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A Lady & Lady's Maid Mystery #6
A Sinister Service
A trip to Staffordshire for Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, leads to murder in a famed pottery works...
Following the devastation of the Great War, England's noble class takes comfort in honoring tradition. To celebrate their grandparents' wedding anniversary, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her siblings travel to Staffordshire to commission a china service bearing the Wroxly coat of arms from the venerated Crown Lily Potteries, a favorite of Queen Mary.
The two leading designers at the illustrious china manufacturer offer competing patterns. But when one of them is found dead—his body crushed in a grinding pan and his design pattern book missing—his rival is immediately suspected. The police are also suspicious of the dead designer's resentful young son, a schoolmate of Phoebe's fifteen-year-old brother Fox. When Fox gets involved to help his friend, Phoebe begins to investigate the rival artist.
At the same time, Eva is enlisted to go undercover at the works so she can gain the confidence of the female employees, who are only allowed to paint, not design, which may have led to a grudge against the victim. Pursuing a killer who has no compunction about using a kiln as a coffin, Phoebe and Eva take their lives into their hands to discover the shattering truth . . .
Following the devastation of the Great War, England's noble class takes comfort in honoring tradition. To celebrate their grandparents' wedding anniversary, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her siblings travel to Staffordshire to commission a china service bearing the Wroxly coat of arms from the venerated Crown Lily Potteries, a favorite of Queen Mary.
The two leading designers at the illustrious china manufacturer offer competing patterns. But when one of them is found dead—his body crushed in a grinding pan and his design pattern book missing—his rival is immediately suspected. The police are also suspicious of the dead designer's resentful young son, a schoolmate of Phoebe's fifteen-year-old brother Fox. When Fox gets involved to help his friend, Phoebe begins to investigate the rival artist.
At the same time, Eva is enlisted to go undercover at the works so she can gain the confidence of the female employees, who are only allowed to paint, not design, which may have led to a grudge against the victim. Pursuing a killer who has no compunction about using a kiln as a coffin, Phoebe and Eva take their lives into their hands to discover the shattering truth . . .
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 26, 2021
64 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Alyssa Maxwell
29 books1,083 followersAlyssa Maxwell is the author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries, inspired by her husband’s family whose Newport origins date back numerous generations. The series features the glamour of the Gilded Age and a sleuth who is a Newporter born and raised, and also a less "well-heeled" cousin of the Vanderbilt family. Alyssa also writes A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mysteries, an English-set series that begins as WWI is ending. She and her husband live in South Florida, where she is a member of the Florida chapter of the Mystery Writers of America and the South Florida Fiction Writers. You can visit her at http://alyssamaxwell.com, and find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
January 25, 2021
In this 6th installment of the Lady and Lady’s Maid Mystery series, Lady Phoebe Renshaw, her three siblings Julia, Amelia, and Fox, as well as her faithful maid Eva Huntford, find themselves in Staffordshire England. On a mission to purchase a new tea set for their grandparents, Phoebe and Eva are drawn into another murder mystery. This time it is the head designer for the Crown Lily factory, Ronald Mercer. His son Trent Mercer, an Eton classmate of Fox’s, becomes the prime suspect. Julia and Eva along with the other Renshaws set out to prove his innocence. More murders, misleading clues and a host of suspects soon complicate their investigation. But nothing will stop this intrepid duo from finding the real murderer.
Interspersed within this intricately plotted historical mystery, are some of the serious social issues of the time period. The aftermath of WWI wrought many difficulties for women of the era. “Surplus Women” found themselves without husbands and effective means to support themselves. Unable to return to the traditional roles they aspired to before the war, they had to look for other means of survival. Gender and class roadblocks of the time are a part of this well- researched novel. Information about the history and making of Staffordshire pottery is also a fascinating part of the story.
With strong female characters, a wonderful sense of time and place, and an intriguing mystery; A Sinister Service is a welcome addition to the series. I cannot wait for the next one!
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
Interspersed within this intricately plotted historical mystery, are some of the serious social issues of the time period. The aftermath of WWI wrought many difficulties for women of the era. “Surplus Women” found themselves without husbands and effective means to support themselves. Unable to return to the traditional roles they aspired to before the war, they had to look for other means of survival. Gender and class roadblocks of the time are a part of this well- researched novel. Information about the history and making of Staffordshire pottery is also a fascinating part of the story.
With strong female characters, a wonderful sense of time and place, and an intriguing mystery; A Sinister Service is a welcome addition to the series. I cannot wait for the next one!
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
June 18, 2021
Another delightful addition to this charming series.
The Renshaw sisters are as engaging as ever. Even their younger brother Fox, now fifteen years old, is gaining an interesting personality of his own.
The family have travelled to Staffordshire to visit Crown Lily Potteries to select a new set of fine china for their grandparent’s anniversary.
Of course, as usual, murder is on offer whereupon Lady Phoebe and devoted lady’s maid Eva are on the case. Fox gets involved since it’s his school chum, Trent, from Eton whose father has been murdered and Trent becomes the prime suspect!
The mystery is well crafted and kept me guessing to the end.
As light as these mysteries are it’s clear the author has done a good deal of research to get the time period and the location right and in this case the manufacturing of fine china.
The Renshaw sisters are as engaging as ever. Even their younger brother Fox, now fifteen years old, is gaining an interesting personality of his own.
The family have travelled to Staffordshire to visit Crown Lily Potteries to select a new set of fine china for their grandparent’s anniversary.
Of course, as usual, murder is on offer whereupon Lady Phoebe and devoted lady’s maid Eva are on the case. Fox gets involved since it’s his school chum, Trent, from Eton whose father has been murdered and Trent becomes the prime suspect!
The mystery is well crafted and kept me guessing to the end.
As light as these mysteries are it’s clear the author has done a good deal of research to get the time period and the location right and in this case the manufacturing of fine china.
February 15, 2021
3 stars for the story, 5 stars for the research!
The Renshaws, Eva and Hetta, plus two cars and chauffeurs are headed to Staffordshire to choose a china tea set as a surprise for their grandparents' wedding anniversary gift. Julia also intends to confront her late husband's relatives and assert herself and the rights of her unborn child. The Crown Lily Potteries proves to be fascinating for Phoebe and her younger siblings. Julia, however, is just there to shop. The siblings can't agree on anything and Fox doesn't want to be there. When Fox runs into his schoolmate, Trent Mercer, he's excited to see a friend who wants to be there about as much as he does. Trent has been taken out of Eton to learn all about china pottery production. Trent is not so thrilled with his father, the lead designer at Crown Lily. On their second visit, Mr. Mercer fails to show up for their planned meeting to view his designs. When the alarm siren sounds, the whole complex is aware there has been an accident. When Mr. Mercer is discovered dead in a piece of equipment, everyone is shocked and horrified. The Renshaws especially feel terrible for Trent, now orphaned. Julia, surprisingly, takes the boy under her wing, in spite of protests from her horrid in-laws. Then the police come and arrest Trent on suspicion of murder! The Renshaws know in their hearts Trent couldn't have done it. Fox is determined to help free his friend, no matter what and forces Phoebe to investigate. Eva naturally must join in the hunt for the killer even if it means pretending to want to leave her beloved ladies and come to work as a painter. As the confront suspects, it seems more and more likely Trent is the killer but Julia refuses to give up on the boy. Phoebe also feels the need to protect her sister from the horrible cousin-in-law who believed he was entitled to inherit everything. He's determined to prove Julia and her child are worthless. Can Phoebe catch a killer and save her sister before an innocent boy is hanged for a dastardly crime?
This story got off to a slow start for me. I wasn't all that interested in how china was produced in the 1920s. The factory tour bored me and I wanted to get on with the story. The two men introduced in the beginning were confusing because Mr. Mercer seemed more like the owner than the head designer. The story picked up more in the second half once the investigation got underway. I wasn't surprised by the second murder, but saddened. I was very shocked by the third and the dangerous situation Phoebe and Eva find themselves in this time! I didn't quite find it plausible that the police suspected a fifteen-year-old boy of pushing his father into a grinding pan. Wouldn't he have to be really strong and big to do that? 15-year-old boys may be tall but they tend to be scrawny. I wasn't entirely surprised by the killer's identity but I was stumped as to why that person would want to murder Mr. Mercer. I got distracted by the red herrings and lost all memory of the true motive. That had crossed my mind early on but I forgot about it. It's obvious the author did a ton of research and looked through the archive at the Museum of Royal Worcester. She also researched the sexist attitudes of the day and worked that seamlessly into the plot. I really found that interesting because 100 years earlier, painting on china was a popular hobby for women and then they were able to turn it into a paying job. Watercolors and drawing were also popular hobbies in the 1800s but apparently not an acceptable career, even 100 years later in the 1920s. I really love Alyssa Maxwell's attention to detail and all the history she weaves into her stories. This book is no exception! 5 stars for research!
The characters' story arcs are coming along nicely. Phoebe has such a big heart. She wants to protect her family and help everyone else. She is sometimes rash and headstrong, rushing into situations she has no idea how to deal with. There were a couple of times I was very worried for her, but she actually does know how to hold her own and rescue herself- mostly, with help from Eva, of course. Phoebe's relationship with Owen has come to a crossroads. I really like the romance in this one. Owen is a good guy and he supports Phoebe but will he allow her to be herself and stay involved in other people's business (sleuthing) once they're married? As always, Eva is a true and loyal friend. She's more than a maid, yet, in her head, they're distinct, separate. She's of one class and her ladies are another. I think she keeps trying to convince herself of that. Eva has also come to a turning point in her life. She contemplates leaving service, if only briefly. She's smart, sensible and has as big a heart as Phoebe's. Julia is softening- a tiny bit. She's still prickly and snippy, and always has to have her own way. She's grown a lot since her ill-fated marriage (A Murderous Marriage. Julia is about to become a mother and she realizes her future and her child's future are at stake and no one is going to help her if she doesn't take a stand. She knows which battles to choose and which to flight. Her motherly instincts are kicking in and she feels protective to a young boy alone in the world. I like this new side to Julia but heaven help everyone if that child is a girl! I don't think her husband would have left provisions for a girl child. I think he left everything to charity or someone outside the family - not his sister, cousin, illegitimate daughter/secretary or Julia.
Amelia and Fox are growing up fast. Amelia is still sweet but showing signs of the same stubbornness her siblings have in abundance. Amelia is determined to take her place in the world and it isn't going to be as an ornament to society or a wife and mother. She's smart and I think Phoebe should trust her sister more. Fox is still a teenage boy. He's not so bratty and smug now the reality of his situation is more understandable. Grampapa is getting older and soon Fox will inherit the title at a very young age. That's a lot of responsibility. He's feeling the weight of expectations but when he meets up with a school friend, he acts like a normal boy. Fox can be mischievous and as stubborn as his sisters. What he and Trent do at the end is very, very dangerous. I can only hope he understands that.
Julia's in-laws are back and as ghastly as ever. I almost feel sorry for Veronica. She's faced with losing the only home she's ever known because of stupid sexist laws. She believes Julia has as nasty mind as her own family and is naturally antagonistic. I think they have finally come to an understanding. Ernie is the worst! His accusations against Julia are uncalled for and even if her child is born 8 months after the wedding, he or she is still legitimate. There's no way to prove the child isn't premature. Ernie seemed so nice at the wedding. I don't buy his excuse. I don't think he has any real veterinary experience. He was afraid of the dog and while faced when Julia faced an emergency. Why? Is he lying/hiding something? That question is never answered. Mildred Blair, with her stinging barbs, is really no better. She's awful! The Renshaws' chauffeur, Douglas, gets in on the action now! He's a good man to have around. He serves as driver and bodyguard to the ladies, certainly a devoted employee.
At the Crown Lily, there are lots of new people to meet. Mr. Tremaine, the owner of the company, seems like a fussy, nervous man. He aims to please but doesn't reckon with the headstrong Renshaw women! I thought Ronald Mercer was the owner. He certainly has the arrogance Mr. Tremaine lacks. Mr. Mercer is the head of the design department and is responsible for the majority of the company's most successful patterns. I guess that gives him the right to have an ego but he's nasty about it. He bad mouths another designer because he clearly can't stand having another talented man around to share his spotlight. Heaven forbid someone else has a chance to shine. This guy has never heard of teamwork! He's a horrible father, insisting his son quit school - at 15! to learn the pottery business from the bottom up. Why now? Can't he wait? The boy likes school or at least the social interactions. Mr. Mercer is a bully towards his son. He must be mean to his son's dog too because I know dogs have good instincts and this one doesn't like Mr. Mercer. He likes Mr. Tremaine so I was surprised when Mr. Mercer ended up dead.
Trent Mercer is just a boy. He is young and trying to be independent and grown up. He's mad because his father took him out of school, which he enjoyed, and away from his peers. Basically his father cut his childhood short without warning. Mr. Tremaine is kind and sympathetic but only Mr. Mercer can make decisions about his son and doesn't seem like the type who would appreciate someone else's advice. Does Trent WANT to follow in his father's footsteps? Why does he need to learn the whole business? I don't think that would give Trent enough incentive to murder his father. That's ridiculous! Boys tend to be hot headed but they run away more than harm their fathers. Besides, how could a teenage boy push a grown man into a machine? That makes no sense and the police know it. Trent is an easy target because he's an orphan now and if they accuse someone within the company, that would cause problems. I appreciate the author's treatment of Jester, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. These breeds get a bad reputation as they are often bred to make Pit Bulls and used for fighting. Sadly, "Pit Bull" breeds are banned in my city. Such a shame. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Jester is a kind dog and a nanny dog. He adores Trent, and by extension Fox. He likes those who are kind to him as all dogs do. I was expecting Jester to play a larger role in the story than he does though.
Why aren't the police looking at Percy Bateman? He's the most obvious suspect. Sure he seems nervous and maybe unsure of himself thanks to Mr. Trent's bullying but isn't that all the more reason to commit murder? Perhaps they had an argument. Mr. Bateman is clearly talented but as the story went on, I began to suspect he was hiding something. I was close to guessing correctly.
Another good suspect is Moira Wickham who heads up the ladies' painting department. She has a huge chip on her shoulder. First, her mother was "in service" before her marriage and then WWI created a shortage of men so Miss Wickham will never find a husband and now, her talents go unrecognized because she's a woman. I don't blame her for the last but she was incredibly rude to Eva. Miss Wickham insults Eva's ladies, Eva herself and assumes Eva is just like herself- bitter and angry over the fate life has dealt them. Miss Wickham is up to something for sure and trying to get Eva involved. I think this is a very bad idea and Eva may be in over her head. I do think Miss Wickham capable of murder and physically able to do it. She certainly resents Mr. Mercer! I do not like this woman one bit and I hope she turns out to be the murderer. Is her name a clue?! Miss Wickham sacks a young woman, Lydia Travers, for seemingly no good reason. Eva suspects Miss Wickham sacked Lydia because Lydia knew something about Miss Wickham. I feel so sorry for Lydia. She has a tough life and probably doesn't deserve to lose her job - unless Miss Wickham's suppositions are correct. Who is telling the truth?
The next best suspect would be the obvious: Gus Abbott, the man who discovered Mr. Mercer's body. He's big, strong, tough and seems to have a temper. The locals, down at the pub, believe the workers are covering up for one of their own.
This story makes me want to collect antique china tea sets! I had no idea there were so many different designs. I've never even seen eggshell thin china cups before!
This was another exciting mystery and I'm eager to see where the characters go next. I hope Julia has her baby in that one!
The Renshaws, Eva and Hetta, plus two cars and chauffeurs are headed to Staffordshire to choose a china tea set as a surprise for their grandparents' wedding anniversary gift. Julia also intends to confront her late husband's relatives and assert herself and the rights of her unborn child. The Crown Lily Potteries proves to be fascinating for Phoebe and her younger siblings. Julia, however, is just there to shop. The siblings can't agree on anything and Fox doesn't want to be there. When Fox runs into his schoolmate, Trent Mercer, he's excited to see a friend who wants to be there about as much as he does. Trent has been taken out of Eton to learn all about china pottery production. Trent is not so thrilled with his father, the lead designer at Crown Lily. On their second visit, Mr. Mercer fails to show up for their planned meeting to view his designs. When the alarm siren sounds, the whole complex is aware there has been an accident. When Mr. Mercer is discovered dead in a piece of equipment, everyone is shocked and horrified. The Renshaws especially feel terrible for Trent, now orphaned. Julia, surprisingly, takes the boy under her wing, in spite of protests from her horrid in-laws. Then the police come and arrest Trent on suspicion of murder! The Renshaws know in their hearts Trent couldn't have done it. Fox is determined to help free his friend, no matter what and forces Phoebe to investigate. Eva naturally must join in the hunt for the killer even if it means pretending to want to leave her beloved ladies and come to work as a painter. As the confront suspects, it seems more and more likely Trent is the killer but Julia refuses to give up on the boy. Phoebe also feels the need to protect her sister from the horrible cousin-in-law who believed he was entitled to inherit everything. He's determined to prove Julia and her child are worthless. Can Phoebe catch a killer and save her sister before an innocent boy is hanged for a dastardly crime?
This story got off to a slow start for me. I wasn't all that interested in how china was produced in the 1920s. The factory tour bored me and I wanted to get on with the story. The two men introduced in the beginning were confusing because Mr. Mercer seemed more like the owner than the head designer. The story picked up more in the second half once the investigation got underway. I wasn't surprised by the second murder, but saddened. I was very shocked by the third and the dangerous situation Phoebe and Eva find themselves in this time! I didn't quite find it plausible that the police suspected a fifteen-year-old boy of pushing his father into a grinding pan. Wouldn't he have to be really strong and big to do that? 15-year-old boys may be tall but they tend to be scrawny. I wasn't entirely surprised by the killer's identity but I was stumped as to why that person would want to murder Mr. Mercer. I got distracted by the red herrings and lost all memory of the true motive. That had crossed my mind early on but I forgot about it. It's obvious the author did a ton of research and looked through the archive at the Museum of Royal Worcester. She also researched the sexist attitudes of the day and worked that seamlessly into the plot. I really found that interesting because 100 years earlier, painting on china was a popular hobby for women and then they were able to turn it into a paying job. Watercolors and drawing were also popular hobbies in the 1800s but apparently not an acceptable career, even 100 years later in the 1920s. I really love Alyssa Maxwell's attention to detail and all the history she weaves into her stories. This book is no exception! 5 stars for research!
The characters' story arcs are coming along nicely. Phoebe has such a big heart. She wants to protect her family and help everyone else. She is sometimes rash and headstrong, rushing into situations she has no idea how to deal with. There were a couple of times I was very worried for her, but she actually does know how to hold her own and rescue herself- mostly, with help from Eva, of course. Phoebe's relationship with Owen has come to a crossroads. I really like the romance in this one. Owen is a good guy and he supports Phoebe but will he allow her to be herself and stay involved in other people's business (sleuthing) once they're married? As always, Eva is a true and loyal friend. She's more than a maid, yet, in her head, they're distinct, separate. She's of one class and her ladies are another. I think she keeps trying to convince herself of that. Eva has also come to a turning point in her life. She contemplates leaving service, if only briefly. She's smart, sensible and has as big a heart as Phoebe's. Julia is softening- a tiny bit. She's still prickly and snippy, and always has to have her own way. She's grown a lot since her ill-fated marriage (A Murderous Marriage. Julia is about to become a mother and she realizes her future and her child's future are at stake and no one is going to help her if she doesn't take a stand. She knows which battles to choose and which to flight. Her motherly instincts are kicking in and she feels protective to a young boy alone in the world. I like this new side to Julia but heaven help everyone if that child is a girl! I don't think her husband would have left provisions for a girl child. I think he left everything to charity or someone outside the family - not his sister, cousin, illegitimate daughter/secretary or Julia.
Amelia and Fox are growing up fast. Amelia is still sweet but showing signs of the same stubbornness her siblings have in abundance. Amelia is determined to take her place in the world and it isn't going to be as an ornament to society or a wife and mother. She's smart and I think Phoebe should trust her sister more. Fox is still a teenage boy. He's not so bratty and smug now the reality of his situation is more understandable. Grampapa is getting older and soon Fox will inherit the title at a very young age. That's a lot of responsibility. He's feeling the weight of expectations but when he meets up with a school friend, he acts like a normal boy. Fox can be mischievous and as stubborn as his sisters. What he and Trent do at the end is very, very dangerous. I can only hope he understands that.
Julia's in-laws are back and as ghastly as ever. I almost feel sorry for Veronica. She's faced with losing the only home she's ever known because of stupid sexist laws. She believes Julia has as nasty mind as her own family and is naturally antagonistic. I think they have finally come to an understanding. Ernie is the worst! His accusations against Julia are uncalled for and even if her child is born 8 months after the wedding, he or she is still legitimate. There's no way to prove the child isn't premature. Ernie seemed so nice at the wedding. I don't buy his excuse. I don't think he has any real veterinary experience. He was afraid of the dog and while faced when Julia faced an emergency. Why? Is he lying/hiding something? That question is never answered. Mildred Blair, with her stinging barbs, is really no better. She's awful! The Renshaws' chauffeur, Douglas, gets in on the action now! He's a good man to have around. He serves as driver and bodyguard to the ladies, certainly a devoted employee.
At the Crown Lily, there are lots of new people to meet. Mr. Tremaine, the owner of the company, seems like a fussy, nervous man. He aims to please but doesn't reckon with the headstrong Renshaw women! I thought Ronald Mercer was the owner. He certainly has the arrogance Mr. Tremaine lacks. Mr. Mercer is the head of the design department and is responsible for the majority of the company's most successful patterns. I guess that gives him the right to have an ego but he's nasty about it. He bad mouths another designer because he clearly can't stand having another talented man around to share his spotlight. Heaven forbid someone else has a chance to shine. This guy has never heard of teamwork! He's a horrible father, insisting his son quit school - at 15! to learn the pottery business from the bottom up. Why now? Can't he wait? The boy likes school or at least the social interactions. Mr. Mercer is a bully towards his son. He must be mean to his son's dog too because I know dogs have good instincts and this one doesn't like Mr. Mercer. He likes Mr. Tremaine so I was surprised when Mr. Mercer ended up dead.
Trent Mercer is just a boy. He is young and trying to be independent and grown up. He's mad because his father took him out of school, which he enjoyed, and away from his peers. Basically his father cut his childhood short without warning. Mr. Tremaine is kind and sympathetic but only Mr. Mercer can make decisions about his son and doesn't seem like the type who would appreciate someone else's advice. Does Trent WANT to follow in his father's footsteps? Why does he need to learn the whole business? I don't think that would give Trent enough incentive to murder his father. That's ridiculous! Boys tend to be hot headed but they run away more than harm their fathers. Besides, how could a teenage boy push a grown man into a machine? That makes no sense and the police know it. Trent is an easy target because he's an orphan now and if they accuse someone within the company, that would cause problems. I appreciate the author's treatment of Jester, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. These breeds get a bad reputation as they are often bred to make Pit Bulls and used for fighting. Sadly, "Pit Bull" breeds are banned in my city. Such a shame. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Jester is a kind dog and a nanny dog. He adores Trent, and by extension Fox. He likes those who are kind to him as all dogs do. I was expecting Jester to play a larger role in the story than he does though.
Why aren't the police looking at Percy Bateman? He's the most obvious suspect. Sure he seems nervous and maybe unsure of himself thanks to Mr. Trent's bullying but isn't that all the more reason to commit murder? Perhaps they had an argument. Mr. Bateman is clearly talented but as the story went on, I began to suspect he was hiding something. I was close to guessing correctly.
Another good suspect is Moira Wickham who heads up the ladies' painting department. She has a huge chip on her shoulder. First, her mother was "in service" before her marriage and then WWI created a shortage of men so Miss Wickham will never find a husband and now, her talents go unrecognized because she's a woman. I don't blame her for the last but she was incredibly rude to Eva. Miss Wickham insults Eva's ladies, Eva herself and assumes Eva is just like herself- bitter and angry over the fate life has dealt them. Miss Wickham is up to something for sure and trying to get Eva involved. I think this is a very bad idea and Eva may be in over her head. I do think Miss Wickham capable of murder and physically able to do it. She certainly resents Mr. Mercer! I do not like this woman one bit and I hope she turns out to be the murderer. Is her name a clue?! Miss Wickham sacks a young woman, Lydia Travers, for seemingly no good reason. Eva suspects Miss Wickham sacked Lydia because Lydia knew something about Miss Wickham. I feel so sorry for Lydia. She has a tough life and probably doesn't deserve to lose her job - unless Miss Wickham's suppositions are correct. Who is telling the truth?
The next best suspect would be the obvious: Gus Abbott, the man who discovered Mr. Mercer's body. He's big, strong, tough and seems to have a temper. The locals, down at the pub, believe the workers are covering up for one of their own.
This story makes me want to collect antique china tea sets! I had no idea there were so many different designs. I've never even seen eggshell thin china cups before!
This was another exciting mystery and I'm eager to see where the characters go next. I hope Julia has her baby in that one!
May 28, 2023
I've only got two more books to read in this series and am sorry to see it end. I'm hoping Alyssa Maxwell isn't done yet with this one because I'm ready to continue reading for years to come. I love the characters and with a Lady and her Lady's maid being the amateur sleuths it's perfect cozy fare. The stories are always well laid out, detailed mysteries with twists and turns you'd expect from a more intense type of mystery. Lady Phoebe and Eva, her maid have become welcome members in my household and can't wait to jump into the next! Happy Reading!
June 3, 2025
I found it difficult to care about a company that makes china tea sets.
August 30, 2021
RATING: 3.5 STARS
2021; Kensington Books
Yay, I am officially caught up on this series! I binged this one from the library and really enjoyed it. My ratings have mostly been four stars, with a couple being 3.5 stars, like this one. I liked this book, but it dragged a bit for me. After I finished reading I found it harder to come back to pick it back up. It wasn't hard to read, but I wasn't rushing to pick it up. I did like that we got more of Fox in this book. Usually, he is off at boarding school or being petulant when he is home.
The Renshaw siblings's grandparents are celebrating their anniversary. The siblings travel to Staffordshire to commission a china service bearing the Wroxly coat of arms from the venerated Crown Lily Potteries, a favorite of Queen Mary. The two designers at the company have competing ideas, and before they make the compassion, one has been murdered. The two suspects are the other designer and the dead designer's son. The latter is a friend of Fox, and he wants to help him. Him and Phoebe try to help him; while Eva has been tapped to go undercover and make friends with the women who are allowed to paint but not design. Could one of them want the designer dead? I was more interested in the women aspect of the story. I enjoyed this book, just as much as the others. I can't wait I have to wait a year for the next book.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook/audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2021; Kensington Books
Yay, I am officially caught up on this series! I binged this one from the library and really enjoyed it. My ratings have mostly been four stars, with a couple being 3.5 stars, like this one. I liked this book, but it dragged a bit for me. After I finished reading I found it harder to come back to pick it back up. It wasn't hard to read, but I wasn't rushing to pick it up. I did like that we got more of Fox in this book. Usually, he is off at boarding school or being petulant when he is home.
The Renshaw siblings's grandparents are celebrating their anniversary. The siblings travel to Staffordshire to commission a china service bearing the Wroxly coat of arms from the venerated Crown Lily Potteries, a favorite of Queen Mary. The two designers at the company have competing ideas, and before they make the compassion, one has been murdered. The two suspects are the other designer and the dead designer's son. The latter is a friend of Fox, and he wants to help him. Him and Phoebe try to help him; while Eva has been tapped to go undercover and make friends with the women who are allowed to paint but not design. Could one of them want the designer dead? I was more interested in the women aspect of the story. I enjoyed this book, just as much as the others. I can't wait I have to wait a year for the next book.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook/audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
January 16, 2021
I am really glad that I decided to read this series [even with the troubles with all the different narrators - note to publishers: this jumping around of narrators within a series is disconcerting and jarring. When you listen almost exclusively to audiobooks, it is difficult to get a feeling of the characters when different people are doing the voices. It is just an thought. Thank you].
This was the best in several books and I really enjoyed it. I felt the characters were closer to what they were when the series was first introduced and a lot of the snipping was kept at bay [the previous book was rather tedious with all of that, regardless of the circumstances]. The end was a little flat for me, but I am hoping that the printed version is cleaned up a little and that will make it a little less flat and abrupt. If not for the end, it would have been a 5 star read for me.
There was plenty of action, TONS of information on how china is made [and now I want to go to Staffordshire to tour a china factory] and the dangers that accompany some of the jobs there. I will say I was fairly certain who was going to be killed and thought I knew how [I was wrong there, but I am not sure it was much better IMO] and by the middle of the book I knew who the killer was, though it honestly didn't take away from the story or mystery as a whole, because, even though I thought I knew, I HAVE been wrong in the past, so the waiting for the reveal was good. I liked having all four of the siblings together and seeing Julia become a little more human again and assert herself was a joy. So, overall, this was very good read. I am looking forward to the next one!
Thank you to NetGalley, Alyssa Maxwell, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was the best in several books and I really enjoyed it. I felt the characters were closer to what they were when the series was first introduced and a lot of the snipping was kept at bay [the previous book was rather tedious with all of that, regardless of the circumstances]. The end was a little flat for me, but I am hoping that the printed version is cleaned up a little and that will make it a little less flat and abrupt. If not for the end, it would have been a 5 star read for me.
There was plenty of action, TONS of information on how china is made [and now I want to go to Staffordshire to tour a china factory] and the dangers that accompany some of the jobs there. I will say I was fairly certain who was going to be killed and thought I knew how [I was wrong there, but I am not sure it was much better IMO] and by the middle of the book I knew who the killer was, though it honestly didn't take away from the story or mystery as a whole, because, even though I thought I knew, I HAVE been wrong in the past, so the waiting for the reveal was good. I liked having all four of the siblings together and seeing Julia become a little more human again and assert herself was a joy. So, overall, this was very good read. I am looking forward to the next one!
Thank you to NetGalley, Alyssa Maxwell, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2022
I read this almost a year ago, and was shocked to see yesterday that I never added it to Goodreads. I just read the latest book in the series, and I liked it better than this one, but this was a solid installment. It has a slow start, and I learned far more about pottery production than I wanted to know or retained, but the book ended up being suspenseful and handled the ongoing subplot with Julia well.
April 3, 2021
Another great story in this series! I love all the books by this author - and this one delivered another winner. Now I'll have to wait for the next book. I tried to make this one last longer, but I just had to turn the pages as quickly as I could.
Want to read
September 26, 2020I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.
January 24, 2021
A Sinister Service is the sixth book in the A Lady And Lady’s Maid Mystery series by Alyssa Maxwell.
Ladies Phoebe, Julia, Amelia, their maids, and their brother, Fox, are off to visit the Crown Lily China company to search for new china set for their grandparents’. After a quick tour of the plant, they set down with Mr. Mercer, head designer, assistant designer, and Percy Bateman, to look over the various designs. While doing this Phoebe, notices some animosity between Mercer and Bateman. While they are looking over the designs, Eva decides to take another plant tour. Eva will late relate that there some china painters that are a bit disgruntled. When they return the next day, Eva decides to once again visit with the painters. Eva will soon learn that a body has been discovered in a grinding pan, where the material for making the china is mixed. The body found turns out to be Mr. Mercer. The police will take Mercer’s son into custody for the murder of his father. Trent Mercer, the son, was a schoolmate of Fox, until recently when his father removed him from school. Fox was good friends with Trent and will ask his sisters to clear his name. It will be up to Phoebe and Amelia to do most of the investigating as Julia is nearing her baby’s birth. Eva will relate the factory’s unrest and talk that some china shipments may be stolen before or during shipments.
I love this series, as all books are well-written, plotted, and historically accurate. The characters are all believable and well-developed. Fox is also developing into an intelligent and helpful young teenager, and I particularly liked this.
I am anxiously awaiting the book in this beautiful series. I’m interested in seeing whether Julia will have a boy and what she will do with her late husband’s estate.
Ladies Phoebe, Julia, Amelia, their maids, and their brother, Fox, are off to visit the Crown Lily China company to search for new china set for their grandparents’. After a quick tour of the plant, they set down with Mr. Mercer, head designer, assistant designer, and Percy Bateman, to look over the various designs. While doing this Phoebe, notices some animosity between Mercer and Bateman. While they are looking over the designs, Eva decides to take another plant tour. Eva will late relate that there some china painters that are a bit disgruntled. When they return the next day, Eva decides to once again visit with the painters. Eva will soon learn that a body has been discovered in a grinding pan, where the material for making the china is mixed. The body found turns out to be Mr. Mercer. The police will take Mercer’s son into custody for the murder of his father. Trent Mercer, the son, was a schoolmate of Fox, until recently when his father removed him from school. Fox was good friends with Trent and will ask his sisters to clear his name. It will be up to Phoebe and Amelia to do most of the investigating as Julia is nearing her baby’s birth. Eva will relate the factory’s unrest and talk that some china shipments may be stolen before or during shipments.
I love this series, as all books are well-written, plotted, and historically accurate. The characters are all believable and well-developed. Fox is also developing into an intelligent and helpful young teenager, and I particularly liked this.
I am anxiously awaiting the book in this beautiful series. I’m interested in seeing whether Julia will have a boy and what she will do with her late husband’s estate.
February 25, 2023
This was well-done and incredibly well researched.
I truly enjoyed this and the mystery itself was well hidden.
I truly enjoyed this and the mystery itself was well hidden.
January 26, 2021
Although I had read a couple of titles in Alyssa Maxwell’s Gilded Age series, I had not read any of the books in her Lady and Lady’s Maid series. So I was happy to receive an advance review copy of the latest title in the series, A Sinister Service, from the publisher.
Since this is the sixth in the series, and I hadn’t read any of the earlier books, I was a little confused at first about who the characters were and the relationships between them. I was especially puzzled by the relationships between Eva and the Renshaw siblings, which seemed a little unusual/too close for the post World War I setting. But eventually I picked up more background, as well as remembering that this is called the “Lady and Lady’s Maid” series, and I realized that these relationships are a feature of the series, so to speak, rather than a bug.
After I was able to settle in to the book, I enjoyed it. The Renshaws want to buy a tea service for their grandparents’ anniversary, and so they visit the Crown Lily China company, known for making porcelain for royalty. But unfortunately, along with a wide choice of tea services, Crown Lily China also offers up some murders. A school chum of Fox Renshaw (the only male among the siblings) is implicated in the first murder, and the Renshaws feel compelled to investigate.
What follows is a nice cozy mystery, with a bit of social commentary along the way. There’s a bit of male chauvinism, displayed both in the way women aren’t allowed to be designers at Crown Lily, and also in the casual and rather horrible way that the unmarried women painting the china are referred to as “surplus” women – “surplus” since so many British men were killed during the war. There’s some elite-ism, with Fox’s chum wanting to continue his studies at Eton, but being pulled out of school by his father to learn the china trade from the ground up. Maxwell handles these subjects well, weaving them nicely into the storyline, letting us learn and think without sounding like a history book.
Maxwell also provides a really nice in-depth look at the porcelain business. Having worked in the past with some materials scientists who specialized in high-temperature ceramics, I was especially interested in the china-making process, but I also enjoyed the descriptions of the porcelain business itself. Again the details are worked nicely into the plot.
All-in-all, I enjoyed this book, and I plan on going back and looking for some of the earlier titles in the series. I also recommend that others who haven’t read earlier titles may want to do so before reading this one, just to avoid the confusion I experienced early on. I’m also going to be looking forward to the next book, to find out whether Julia’s baby is a boy or a girl!
Please keep in mind that I try to fight “star-flation” a little bit, and I give very very few five-star ratings. As a result, a four-star rating from me, is a solid recommendation for a book. And that’s what A Sinister Service gets from me.
My thanks again to Kensington and NetGalley for the advance review copy!
Since this is the sixth in the series, and I hadn’t read any of the earlier books, I was a little confused at first about who the characters were and the relationships between them. I was especially puzzled by the relationships between Eva and the Renshaw siblings, which seemed a little unusual/too close for the post World War I setting. But eventually I picked up more background, as well as remembering that this is called the “Lady and Lady’s Maid” series, and I realized that these relationships are a feature of the series, so to speak, rather than a bug.
After I was able to settle in to the book, I enjoyed it. The Renshaws want to buy a tea service for their grandparents’ anniversary, and so they visit the Crown Lily China company, known for making porcelain for royalty. But unfortunately, along with a wide choice of tea services, Crown Lily China also offers up some murders. A school chum of Fox Renshaw (the only male among the siblings) is implicated in the first murder, and the Renshaws feel compelled to investigate.
What follows is a nice cozy mystery, with a bit of social commentary along the way. There’s a bit of male chauvinism, displayed both in the way women aren’t allowed to be designers at Crown Lily, and also in the casual and rather horrible way that the unmarried women painting the china are referred to as “surplus” women – “surplus” since so many British men were killed during the war. There’s some elite-ism, with Fox’s chum wanting to continue his studies at Eton, but being pulled out of school by his father to learn the china trade from the ground up. Maxwell handles these subjects well, weaving them nicely into the storyline, letting us learn and think without sounding like a history book.
Maxwell also provides a really nice in-depth look at the porcelain business. Having worked in the past with some materials scientists who specialized in high-temperature ceramics, I was especially interested in the china-making process, but I also enjoyed the descriptions of the porcelain business itself. Again the details are worked nicely into the plot.
All-in-all, I enjoyed this book, and I plan on going back and looking for some of the earlier titles in the series. I also recommend that others who haven’t read earlier titles may want to do so before reading this one, just to avoid the confusion I experienced early on. I’m also going to be looking forward to the next book, to find out whether Julia’s baby is a boy or a girl!
Please keep in mind that I try to fight “star-flation” a little bit, and I give very very few five-star ratings. As a result, a four-star rating from me, is a solid recommendation for a book. And that’s what A Sinister Service gets from me.
My thanks again to Kensington and NetGalley for the advance review copy!
July 4, 2022
I LOVE traveling back in time with Alyssa Maxwell as my tour guide, interpreter, and voice for the characters. The books in her series always grab your attention immediately and you are taken back in time to a simpler time that always has some murder and mayhem involved.
In A Sinister Service, the sixth book in Maxwell's A Lady & Lady's Maid Mystery series, main characters Phoebe and Eva, Phoebe's lady's maid are leaving Foxwood Hall and traveling to Staffordshire. They are traveling with Phoebe's older sister Julia with her lady's maid, Hetta, as well are younger siblings, Amelia and Fox. They are going to be staying at Lyndale Park, the estate of Lady Julia's late husband. Unfortunately they do not know if Julia owns the property yet as her late husband's will has not been read yet and will not be read until Julia gives birth to the child she conceived on their wedding night shortly before he was murdered....but that is another book and story that hopefully you have read already.
Okay back to A Sinister Service.... the siblings are in Staffordshire to visit one of the many china making factories, Crown Lily Potteries, to discuss designing a china pattern and order china for their grandparents upcoming anniversary.
While at Crown Lily Potteries receiving a tour of the factory, the group comes across an old school mate of Fox's. Trent Mercer had been taken out of the school that he attended with Fox to go work with his father at Crown Lily. His father is head of the design department and designs a lot of the patterns for the company and wants Trent to follow in his footsteps so he was working at the factory and learning the business.
Unfortunately when the siblings return to the factory for a second meeting to finalize their custom order, Mr. Mercer does not show up for their meeting. Soon after they find out the reason for his absence....he was murdered in another part of the factory. And the bad news doesn't end there....Trent is arrested for his dad's murder.
Fox insists that his friend is innocent and Phoebe and Eva are inclined to agree, however, they need proof in order to make the police look elsewhere. So Eva kind of goes undercover in the painting department pretending that she may be looking to leave her job as a lady's maid and work in a factory. Phoebe also does her part by questioning anyone that will give her time.....but as they get closer to the truth, they put themselves right in the line of danger and they may not be able to save themselves in time !!!
Maxwell grabs your attention immediately and you will feel like you are standing along side the duo as they investigate this new murder and try to prove Trent's innocence. You cannot help but turn the pages as fast as you can so that you can see what happens at every turn. Once you read one of the books in the A Lady & Lady's Maid Mystery series, you will be a fan for life .... I guarantee it !!
November 27, 2020
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Kensington Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review A Sinister Service. All opinions are my own.
Who would have thought that something as simple as choosing a china pattern would lead to murder? Well, it does, in A Sinister Service, the latest in the post-WWI series written by Alyssa Maxwell featuring the Renshaw sisters, their brother Fox, and Eva Huntford, their maid, who helps out where and whenever she can.
The sisters are at a china factory choosing a design as an anniversary gift for their grandparents. Not simple for these folks; they’re arguing from the get-go on what that design should be. In addition, Phoebe, the eldest sister finds out that women aren’t allowed to be designers (this plays heavily in our plot). Tradition still reigns at Crown Lily China.
If this wasn’t enough, there’s the continuing family troubles involving Julia and her dead husband’s estate. She’s two months from having an heir. If it’s a boy, then the inheritance is secure. Otherwise… The dead man’s relatives are causing no end of trouble, and the stress is really wearing on Julia. Which makes her more disagreeable than ever. Phoebe bears the brunt of this, as usual.
Well, pretty soon the head designer’s dead, and the son, a friend of Fox, is suspected and arrested. Too bad the son’s dog can’t talk, but then the book would be over pretty quick. The Renshaws aren’t satisfied with what the police have decided (although someone should have mentioned getting a solicitor for the boy – author missed something there, I think). Time to find the real culprit. And here’s where Eva comes in, in a clever and inventive way, with Phoebe and her policeman friend (he'd like to be more than that, definitely) leading our investigative efforts. Have to give the author points for illustrating how things are slowly changing, how Phoebe considers Eva a friend, how the barriers between classes were coming down. Because women were considered “surplus” after the war, forced to make their own way, in a way that men were not. Changing this was a hard slog though, as we know from history. Still know.
Pretty soon there’s another dead body, and things get really serious for the sisters with a big rescue scene, but at least it reveals a murderer. And there’s changes afoot in the china business. Modernity has come at last it appears.
Then, there’s a puppy. But no baby. We’re still waiting for the blessed event. I for one definitely want to know what’s going to happen with Julia. I feel like she has become the center of these books, that her story is what is important, never mind the bodies strewn about. I must assume that Ms. Maxwell will satisfy my curiosity next time.
Who would have thought that something as simple as choosing a china pattern would lead to murder? Well, it does, in A Sinister Service, the latest in the post-WWI series written by Alyssa Maxwell featuring the Renshaw sisters, their brother Fox, and Eva Huntford, their maid, who helps out where and whenever she can.
The sisters are at a china factory choosing a design as an anniversary gift for their grandparents. Not simple for these folks; they’re arguing from the get-go on what that design should be. In addition, Phoebe, the eldest sister finds out that women aren’t allowed to be designers (this plays heavily in our plot). Tradition still reigns at Crown Lily China.
If this wasn’t enough, there’s the continuing family troubles involving Julia and her dead husband’s estate. She’s two months from having an heir. If it’s a boy, then the inheritance is secure. Otherwise… The dead man’s relatives are causing no end of trouble, and the stress is really wearing on Julia. Which makes her more disagreeable than ever. Phoebe bears the brunt of this, as usual.
Well, pretty soon the head designer’s dead, and the son, a friend of Fox, is suspected and arrested. Too bad the son’s dog can’t talk, but then the book would be over pretty quick. The Renshaws aren’t satisfied with what the police have decided (although someone should have mentioned getting a solicitor for the boy – author missed something there, I think). Time to find the real culprit. And here’s where Eva comes in, in a clever and inventive way, with Phoebe and her policeman friend (he'd like to be more than that, definitely) leading our investigative efforts. Have to give the author points for illustrating how things are slowly changing, how Phoebe considers Eva a friend, how the barriers between classes were coming down. Because women were considered “surplus” after the war, forced to make their own way, in a way that men were not. Changing this was a hard slog though, as we know from history. Still know.
Pretty soon there’s another dead body, and things get really serious for the sisters with a big rescue scene, but at least it reveals a murderer. And there’s changes afoot in the china business. Modernity has come at last it appears.
Then, there’s a puppy. But no baby. We’re still waiting for the blessed event. I for one definitely want to know what’s going to happen with Julia. I feel like she has become the center of these books, that her story is what is important, never mind the bodies strewn about. I must assume that Ms. Maxwell will satisfy my curiosity next time.
January 20, 2021
A Sinister Service Is pure historical mystery delight! This is my first time reading Alyssa Maxwell and this series. I was worried entering the series on book 6, but Maxwell does a delightful job of weaving connections and the past together. I never felt like I was reading a summary of a past book. Everything stayed to present and I was completely absorbed.
This is the newest installment in a post-WWI series featuring a family of the Renshaw sisters, their brother, Fox, and Eva Huntford, their maid. They also have some other staff and extended family in this book.
The Renshaw family travel to The Crown Lily China Factory to have pattern designed and manufactured for their grandparents anniversary. They have a tour of the factory which was super interesting for a tea drinker like myself! Fox is also surprised to find an old friend from school on the tour, whose father is the chief designer at Crown Lily. When it comes to picking the china and a pattern the family has many opinions and during their bickering an incident occurs at the factory. This incident of course leads Lady Phoebe and Eva to investigate a murder.
We also have a subplot going on that must be in part of the other books as well. The eldest sister, Lady Julia, is pregnant and a widow. The family goes to stay at her husband’s property to find family troubles there.
I loved the characters, suspects and the twists and turns this story brings! I’m so looking forward to reading the next installment. Maxwell is a fantastic historical mystery writer and I have to read more of her work!
Thank you to #NetGalley and #Kensington Books for this Advanced Reader Copy. This review is my own.
#Alyssa Maxwell #ASinisterService #NetGalley
This is the newest installment in a post-WWI series featuring a family of the Renshaw sisters, their brother, Fox, and Eva Huntford, their maid. They also have some other staff and extended family in this book.
The Renshaw family travel to The Crown Lily China Factory to have pattern designed and manufactured for their grandparents anniversary. They have a tour of the factory which was super interesting for a tea drinker like myself! Fox is also surprised to find an old friend from school on the tour, whose father is the chief designer at Crown Lily. When it comes to picking the china and a pattern the family has many opinions and during their bickering an incident occurs at the factory. This incident of course leads Lady Phoebe and Eva to investigate a murder.
We also have a subplot going on that must be in part of the other books as well. The eldest sister, Lady Julia, is pregnant and a widow. The family goes to stay at her husband’s property to find family troubles there.
I loved the characters, suspects and the twists and turns this story brings! I’m so looking forward to reading the next installment. Maxwell is a fantastic historical mystery writer and I have to read more of her work!
Thank you to #NetGalley and #Kensington Books for this Advanced Reader Copy. This review is my own.
#Alyssa Maxwell #ASinisterService #NetGalley
February 2, 2021
What starts out as a trip to Staffordshire with her siblings to pick out the pattern for a new china service for their grandparent's anniversary turns in to another case of murder. Lady Phoebe and her maid Eva are on the case when the police focus on the fifteen year old son of the dead man. The young man is a friend and former classmate of her brother, Fox so of course she has to find the killer.
Lady Phoebe and her sisters - Julia and Amelia and their brother Fox - had just made the acquaintance of Mr. Mercer and Mr. Bateman. While looking at various possible designs it becomes clear that there is tension between the two men. It isn't long before Mr. Mercer is found dead in a grinder used to grind and mix the beef bone, stone and clay used in the fine porcelain. Fox describes it as a giant sized version of Mrs. Ellison's hand-cranked dough kneader. What a vivid picture that gives the reader. Phoebe and Amelia start their investigating while Eva talks to the factory workers.
As we follow the case of murder there is also another thread. Julia had married Viscount Annondale which made her Lady Julia, Viscountess Annondale only to become a pregnant widow. On this jaunt to pick out the china pattern she is going to try and assert herself with his family. There are tensions there, too.
This is one of my favorite historical cozy series. The setting, the characters and the mystery are well balanced in every book in the series. I usually don't like multiple points of view/narrators but it works here.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Lady Phoebe and her sisters - Julia and Amelia and their brother Fox - had just made the acquaintance of Mr. Mercer and Mr. Bateman. While looking at various possible designs it becomes clear that there is tension between the two men. It isn't long before Mr. Mercer is found dead in a grinder used to grind and mix the beef bone, stone and clay used in the fine porcelain. Fox describes it as a giant sized version of Mrs. Ellison's hand-cranked dough kneader. What a vivid picture that gives the reader. Phoebe and Amelia start their investigating while Eva talks to the factory workers.
As we follow the case of murder there is also another thread. Julia had married Viscount Annondale which made her Lady Julia, Viscountess Annondale only to become a pregnant widow. On this jaunt to pick out the china pattern she is going to try and assert herself with his family. There are tensions there, too.
This is one of my favorite historical cozy series. The setting, the characters and the mystery are well balanced in every book in the series. I usually don't like multiple points of view/narrators but it works here.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 9, 2021
Princess Fuzzypants here: Phoebe and her siblings are in Staffordshire to choose a design for a new china service for their grandparents and to establish sister Julia’s rights as widow to her husband’s estate. They meet a friend of brother Fox at the factory. He has left Eton to learn the trade from his father, the head designer. When his father is gruesomely murdered, the young lad is arrested. Phoebe and her lady’s maid and friend Eva leap into action to find the real killer and exonerate Fox’s friend.
What they quickly discover is there has been industrial sabotage and there are plenty of available suspects for both the murder and the larceny. Hot on the trail, they devise subterfuges to question suspects but it is clear from early on, someone does not want them to dig very deeply. Shortly after the release of the lad, there is yet another victim, one that Phoebe may have led to her death. Things get truly dangerous when they discover yet a third body. While they may be getting closer to the villain, the villain is getting closer to them.
In fact, they get it wrong and the price may be their lives. It leads to an exciting and fraught situation but these two smart and plucky ladies will bring the killer to justice. It’s been fun reading about their exploits from WWI to the early days of the 1920’s. There has been a considerable loosening of the restraints put upon women over the course of the books but there are still those like Phoebe and Eva who refused to be defined by men. It makes for an interesting journey for both the characters and the readers.
Five purrs and two paws up.
What they quickly discover is there has been industrial sabotage and there are plenty of available suspects for both the murder and the larceny. Hot on the trail, they devise subterfuges to question suspects but it is clear from early on, someone does not want them to dig very deeply. Shortly after the release of the lad, there is yet another victim, one that Phoebe may have led to her death. Things get truly dangerous when they discover yet a third body. While they may be getting closer to the villain, the villain is getting closer to them.
In fact, they get it wrong and the price may be their lives. It leads to an exciting and fraught situation but these two smart and plucky ladies will bring the killer to justice. It’s been fun reading about their exploits from WWI to the early days of the 1920’s. There has been a considerable loosening of the restraints put upon women over the course of the books but there are still those like Phoebe and Eva who refused to be defined by men. It makes for an interesting journey for both the characters and the readers.
Five purrs and two paws up.
October 4, 2020
WWI is finally over. The quirky and fun Renshaw siblings decide to travel to Staffordshire with their lady's maids to visit a renowned pottery factory to have a one-of-a-kind china service designed and created for their grandparents' anniversary. Naturally, there are as many differing opinions on style as there are siblings.
Death arrives at the factory as one of the two leading pattern designers is found in a messy position. Mysteriously, a crucial pattern book disappears. Eva, Lady Phoebe's Lady's Maid, inveigles her way into the factory to snoop around and befriends a female employee. Despite ensuing danger, Eva and Phoebe investigate, though the local inspector orders them to stop.
Meanwhile, a young friend of the youngest Renshaw siblings, Fox, is arrested for murder. The rest of the book follows this as well as family relationships and the search for the missing patterns.
The historical pottery and china details are uniquely fascinating and really taught me a lot. My mom collects china so will be thrilled to read this.
Though a couple of characters were shallow in ways, there was growth, too. I like and appreciate flawed characters. Twists were well written. Discover which china pattern is chosen in the end!
Cozy mystery meets historical fiction readers will enjoy this novel which oozes with charm, the sixth in the series (though could easily be read as a standalone).
My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this delightful book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.
Death arrives at the factory as one of the two leading pattern designers is found in a messy position. Mysteriously, a crucial pattern book disappears. Eva, Lady Phoebe's Lady's Maid, inveigles her way into the factory to snoop around and befriends a female employee. Despite ensuing danger, Eva and Phoebe investigate, though the local inspector orders them to stop.
Meanwhile, a young friend of the youngest Renshaw siblings, Fox, is arrested for murder. The rest of the book follows this as well as family relationships and the search for the missing patterns.
The historical pottery and china details are uniquely fascinating and really taught me a lot. My mom collects china so will be thrilled to read this.
Though a couple of characters were shallow in ways, there was growth, too. I like and appreciate flawed characters. Twists were well written. Discover which china pattern is chosen in the end!
Cozy mystery meets historical fiction readers will enjoy this novel which oozes with charm, the sixth in the series (though could easily be read as a standalone).
My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this delightful book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.
April 10, 2021
Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her siblings are off to Staffordshare in the hopes of visiting Crown Lily Potteries in the hopes of ordering a tew set for their grandparents's wedding anniversary. The pottery is a favorite of Queen Mary, and the siblings hope to have something special bearing the Wroxly coat of arms.
Upon arriving, they find the china manufacturer to be well-run, but divided as the two leading designers seem to be at odds for dominanance. Sadly, one of them turns up dead in one of the plant's grinding pads, and his design pattern is missing. Unofortunately, his son Trent, a schoolmate of Phoebe's brother Fox, becomes the prime suspect. Fox cannot believe his friend woudl ever do this and appeals to Phoebe and her lady's maid Eva to get involved and find the real murderer.
Lady Phoebe and Eva find themselves drawn deeper and deeper into the complex relationships and professional intrigue as they get closer to what really happen. The problem is that the body count starts to increase, and they could end up being one of the murderer's victims before they figure out who killed the first victim.
This was a fun addition to the series. Phobe and Eva do have a penchant for finding themselves involved in murder cases. All of this is happening as Phoebe's recently widowed eldest sister Julia is trying to settle into a nearby estate that was owned by Julia's husband. She has a claim on the estate through her unborn child, if it proves to be a son. As a whole, this series feels like someone decided to set a series of cozy mysteries at Downton Abbey.
Upon arriving, they find the china manufacturer to be well-run, but divided as the two leading designers seem to be at odds for dominanance. Sadly, one of them turns up dead in one of the plant's grinding pads, and his design pattern is missing. Unofortunately, his son Trent, a schoolmate of Phoebe's brother Fox, becomes the prime suspect. Fox cannot believe his friend woudl ever do this and appeals to Phoebe and her lady's maid Eva to get involved and find the real murderer.
Lady Phoebe and Eva find themselves drawn deeper and deeper into the complex relationships and professional intrigue as they get closer to what really happen. The problem is that the body count starts to increase, and they could end up being one of the murderer's victims before they figure out who killed the first victim.
This was a fun addition to the series. Phobe and Eva do have a penchant for finding themselves involved in murder cases. All of this is happening as Phoebe's recently widowed eldest sister Julia is trying to settle into a nearby estate that was owned by Julia's husband. She has a claim on the estate through her unborn child, if it proves to be a son. As a whole, this series feels like someone decided to set a series of cozy mysteries at Downton Abbey.
December 11, 2020
It was so nice to become reacquainted with the Renshaw siblings and their lady’s maids, Eva and Hetta. Julia, the eldest daughter, now seven months pregnant, has become just a bit less prickly but a definitely a force with which to be reckoned. Phoebe hasn’t changed much, still as determined to right all wrongs in her line of vision and to tackle whatever is amiss. Amelia has grown into a sensitive, concerned and eloquent young woman. Fifteen year old Fox is settling into his future as a major player as the heir apparent of Foxwood Hall.
It’s is November 1920 and they are off to the small town of Langston which is in the county of Staffordshire which is known for its fine china. Their goal is to order a new set of china for their grandparents as an anniversary gift. It appears to be a rather pedestrian outing to the Crown Lily China Factory until it all goes wrong and a murderer crosses their path. Besides a murder, there is an ongoing underlying tension concerning the sex of Julia’s unborn child and whether it will allow her to inherit her late husband’s estate. So, there is a murderer, a gaggle of nasty marital relatives and loads of plotting and planning and mystery abounds.
Alyssa Maxwell always gets it just right and when I have turned the last page I am smiling, thankful for the time I have spent with her characters and hoping for the next installment sooner rather than later.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp.
It’s is November 1920 and they are off to the small town of Langston which is in the county of Staffordshire which is known for its fine china. Their goal is to order a new set of china for their grandparents as an anniversary gift. It appears to be a rather pedestrian outing to the Crown Lily China Factory until it all goes wrong and a murderer crosses their path. Besides a murder, there is an ongoing underlying tension concerning the sex of Julia’s unborn child and whether it will allow her to inherit her late husband’s estate. So, there is a murderer, a gaggle of nasty marital relatives and loads of plotting and planning and mystery abounds.
Alyssa Maxwell always gets it just right and when I have turned the last page I am smiling, thankful for the time I have spent with her characters and hoping for the next installment sooner rather than later.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp.
September 28, 2020
Our protagonist, Phoebe Renshaw and her brother and sisters have traveled to Langston to visit Crown Lily Pottery where they are going to purchase a china service for their grandparents as an anniversary present. They meet two different designers and make arrangements to return the next day to review the designs and decide. On their visit, Phoebe's brother Fox is delighted to run into an old school chum who had left Eton to work at the pottery.
They are in the pottery owner's office the next day, when the body of one of designers is found. The police arrest Fox's friend, who was known to be disgruntled about leaving school and because his dog was found at the scene of the crime. Phoebe has solved crimes before so her family turns to her to help prove the innocence of Fox's friend.
Phoebe's maid and conspirator Eva goes undercover at the factory while their driver goes to the local pub to talk with the factory workers and gain info. The information gathered gives them more motives to work through and the story and resolution of the murder is entertaining and well done even if Phoebe has a crisis of faith when something goes horribly wrong.
I highly recommend this series-it is a great light historical mystery,
I requested and received an ARC of the book from Kensington via NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
They are in the pottery owner's office the next day, when the body of one of designers is found. The police arrest Fox's friend, who was known to be disgruntled about leaving school and because his dog was found at the scene of the crime. Phoebe has solved crimes before so her family turns to her to help prove the innocence of Fox's friend.
Phoebe's maid and conspirator Eva goes undercover at the factory while their driver goes to the local pub to talk with the factory workers and gain info. The information gathered gives them more motives to work through and the story and resolution of the murder is entertaining and well done even if Phoebe has a crisis of faith when something goes horribly wrong.
I highly recommend this series-it is a great light historical mystery,
I requested and received an ARC of the book from Kensington via NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
November 29, 2020
3.5 stars
This is a readable, if implausible, series. Post WWI England is the setting, and the main characters are a family, particularly Lady Phoebe, and her maid Eva. We are asked to believe that the class barrier is mostly disregarded between these two. Clearly Eva is not comfortable with this despite her vast affection for Phoebe and her sisters.
The family is visiting the married family home of Lady Julia, Phoebe's pregnant widowed sister. The back story is complicated, and I believe this book would be fairly confusing to those who have not read earlier series entries.
There is animosity between Lady Julia and her late husband's family and great uncertainty as to anyone's future -- which depends on whether Julia gives birth to a son or daughter. In the meantime, the family goes to a local china manufacturer to find a gift for their grandparents. The factory has problems, which are highlighted when one of the principals is found gruesomely murdered. An immediate suspect is the victim's teenage son, who was a classmate at Eton of Julia and Phoebe's brother.
Lady Phoebe and Eva have previously become involved in investigations. Their not quite believable intrusion becomes dangerous as they get closer to unveiling the truth. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is a readable, if implausible, series. Post WWI England is the setting, and the main characters are a family, particularly Lady Phoebe, and her maid Eva. We are asked to believe that the class barrier is mostly disregarded between these two. Clearly Eva is not comfortable with this despite her vast affection for Phoebe and her sisters.
The family is visiting the married family home of Lady Julia, Phoebe's pregnant widowed sister. The back story is complicated, and I believe this book would be fairly confusing to those who have not read earlier series entries.
There is animosity between Lady Julia and her late husband's family and great uncertainty as to anyone's future -- which depends on whether Julia gives birth to a son or daughter. In the meantime, the family goes to a local china manufacturer to find a gift for their grandparents. The factory has problems, which are highlighted when one of the principals is found gruesomely murdered. An immediate suspect is the victim's teenage son, who was a classmate at Eton of Julia and Phoebe's brother.
Lady Phoebe and Eva have previously become involved in investigations. Their not quite believable intrusion becomes dangerous as they get closer to unveiling the truth. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 27, 2021
I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. A Sinister Service by Alyssa Maxwell is the sixth book in her A Lady and a Lady’s Maid Mystery series.
I think you will enjoy this book more if you have read the previous books in the series. Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her family have travelled to Langston in the county of Staffordshire to purchase a set of custom china for their grandparents anniversary and to visit Lyndale Park the estate that will belong to her sister’s unborn child should he prove to be a boy. When one of the china designers is gruesomely murdered and his son, a schoolmate of her brother is arrested for the crime, Phoebe and her maid Eva Huntford set out to solve this mysterious death and locate his missing pattern book. Set at the end of World War I this engaging mystery explores the extreme competition and resulting skullduggery between competing china manufacturers. I enjoyed reading this book and do recommend it. Publishing Date: January 26, 2021. #ASinisterService #AlyssaMaxwell #HistoricalFiction #MysteryAndThrillers #MysterySeries #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #bookstagram #bookstagramer
I think you will enjoy this book more if you have read the previous books in the series. Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her family have travelled to Langston in the county of Staffordshire to purchase a set of custom china for their grandparents anniversary and to visit Lyndale Park the estate that will belong to her sister’s unborn child should he prove to be a boy. When one of the china designers is gruesomely murdered and his son, a schoolmate of her brother is arrested for the crime, Phoebe and her maid Eva Huntford set out to solve this mysterious death and locate his missing pattern book. Set at the end of World War I this engaging mystery explores the extreme competition and resulting skullduggery between competing china manufacturers. I enjoyed reading this book and do recommend it. Publishing Date: January 26, 2021. #ASinisterService #AlyssaMaxwell #HistoricalFiction #MysteryAndThrillers #MysterySeries #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #bookstagram #bookstagramer
January 16, 2021
Most people fund picking a chins pattern a little challenging but the Renshews- well, they find a murder! Lady Phoebe and her maid (and BFF) Eva are in Staffordshire in 1920 along with the rest of the family. When the owner of the factory is murdered, suspicion immediately falls on his son Trent but Fox Renshaw doesn't believe it. They decide to send Eva in to work in the factory (I was happy to learn a bit as a result) while they sleuth. Cozy readers know to look for multiple suspects (not the dog though). The charm of this series lies in the family interactions and in this one Julia is close to giving birth, hopefully to a boy so that the child can inherit her dead husband's estate. While Maxwell does give back story, this is likely more enjoyable for those familiar with the characters because the family is so complex (a good thing actually). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I love the post WWI setting and the fact that this series moves about the UK as well as the dynamic between Phoebe and Eva. A really fun read.
December 15, 2020
If you're looking for another easy, cozy mystery where the Renshaw siblings get themselves into mischief, look no further. The latest installment in the Lady and Lady's Maid series comes out on Jan 26, 2021, and will not disappoint if you're a fan of the series.
The Renshaws are at a well-known china factory selecting a pattern for their grandparents' anniversary gift, when one of the co-owners is murdered, and his son is blamed. Phoebe Renshaw and her loyal maid, Eva, once again set about investigating as they believe the police inquiry has ended with the arrest of the son.
Per usual, the Renshaws have their fair share of sibling squabbles throughout this book, and Maxwell has included Julia's in-laws and their family drama for good measure. On top of a quality mystery plot, this book is bound to be a success with fans of the series.
Read my full review at samiamreadingandreviewing.wordpress.com.
The Renshaws are at a well-known china factory selecting a pattern for their grandparents' anniversary gift, when one of the co-owners is murdered, and his son is blamed. Phoebe Renshaw and her loyal maid, Eva, once again set about investigating as they believe the police inquiry has ended with the arrest of the son.
Per usual, the Renshaws have their fair share of sibling squabbles throughout this book, and Maxwell has included Julia's in-laws and their family drama for good measure. On top of a quality mystery plot, this book is bound to be a success with fans of the series.
Read my full review at samiamreadingandreviewing.wordpress.com.
May 12, 2021
I have read the entire series and was intrigued when Phoebe's family and their maids travel to pick out a set of china for their grandparents anniversary gift. While in the company office, the Renshaws discover a murder has been committed. Fox's school friend is the primary suspect and arrested. The Renshaws decide to solve the murder and Eva takes a position as a china decorator to gather inside information. The Renshaws are a close family and work as a team to solve the mystery. Julia, Phoebe's sister, is waiting patiently for her baby's arrival and a subplot with greedy relatives is entertaining as well.
The books in this series are well written and historically accurate, The pacing is steady, and the books do not get descriptively bogged down. The ending isn't any surprise, but the journey to get there is exciting and fun. I look forward to the next installment in this series. Recommended.
The books in this series are well written and historically accurate, The pacing is steady, and the books do not get descriptively bogged down. The ending isn't any surprise, but the journey to get there is exciting and fun. I look forward to the next installment in this series. Recommended.
December 7, 2020
It is always a pleasure to check in with the Renshaw siblings. Their characters continue to evolve with the times and the circumstances as they mature. The three sisters and little brother have embarked on a road trip to pick out a new china service for their grandparents' anniversary. Optimism abounds at the thought they can all agree on a shape and pattern. Eva, friend and lady's maid, is also there along with Lady Julia's lady's maid Hetta. Their good cheer disappears when the china factory's chief designer is killed and his son, Fox's school friend, is arrested for the murder. And to add to the upset, Lady Julia's estate is not ready to receive her as freeloading inlaws have waylaid the notice of her impending visit. It is a treat to watch the family pulling together to solve the problems.
November 28, 2020
Who would have thought making fine bone china could be deadly. Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her sisters decide to purchase an anniversary set for their grandparents. When her sister Julia decides they need to visit the Crown Lily pottery plant, Phoebe knows better than to argue. When they arrive though there is an argument brewing and before long, someone is dead in a horribly gruesome manner. The police believe the resentful son of the victim is the murderer, but Phoebe's brother Fox knows that can't be true. He had been at Eton with Trent and knows he wouldn't have killed anyone. The police think otherwise and arrest the teenager. Phoebe and her maid Eva plunge into the investigation and discover many irregularities at Crown Lily nearly leading to their own deaths. An entertaining series.
November 28, 2020
Who would have thought making fine bone china could be deadly. Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her sisters decide to purchase an anniversary set for their grandparents. When her sister Julia decides they need to visit the Crown Lily pottery plant, Phoebe knows better than to argue. When they arrive though there is an argument brewing and before long, someone is dead in a horribly gruesome manner. The police believe the resentful son of the victim is the murderer, but Phoebe's brother Fox knows that can't be true. He had been at Eton with Trent and knows he wouldn't have killed anyone. The police think otherwise and arrest the teenager. Phoebe and her maid Eva plunge into the investigation and discover many irregularities at Crown Lily nearly leading to their own deaths. An entertaining series.
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