The Gilded Shroud

The Gilded Shroud by Elizabeth Bailey is the first book in A Lady Fan Mystery series.

This is the combination of romance and cozy mystery who will appeal to fans of J.Austin and A.Christie both.

Story is interesting enough and it flows nicely. Characters are presented even if little predictable, especiallly how loved, supported and equal the main characters is. However slight indiscrepancies did not ruin the book for me. 

Pretty companion helps handsome lord to solve murder close to home. Even though she is hired help amazed by her observance and intuiting she gets promision to participate in solving the crime.

Heavy on the romance with inteligent and nicely paced mystery.
Light, fun and entertaining this is a great period read.

Otillia joins the household of the dowager marchioness on the very day that the latter's daughter-in-law is brutally murdered in her bed - and the dowager's son, who was not close to his wife, disappears at the same time. Feeling sorry for the dowager and her family, and being the sort to enjoy a good adventure, Otillia decides to investigate. A colourful cast of characters help and hinder her investigations, and when the murderer is finally uncovered, the only question remaining is how her heart will recover...

Fans of Georgette Heyer's mysteries, step up! This is in a similar style and equally well done, though this is set in more a Regency time period rather than Heyer's contemporary setting. The mystery feels more like a vehicle for character examination and budding romance, which I appreciate. I'm generally not much of a mystery fan, but I enjoyed this one so much that I have gone and pre-ordered the second book of the series. Overall, highly recommended.

Characters: An interesting mix, all nicely managed and drawn neatly.
Storyline: The murderer can be determined by clues given along the way, but is not obvious from page 1 as some can be. The romance that is woven into the background is good, not dominating the mystery but providing some light relief in the dialogue in particular.
Content and language: Clean overall, though there is some veiled discussion of the potentially amorous events surrounding the murder. Language is good overall, I don't recall any particular issues.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

A delight of a book. A well written historical murder mystery romance with a good plot and characters. A lovely change from the norm. I shall look out for work by this author in the future.

A good murder mystery romance all in one package. The Gilded Shroud is a well-written book that handles solving a crime and falling in love adeptly.

Set in 1789, this was a well-written, entertaining murder mystery with a little romance thrown in. The beginning of a series, it features a curious and highly intelligent young widow who joins an aristocratic family to serve as a lady’s companion only to become the lead detective in a murder investigation. Perhaps a bit too long, but still a delightful surprise. Second one is out next month, and yes, I will look forward to reading it as well. 
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Sapere for the ARC!

THE GUILDED SHROUD by Elizabeth Bailey is the first volume in the Lady Fan Mystery series, which mixes historical romance with a murder mystery to compelling effect. The protagonist in this sharp Regency romp is a brave and intelligent new companion to the Dowager. When a shocking murder occurs at Polbrook mansion, she turns her fine intellect and innate curiosity to the task of uncovering the murderer. Throw in romance and a desperate killer, plus strong characters and rich period details, and you have a winner! 5/5

Thanks to Sapere Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine. 

#TheGildedShroud #NetGalley

Ottilia Draycott is widowed and has just become a lady’s companion to a Dowager Marchioness of Polbrook and literally the next day the present Marchioness is found strangled in bed and her husband has fled.  A little bit of a stretch that in Regency England a lady’s companion would be allowed the access to solve a crime but in books you have to suspend belief a bit and just enjoy the story.  Read like a regency romance with the mystery added.  This is a blended mystery and romance as there is a blooming romance with Francis the younger brother of Lord Polbrook.  This was a very enjoyable read and fans of both the regency period and mysteries will enjoy.  This is the first of a series and I look forward to the next book.

This book made me do a happy dance!  I was caught within the first few pages.  The characters are fleshed out well enough that you know them as people and not characters.  And the vocabulary is delicious!  I love to read a book that has me looking up words.  😍

I thoroughly enjoyed this 18th century thriller, with a female  ‘detective’, It was a well constructed storyline although it was fairly easy to guess the villain.  However, that did not detract from the story.  I am looking forward to reading more about Lady Fan in thr future.

I so adored this book!  It has brilliant main characters, an excellent  plot and it kept me engrossed all the way through. I would highly recommend this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful historical mystery. Ottilia Draycott is a singular heroine. Ingenious and a little odd, and adorable. She isn’t beautiful in that annoying way that heroines are often portrayed in historical novels. But she is clever and mischievous and has a dry, morbid sense of humor that makes the reader like her straight away. There’s some interesting twists and turns which make this book an unpredictable and entertaining read. At the top of its genre in my opinion.

The Guilded Shroud is an engaging period piece set during the late 18th century. I enjoyed the story and particularly liked the old-fashioned writing style. I felt it lent a certain air of authenticity to the story. Ottilia seems to be heavily involved with the personal affairs of the family for being a simple lady's companion, but I'm not qualified to speak on the historical accuracy of the book. I liked Ottilia's character, although at times she's almost too good to be true as she has the perfect thing to say for every situation. The story itself, while engaging and not difficult to read, is rather predictable and does not have the complexity that I am accustomed to seeing in other mystery stories. That being said, The Guilded Shroud is a great book for a quick, light read.

The Gilded Shroud is an amzaing historical mystery that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. 

The Marchioness of Polbrook was found murdered in her bed. Who did it? The Marquis of Polbrook packs up and leaves in the early morning before her body was found? Was it he, another family member, a servant, or a scorned lover? She definitely wasn't everybody's favorite person..

Interestingly enough, the Dowarger Marchioness just aquired a new companion. One Mrs. Ottilia Draycott. She's young, witty, smart and has accepted the challenge of finding the Marchionsess of  Polbrook's murderer. 

Working alongside the Marquis of Polbrooks brother, Lord Fanshaw they go on a quest to find the murdered, while also finding companionship, and eventually, love.

I highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.