Reviews

A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball by T.E. Kinsey

taherasplace's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

I sped through the second book a lot faster than the first one most probably because I had a better hang of the characters and their quirks. Ellie is definitely the star of this book and proves herself a worthy protege of Lady Hardcastle and her confidante Florence Armstrong.

Both these titles were published in 2021. While the author is still adding new books to The Lady Hardcastle series, I do hope he will continue writing more books in this series as well.

tryingpeopletx's review against another edition

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4.0

Another fun, silly murder mystery. More than the music or the characters, I like the setting for this one. I want to hang out in this house.

nenenest's review against another edition

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4.0

Spotted how it was partly done straight away but otherwise excellent

rocksteady's review against another edition

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5.0

Clever **spoiler**

I’m still so impressed with the dizzy heights books, spin offs aren’t usually that great but I love these characters. I thought this story was clever, you have to love a locked room murder and this was a really interesting explanation

rebeccabadger's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

_catrick's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

3.0

Satisfying murder mystery, a bit funny in moments. Still prefer his Hardcastle books

lavanda4's review against another edition

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5.0

Oh, how this book made me giggle! The wit is just unreal, as it is in the Lady Hardcastle series by this author. Locked room mystery elements in an isolated manor house, puzzles, passages, quirky characters, raucous shenanigans and peppy music adds up to tremendous fun. It practically induced me to frolic around the garden!

Set in Oxfordshire in 1925, a kaleidoscope of a band called Dizzy Heights travels to Bilverton House to play for an eccentric family and guests. Murder interrupts the jocularity and the band members and their two helpers/followers inveigle and search the house and the family's brains. I just love the buildup to the murder. In fact, following the thoughts and conversations of the characters is as as delightful as figuring out the guilty party. The wound-coloured hole, "Regency Ghastly" and the Hamlet bits are brilliant...and the wit is all over the place, yet not over the top. The characters are just...well, you'll find out.

Don't miss reading the author's notes about his inspiration and touches of history. Historical Fiction, Mystery and General Fiction readers, especially those hankering for smart and snappy writing really should read this. I'm now going to read everything by this author I can get my hands on.

My sincere thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this charming book. Pure joy.

honeysidehomestead's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

3.5

jtyler's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

carene's review against another edition

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4.0

Really fun to listen to!