Peas and paste, plots and plans.

'Every woman should have a hobby', and whilst this usually would be music or needlework, Beatrice Hyde-Clare, a 26 years old unmarried, and plain, woman with the most modest of means, had finally found hers: murder investigation. With two cases satisfactorily concluded, Bea now longs for a third to distract her from the uncomfortable realization that she had formed a romantic desire for the totally unobtainable Duke of Kesgrave, a singu!early desirable batchelor, well above her humble station, smug and superior and rumoured soon to become engaged to the beautiful Lady Victoria. Bea and the Duke had worked together on the previous two murder cases and she knew that he had enjoyed her company whilst they lasted, but she understood that she was a mere distraction before he settled down to married life and the raising of an aristocratic family. So she needed to forget him, remove herself from him: and what better way than by following another murder trail. Fortunately, there was one just about to happen.

Combining Regency sensibilities with mild mannered murder investigations, this trio of books is a delight. Not quite Jane Austen, but still nicely written with good character observations and sometime witty dialogue, the words flow last most pleasurably. This, the third in the series, continues from the ending of part two, with Bea needing an explanation for the bruising on her face. Whilst it is obviously far better to have read the earlier books to gain full enjoyment of the characters and environment, it is not essential to follow the plot as the earlier part of the story includes a fulsome recapping of what has gone before and Bea's constant self analysis of her feelings further enlightens the forgetful. For this reason, this reader found this particular story less pleasurable than it's predecessors, but still an enjoyable read. As narrator, Jill Smith's crystal clear presentation adds sparkle to the text as she also gives different voice to the numerous characters. The whole is still a delight.

My thanks to the rights holder of An Infamous Betrayal, third book in this series by author Lynn Messina. At my request via Audiobook Boom, I was very fortunate in being freely gifted a complimentary copy. Thank you. I can happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys light historical murder mysteries with the hint of humour and romance in the air.

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Thoroughly engaging.

This book couldn’t have been better. The interaction between Bea and Kesgrave is a lot of fun, the mystery is absolutely intriguing and the end is very satisfying. Jill Smith’s narration really brings the story to life. Thoroughly engaging.

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A hugely enjoyable regency cozy crime

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy crime set in the regency era. There were many laughs, the mystery was interesting, and the ending extremely satisfying.

The only negative points were small. Too much time was spent summing up previous books - but this was more entertaining than in the previous book, and more of it is saying what has happened between the previous book and this one. The accent of the narration has improved, and as always the expression used is excellent, but little bits of American accent do sneak in here and there. However, once the story got going I forgot all about this.

Apart from those two minor niggles, this audiobook was great fun. I found Aunt Vera very funny in conversation with Mr Skeffington, and greatly enjoyed the way Bea bamboozled her relatives. It was also very satisfying to see some development in the relationship between Bea and Kesgrave.

I would definitely recommend this audiobook to anyone looking for a well written and narrated cozy crime, with a sprinkling of regency romance.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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Cozy Romantic Murder

I've read all the books in this series and have found them delightful. There are some errors in the copyediting (Fall instead of Autumn) but in general the author got it all right.

The books follow the growth of a "wan" and plain spinster as she gains confidence in herself and the blossoming of a romance with a Duke. Both are depicted superbly. The choice of narrator is also brilliant as she gives the whole series just the right touch, bringing the characters to life wonderfully, although some of the pronunciations are a bit bizarre..

These are clean romances (so far anyway and I hope they don't change) and I have listened to all three numerous times. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

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Regency romcom

Silly froth but I loved it! I hate to admit that this series has become a secret obsession. The stories are improbable and ridiculous but I can't put them down.

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More murderous shenanigans...

Having very much enjoyed the previous books in the series, I was very much looking forward to Bea's third adventure. Listening to the new book in a favourite series is like catching up with an old friend, and it was lovely to hear from so many familiar faces in Bea's latest outing. 

As with the previous novel, I did feel that a little too much of this book was devoted to recapping previous events in greater detail than necessary. It is such a tricky balance to strike, though, and this time the references and recollections were woven into the narrative much better, rather than dominating the first few chapters. 

The humour in this book was much more evident, with Bea and Kesgrave's growing familiarity allowing for more of their teasing and sparring. Despite - or perhaps because of - their differences, I found them to be a very likeable partnership and it was nice to see it become a little more equal. I enjoyed the direction it took but did feel that the ending was a little abrupt. Lady Victoria's role was left almost as a 'teaser' and the set up to the next mystery felt like something of a cliffhanger. It was a shame that so much of the novel was given over to recounting the plots of the earlier books, when that time would have been more gratifying had it been spent detailing the new developments. 

I adored the forthright, formidable Dowager Duchess and was disappointed she did not feature more prominently. I hope that the next book in the series will give her the opportunity to shine. Given her biting candour, perhaps she will pull Bea up on her overuse of the descriptions "incomparable" and "a diamond of the first water".

Narrator Jill Smith's performance has grown in confidence and vibrancy with each book in the series, and she brings every character to life with a distinct, recognisable personality that remains consistent throughout the series. After the difficulties with the first book, I was very uncertain about this narrator continuing the series but three books in I am very glad that the author, Lynn Messina, decided to stick with Smith. An interesting Irish accent aside, their dedication to bringing the books to audio in a manner that is as faithful as it is entertaining is evident, and the quality of this most recent recording is a testament to their efforts and research. 

I would recommend this audiobook to anyone who has enjoyed Miss Hyde-Clare's previous investigations, and would gladly endorse the series as a whole as being perfect for fans of cosy mysteries and Regency romance. I'd suggest listening to the series from the beginning rather than starting with this audiobook, however, as whilst it could technically function as a standalone novel, the periodic recapping thoroughly spoils the earlier mysteries if one hoped to return to them. 


*I received this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

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Highly satisfying, a shame to say goodbye

This was a highly enjoyable end to the series. However I do hope that it is not the end and that we see more of Beatrice and the Duke. I feel sure that there are more adventures and mysteries that they can embark upon. I do hope so.

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Just love this series

I have so enjoyed both the author and the Narrator bringing life to Bea and her adventures with the Duke...I see book four has just been written, PLEASE PLEASE audible, release it on here ASAP! As reading it won’t feel the same as Jill Smith bringing them to life!!

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