the same time Polly arrived in Kurland St. Mary?

Lucy and Robert end up making a trip to London in order to discover more about Polly and how she came to be in their household – and who she really is. As they learn her real identity, they have to find out what happened to the real Polly – and what caused the girl they know as Polly to run away from London. Of whom or what was she afraid?

I highly recommend this book. It is very well-written, fast-paced, well-plotted, and filled with characters you’ll love. Well, except for the villains of course – and I was very happy that they got their punishment! You will probably figure out who the murderer is before the end of the story, but, even if you do, it doesn’t detract from the story at all.

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