The Beast of Littleton Woods by T.E. Kinsey

 

First Line: '... and then I said, "But that's what I wanted the parsnip for in the first place."'

After a week of torrential rain and ferocious winds, the inhabitants of Littleton Cotterill are eager to emerge from their homes-- only to discover that one of Sid Hyde's prize sheep has been mauled to death. In no time, rumors are flying about a vicious beast stalking the countryside. 

Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence Armstrong, are sure there is a rational explanation, but when Sid Hyde himself is brutally killed, and another man is killed and yet another injured, it's plain to see that whatever is behind the attacks needs to be caught-- and fast. 

Lady Hardcastle and Flo have their work cut out for them.

~

After reading some very serious and depressing fiction and non-fiction, I was in dire need of something light and fun. The Beast of Littleton Woods was just what the doctor ordered! It's my favorite book in the series so far. 

For one thing, there is a marvelous cast, and I'm not just talking about the primary characters. The secondary characters, all the way down to individual villagers, add so much to the story. I grew up in a village, and T.E. Kinsey's characters remind me so much of some of the people I grew up with. He also firmly roots his stories at the turn of the twentieth century with Lady Hardcastle and Flo wondering if they should bring electricity to their house. In this twelfth book in the series, readers make the acquaintance of Sir Hector's older sister, Joyce Adaway and her little dog, Lady Araminta Fluffikins. (I know...) Lady Hardcastle and her maid Flo know all these people so well that they remind me of another sleuth-- Bruno Courrèges in Martin Walker's excellent series. 

I loved the plot. Is there really a beast on the loose? If there is a beast, where did it come from? And who keeps resorting the mail in the post office? I had so much fun putting the clues together as I turned the pages.

One of the best ingredients in the Lady Hardcastle recipe is the wordplay. The banter between Lady Hardcastle and Flo is top-notch, and there are other elements. A butcher named Spratt. Lady Hardcastle's penchant for purposely mangling the names of people and objects (a law firm she refers to as Messrs Philtrum, Hallux, and Uvula). And then there's the threat of a bit of rhinobattery. If I wasn't smiling, I was laughing my way through the entire book.

If you're in the mood for some light-hearted fun and a good mystery to solve, look no further than The Beast of Littleton Woods. I can't wait to see what happens next. 

The Beast of Littleton Woods by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781662521614

Thomas & Mercer © 2025

eBook, 294 pages

Historical/Humorous Mystery, #12 Lady Hardcastle

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

An Assassination on the Agenda by T.E. Kinsey

 

First Line: Jenkins the butler, ably assisted by Dewi the footman, was clearing the table after a delicious and highly entertaining lunch at The Grange.

 

It's the summer of 1912. Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence Armstrong, have been enjoying themselves at The Grange with their friends, the Farley-Strouds. The only unpleasantness seems to be the lack of musical entertainment for the forthcoming party until Lady Hardcastle's brother Harry calls with news of a murder.

 

Harry sends the pair to Bristol on behalf of the Secret Service Bureau, instructing them to prevent the police from finding out too much about the victim. When the two women find a connection between the victim and an impending visit from the Austrian trade delegation, things heat up. 

In no time flat, Lady Hardcastle and Florence find themselves in London to help with some very important security arrangements, and they're surrounded by misogynistic bureaucrats, Cockney gangsters, and men in strange hats carrying explosives.

~

I've been having so much fun with this series that it's hard to believe that An Assassination on the Agenda is already the eleventh Lady Hardcastle mystery.

The mysteries are always good and deeply rooted in the time period (don't miss the Author's Notes for this one!), but the highlight for me has always been the repartee between Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence Armstrong. Their banter stems from a long and loving relationship that has carried them through thick and thin-- and many countries. The dialogue sparkles even more brightly this time due to all the bureaucrats they must deal with.

An Assassination on the Agenda is another enjoyable entry in this series, and if I have to complain about anything, it's the fact that T.E. Kinsey has warped my mind. I used to be able to see the surname Featherstonehaugh and pronounce it correctly immediately (Fanshaw). But now, with the war of words between Florence and Lady Hardcastle's brother Harry, I stumble each and every time. Shame on you, Mr. Kinsey!

An Assassination on the Agenda by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781662512964

Thomas & Mercer © 2024

eBook, 317 pages

Historical Mystery, #11 Lady Hardcastle mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

An Act of Foul Play by T.E. Kinsey

 

First Line: I've never been entirely sure of the reason for the interval at the theatre.

 

It's not quite how Lady Hardcastle envisioned celebrating her birthday. The first act of the play at the Duke's Theatre in Bristol was marvelous, but everything came to an abrupt halt when the curtain rose on a dead body in the second act-- a real dead body.

 

Lady Hardcastle and her trusty maid Florence Armstrong are quite content to let the police take care of the matter, but there's a slight problem. Detective Inspector Sunderland has been put in charge of another investigation and an inspector named Wyatt has been put in charge of the murder in the theater. Wyatt is a known screw-up, so Sunderland begs Lady Hardcastle and Flo to keep an eye on things, and the two women decide to go incognito to see if they can identify the killer. 

 

As they become acquainted with the cast and crew, the dynamic duo discovers that everyone has a motive for murder... and everyone has an alibi. This will be a test of their skills indeed.

 

~

 

An Act of Foul Play takes one of my favorite investigative duos into the world of the theater, and although the pacing of the story dragged a bit from time to time, it was still a treat to watch Lady Hardcastle and Florence Armstrong work their usual magic. This time, readers also make the acquaintance of Flo's twin sister, Gwenith, and she made an entertaining addition to the witty repartee.

 

Hardcastle and Armstrong make short work of the bumblings of Inspector Wyatt while Gwenith proves to be an important part of the solution to the mystery of who's stealing booze from the local pub, the Dog and Duck. 

 

As this series has progressed, author T.E. Kinsey has not only charmed me with his characters and their wonderful dialogue, he's given me glimpses into various aspects of English life in the 1910s. This is a series that never fails to put a smile on my face, and I've even added a word to my vocabulary after reading An Act of Foul Play. I would imagine that most of us titivate ourselves before leaving the house to go to work or shopping. I just didn't know that that was what I was doing.

Anyone who enjoys light-hearted historical mysteries really needs to make the acquaintance of Lady Hardcastle and her "lady's maid, part-time spy and full-time nosy parker," Florence Armstrong. I wouldn't dream of missing any of their adventures.

An Act of Foul Play by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781542031486

Thomas & Mercer © 2022

eBook, 300 pages

Historical Mystery, #9 Lady Hardcastle mystery

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

Rotten to the Core by T.E. Kinsey

 

First Line: The hedgerow along the lane was alive with birds of every shape and hue as we walked into the village in the Monday afternoon sunshine.

 

Fresh from a successful investigation concerning a fatal flying affair, Lady Hardcastle and her faithful servant Florence Armstrong are looking forward to some rest and relaxation-- especially since the summer weather is scorching and has all the farmers in the area scrambling to bring in an early harvest.  

Their plans are scuppered when a local man is found dead in his orchard, stabbed through the heart with one of his apples stuffed in his mouth. The police are at a loss and ask the dynamic duo for help. The two intrepid sleuths have barely begun when a second man is killed. Both victims belonged to an ancient society tied to the local cider-making industry, and both Lady Hardcastle and Florence need to find out more about this mysterious organization. And then there's the unsociable woman who's shown up and is staying at the local pub. Has she got anything to do with the murders?

Nothing will stop these two amateur detectives from finding out the truth-- even if their lives may be at stake.

~

Anyone who enjoys historical mysteries which involve minutiae, merriment, and musing really needs to make the acquaintance of Lady Hardcastle and her (so much more than a) maid, Florence Armstrong. The banter between these two main characters is the highlight of the series, but there is much more to T.E. Kinsey's mysteries than laughs.

In Rotten to the Core, I learned about the cider industry in England and about some of the ancient organizations created to make the business thrive. (That's one of the things I love about this series so much-- Kinsey focuses on "something new" at the turn of the twentieth century in each book, so I've learned about automobiles, flying machines, the movie industry, etc. as I follow along in the two characters' wake.) I also learned that butterfly in Welsh means "living ember," one of those trivial nuggets perfect for squirreling away to bring out to amaze and amuse your friends at a later date. And how about those librarians who disobeyed orders and began creating the newspaper archives that became important sources of information for Lady Hardcastle and Florence? Three cheers for librarians!

As the hunt for a murderer becomes dire, Kinsey's two intrepid sleuths find their list of suspects growing instead of shrinking, and even though Lady Hardcastle believes that the mysterious woman staying at the Dog and Duck has more to do with this business than meets the eye, Florence urges caution: "The mysterious stranger is always a red herring. You should read more."

Is that mystery woman a killer? You'll just have to get your hands on a copy of Rotten to the Core to find out. The book has enough backstory so that new readers should not feel lost, but I will warn you: these books are highly addictive. Don't be surprised if you read one and find yourself looking for all the rest. They are little gems of light-hearted fun.

 

Rotten to the Core by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781542031462

Thomas & Mercer © 2022

eBook, 333 pages

 

Historical Mystery, #8 Lady Hardcastle mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley 

The Fatal Flying Affair by T.E. Kinsey

 

First Line: Lady Hardcastle was in the garden offering the new gardener a scone.

 

It's August 1911, and Lady Emily Hardcastle and her maid Florence Armstrong are enjoying the beautiful summer weather by getting their garden into shape and walking to the Dog & Duck, hoping that the pub soon puts tables and chairs outside. Everything changes when Lady Hardcastle's brother, Harry Featherstonehaugh, arrives to enlist their aid. 

 

Bristol Aviation had a routine test of a parachute that went horribly wrong, killing the pilot Dickie Dupree. Harry is positive there's more to the "accident" than meets the eye since he's learned that someone at the airfield is leaking top-secret intelligence to foreign rivals. 

 

With international powers investing heavily in the field of aviation, Lady Hardcastle and Florence are more than willing to go undercover at Bristol Aviation. There's a spy and a killer to catch!

 

~

 

To steal a bit from American advertising, no one can read just one Lady Hardcastle mystery; they're just too much fun. This series is the perfect, light-hearted, witty look at turn-of-the-century England when all was still right with the world... or at least it felt that way. I've been laughing my way through this series, and although I had already downloaded this book to my Kindle, I couldn't resist giving the audiobook version a try. I'm pleased to say that it was a complete success. Not only was the story what I've come to expect from T.E. Kinsey, but the narration by Elizabeth Knowleden was splendid.

 

With Lady Hardcastle's brother making a personal appeal for help, the two women turn their backs on what promised to be a sedate yet lovely summer and turn to a "summer of flying lessons and snooping." Each book in this series has touched upon some new innovation at the turn of the twentieth century, and this time it's aviation. With the clock ticking down to the cataclysm known now known as World War I, readers also get a bit of industrial espionage thrown in for good measure. And while readers are learning, they're having a jolly good time.

 

One of the absolute best parts of this book and the entire series is the repartee between Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence Armstrong. Both are multi-talented, and we're not talking about petit point and painting pretty little flowers on china plates. Lady H and Flo love each other dearly and depend on each other completely, and they certainly do enjoy poking a little fun at each other from time to time. It's what dear friends do. Add to this wonderful concoction Lady H's brother, who fits right in. He calls Florence "Strongarm" instead of Armstrong, and Flo calls him "Featherstonehuff." Now this is a play on names that Americans might not grasp. You see, on that side of the pond, the name Featherstonehaugh is pronounced "Fanshaw." Don't ask me why, I just know that there is a boatload of similar names the British butcher with impunity. (I think they do it just to confuse the rest of us.)

Along with flying in canvas and balsa wood planes and creeping around airplane hangars at night, Lady Hardcastle and Florence get to deal with the annual village show, which adds more mayhem and hilarity to the proceedings.

If you like some light-hearted fun along with your knowledge gathering and mystery deduction, please give this series a try. I love these books to bits! 

The Fatal Flying Affair by T.E. Kinsey

Narrator: Elizabeth Knowelden

ASIN: B08BMXH6MJ

Brilliance Audio © 2020

Audiobook. 8 hours.

 

Historical Mystery, #7 Lady Hardcastle mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Burning Issue of the Day by T.E. Kinsey

First Line: "Be a dear and pass the pepper, would you?" said Lady Hardcastle.

January 1910. A journalist has been killed in a suspicious fire. All the evidence found at the scene points to a suffragette who insists that she is innocent. It's not long before Lady Hardcastle and her trusty maid Florence Armstrong are enlisted to prove the woman's innocence. The evidence is damning but also easily planted, and with the police treating it as an open-and-shut case of arson, the two women must fight through stubborn resistance to get at the truth.

Reading a Lady Hardcastle mystery never fails to brighten my day. And if you think reading a mystery-- and a humorous mystery to boot-- is a waste of time, think again. In The Burning Issue of the Day, I learned quite a bit about the fight for women's suffrage in Bristol, England, as well as the settings for several scenes in the book. (The author's notes at the end of the book are well worth reading.)

For once, a pair of (not-so-amateur) sleuths have a good working relationship with the local detective inspector, and that's something I greatly appreciate. Lady Hardcastle and Florence Armstrong are marvelous characters, and I love their lively banter. Well, to be honest, I love all the humor in the entire series. In this fifth book, we get the added bonus of learning a bit more about these two women's escapades before they settled down in a small English village.

Whodunit was rather easy to deduce, but I didn't care because I enjoy the characters, the setting, and the humor too much. If you like historical crime fiction and need to read something that can put a smile on your face, pick up one of T.E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle mysteries. You can pick this one up and not feel lost, but don't be surprised if, once you've read this book, you go back to read all the others. They're little gems, and perfect for learning things and for a badly needed pick-me-up.

The Burning Issue of the Day by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781542041157

Thomas & Mercer © 2019

eBook, 312 pages

Historical/Humorous Mystery, #5 Lady Hardcastle mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

A Picture of Murder by T. E. Kinsey

First Line: "Just hold it steady and try to keep your hand out of the shot," said Lady Hardcastle with only the tiniest hint of exasperation.

In late October 1909, Lady Hardcastle and her trusted maid, Florence Armstrong, are hosting a troupe of actors whose moving picture, The Witch's Downfall, is going to be shown in the village of Littleton Cotterell on Halloween. But each time The Witch's Downfall is shown, one of the troupe dies in a way that echoes the film. With the police at a loss, it's up to Lady Hardcastle and Florence to solve this very baffling mystery.

One of the many things I enjoy about T.E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle historical mystery series is how each book features something that was new and exciting at the turn of the twentieth century. In A Picture of Murder, it's the fledgling motion picture industry. In 1909, it's in a bit of a slump with many in the business believing that people living outside the cities will never be interested enough to spend their hard-earned money. The troupe of actors staying with Lady Hardcastle intends to prove this false by showing their film in Littleton Cotterell.

This fourth book in the series gets around to telling readers more of Lady Hardcastle and Florence's background-- and no wonder they're so good at this amateur sleuthing business! I look forward to learning even more about them as the series progresses. A Picture of Murder has a fiendishly clever plot that was so much fun to try to solve, especially as its basis was something that we are very familiar with today.

I'm also happy to report that the other things that have made me love this series are in fine fettle. The relationship between Lady Hardcastle and Florence is absolutely wonderful, and their dialogue is a feast for readers' funny bones. T.E. Kinsey's series is perfect when you want something light and fun, but a word of warning: Never let Lady Hardcastle drive you anywhere!

A Picture of Murder by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781542046022

Thomas & Mercer © 2018

eBook, 313 pages

Historical Mystery, #4 Lady Hardcastle mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon. 

Death Around the Bend by T.E. Kinsey

First Line: "What do you think, Flo: the red scarf or the green?"

It's September 1909, and Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Florence, are staying at Lord Riddlethorpe's country estate for a week of motor racing and parties. The week of fun and frolic takes a wrong turn when one of the drivers dies in a crash during the very first race.

The local constabulary is quick to rule it an accident, but close inspection reveals that the dead man's car was sabotaged. Since Lady Hardcastle and Florence are getting a name for themselves when it comes to solving mysteries, Lord Riddlethorpe asks them to do a little investigating, but once they begin asking questions above stairs and below, there's more to this case than meets the eye.

This series is so much fun! If you're in the mood for a light-hearted, Downton Abbey-esque series that always has a good whodunit to solve, I recommend T.E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle mysteries. I was really looking forward to Death Around the Bend because I'd get to read about country house parties and the early days of auto racing. The added bonus is the presence of Lady Hardcastle's maid, Florence Armstrong, who lets readers meet the people downstairs as well as those who above who get to swan about in fancy clothes all day.

The mystery is a good one, although the misdirection was not completely successful. I knew Lady Hardcastle was barking up the wrong tree, and I was right, but the identity of the killer did surprise me. As the two intrepid sleuths worked through their long list of suspects, someone else dies, and they fear their investigation may turn into "detection by attrition."

As good as the mystery may be, it's the characters and the humor that I can't get enough of. The banter between Lady Hardcastle and Flo is brilliant, and I lost it when "a pas de deux through the servants' hall with a bewigged badger" was mentioned. Kinsey is also helpful for those of us who are not familiar with the correct pronunciation of the surname "Featherstonehaugh." Give up? You should pronounce it "Fanshaw." Those crazy Brits...

In the mood for a good puzzle to solve and some light-hearted fun? You can't go wrong with T.E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle mysteries. The first one is A Quiet Life in the Country, and each book in the series is a gem.

Death Around the Bend by T.E. Kinsey

eISBN: 9781503940109

Thomas & Mercer © 2017

eBook, 318 pages

Historical Mystery, #3 Lady Hardcastle mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon. 

A Quiet Life in the Country by T.E. Kinsey

First Line: "Good heavens!" said Lady Hardcastle as we stepped down from the dog cart.

Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a Cambridge education and a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante of fourteen years, had an unconventional childhood and is an expert in the martial arts. The two women have moved to a house outside a small village in Gloucestershire in order to live a quiet life in the country. It doesn't last very long.

While on a walk, the two discover a dead body in the woods, and when the police head off on the wrong track, Lady Emily starts making her own enquiries. She seems to have an amazing amount of knowledge of crime investigation, and Flo can be extremely helpful once she sets her mind to it....

I'm not quite sure what I expected when I plunked down my money and downloaded A Quiet Life in the Country. A modern variation of the Golden Age country house mystery? If that was it, I didn't get it. What I did wind up getting was a whole lot more. I will warn you ahead of time: if you are a fan of those classic mysteries, T.E. Kinsey's book may not be your cup of tea, and now I'll set about telling you why.

Kinsey has written a good, puzzling, multi-layered mystery that gives you a real feel for village life out in the English countryside at the turn of the last century. While the plot and the setting are first-rate, it's Kinsey's characters that make this book shine-- and what makes the book turn away from those classic mysteries. 

Inspector Sunderland moves from being a stereotype to being someone rather special, which I always love to see (being sick to death of incompetent policemen in the books I read). 

Lady Emily Hardcastle's background is very mysterious indeed, and I hope it takes several books to have all the details teased out for us to see. However, it is the relationship between Lady Emily and Florence that is the pièce de résistance of A Quiet Life in the Country. Their dialogue is so full of mutual admiration, wit, and humor that it is, quite simply, a delight to read. As Sunderland witnesses one such conversation, he asks, "Are you two a music hall act?" and you have to admit that he has a point. (If they were a music hall act, I'd pay to see them.)

If you're in the mood for something that's light and fun, something that teases your brain, takes you to the English countryside of a century ago, and makes you laugh, have I got a recommendation for you: T.E. Kinsey's A Quiet Life in the Country. I'm on to the second book!
  

A Quiet Life in the Country by T.E. Kinsey

ASIN: B01ER14CRY

Thomas & Mercer © 2016

eBook, 258 pages

Historical Mystery, #1 Lady Hardcastle mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.