The Dowager’s Dead Guest and Other Parlour Problems

A Cozy Regency Mystery of Love and Murder

I am the narrator of this book, which means I have already dragged everyone through an entire Cheltenham Season without so much as a thank you; now they have decided I should also persuade you to join in. Splendid. Do you have any idea what spa towns do to a person’s patience?

Here is the problem, neatly served with lemon and a smile: Lady Dowager Barham has gathered society into her improved parlour, and one of her improved guests obligingly dies behind the pianoforte. Miss Verity Sedgewick, the dowager’s overqualified secretary and keeper of the calling cards, notices the sort of detail everyone else pretends not to see, an altered name, a cup that was set down rather than dropped, a room full of people already polishing their lies. Unfortunately for everyone, the one man who refuses to call murder “a turn” is Gideon Wainwright, surgeon and deputy coroner, built entirely out of principle and unpleasant questions.

So, while Cheltenham gossips with the enthusiasm of a choir, Verity and Wainwright pick through cards, ink, and reputations, chasing a fraud bold enough to borrow a man’s name and a scheme polite enough to arrive in a teacup. If you smell almonds, do try not to be brave about it.

Perfect for readers who like Regency-era social warfare, sharp banter, a manor-house-adjacent whodunnit in spa-town finery, and a heroine who refuses to be managed twice.

Expect non-gory cozy murder, a clue-rich investigation with a satisfying, logical reveal, and a closed-door slow-burn romance with an HEA, plus a complete, self-contained case in the Regency: Corpses and Courtship Club world. Now, go on, click Look Inside and let’s see whether you can spot the lie before Cheltenham does.