Death Around the Bend (2017) by T.E. Kinsey

 

🏁 Having been through four books in this Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, a historical cozy mystery series by T.E. Kinsey, I can say it now for certain, that this is, by far, my most favorite in the sub genre. In case you're not very familiar with it, this cozy mystery is set in the early 1900s, where Lady Hardcastle and her lady's maid Florence Armstrong are the amateur sleuths. They have become inseparable and an unconventional pair before the series began, having met dangerous escapade in the past - the past that we did not know all the detail when starting the series, but which were unfolding throughout the series - a little in the first, a bit more in the second, and so on. What makes this duo most interesting is their relationship - companionable but with due respect. They live in a small village of Littleton Cotterell, and are usually assisting Inspector Sunderland - who becomes their friend - investigating local murder cases.

🏁 In this book, however, Lady Hardcastle and Flo are invited to the country estate of a Lord Riddlethorpe, who had been building a motor racing company. There will be motor racing and parties, and it would have been a jolly time for both ladies - who've been having fun with riding car - had there not been a series of murders. This time Lady Hardcastle and Flo couldn't work together with the charming Inspector Sunderland - though he still assists them in little ways. Instead, they're dealing with a surly police officer who arrested people without enough evidence. The first murder happened in the midst of excitement of the first day of the race. Lord Riddlethorpe owns three racing cars, and there's another one brought by a guest. The car number three had been tampered with, crashed, and killed the driver. 🏁 And so began the snooping and sleuthing for Lady Hardcastle and Flo. They're snooping at the garage (and found how the racing car must have been tampered, but by whom? And why?), and they are 'recruiting' a lazy footman to do more snooping. Flo herself mingles with the servants, and listens to things. The murderer must be one someone staying in the house. Is it Lord Riddlethorpe (but that is foolish, isn't it?), or Lady Lavinia, his sister? Or one of the guests - Harry (Lady Hardcastle's brother), Mrs. Beddows (a bullying woman), Herr Kovacs (Lord Riddlethorpe's competitor), Miss Titmus (a timid young woman, school friend of Lady Lavinia and Mrs. Beddows, who loves photography), or Mr. Waterford (a racing expert and partner of Lord Riddlethorpe)? The motive is surely related to the car racing, or is it? 🏁 As usual, the book begins in leisurely pace, Lady Hardcastle and Flo's usual bantering and teasing, then their visit to Lord Riddlethorpe's, the exciting car racing and summer parties ahead. Then suddenly a murder took place, then a second one, and the atmosphere changed into a gloomy and more intense one. Lady Hardcastle and Flo are gathering titbits of evidences and suspicions, but they haven't got any clue of the whats and whos. Until very suddenly, something clicked, and Lady Hardcastle instantly knew the answer, saw the immediate danger of another would-be victim, and the actions and denouement which follow. In the end, it proved to be a very delightful cozy mystery to read - lighthearted and sometimes funny at the start, but full of thrills and actions in the end. The plot is a good one too, with the final twist. I couldn't guess the murderer (which is always a sign of a good mystery). I also loved how Kinsey always puts in a bit of revelations of Lady Hardcastle's or Flo's pasts. In this one, we learned more about Flo's childhood - her circus life, and she had entered it, very interesting. Last but not least, there's the motor racing! As a former F1 lover, I cherished the racing scene near the end - that would cement this book as one of my favorites from the series! Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

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Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026 hosted by Carol @ Carol's Notebook