4 stars

Ah spring...the flowers are in bloom, my allergies are at an all-time high, and there is a new Lady Hardcastle for me to sink my teeth into.

The Beast of Littleton Woods, the 12th installment in the Lady Hardcastle series, is another delightful installment in what has now become the only cozy mystery series that I regularly keep up with. Set entirely in the quaint villages of Gloucestershire, I could practically taste the cider and feel the cool breezes of the English countryside on my face as I walked alongside our heroines as they untangled the nest of mysteries that Kinsey has crafted for them. Am I going to remember anything about the actual plot in a month's time? No. Did I have an absolutely fabulous time just getting to hang out with these characters in this particular setting? 100% yes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

4.75 stars ARC book review
As a huge fan of the Lady Hardcastle Mystery series, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read the advanced copy of the newest installment, The Beast of Littleton Woods. The book is set in Emily and Flo’s home village of Littleton Cotterell. The townsfolk are all gossiping about the wild beast that is reportedly loose in the area. Seemingly more afraid of the beast than a murderer, as they are all too familiar with murder.

In the story we follow Lady Hardcastle (Emily) and her lady’s maid, Flo, as they try to figure out what is causing the mysterious deaths, but also some smaller mysteries at the local pub and post office. I love the townsfolk and always enjoy when the story centers in Littleton Cotterell. I thought the mystery was really clever and fun, a little gritty but still a super cozy mystery to solve. I felt the ending came together well and am excited to add this newest book to my growing Lady Hardcastle mystery series. I highly recommend this book, and the whole series, for cozy mystery fans.

Thank you to the publisher Amazon Publishing UK, author T E Kinsey, and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love this series. I have read seven parts of it so far - I pace myself so that I can enjoy them as long as possible. The Beast of Littleton Woods was just as excellent as the other parts of the series. I love the heroines, Lady Hardcastle and her "minion" Florence and enjoy the banter between them. It is also very interesting to hear in the books about the modern inventions or scientific results of the era. This time it was Albert Einstein and relativity. I love the charming village where our "amateur sleuths" live, with all the friendly people who congregate in the local pub to discuss the latest news - more often than not, a murder.
I hope I can enjoy this series for a long time. I can recommend it to anyone who loves cozy mysteries.

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.