Murder in Matrimony is the fourth book in the Lady of Letters Mysteries. In 1860 London Lady Amelia Amesbury is the author of a newspaper advice column under the pseudonym Lady Agony. Fewer than a handful of people know her secret identity. As the book opens someone unknown claims to know the secret and is blackmailing her. And her sister Madge surprises the family with marriage plans. Amelia takes over planning the wedding, starting with her local vicar, but he is soon murdered. The murder investigation and wedding planning continue apace, leading to a satisfying and somewhat surprising conclusion. I would recommend reading the earlier books in the series first as I felt almost lost at the beginning until I reviewed the previous book. Thank you to Severn House and NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Murder in Matrimony is a captivating Victorian cozy mystery. Join Countess Amelia as she navigates her roles as columnist and detective in a tale featuring a lively family, her sister's wedding, a vicar’s murder, a charming love interest, and fascinating characters: Amelia Amesbury, a clever and rebellious heroine. The story unfolds in an elegant setting, filled with intriguing suspects and a murder at a wedding. The book moves at a steady pace, with sharp dialogue and a satisfying mystery that includes gossip, secrets, and social insights. The twists along the way are genuinely entertaining. I absolutely love these books! They’re enchanting and playful, celebrating women in Victorian times. I look forward to more stories from this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and read it with pleasure. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review. Thank you, @severnhouseimprint and NetGalley.
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I love, love, loved this book! The plot locked me in from page one, and spit me out a new person on the last page. The characters became real to me and will live in my brain forever. The setting was tangible and perfect. The pacing was riveting, but not rushed. All coming together to be a book I can't wait to recommend to my friends.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, and this installment has been the best yet! there is a great balance between the mystery and development of the characters we all love. This one was particularly heartwarming, and I truly adored the ending. I loved every moment of this story and hope this wonderful series continues!!
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Countess turned Lady Agony column writer is being black mailed into revealing the name of the jewel thief in high society. Lady Amesbury refuses and finds the threats turned toward her. With the murder of her local priest and her sister's upcoming wedding, Lady Amesbury tries to solve the mystery, prevent the black mailer from revealing the name and planning her sister's wedding, all while staying anonymous. Entertaining and enjoyable addition to this series.

Murder in Matrimony had an intriguing premise, and I enjoyed the cozy mystery setting with all its small-town charm. The author did a good job sprinkling in enough suspects to keep me guessing, and there were a few clever twists along the way.
That said, the pacing felt uneven at times, with sections that dragged more than I would have liked. Some of the character interactions also came across as a bit forced, making it harder to connect with them fully. While the mystery was wrapped up neatly, the ending felt a little rushed compared to the buildup.
Overall, it’s a decent cozy mystery with an interesting storyline, but it didn’t completely pull me in the way I was hoping. Readers who enjoy light, character-driven mysteries may still find it worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is another strong installment in this mystery series that progresses the characters' personal lives as well. Amelia's sister Madge's impending marriage brings their extended family to town, causing a culture clash with the oh-so-proper Aunt Tabitha that I quite enjoyed. Of course, the titular murder happens, sparking Amelia's investigative skills, and she also must deal with a blackmailer threatening to out her as Lady Agony. Amelia's strong relationships with Simon, Kitty, Oliver, Winnifred, Tabitha, and her family really shine here. I like that Winters makes it clear that Amelia relies on, and is supported by, her friends and family in her endeavors.

If you enjoy cozy historical mysteries, check this series out. I'll be reading any future books in the series that Winters wants to write!

Countess Amelia Amesbury manages a household, has a secret career as an advice columnist, and also solves murders. This was a well-written addition to the series with accurate details from the time period (i.e., this never felt to me like modern characters shoehorned into a historical mystery). The mystery itself was easy to follow and solve, but the appearance of long-running characters and the promise of a wedding at the end kept the story moving. Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for the eARC.

This is probably best for fans and not new readers since it relies on a plot point from the last book. There were instances of telling throughout and it just wasn’t as witty as previous books even though I was entertained. There’s a bigger cast of characters and Simon didn’t have as big a roll in the mystery, although he certainly appears in another capacity— which makes me happy. I can’t tell if this is the final book. It’s not a bad note to end on, but I have high hopes for more of Amelia. Maybe someday Tabitha will learn who Lady Agony is.

Perfection. I loved the murder mystery, I loved the marriage, the crazy family, and the ending was everything I have been wanting from book 1. Swoon.

Review on blog and IG to come on release day

This was my first foray into the Lady of Letters series by Mary Winters. While I was not previously familiar with the characters, Ms. Winters did just enough to catch the reader up without spending too much time summing up the previous books/storylines.

The protagonist Amelia straddles the line between upper-crust naivety and female intuition while trying to solve the murder? of her dear friend and clergyman Mr. Cross. Unfortunately his is not the only death she comes across, and she has to try and figure out how all the puzzle pieces fit while trying to plan and host her sister’s wedding and deal with Lady Agony’s secret blackmailer! Luckily she has the charming Simon and best friend Kitty to help bounce ideas off of as they know her true identity.

At 240 pages, the book is the perfect length. It is very much a cozy, but with just enough murder and confusion to keep it from becoming too syrupy. The letters that begin every chapter, followed by the printed responses by Lady Agony, give this book a unique feature that surprisingly never grows old. I will be picking up Ms. Winter’s next book.

My Review of Murder in Matrimony by Mary Winters

Weddings, blackmail, and a dead vicar? Just another week in the chaotic, clue-filled life of Countess Amelia Amesbury.

Mary Winters does what she does best—delivering sharp wit, twisty mystery, and just enough Regency scandal to keep your teacup rattling. She keeps readers hooked with clever plotting and characters you can’t help but root for (even while they’re tripping over corpses).

Short, smart, and deadly fun. Add to cart. Immediately.

I was positively surprised by Murders in Matrimony! I picked it up knowing it was the 4th book in a series but I had no issue following the story or the characters. I really liked their dynamics and how Amelia handled her obstacles by both using her own smarts, but also rallying her network. Showing the column on each chapter was a very nice touch that I liked a lot!

I liked the dynamic between Amelia and Simon and I was rooting for them all the way. I really liked how they were a mirror to Amelia's sister and the Captain, and how well they complimented each other.

Ill definitely recommend this book to friends and others who are a fan of Bridgerton and want to explore a similar universe with equally likeable (if not better) characters!

This is such a great series. Amelia, Lady Amesbury is a respectable widowed noblewoman living in Victorian London. She came from a less highbrow background in the country but loving and respectable. While living with her deceased husband’s prickly aunt and her young niece/ward, Amelia also answers letters in the “Lady Agony” advice column. Her double life is anonymous and she loves it. Amelia also gets herself involved in murder investigations with her dear friends Kitty and her husband Oliver and her special friend Simon, Lord Bainsbury. In this book, Amelia’s confident and priest is murdered in his record with the poor box missing. The Met Police assume the murderer is a vagrant from London’s poverty and crime stricken East End where the priest did good works. This explanation doesn’t ring true with Amelia and she decides to find the truth herself. In addition to the murder investigation, Amelia’s impetuous sister is getting married at Amelia’s mansion. Chaos ensues.

My first read from this series, and I liked it!

Amelia is a fun FMC. She’s humble, charming, intelligent, and tries to use her influence to make a difference in her world.

The setting is also fun, and the plot is entertaining enough. Sometimes the books set in this era feel so out of touch that I can’t enjoy them, but this book addresses poverty in a very satisfying way.

I may go back and finish this series out of curiosity to see how Amelia’s character (and relationship with Simon) has developed over time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for providing this ARC.

Winters is such a consistent author and this series is so lovely. 4.5 stars because this book went a step further by allowing our intrepid Lady Agony to solve the mystery with clues rather than happen upon the solution or villain in real time (which often leaves me frustrated and feels like the clues served no purpose). Bonus for having Amelia’s extended family around and having her friends Kitty and Oliver be a bigger part of the investigation. And of course Simon. Dear Simon whom we love!

A little more aunt Tabitha and little Winifred action would have made this a 5 star read. Given the ending and the changes coming in their lives as well as our MCs, spending a bit more time with them in the lead up to the climax would have felt like a nice payoff. I also wish we’d gotten some kind of closure on the folks Amelia met in the East End whose lives were impacted by the murders featured in the story. Perhaps in the next book, since Amelia feels like she might be interested in taking up the charity mantle women of her class often do - which so far she hasn’t really dipped her toes into.

I can’t wait to read more and hope Winters continues this series for as long as it makes sense for the leads!

With her potentially scandalous secret job as an advice columnist, Countess Amelia Amesbury has never lacked things to do. But rarely has she had her hands as full as she does right now!

Amidst the impending high society wedding of her sister and all the kerfuffle that that involves, she must also identify the killer of her friend the vicar, and deal with the blackmailer who is threatening to expose her as the somewhat dramatically named advice giver "Lady Agony".

A witty and entertaining cosy mystery this gets 3.5 stars, and is worth checking out.

delightful and fun semi-cozy historical murder mystery. the setting worked really well, the mystery was great, and the reveal was fun. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

First, thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

This book deals directly with the fallout of events that occurred in the previous books of the series, so I would recommend against reading it as a standalone even though the murder mystery itself is contained within this book.

I always love visiting with Amelia, Simon, and the gang, and this book offers really delightful payoff in several of Amelia's relationships (platonic and romantic) and her personal growth, and the Victorian London setting is perfectly written to enhance the atmosphere without being distracting. The murder mystery isn't the most intricate in the series but it does the job of setting up motive, clues, and red herrings plausibly well. The second mystery (I won't name the type for spoilers), however, didn't seem entirely necessary for me; it seemed to function more as a plot device to advance certain personal relationships.

That leads me to my largest issue with this book; all of the fan-favorite cast of characters make an appearance, but given how large that cast has grown, it felt like most of them were being name dropped into scenes and given one or two lines for show rather than adding depth to the story. The portrayal of the secondary characters just felt a bit flat compared to previous installments.

3/5 stars. This is perfectly good murder mystery with a collection of beloved characters I would happily read again, but it just lacked some of the sharpness and sparkle of previous installments that made this series stand out. That said, I have every intention of picking up the next installment (if there is one)!

Murder in Matrimony is a thoroughly engaging Victorian cozy mystery featuring a sharp-witted, quietly rebellious heroine in Countess Amelia Amesbury. This installment brings all the elements fans of the genre love—an elegant setting, intriguing suspects, and a murder that disrupts a seemingly joyous wedding event.

Mary Winters has a talent for weaving period detail with character-driven storytelling, and Amelia’s keen observations and independent streak continue to make her one of the more memorable amateur sleuths in historical fiction. The pacing is steady, the dialogue crisp, and the mystery satisfying—complete with gossip, secrets, and a fair dose of social commentary.

While the outcome wasn’t too shocking, the journey getting there was full of entertaining twists and turns. I especially appreciated how Winters continues to develop Amelia’s character across the series without rushing any romantic threads or overstating her modern sensibilities.

A solid and enjoyable read—recommended for fans of Anna Lee Huber, Deanna Raybourn, and T.E. Kinsey.