A Bride's Guide to Marriage and Murder

Countess of Harleigh Mysteries, Book 5

De: Dianne Freeman

Narrado por: Sarah Zimmerman

“Pure unadulterated fun” (Publishers Weekly) for fans of Ashley Weaver, Deanna Raybourn, and Tasha Alexander, the Agatha Award–winning Countess of Harleigh Mysteries are a witty romp through the high society of Victorian England with a touch of romance, an independent female lead, and rich historical detail. In this charming historical mystery, Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, finds her wedding day overshadowed by murder …

On the eve of her marriage to George Hazelton, Frances has a great deal more on her mind than flowers and seating arrangements. The Connors and the Bainbridges, two families of American robber barons, have taken up residence in London, and their bitter rivalry is spilling over into the highest social circles. At the request of her brother, Alonzo, who is quite taken with Miss Madeline Connor, Frances has invited the Connor family to her wedding. Meanwhile, Frances’s mother has invited Mr. Bainbridge, and Frances fears the nuptials may end up being newspaper-worthy for all the wrong reasons. On the day itself, Frances is relieved that Madeline’s father is not among the guests at the church. The reason, however, is most unfortunate: Mr. Connor is found murdered in his home. More shocking still, Alonzo is caught at the scene—holding the murder weapon. Powerful and ruthless, Connor appears to have amassed a wealth of enemies. Frances and George put their wedding trip on hold to try and clear Alonzo’s name. But there are secrets to sift through, not just in the feuding families, but also in their own. With a killer determined to evade discovery—even if it means taking another life—Frances’s newlywed days will be perilous indeed …

©2022 Dianne Freeman (P)2022 Recorded Books

Complex

I got dizzy from all the circling around. The family dynamics added to the confusion, but in the end, the murderer was unmasked. Yay!

Enjoy

I enjoyed this book just like the previous ones. Can’t wait for the next book to come out this summer.

GREAT END OF SERIES!!

I so hoped that there were more to this series But sadly found out I was on the last one! I still plan to look for this author and see what else she has in another series. All of the books in this particular series were so enjoyable, clean, enticing, funny, heartbreaking, well you get it...it had everything you want in it . I greatly look forward to more of her books. The narrator could not have been better! All around a must hear series from book one to this last book which sadly I'm I just finished. I was ready to go on to the next 1! Boo hood! SAD this ended, but look forward to finding more from this author & narrator! Highly recommend!

Best one yet!

I really loved this one! Although I really feel like they have the worst luck ever in terms of the murders around them, this one was a lot fun to see their wedding, the plot, and mystery level was fantastic. There were plenty of twists and turns and so much family drama and comic relief in just the right spots. I really hope to see more from this series!

Parents- PG- middle grade and up read
Language: none that I remember
Violence: normal to genre - no overly graphic murder scenes
Sexual Content- kissing, some attraction, alluded to relationships but overall it's pretty tame

The narrator does a wonderful job with all the character differentiations and her acting skills are great.

Riveting to the end

I love the story line and although I figured out the murderer early on - it was good to hear the process the characters went through to get there as well. The narration is also excellent.

Enjoyable

I hops and can hardly wait for a sequel or new series by Dianne Freeman
And now will search for one narrated by Sarah Zimmerman

The entire series Fantastic! & Clean!!

The writing is wonderful! Engaging, funny & romantic without being explicit. I loved every book because I adored every character, even Daisy Price, the meddlesome status hungry momma! The mysteries were always well mapped out and fun to watch unfold. The best part for me was watching Francis and George fall in love.So cute, and George is the quintessential modern husband! swoon

The narrator was fabulous! seamlessly changing accents and voices so perfectly! She helps weave the tale into a enchanting literary journey.
Bravo! I highly recommend all five books in the series! Read them in order to get the full adventure.

Fun, clever and light historical mystery

Countess of Harleigh, Frances Wynn is due to marry George Hazelton and wedding plans are well underway. Frances’s father and brother Alonzo have arrived in the February, 1900 snow in London. Alonzo asks Frances to invite the Connors since he has his eye on their daughter Madeline. In the meantime, Frances’s mother, who has been living with her for months (!) has invited the Bainbridge family. Unfortunately these two families have been feuding for years, and Frances fears a spillover into her wedding celebration.

While the wedding went well, minus Mr. Connor attending in favor of some business, the reception was held at the Earl of Harleigh’s residence, where Frances once resided, which was next door to the Connor residence. What Frances should have feared was her brother Alonzo arguing with Viscount Daniel Fitzwalter, the heir to the Marquis of Sudley, a powerful and influential member of the House of Lords. Fitzwalter swore he had a marriage contract for Madeline Connor yet Alonzo wanted the opportunity to court her. Rumor had it that Fitzwalter had rung up a large amount of gambling debts that Connor would pay off with the marriage. Through the course of the luncheon and afternoon, several wedding guests went next door to the Connor household. When Fitzwalter swore he already had a contract, Alonzo and Madeline rushed next door to talk to her father. The butler walked in just as Alonzo had his hand on the knife in Connor’s body!

Promptly arrested and taken to jail, it was clear that George Hazelton would be Alonzo’s counsel and that George and Frances had a new case to investigate. Their wedding trip to Cannes would have to wait. Wedding guests were detained and statements taken. George and Frances had had their photos taken in the study where they had full view of the comings and goings at the Connor’s home, of which there were many. Now they needed to uncover more secrets than just murder but that of illicit affairs and friendships. And they needed to learn more about the lucrative business dealings of Mr. Connor, not always above board and often in direct conflict with Bainbridge.

It is always interesting to watch George and Frances investigate within the confines of Victorian English society. Large amounts of tea were consumed gathering clues and answers to the many riddles presented. The keen observations and sardonic wit of Dianne Freeman keep this historical mystery clever and light. I do hope the Hazeltons eventually get their wedding trip.

Delightful!

I was excited to see this new audible in one of my favorite series!

My only complaint is to please write faster! I cannot wait to see what they are up to next!!

Loved it!

Enjoyed the continuing story of Francis and George. Look forward to the next one coming out this month. .