All the comparisons to the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, meant I was excited to get swept away with Miss Aldridge on the Queen Mary in this golden age murder mystery.

In 1936, Lena Aldridge isn’t where she hoped to be. Instead of treading the boards of the West End she’s singing at basement clubs. With her landlady against her and a death at the club, Lena is running out of options. So, when a stranger comes forward saying he knew her late father and offers her a chance at Broadway, Lena finds herself on the Queen Mary bound for New York. However Lena soon finds that death has followed her on board and she may need to give the performance of her life to get out alive.

The glitz and glamour of the ship sparkles with promise, and is a sharp contrast to the life Lena has known, with her borrowed dressed and fake jewels. Hare sets a intriguing scene, and Lena herself demands our attention.

I did find the first half of the novel a little slow and hard to connect to. I felt the narrative was lacking something, some punchy and determined direction that Lena herself has in spades.

I found I didn’t care much about many side characters, though I was fond of ship steward Danny and band leader Will Goodman.

I didn’t find myself fully invested until over way, though I found the ending enjoyable (if somewhat implausible).

Overall a solid read but somewhat forgettable. Despite having all the ingredients for a glamorous, golden age crime, Miss Aldridge Regrets isn’t quite as polished as it had the potential to be.

A really engaging heroine and a gorgeous setting, also the London scenes appear very well researched and executed. A lovely read

𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀

London, 1936
Lena Aldridge is wondering if life has passed her by. The dazzling theatre career she hoped for hasn’t worked out. Instead, she’s stuck singing in a sticky-floored basement club in Soho and her married lover has just left her. She has nothing to look forward to until a stranger offers her the chance of a lifetime: a starring role on Broadway and a first-class ticket on the Queen Mary bound for New York.
After a murder at the club, the timing couldn’t be better and Lena jumps at the chance to escape England. Until death follows her onto the ship and she realises that her greatest performance has already begun.
Because someone is making manoeuvres behind the scenes, and there’s only one thing on their mind…
MURDER
𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨, 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 ... 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧

I enjoyed this new take on a golden age Murder mystery, the author has included a lot of subtle references to Agatha Christie which I loved, the main character, Lena, even buys one of Agatha’s books to read on the Queen Mary!
It starts off with a murder, always a good start I think, Lena then ends up on the Queen Mary travelling to New York. More deaths are happening and they are all implying that she is the culprit.
It gave me Titanic/Death on the Nile/Crooked House vibes and that was a great combination. For a while I was really confused who it could be but I did work it out in time!
My one and only criticism is that it felt slightly too long but otherwise a good solid read.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you to @hqstories @netgalley for the proof.

I was drawn to this murder mystery because it was set in the thirties and on the Queen Mary. Lena Aldridge gratefully accepts the offer of a part in a Broadway show together with a trip from London to New York on the liner after witnessing a murder in the jazz club where she works. She is grieving the recent loss of her father and is desperate to escape London after what happened in the club. However, she doesn’t expect her trip across the Atlantic to be so eventful when the intrigue soon mounts along with another murder.
I loved the claustrophobic setting on the glamorous ship and the dual timeline of Lena’s time on the liner and the events from the week before. I felt the author captured the period well. The unexpected twists and turns were great although I did find the book a little slow at times. That said, I would happily recommend this book.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for an arc copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Miss Aldridge Regrets - Louise Hare

Well the title was a bit of an understatement, I think Miss Aldridge had more than a few regrets for stepping on board a ship bound for New York after the husband of her best friend is killed in front of her at a night club. She thinks she has escaped to the possibility of Broadway and a new life but as the ships journey unfolds, murder follows her and she begins to realise that someone is determined to have her as a scapegoat.

This is a sparkling mystery harking back to the Queen of the golden age of crime fiction Agatha Christie herself. There are multiple nods to her including one of the character names Abernathy, from After The Funeral.
Seeds are sown, clues carefully laid, a glittering array of suspects, grisly murders and the tension mounts towards the end.
I really loved this mystery, Lena Aldridge is a great character, caught between two worlds, black and white, first class and third class, potential broadway starlet and club singer, she is warm, naive, brave and great to read. I also loved Will, the piano man and the Abernathy/Parker clan, well - stuck up, rich and mean just about covers it!
I just couldn’t work out who was responsible, try as I might, I was hopeless as always but that is what I love about a good mystery, I love to be tested and fooled, a great reveal is always a winner!

If you love a good mystery set in the golden age you simply must read this!

✩✩✩✩

[AD PR PRODUCT]

Thanks to HQ stories and Louise Hare for my copy of this book and spot on the tour

Fans of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile will love this new book by Louise Hare, Miss Aldridge Regrets. It has the location, the glamour and the locked room style murder mystery, with some seriously stylish writing too.

Though very different to her debut, This Lovely City, I really enjoyed this atmospheric historical mystery. What both books do have in common are the racial tensions and those relating to social class, as well as the impeccably researched historical details.

I had my detective hat on while reading this one, convinced I’d be able to work it all out. I actually did manage it but only a few pages before it was all revealed so I’m not sure that counts as a win 😂

Thanks so much to HQ for sending us a digital copy to review.

I really enjoyed this glamorous murder mystery, setting sail from England to New York on board the Queen Mary in the 1930's. Told between timelines, we learn about Lena Aldridge and how she came to be singing on stage in Soho, when there's a murder. Then to her first class journey to Broadway, when there's a murder on board the ship. The period detailing is supeb as are the historical and clutural references, really brings the time period alive. There is a lot in this book, ranging from race and prejudice to family secrets, female friendships, romance, intrigue and also the dark heart of murder. Interesting murder mystery to puzzle out along the way, I enjoyed the pace, not too thriller-ish but allows you to get immersed and really enjoy the story. Highly recommend!

A good read but a totally disappointing ending. I really enjoyed reading three-quarters of the book even though it has two parallel timelines. Lena Aldridge, a nightclub singer in the 1930's has an offer to star in a Broadway show in New York. from Charles Bacon on behalf of theatre owner. Lena sets sail with Charlie on the Queen Mary knowing very little about the show. Things get unsettling when one of their wealthy table companions, the Parkers is murdered. Unfortunately the final part of the plot and the reveal is totally implausible. One of the characters involved in the plot was fairly obvious. It's such a shame as was really enjoying trying to guess all that was going on, but it so contrived and ridiculous.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

Miss Aldridge Regrets is an entertaining, fun mystery story. We follow Lena Aldridge, a singer who's fallen on hard times and is promised a new life on the stage in New York. However, on the ship there, someone is murdered, and the way they died is weirdly similar to a situation Lena experienced back in London...

As no doubt many other reviews will also have noted, this book really reminded me of a golden-age-style mystery novel - set largely on the Queen Mary ship, with flashbacks to what happened in the run-up to her journey there (and what helped her along in her decision to take the plunge and leave London), we switch between the two timeframes and, as a result, there are limited 'suspects' in this mystery. The fact that the murder took place on the boat means it is a sort of locked-room mystery.

There's plenty of glitz and glamour in this novel, which makes a nice change from some of the other crime novels I tend to read - Lena and her companion for the journey, Charlie, are placed on a table with a very wealthy family, and they're based up in First Class. We see elements of Lena's life as she sings in the Canary club in London and her friendship with Maggie, who she is now far away from, and we realise not everyone is quite as they seem...

I enjoyed this novel - because it's quite a slow novel I found it fairly relaxing, and it was an easy read that kept me engaged throughout. I liked the historical details - never too packed in but there are references to things happening at that time in Europe and throughout the world, and the way society treats people who are different and it's all interesting and a worthy reminder of how far we've come (or sadly in some cases, perhaps not so far...). Definitely recommended.

Description 🔖

Lena Aldridge hasn’t got much to look forward to. It’s London in 1936 and she’s working as a singer in a basement Soho club, earning very little and certain that life has passed her by. Her dreams of being on the stage may not be fulfilled.

Until she is approached about a role on Broadway. All expenses paid; first class none the less. It sounds too good to be true, but Lena’s married boyfriend has just dumped her and her best friend’s husband has just been murdered. What does she have to lose?

Once onboard the Queen Mary, bound for New York, things take a turn for the worst. Death has followed Lena on her voyage and she soon realises that she will have to put on a very different performance to that she had originally anticipated.

General Thoughts 🤔

Firstly I have to mention that I absolutely fell in love with the cover of this book; it’s gorgeous and immediately caught my eye. Secondly, I actually read the blurb for this book (which I don’t usually do) and was very much looking forward to a murder mystery full of glamour and intrigue.

Although I enjoyed the book overall, it was pleasant to read, I was just a touch disappointed. The story was a little long winded and I struggled to stay engaged with it by the time I was in the last third. I also felt that there was a missed opportunity to really go deep on the setting. I would have loved to have been able to really envisage what the ship looked like and what the suites felt like etc. In my mind they would be so opulent, but that was my expectation as opposed to what was presented to me.

Characters 👫👭👬

I grew to really like Lena by the end of the book. I felt somewhat sorry for her in that she got swept along with something and couldn’t seem to get herself out of it. She was trying to keep up with a group of people that she probably felt inferior to and I imagine she must have considered herself to be slightly “less than”.

I struggled to connect with the Abernathy family. At some points I had to page flick to remind myself of who was who and what their relations were. I think a bit more background to the family would have been fantastic and helped with this.

Writing Style ✍️

As mentioned above, I felt like the storyline was dragged out a little too much. Don’t get me wrong, a slow paced tension build is fantastic, but I felt like the slow pace was there and the tension was missing. I think more setting description and a feeling of glamour would have been great with this book; the story and the characters were calling for it.

I liked how the author weaved in cultural references to the story. Lena being mixed race but passing as white was a really interesting slant on the story. She was able to mix with different circles onboard the Queen Mary and fit in with both. I thought that adding this into the book was a nice touch.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

I suspect that I was starry eyed over the cover of this book and probably set my expectations a touch too high. It was a good murder mystery story and a laid back book so if you’re looking for something easy to read that will entertain you but not overwhelm you, this is a book for you.

Wow! I loved this book from page one and couldn't put it down. There were so many twists and turns I just had to keep reading it and I felt quite sad when I actually finished it. Highly recommend it.

Historical murder,mystery with good characters. Set mostly on a ship crossing the Atlantic, it was a bit slow but with surprises.

3,5* upped to 4
This book has the potential of being a page turner, a sort of mix of GAD whodunit and a literary novel but it didn't always worked for me.
I wasn't a fan of the characters and the mystery part was a bit too slow.
That said I loved the historical background and the description of the settings.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed that there were two timelines running alongside each other, I always find this a really interesting concept in a book. I didn't really take to many of the characters but I did like the reveal of the whodunnit - it was not even someone I was considering could be responsible. Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for my copy of this book.

This is the first book I have read by Louise Hare and I really enjoyed it. Set in 1936, Lena Aldridge is aboard the Queen Mary heading to New York, where she believes she will have a role on Broadway. But, on her journey across the ocean, events take place that seem to echo the past she left behind in London. A fabulous murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers HQ Stories for the e-arc.

It’s 1936 and Lena Aldridge is a bi-racial singer in a seedy club in SoHo. During one of her performances, the club’s gangster owner Tommy Scarsdale (who happens to be her best friend’s neglectful husband) dies right in front of her, killed with a hit of cyanide in his drink. Flash forward a few weeks and Lena is aboard the Queen Mary, a luxury liner making its way across the Atlantic from London to New York. She’s travelling in style in first class thanks to Charlie Bacon, who’s escorting her to the big apple with the promise of a Broadway role that’s waiting for her there. Once aboard she meets the wealthy Abernathy family, and quickly becomes embroiled in their dinners and drinks, until one of their party dies at dinner in a remarkably similar fashion to Tommy.. Has tragedy followed Lena on to the ship? Who is behind these murders? And who will be the next victim?

I absolutely loved the overall vibe of this book, it reminded me very much of Agatha Christie, particularly Death on the Nile but without Poirot. And what could be better than a murder mystery aboard a boat where there’s no escape? It works for a reason and I was hooked throughout, it’s so tense! Like Christie there’s a cast of characters, all with some motive or other, so you’re never sure who to trust or who’s at risk. I didn’t guess the overall ‘villain’ so that was a pleasant surprise!

Louise Hare writes historical fiction (with a musical edge) beautifully and always captures the feeling of the period so well. I adored This Lovely City and this is in the same vein but with a bit more glamour thrown in. By switching back and forth in time from chapter to chapter Hare does a great job of juxtaposing Lena’s luxurious life on the ship with her time in Bethnal Green and both are so intriguing. I did prefer the ship scenes I think but the London sections add to the story too.

My only criticism is that I’d have liked more to happen at the end, it felt like we jumped from the ship to being in New York and the events aboard the Queen Mary seem to have been papered over. I’d have liked there to have been more to it at that stage, however as it was all tied up so I can’t complain too much and overall I really enjoyed it.

Having loved both her books I’m now a Louise Hare fan for life and am already looking forward to the next one! If you enjoy murder mysteries with some social commentary and racial divides thrown in she’s your gal and I would absolutely recommend both Miss Aldridge Regrets and This Lovely City. Thank you to HQ for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book. It was a cozy murder mystery in a claustrophic setting and it worked very well indeed. Keeps you guessing throughout and I didn't expect the reveal.

Crime and cruise ships will always be a win for me and Miss Aldridge Regrets particularly appealed as I have cruised on the current Cunard Queen Mary and it is a beautiful ship. This story of murder, racial identity, prejudice and the seedy side of London clubland was one that I was really looking forward to and I wasn’t disappointed. With a dual timeline and a backstory set in London’s Soho, the setting of the Queen Mary liner is an excellent choice, there is that ‘locked room’ vibe of a ship where there is no escape, together with the glamour and sophistication of the first class passenger lifestyle enjoyed by those rich enough.

Travelling in luxury doesn’t come naturally to club singer and aspiring actress Lena Aldridge of whom it was said ….”you sang like an angel with a twenty-a-day habit”. The job opportunity of a lifetime has been offered to her out of the blue and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Her beloved father Alfie has died and she really is alone, apart from her best friend Maggie who has her own troubles. Travelling first class on the Queen Mary at someone else’s expense, Lena sees how the other half live however this will not be the relaxing peaceful voyage that she envisaged.

Lena’s character is mixed race and the issue of racial prejudice comes through clearly in this story in its different forms. Although Lena can pass as European, it was pointed out to her that she may not find employment as easy to find in the US with their differing prejudices if people know her ethnic background. With Lena struggling to fit into either side of the racial divide, she is glad to find a friend on board, albeit in the lower boarding class – she will certainly need someone on her side.

With its slow pace, the story gradually builds momentum as the ship sails closer to New York along with the rising death count. There is a fairly small cast of characters to get to know and I was intrigued by Lena’s relationships with her fellow passengers, mainly a dysfunctional family, which were at the core of the story. To say more would venture into spoiler territory.

As a character, Lena was savvy enough, her life in the club had hardened her although there was still a vulnerability about her. Through her first person narrative, readers were privy to her thoughts about her life in London and the events that forced her hand, her worries about Maggie and in particular the dangerous situation she found herself in onboard.

I very much enjoyed the historical feel and the crime element of this, the plot of which wouldn’t have been out of place in an Agatha Christie story. The reveal certainly took me unaware, and although I have mixed feelings about its plausibility there was enough misdirection and surprise throughout to keep my imagination in overdrive.

Overall, this is one to recommend. Louise Hare writes so well and draws her characters superbly. The plot makes for an intriguing and suspenseful read and one that I’m sure will be enjoyed by fans of historical and crime fiction.

My thanks to HQ for the tour invite and for the copy to review.

Miss Aldridge Regrets is a fab read. The storyline drew me in immediately and even though I am not usually a big fan of books set in this period I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were plenty of twists to the story I was not expecting and through the author's description I felt like I was really there and experiencing life aboard The Queen Mary.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my ARC.

If you have read This Lovely City, then you will already know what a fabulous writer Louise Hare is and although Miss Aldridge Regrets is somewhat different, though there is a common thread of racial tension, it is another triumph, a fabulous and intriguing murder mystery with an Agatha Christie vibe that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Set on an ocean liner en route to New York in 1936, the story alternates between events on the ship and London a week earlier. Nightclub singer Lena jumps at the opportunity to make a new life in New York following the murder of her best friend’s husband - but she soon realises that all may not be as it seems, as murder follows her onboard and she unwittingly becomes involved.

Lena is such an fascinating character, caught between two worlds, black but “passing” as white, travelling first class but more comfortable further down the ship, a club singer who has been sold a Broadway dream - but she soon learns that all that glitters is not golden and being stuck in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in the midst of a murder investigation with people who are keen to implicate her is a hard place to be. There is glamour, there is mystery, there is intrigue and secrets galore - and I enjoyed playing detective as I was kept guessing. I loved it!