Because of their failing family fortune Lady Julia Renshaw has been pressurised into marrying for money. Marriage to wealthy and very much older Viscount Annondale takes place at Cowes in April 1920. The marriage breakfast is on the Annondale's yacht with all the suspects on-board when Annondale goes missing. Circumstances lead Inspector Lewis to arrest Lady Julia for murder. It is left to Lady Phoebe and her maid Eva to solve the puzzle.
An enjoyable cosy mystery.
A NetGalley Book ( )

A Murderous Marriage is the fourth book in the A Lady and Lady’s Maid Mystery series.

Lady Julia Renshaw is getting married to Viscount Annondale and her sister, Lady Phoebe, doesn’t feel that this is going to be a marriage made in heaven, as the Viscount is several years older than Lady Julia and most likely not in love in him. The marriage is more of a marriage of convenience, the Renshaw’s have had difficulties making ends meet and Lady Julia has agreed to the marriage to help her family.

The wedding will take place aboard the Viscount’s yacht with family members and a few close friends. After the wedding and reception, everyone has retired to their cabin. A few hours later Lady Julia arrives at her sister’s room in the hotel where she’s staying with a nasty cut on her hand. She says a picture had fallen and the glass broke and she got a got picking up the glass. They return to the yacht and the Viscount is nowhere to be found. Soon, he is found floating near his yacht. The constables soon look to Lady Julia as the murderer and arrest her. The way Lady Phoebe sees it is that there is no shortage of suspects. The Viscount sister, his personal secretary, the best man and his estate’s vet. Since the police don’t seem to be interested in taking their blinder off, Lady Phoebe and her Lady’s Maid Eva set off to clear Lady Julia’s name.

Another well told and plotted story from Ms. Maxwell and an interesting cast of characters.

I am looking forward to the next book in this interesting series. ( )

Lady Phoebe Renshaw is concerned her sister Julia has caved to pressure to restore the family fortune by marrying where she does not love. When tragedy strikes and Julia is arrested for murder, Phoebe and her maid Eva get to work to prove Julia's innocence and find the true murderer.

Though I've read other books by this author, this was my first introduction to the Lady and Lady's Maid series. It is the fourth book in the series, but as a new reader, it was easy to catch up.

The story alternates between Lady Phoebe and Eva, with both doing their part to follow clues and work out what really happened. Phoebe is an independent young woman and uses her position to ask questions. Eva does the same, ingratiating herself with those who see her as an invisible servant.

it was a bit of a surprise how close Eva was to the Renshaw family. Perhaps the previous books make this more clear, but this detail did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. Beyond that, the characters are all delightful. The mystery kept me guessing, and the plot moved at an excellent pace.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy post world war 1 novels and historical mysteries. I received a free copy from NetGalley for reviewing purposes. ( )

I love Alyssa Maxwell’s forays into the Gilded Age in the United States as well as her escapades with Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva.

This latest installment opens in April, 1920 at Cowes, Isle of Wight with Phoebe and her family dressed and ready to attend, her elder sister’s, Lady Julia’s wedding to a much older man, Viscount Gil Townsend. Phoebe and her younger sister Amelia are troubled by the match and try to convince Julia to call off the wedding. Unfortunately Julia’s reply consists of some ill-chosen words that will come back to haunt the Renshaw family.

This is another mystery with many twists and turns, familiar faces, unlikeable characters and It is once again left up to Lady Phoebe and Eva to stumble into the melee and try to untangle all the evidence that could have Lady Julia facing the gallows. Anyone who has read this series knows that this duo is up to the challenge and it is another great addition to the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy. ( )