Murder in Season (A Lady of Letters Mystery, 3), by Mary Winters

 Publication December 3, 2024

In public, Amelia Amesbury is the proper English Lady of 1860 England. She has a secret, however. Well, perhaps more than one. The biggest secret is her identity as columnist Lady Agony. As such, she offers some frequently not-so-discreet advice to those who write in for advice. You know, hardly the thing a Lady of that time would think, let alone vocalize. She could use some advice herself this go-round, however. First, advice on how to handle her beautiful, unpredictable sister who arrives unannounced to be sponsored for the season. Seems Madge has run into a few problems back home, one of which involved leaving a not-so gentlemanly wannabe suitor with a broken arm. I'd say Madge is not to be trifled with. For that matter, Amelia could use some sage advice on her own romantic yearnings. Seems she just can't quite budge Simon from the friend zone into suitor material. Then there's the little matter of a male guest that becomes ill at the ball given for Madge and later dies.  Toss in a jewel thief absconding with some valuable family jewels from various residences and Amelia's amateur sleuth persona is about to be very busy. And, oh, did I mention that the man that died had words with Madge just before coming ill? That only adds to the problems Amelia is trying to juggle.

I won't detail the plot further other than to say there are other, actually far more viable suspects than Madge. But, well, seems to Detective in charge has it in for the Amesbury family. Toss in what we'd consider quaint standards of behavior, what society members find proper and improper, and family pressures and Amelia can't seem to catch a break. Those used to somethings happening every second plot speed may find this one quite slow but it's actually quite nice to relax into the pace of the 1860s. I liked the characters, even stern, rigid Aunt Tabitha, who is a force to be reckoned with when she assumes her mantle as Lady Tabitha, that's for sure. Simon is solid, albeit could be the poster boy for slow burn romances. Madge, oh, boy, she is personality plus. Outgoing, far more physically able than the typical female of that era, and can't always seem to rein in her impetuous mouth. There are more, actually lots more, which does always seem to take me a bit to sort through them given the use of both titles and names. What can I say, I felt like I needed a cast of characters at times. 

Bottom line, an enjoyable if slow read. The setting was well done and I felt like I was strolling the park with characters more than once, and the descriptions of both the clothing and physical appearances were well done. And, oh, some of the clothing. I'm the sort that doesn't much like dressing up but it'd sure be fun to see, wouldn't it? As to whodunit, I didn't really sort it out until the reveal for sure, so it kept me guessing. And, oh, do be sure to read the epilogue. Thanks #SevernHouse for letting me take an early time-travel trip back to 1860 London. It was fun and I found myself enjoying the characters and their lives/adventures, both of which gave me an idea of the difference between the haves and have not groups. The traces of humanity from all were well done and heartwarming at times.