A Mysterious Season

Lady Julia Grey #3.5, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7

by Deanna Raybourn

Get swept up in a Victorian world of intrigue in these Lady Julia Grey mystery novellas, only from New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn.

Silent Night

After a year of marriage—and numerous adventures—Lady Julia and Brisbane hope for a quiet, intimate Christmas together—until they find themselves at her father’s ancestral estate, Belmont Abbey, with her eccentric family and a menagerie of animals. Nevertheless, Julia looks forward to a lively family gathering—but amongst the celebrations, a mystery stirs…

Midsummer Night

Midsummer in Victorian England—an auspicious time for a wedding. Brisbane has taken charge of the music. Julia has, perhaps mistakenly, allowed her sisters to choose the dress. And Belmont Abbey is overflowing with guests awaiting the blessed day. Add in a dangerous past nemesis who has come to wish them not-so-well, and their day to remember just might take a fatal turn…

Twelfth Night

To mark the passing of another decade, the March family have assembled at Belmont Abbey to perform the Twelfth Night Revels. But before Lady Julia and Brisbane can take to the stage, an abandoned infant is found nestled in the helm of St. George. When the pair take up the challenge to investigate, they’ll be faced with an impossible choice—one that will alter the course of their lives…forever.

Bonfire Night

During the autumn of 1890, a solicitor arrives with a strange bequest: Nicholas, it seems, has inherited a country house—but only if he and his family are in residence from All Hallows’ Eve through Bonfire Night. Neither Lady Julia nor Nicholas is likely to be put off by local legends of ghosts and witches, until a new lady’s maid disappears, igniting a caper that will have explosive results…

Previously published

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Mystery Thriller, Short Stories, Romance

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 7, 2020

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation native Texan. She graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of one, Raybourn makes her home in Virginia. Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards including two RT Reviewers’ Choice awards, the Agatha, two Dilys Winns, a Last Laugh, three du Mauriers, and most recently the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Novel. She launched a new Victorian mystery series with the 2015 release of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, featuring intrepid butterfly-hunter and amateur sleuth, Veronica Speedwell. Veronica has returned in several more adventures, most recently AN IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSTOR, book seven, which released in early 2022. Deanna's first contemporary novel, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, about four female assassins on the cusp of retirement publishes in September 2022. (Please note: Deanna is not active on GR.)

Reviews

[Heatherinblack · Rating 3 out of 5]

a few short stories with nothing earth shattering

they seemed to be about moving relationships along. to reflect on the main characters very active sex lives. and some sleuthing. i skipped the wedding one entirely. in virtually all the series i read, the more books that are written the less it stays about the mystery and the more it becomes about the relationships. but i want MYSTERY!

[Karen (Living Unabridged) · Rating 3 out of 5]

These short stories are fairly light on mystery; heavy on quirkiness. (Basically dependent on the Reader wanting to know something, ANYTHING about Julia & Brisbane's further adventures post-marriage.) Probably wouldn't work as stand-alones but if you're a fan already you might enjoy.

(I for one would like to see Raybourn turn her prodigious talents as a writer to a female character who does not eschew all the moral boundaries in a particular historical setting.)

[Jeanette C. Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 novellas in the Lady Julia Grey series, the events are slotted between the novels giving the reader a further insight to Julia and Brisbane's families and worlds.
Silent Night: Lady Julia and Brisbane are looking forward to a quiet Christmas in their home on her father's estate only to learn on their arrival and tree has fallen and crashed through the roof of their home. So instead they find themselves crammed into her childhood home amid siblings, pets, nieces and nephews. But all is not happy. Valuable items are going missing: her aunt's coral ring, an extremely expensive emerald ring of her father's, the baby's mother of pearl teething ring. No one wants to suspect the staff but no one in the family has reason to steal.
Midsummer Night: This is the story of Julia and Brisbane's wedding. Julia has given over all the wedding planning to her sisters. She doesn't really care what the activities or decorations are until she sees the dress. How can she get married in a poufy, lacy, befrilled concoction of a dress! Fortunately there is a kitchen fire and she manages to get a bucket of pond water dumped on the dress. Julia discovers a jewel thief in their midst (not the jewel thief from Silent Night). Then Julia decides Brisbane's family, the Gypsy's, should be at the wedding which causes mixed feelings on both sides of the families. Can they possibly pull off the wedding amidst all the chaos.
Twelfth Night: The March family performs the Twelfth Night play at Christmas time in this year Julia's father is determined to have everyone involved. When an abandoned child is found with the costumes and props Julia and Brisbane investigate to find the child's mother.
Bonfire Night: I have to admit I read the other novellas as stand-alones and haven't managed to track this one down yet at my library :( I'll update once I read it :)

[D. Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should be Titled Mysterious Seasons- 4 Novellas

4 - 4.5 stars
Appropriate for teen to adult
Sex - lots of hugging and kissing. No detailed descriptions of sexual acts
Action violence -nothing cringeworthy
No memorable strong language

Plots, no spoilers:
These novellas are extensions of four of Deanna Raybourn's published novels.
The first two are not in sequence. The first takes place at least a year after Julia and Brisbane's marriage. The second centers around their marriage. The other two are, I believe, in chronological order. Readers may recognize passages of description or dialog. On the other hand these may be very similar to what was written in the novels and used to avoid confusion.
Rather than murder mysteries, each is an extension of a storyline, and they center on the unraveling of mysterious, unusual, or troubling circumstances.

Note: Unlike the Kindle version I got from the public library, perhaps the paperback or hardbound editions make it clear there are 4 novellas.

Entertaining.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

These four seasonal novellas recount the first year of the marriage of Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane. Each season brings a mystery with it, a horde of Julia's eccentric relatives and Brisbane's mysterious ones, assorted servants, country homes and pets. Christmas revels, a Twelfth Night play, bad oysters and a ghost or two add to the fun.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lacking as a substitute

Since we won’t be getting any more Lady Julia mysteries, I suppose these novellas will do. But the plots and secondary characters are nowhere near as well developed as we are used to getting in a Deanna Raybourne novel. All of which makes for much disappointment, since we were taunted with “Rome.”

[daria · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to read this short story collection to get some closure after reading the series (books 1-5). The ending of the fifth book made it seem like a sixth was planned, but it doesn’t seem that one was ever published. So it was nice to have more to read about Lady Julia and Brisbane, but with a lighter tone than the full length novels.

[Jessica Samuelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

These novellas pick up where the main series left off. Overall, I thought these were fun reads. They tie up a few loose ends from the main books and also give a glimpse of Julia and Brisbane’s new partnership. They work together much better in these stories, which I very much appreciate. It was good to see what their future together might look like.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and in keeping with the tone of the series, but without adding anything so substantial that I would reread them. Important things do happen, but while interesting, they are less compelling for me than the happenings of other volumes in the series

[Roxie Klinksiek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, fun, fun!

I loved this story set during Halloween. The villagers were hilarious. Julia and Brisbane were brilliant as usual, and Plum and Portia are absolutely fantastic supporting cast.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories and novellas featuring Brisbane and the whole March family. My only complaint would be that these appear to be the last of the stories. Some loose ends are finished off from the novels and every one seems set for a happy future.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of 4 short novellas, taking place over the course of Lady Julia’s and Brisbane’s first year of marriage. All are set over holidays. It was a nice pre-Christmas read.

[Stephanie Mohler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick wrap up to the series

[Hannah P · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 novellas. finally finished the series, as it stands today. seems like there will be more books, someday, maybe?

[Gennielc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read all 4 of these short stories individually, and loved them all.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a compilation of shorter novellas

[Jim Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good set of holiday-themed short stories

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice collection! My favorites were the wedding and Bonfire Night. I’m sorry not to have more Lady Julia, but these stories were delightful!

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wish we could have had the balance of humor and adventure in the main part of the series. These were fun to read!

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a novella collection, one for a wedding, the other three following the 5th book. The twists become more and more ridiculous, and yet I find myself continuing to read them.

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Historical Mystery & Detective Fiction, Women Sleuths Mystery & Detective Fiction, Historical Romance, Victorian Historical Fiction
Miniseries
A Lady Julia Grey Mystery

[Harlequin Historical]

Categories
Historical Mystery & Detective Fiction, Women Sleuths Mystery & Detective Fiction, Historical Romance, Victorian Historical Fiction
Miniseries
A Lady Julia Grey Mystery

[O'Shaughnessey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed. I like these stories, but I've already read them. This is nothing new for this series, just a compilation.

[Helen-Louise]

series of novellas, fun to read.