If you are looking for a great historical novel with a mystery weaved in then this is the novel for you. Now a while back I read a novel that featured Agatha Christie and a bevy of authors this one features the beloved Virginia Woolf and her Vanessa Bell. Together they will track down a suspect who poisoned their dear friend Mimi. Overall this is an impressive novel and I am glad that i took the time to read it.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

June 1929, Rottingdean. By chance Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf are invited to the pre-wedding breakfast of wealthy Mimi Mason (her fourth wedding) and cash poor, Archie, Lord Aberbethy (his third). At the event Mimi is poisoned and Chief Inspector Gripe is called in. Bell and Woolf (who comes across as a terrible snob and actually quite unlikeable) decide also to ask questions. A surfeit of suspects confronts them all.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its cast of varied characters.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Welcome back to Sussex, where Virginia (Ginny) Woolf and Vanessa (Nessa) Bell live. Ginny and Nessa are invited to stay at The Tudor Close Hotel, Rottingdean, by their old friend Lady Ottoline (Otto) Morrell. Otto bumps into fashion designer, Mimi Mason at the hotel, where Mimi invites them to her wedding breakfast tomorrow morning. At the wedding breakfast, Mimi is killed by persons unknown. Ginny and Nessa can't help themselves from doing some amateur sleuthing by looking at the wedding guests invited - 3 ex-husbands and 2 ex-wives among the small group. I love how the sub plots all wove together to bring about a dramatic ending! It was well written and very descriptive that I could see the locations in my mind's eye. Hope there will be third book in the series.

I thank NetGalley and Headline Accent for an advance reader copy of “A Lethal Cocktail.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Sisters Vanessa (Nessa) Bell and Virginia (Ginny) Woolf find themselves putting their amateur detective (and people) skills to good use once again in “A Lethal Cocktail,” the second in a witty and intelligent series featuring two leading lights of the “Bloomsbury Group” as they assist in solving the murder of a rather unpleasant woman on her wedding day. Readers will get word pictures of other people of the time -- Ottoline Morrell is especially featured -- along finely rendered portraits of fictional characters that make up the ill-fated wedding party, including some rather despicable people. In the murder victim, you may find the cliché “someone who needed killing” coming to mind, with everyone having a motive. But what soon appears to be an open and shut case becomes much more. Author Ciar Bryne ensures that nothing is as it seems, in “A Lethal Cocktail.”

Expect a fast-paced story that will keep you guessing until the end (quite the unveiling, that ending). With everyone having something to say (the chapters are led by multiple narrators), “A Lethal Cocktail” explores the consequences of unhappiness and hatred -- recipes for disaster in any era. Luckily, Nessa and Ginny are on the scene to support Inspector Gripe with insight and ability.

It is 1929 and Virginia Woolf (yes, THAT Virigina Woolf) and her sister, Vanessa are invited to the sophisticated Tudor Close Hotel in Rottindean by their friend, Lady Ottoline, to meet a young man who she thinks is just perfect to work with Virginia in publishing her books. The young man is also part of an unorthodox acting troupe. The hotel happens to be booked for the wedding of Mimi Mason, a fashion designer, to Lord Abernathy. The ladies are invited to the wedding festivities. When Mimi is poisoned at a pre wedding breakfast, Virginia and Nessa join the local police inspector to investigate.This would not have been the first marriage for both Mimi and the lord and with ex wives and husbands in attendance, there is no shortage of suspects.

Although a murder mystery, this is a delightful read mostly because of the very colorful characters. As a mystery, it is fast paced with a decent plot and red herrings galore. I also enjoyed the fashion commentary, especially Otto’s eccentric, richly hued outfits. Although I do not typically seek out fictionalized accounts of historical characters, it is fun imagining Virginia Woof and Vanessa Bell as Agatha Christie type amateur sleuths.

This is book 2 of the Woolf and Bell Mysteries. Although I did not read the first one, this worked well as a standalone. I look forward to reading the next installment.

When sisters Virginia and Vanessa find themselves caught up in yet another suspicious death, this time at the fourth wedding of the iconic fashion designer Mimi (yes, fourth), you just know things are about to get dramatic.

This book was such a fun ride. It had the perfect mix of drama, light suspense, and just the right amount of flair. Honestly, the killer’s identity completely took me by surprise and I love when that happens.

One thing I really appreciated is that this was book two in a series, but I had zero issues jumping in. The author did an amazing job making it feel accessible without info-dumping or making me feel like I missed something. Salute for that.

Solid 4-star read for me. Perfect for when you’re in the mood for something fast-paced, clever, and just a little over the top in the best way.

Lady Ottoline - Otto to her friends - had invited her good friends, sisters, Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell, to a get together at the Tudor Close Hotel, Rottingdean, just for the one night. They were prepared for a cosy night of friendship and reminiscences when fashion designer Mimi Mason spotted them, gushing over old friends. When she invited the three women to her wedding breakfast the following morning, they had no idea what was ahead of them.

But as the breakfast unfolded and arguments followed, the suddenness of Mimi's collapse and death shocked them all. Just hours before the wedding, and the young woman was dead. When Inspector Gripe arrived, along with his constables, he wasn't happy to see Ginny and Nessa there. They had helped him with another case the previous year, but he wanted no "help" from them this time. With Mimi having many enemies, who was the one who decided to act on it?

A Lethal Cocktail is the 2nd in The Woolf & Bell Mystery series by Ciar Byrne and I quite enjoyed it. I haven't read book #1 but I had no trouble following this one. Ginny & Nessa are well-written, fun characters who managed to get themselves in another mess with a policeman who wasn't too happy! A great read which I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley & Headline Accent for my digital ARC to read and review.

The second Woolf & Bell mystery begins when Virginia and Vanessa are invited to the Tudor Close Hotel in Rottingdean by their friend Lady Ottoline to hear a proposal from a young man in publishing who is interested in publishing new, illustrated editions of Virginia's work. Besides wanting to do a favor for a friend, a little extra money is always appreciated.

They weren't expecting to be rolled over into the wedding of fashion designer Mimi Mason and Scottish Lord Abernathy. However, they find themselves taking part and finding all sorts of odd things when they realize that the wedding party consists of her three ex-husbands and his two ex-wives. None of whom are happy with the upcoming nuptials. The wedding party also includes Mimi's daughter Vivienne and Mimi's assistant Jean-Paul. Virginia and Vanessa can feel the tensions and manage to overhear a few arguments.

They attend the Wedding Breakfast the next morning and are present when Mimi takes a sip of her Bloody Mary and dies of arsenic poisoning. They are reluctantly attached to Detective Inspector Gripe's investigation of the crime since both would prefer to go home to their writing and painting. But when one of the ex-husbands is also murdered and Virginia was seen arguing with him, their interest in the investigation is heightened.

This was an engaging historical mystery filled with interesting characters.

A Lethal Cocktail is the first novel I've read by Ciar Byrne. It features Virginia Woolf and her sister, Vanessa Bell, as guests at a wedding that unexpectedly becomes the backdrop of a murder. As the two sisters investigate the crime, another murder occurs, and the two women find themselves in danger. I would recommend this, or its prequel, A Deadly Discovery, to anyone interested in a historical, British crime.

4/5 stars: This is the second entry in Byrne's Woolf & Bell Mysteries series which is a Historical Mystery set in England, 1929 featuring writer Virginia Woolf and her artist sister, Vanessa Bell, as they team up with an outlandish friend and noblewoman to investigate a fashion designer's wedding party, which is comprised of the couples various contentious ex-wives and -husbands and family members, after the bride's poisoned the morning of her wedding. With plenty of twists and turns, Byrne has crafted a mystery that balances the suspects and weaves in plenty of clues and red herrings that will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. I really appreciate how Byrne's plot unfolds and the way the investigation's resolved. Written in multiple POV, Byrne's heartfelt and humorous writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining likable. It's great to catch up with Virginia (Ginny) and Vanessa (Nessa) who are the main POVs with their friend, Lady Ottoline's (Otto) POV adding significantly to the plot. Also it's fun seeing the sisters working with Detective Gripe again, this time on a much better footing. With tact and sensitivity, Byrne touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, A Deadly Discovery.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and ARC provided by Headline | Headline Accent in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

This was a strong sequel in the Woolf & Bell Mystery series, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this. It had that mystery element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the previous entry. It felt like the same world and was glad everything was told. Ciar Byrne has a strong writing style and way of telling stories. I can't wait for more in this series and from Ciar Byrne.