DIANNE FREEMAN – Countess of Harleigh Mysteries
She’s a life-long book lover who left the world of corporate finance to pursue her passion for writing.
After co-authoring the non-fiction book, Haunted Highway, The Spirits of Route 66, she realized her true love was fiction… historical mysteries in particular.
She also decided that winters in Arizona were much more enjoyable than winters in Michigan. Taking a cue from the old Paul McCartney song… Dianne and her husband, just follow the sun.
Her debut novel, which was the first book in the series we’ll be talking about today, was titled: A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder.
It won the Agatha Award for Best Debut and a Lefty Award for Best First Novel. It was also nominated for a Mary Higgins-Clark Award.
Heat up a spot of tea boys and girls, because today’s adventure takes us to London, where we’ll explore the pages of The Countess of Harleigh, Cozy Mystery Series with author Dianne Freeman…
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Listen to “DIANNE FREEMAN – A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder” on Spreaker.
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Dianne’s Social Media Footprint…
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Our Inside the Writer’s Workshop segment on YouTube
Preview & Order Dianne’s Books…
…AMAZON LINK…
The Award-Winning debut novel that launched the series…
In this exciting historical mystery debut set in Victorian England, a wealthy young widow encounters the pleasures—and scandalous pitfalls—of a London social season…
Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York—for her first London season.
But no sooner has Frances begun her new life than the Metropolitan police receive an anonymous letter implicating Frances in her husband’s death. Frances assures Inspector Delaney of her innocence, but she’s also keen to keep him from learning the scandalous circumstances of Reggie’s demise. As fate would have it, her dashing new neighbor, George Hazelton, is one of only two other people aware of the full story.
While busy with social engagements on Lily’s behalf, and worrying if Reggie really was murdered, Frances rallies her wits, a circle of gossips, and the ever-chivalrous Mr. Hazelton to uncover the truth. A killer is in their midst and Frances must unmask the villain before Lily’s season—and their lives—come to a most unseemly end…
SEE FULL BOOK SUMMARY & REVIEWS ON AMAZON…
Available in Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook & Audio
…AMAZON LINK…
Rumors fly (and someone dies) in Book #2…
Though American by birth, Frances Wynn, the now-widowed Countess of Harleigh, has adapted admirably to the quirks and traditions of the British aristocracy. On August twelfth each year, otherwise known as the Glorious Twelfth, most members of the upper class retire to their country estates for grouse-shooting season. Frances has little interest in hunting—for birds or a second husband—and is expecting to spend a quiet few months in London with her almost-engaged sister, Lily, until the throng returns.
Instead, she’s immersed in a shocking mystery when a friend, Mary Archer, is found murdered. Frances had hoped Mary might make a suitable bride for her cousin, Charles, but their courtship recently fizzled out. Unfortunately, this puts Charles in the spotlight—along with dozens of others. It seems Mary had countless notes hidden in her home, detailing the private indiscretions of society’s elite. Frances can hardly believe that the genteel and genial Mary was a blackmailer, yet why else would she horde such juicy tidbits?
Aided by her gallant friend and neighbor, George Hazelton, Frances begins assisting the police in this highly sensitive case, learning more about her peers than she ever wished to know…
SEE FULL BOOK SUMMARY & REVIEWS ON AMAZON…
Available in Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook & Audio
…AMAZON LINK…
It’s time to marry off sis and mom is here to help…
London is known for its bustle and intrigues, but the sedate English countryside can host—or hide—any number of secrets. Frances, the widowed Countess of Harleigh, needs a venue for her sister Lily’s imminent wedding, away from prying eyes. Risings, George Hazleton’s family estate in Hampshire, is a perfect choice, and soon Frances, her beloved George, and other guests have gathered to enjoy the usual country pursuits—shooting, horse riding, and romantic interludes in secluded gardens.
But the bucolic setting harbors a menace, and it’s not simply the arrival of Frances’s socially ambitious mother. Above and below stairs, mysterious accidents befall guests and staff alike. Before long, Frances suspects these “accidents” are deliberate, and fears that the intended victim is Lily’s fiancé, Leo. Frances’s mother is unimpressed by Lily’s groom-to-be and would much prefer that Lily find an aristocratic husband, just as Frances did. But now that Frances has found happiness with George—a man who loves her for much more than her dowry—she heartily approves of Lily’s choice. If she can just keep the couple safe from villains and meddling mamas.
As Frances and George search for the culprit among the assembled family, friends, and servants, more victims fall prey to the mayhem. Mishaps become full-blooded murder, and it seems that no one is safe. And unless Frances can quickly flush out the culprit, the peal of wedding bells may give way to another funeral toll…
SEE FULL BOOK SUMMARY & REVIEWS ON AMAZON…
Available in Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook & Audio
…AMAZON LINK…
The cookbook that turned into a series of ghost stories…
It’s no accident that Route 66 begins in Chicago- at Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Ave. It was started by adventurous souls who had already traveled this far west and began forging the haphazard trail even farther. They followed market routes, stagecoach routes and sometimes paths or trails that, patched together, made one continuous route. Paving the roads made it easier for the rest of us to follow, but they were the first. Many of their spirits are still there, waiting for you to visit.
From Chicago’s Biograph Theater, we travel west through places like St. Charles, Missouri; Gutherie, Oklahoma and Jerome, Arizona. Ending up at The Georgian Hotel’s Speakeasy Restaurant in Santa Monica, California.
We hope you will pack up your bags, grab this book and hit the road. Or if you prefer to be an armchair traveler, we still think you’ll have an exciting trip along our haunted version of Route 66…
SEE FULL BOOK SUMMARY & REVIEWS ON AMAZON…
Available in Hardcover, Paperback, Ebook & Audio
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What is a goal? It’s been defined in many ways, most of them so complex that things get fuzzy and complicated. Put simply, a goal is something you want to do. PUSH is designed to help readers think about things more simply. Identify your goals and put forth the simple, dedicated effort to achieve them.
You may not realize it, but you’re being watched. It happens each day in the most undetectable way. Somewhere, someone is watching. You touch more lives and topple more dominoes than you could ever imagine. For someone, you are the light in their darkness or the example to which they aspire.
Why do you do what you do? It’s a useful question to ponder. If you knew that no one would hear your song, would you still sing? Knowing that the chairs in the auditorium will be empty, will you still take the stage and dance just as enthusiastically? Explore why you do what you do and develop self-trust and quiet confidence.