On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
A Novel Disguise (A Lady Librarian Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Imaginary English village, 1784
Crooked Lane Books (May 16, 2023)
Paperback : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 1639103465
ISBN-13 : 978-1639103461
Digital ASIN : B0B9WJ8FFT
When Miss Tiffany Woodall assumes the identity of her half-brother after his death, she realizes she isn’t the only one with a secret to hide in this historical series debut, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Sherry Thomas.
1784 London. Miss Tiffany Woodall didn’t murder her half-brother, but she did bury him in the back garden so that she could keep her cottage. Now, the confirmed spinster has to pretend to be Uriah and fulfill his duties as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian while searching Astwell Palace for Uriah’s missing diamond pin, the only thing of value they own. Her ruse is almost up when she is discovered by Mr. Samir Lathrop, the local bookseller, who tries to save her from drowning while she’s actually just washing up in a lake after burying her brother.
Her plan is going by the book, until the rector proposes marriage and she starts to develop feelings for Mr. Lathrop. But when her childhood friend, Tess, comes to visit, Tiffany quickly realizes her secret isn’t the only one hidden within these walls. The body of a servant is found, along with a collection of stolen items, and someone else grows mysteriously ill. Can Tiffany solve these mysteries without her own disguise being discovered? If not, she’ll lose her cottage and possibly her life.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Mr. Uriah Woodall is the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian and his half-sister Miss Tiffany Woodall keeps house for him, most days feeling like a servant more than a sister. One morning Uriah doesn’t come down for breakfast. When Tiffany checks on him, she finds him dead. He had been sick in the night and between the smell and the shock she is lost about what to do. In fear of losing their home and knowing she won’t inherit anything, she makes an risky decision. She buries her brother under a tree in the backyard. Then she dons her brother’s clothes and wig and pretends to be him to do his job and to keep the cottage. While there she will look for their only family possession that had value, a diamond pin Uriah lost at Astwell Palace.
Amazed that her plan is working she goes into town without her disguise only to have the rector propose marriage following the death of his second wife. What he really wants is a caretaker for his 14 children. She also realizes she is developing feelings for another man, a local bookseller, and constable Mr. Samir Lathrop.
Then the Duchess has a house party and invites the Duchess of Surrey who just happens to be Tiffany’s childhood friend. She is sure the woman will immediately see through her novel disguise, but Tiffany realizes her secret isn’t the only one at Astwell Palace.
When a servant dies suspiciously and when another person becomes ill, Tiffany knows there is something afoot in the Duke of Beaufort’s home and she is determined to solve the mystery. Can she do it without revealing her own secret? or will she die trying?
I know I would never survive London in 1784. Tiffany Woodall is a strong woman hemmed in by the constraints of the time. She had been engaged to Third Lieutenant Nathaniel Occom but he died before they could marry. So she has been keeping house for her half-brother for twenty years. He was a hard man to work for, a selfish miserly man, but probably very true to the time. Following his death Tiffany had the courage to save herself. Digging the grave and burying her brother takes physical strength. Then she has to think on her feet and out of the box. She seems to be able to fool people dressed in her disguise or people at that time really don’t look closely at others around them. It was her actions and human nature that would reveal the truth to some people but they held her secret.
Mr. Samir (Sam) Lathrop was an open-thinking man. A bookseller who Tiffany later found out is the town constable. They didn’t get off on the right foot. There were times he thought she needed rescuing and those moments had me laughing out loud. But Tiffany had to work hard to keep up her ruse and Sam is a pretty observant man.
I enjoyed the diverse cast of characters in this book. I was engaged by Tiffany and her plight. Sam, is a kind man who just wants to help. I loved their interactions. Ms. Larsen also gives her readers characters to dislike, one who was especially intense and even creepy. All the characters developed nicely throughout the story.
I was delighted by the author’s descriptive writing style. I can tell from the historical details that the author spent time thoroughly researching the era. From the palace and all its rooms to Tiffany’s Bristle cottage, the bookstore to the church, I was able to envision each place clearly. I also appreciated her attention to detail about what the characters were wearing including the heavily powdered wigs. I believe this custom started as a way for a King to hide his gray hair and others soon adopted the custom. Such crazy vanity that went on for years.
Ms. Larsen has written a very strong mystery that develops slowly at first with Tiffany’s masquerade falling into place. Then precise clues move the mystery forward. Tiffany was juggling a lot at the palace and away from it. Tending the library she learns there have been thefts at the palace. The rector is relentless in his quest to control her. But she takes her investigation seriously and uncovers things at the palace are not what they seem. She just needs to put the pieces all together. I must say, I was so wrapped up in Tiffany’s life that I didn’t really work on solving the mystery before her. I just let myself be entertained by the captivating story.
A Novel Disguise is a clever debut for the Lady Librarian Mystery Series. It’s a wonderful mystery laced with humor and a bit of romance. Ms. Larsen’s strong and memorable characters will grab your attention and hold on tight until the final page. The sequel is impatiently waiting on my Kindle. I hope to escape into it soon!
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
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
Author Links
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Amazon – B&N – Books A Million – Powells Books – IndieBound – Bookshop.org
The 2nd book in the series, Once Upon A Murder was released on February 6, 2024.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
