Once Upon a Murder
Series: Lady Librarian Mystery #2
Author: Samantha Larsen
Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting: Imaginary English village, 1784
Release Date: February 20, 2024, by Crooked Lane Books
Pages: 304
Summary:
Miss Tiffany Woodall must sleuth the slaying of a footman to clear her beloved’s name in the second Lady Librarian mystery, in the vein of Deanna Raybourn and perfect for fans of Bridgerton.
1784 England. Officially hired as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort, Miss Tiffany Woodall is through with masquerades and murders for good. That is, until she stumbles upon the frozen dead body of former footman Mr. Bernard Coram. The speed with which her peaceful new life is upended is one for the record books: the justice of the peace immediately declares her the primary suspect in the murder.
As Tiffany hunts for the truth to clear her name, she learns that Bernard got into a fight over a woman at the local pub the night of his death–but he was also overheard blackmailing Samir. The justice of the peace arrests Samir, and Tiffany realizes that her life may have more in common with a tragic play than a light-hearted romance.
With her love locked up in jail and her own reputation on the line, Tiffany must attempt to solve the murder before the book closes on her or Samir’s life.
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Storygraph | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Nook | Powells Book | Bookshop.org | Target | Walmart
Excerpt
Tiffany clutched her cramping stomach. “Yes, but finding Mr. Bernard Coram’s corpse in front of my cottage this morning did nothing to help.”
The Duchess of Beaufort shook her head. “He was such a dreadful young man. I knew that he would come to a nasty end.”
“I only wish it hadn’t been in front of my house.”
Her Grace nodded. “And so close to the palace. I can only be grateful that Thomas is away in London for another few days. Their dislike of each other was well known amongst the staff and village. I should have hated for suspicion to be cast upon my son a second time.”
She too felt relieved. Tiffany and Thomas had become fast friends in prison and had helped prove each other’s innocence. The Duchess of Beaufort had been so grateful to Tiffany for exonerating her adopted son that she’d given her Bristle Cottage and the three acres surrounding it. For the first time in her life, she had a home of her own.
“Thomas will be returning with a proper governess, Miss Drummond. She’s the daughter of a vicar and has already been a governess for ten years.”
Tiffany’s face fell. She would miss spending time with Beau. Her librarian duties were hardly strenuous and teaching the young duke had become the sunshine of her day. His smiles. His snuggles. His sweetness. She touched her flat stomach, wishing for a child of her own.
“I’ll miss being a mathematical pirate.”
The duchess barked a short laugh. “I will not miss your rock-throwing pirates. Yes, Mr. Ford informed me of the broken window. But Beau confessed to him and to me. He also told me that he’d pilfered items from around the palace as a part of pirating. I should like for you two to return them this week, before the new governess starts.”
She nodded, praying that Beau remembered where he’d hid the items (including her priceless diamond cluster pin—their first piece of treasure). “Of course, Your Grace.”
The duchess stood up and walked to the door, waiting in front of it. Tiffany rushed to turn the handle and open it for her.
“Why don’t you take off the rest of the day, Miss Woodall?” the duchess said. “I am sure Constable Lathrop will wish to discuss your finding of Mr. Coram’s corpse and perhaps you could urge him about another personal matter.”
“What personal matter?”
Sighing, Lady Beaufort shook her head. “Marriage, Miss Woodall. If you want to have a child of your own, you and your bookseller ought to marry sooner rather than later. You are neither getting any younger.”
Tiffany’s mouth fell open and her face went red. The duchess didn’t see, however, for she walked through the door without another word or glance at Tiffany.
Was the Duchess of Beaufort matchmaking?
She giggled at the thought. But sobered when she remembered her purpose. She should set off for the village at once to talk to Samir about the body, and her own feelings. There was nothing like death to remind one how short life truly was.
Series
About the Author
Samantha Hastings met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of North Texas, and the University of Reading (UK). She’s the author of: The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter, A Royal Christmas Quandary, The Girl with the Golden Eyes, Jane Austen Trivia, The Duchess Contract, Secret of the Sonnets, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady, and A Novel Disguise. She also writes cozy murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen.
Website | Goodreads | BookBub | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Giveaway
Prize: 3 Hard Cover Copies – Once Upon A Murder by Samantha Larsen
Tour Organized by:
To find all the tour information, click the banner at the top of the page.
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Thank you for dropping by! So, what do you think of Once Upon a Murder by Samantha Larsen? Check out the other stops and enter the awesome giveaway if you have time.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon, Books A Million, and Barnes and Noble affiliate, meaning that if you click on a link that takes you to one of those retailers and purchase something, this blog gets a tiny percentage back. Mainly, this helps with the cost of the website and a few giveaways.
Thank you so much for the shout out!