Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman is the first in Tessa Arlen’s Lady Montfort Mystery series and I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book. I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity as it was a brilliant book.

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Lady Montfort has been planning her annual summer costume ball for months shaping it up to be one of the most significant social occasions of the year is her happily accepted responsibility.

However, when her husband’s degenerate nephew is found murdered, it’s more than the ball that is ruined.

Lady Montfort fears that the official police enquiry, driven by petty snobbery and class prejudice, is pointing towards her son as a potential suspect.

Taking matters into her own hands, the rather over-imaginative countess enlists the help of her pragmatic housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson, to investigate the case, track down the murderer in order to clear her son’s name.

REVIEW

I love a good murder mystery and Tessa Arlen’s debut didn’t disappoint. Set in England in the early 1900s, this book is a fantastic period piece complete with a ton of twists and turns that kept me on my toes. I didn’t know who to trust as nearly all the guests seemed guilty in having a motive to off Teddy.

There was a never dull moment. I loved the little history lesson that the book gives, touching on the Suffragettes and the opinions that people have of it. I especially enjoyed how Arlen explored all the different viewpoints that the characters had.
The partnership that formed between Mrs. Jackson and Lady Monfort as they played investigators into Teddy’s murder was really enjoyable. I’d love to read more of these two solving murders as they make quite the team. It truly felt like a historical version of Midsomer Murders which, as a member of a family which adores the show, was great.

Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman has quite a satirical humour that made me occasionally laugh. It was funny without be obvious.

It’s Downton Abbey meets Midsomer Murders and I absolutely loved it. I am so fortunate to have had the chance to have had an ARC of this book. I thoroughly look forward to reading more from Arlen and this series.

RATING
★★★