When one of Sid Hyde's prized ewes was mauled to death, with him determined to discover what animal had done it, he, along with the villagers, didn't expect Sid to also be mauled to death. The hunt was on, with witnesses saying a panther was spotted, but of course panthers didn't live in Gloucestershire. Lady Hardcastle and her "tiny servant" Florence Armstrong, decided to do some investigating of their own. But then a second man was killed, and another attacked but not badly injured - his view; a panther. What was going on?

With Lady Farley-Stroud's sister-in-law visiting, and the dislike between them obvious, Flo and Lady H visited often, to temper the fireworks. It was in the woods behind their home that the second attack came about. Lady H was suddenly of the belief that Inspector Sunderland needed to be called, and he arrived with the Bristol police doctor in tow. Time was of the essence - did the two sleuths have their suspicions about what was happening? Could they find the answers before another attack occurred?

The Beast of Littleton Woods is the 12th in the Lady Hardcastle Mysteries by T.E. Kinsey and I loved it. Laugh out loud funny in places - especially the quips between servant and master - with plenty of pace, puzzlement and distraction, this historical cosy mystery was both fun and entertaining. Our two main characters are absolute gems! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for my digital ARC to read and review.

This series is amazing and continues to deliver and entertain. Florence and Lady Hardcastle have such a lovely partnership. They goad each other, support each other and there are many times you'll roll your eyes with a smile on your face.

The mystery was also nicely done and I was kind of rooting for the villian for Florence, so I guess I was pretty blindsided. Elizabeth Knowelden was a great narrator for this series and did a fab job with the various accents and tones.

Cannot wait to read the next book.

#TheBeastofLittletonWoods #NetGalley

The Beast of Littleton Woods' is the twelfth book in the 'A Lady Hardcastle Mystery' series and another great entry. I love the character's as much as always and the little puzzles they are looking into turn into one big complicated and twisty mystery with multiple parts of the whole. A very interesting and entertaining read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This series has been awesome. Is there a panther killing people instead of a human? The story is a fun read with some humor, a murder and it's over before you realize it. Highly recommend.

An interesting mystery of a supposed beast killing sheep and men. Liked this one and kept me guessing to the end. Would highly recommend this book.

I can never get enough of Florence and Lady Hardcastle. The rapport is top notch and so clever. The mystery in this one was great as we stick close to home. Another fabulous story.

The Beast of Littleton Woods by T.E. Kinsey was exactly the kind of cozy-yet-creepy mystery I didn’t know I needed. I picked it up expecting a charming countryside whodunit with a touch of the supernatural, and what I got was all that plus an irresistible sense of playfulness and atmosphere.

Kinsey has a knack for crafting settings that feel lived-in and slightly eccentric. Littleton Woods feels like the sort of place you’d want to visit—if it weren’t for the mysterious creature rumored to be lurking in the trees. The mix of folklore, small-town gossip, and old-fashioned detective work gave the story this delightfully nostalgic feel, like a classic British mystery with just enough bite to keep things fresh.

What I loved most was the balance between the light and the dark. There’s humor and heart, but also genuine suspense and a few moments that made me pause. The characters, as always in Kinsey’s books, are where the story really shines—clever, curious, and full of personality. I found myself smiling at their banter one minute and scanning the woods for shadows the next.

The mystery itself is paced well—never too fast, never dragging. Just a steady build-up of clues, red herrings, and eerie moments that kept me guessing. And the reveal? Satisfying without being overly tidy, which I appreciated.

In this book #12 of the Lady Hardcastle mysteries, it appears that a wild animal has killed a sheep. The villagers become a bit concerned. But then when a member of the community is ripped to shreds the fear grows rapidly. There are reports of seeing a panther in the area which are dismissed as there are no panthers in England. Lady Hardcastle and her tiny assistant, Florence Armstrong (ladies maid) decide to see what they can deduce. Other things happen in the village that cause even more questions. What is happening with the mail? The new postmistress is at wits end. She is sure that she has sorted the mail properly. And yet, when the postman delivers it, people are getting the wrong letters.
Could all these mysteries be related? With few clues, Lady Hardcastle and Flo bring the "mystery board" into use for all of them at once.

Will they be able to solve these mysteries or will they be the next victim of the Beast of Littleton Woods?

I love these characters with their interesting history of exploits. The characters are well written with enough wit that occasionally you will laugh. Sometimes you may see your own foibles in their manner. Good Job Mr. Kinsey.

Excellent - all the bits I love of this series and characters, I don’t think Kinsey has a bad book in him. There is humour and knowledge, and I am happy I vaguely guessed some of the plot points and one of the animals (the smiley one, no spoilers). It had an interesting plot that was out of the box, especially the mixed up letters bit!

If you love cosy historical mysteries with feisty, intelligent women then you’ll love this. I only wish new books in the series came along more often…

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers Thomas & Hudson, in return for an unbiased review.

This is of course a five star book. I love this charming series so much. All the usual suspects are here - Flo, Lady H and their bantery relationship (I really love those two) and all our favourite townspeople. There's tea, sandwiches, gossipy village life and a gruesome murder or two. I thought this one in particular was quite violent, and there are a lot of various animals in this story, some quite frightening. This is a fun book overall though and the end seems to hint at a Christmas book next, which would make me so happy. Lovely stuff.

My endless thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!

The Beast of Littleton Woods is another excellent addition to my favorite series! I was thrilled to see that this one takes place in Littleton Cotterell because I always miss the townspeople when they take place elsewhere. But you get to see plenty of the supporting cast in this one! The plot was a little different this time but was still very intriguing. There are a lot of strange happenings and seeing how it all came together was great fun. As always, I loved the banter and the humor. I laughed and smiled and just generally had a wonderful time. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly suggest you start from the first one. T.E. Kinsey is a fantastic author, and his books never let me down. I already can't wait to see what Lady Hardcastle and Flo get up to next!

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC.

Lady Hardcastle and Florence are once again on the job - this time to save the village from a mysterious beast. As always they have a lot of fun along the way. You will fall in love with this charming village and the murders that abound.

Was a fantastic book that i thoroughly recommend and will be buying as I need a trophy version lol. I enjoying the different dynamics at play between the main characters especially towards the end.