Lady Hardcastle - Book Series In Order (2024)

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Publication Order of Lady Hardcastle Mysteries Books

Lady Hardcastle Mystery by TE Kinsey
Author T.E. Kinsey writes the “Lady Hardcastle” series of historical mystery novels. The series began publication in the year 2014, when “A Quiet Life in the Country”.

The series stars Lady Emily Hardcastle as well as her maid, Florence Armstrong. Florence has a mean right hook. Together, the two work with each other in order to solve crimes and throw witty banter back and forth, as well as tossing insults back and forth between each other. After gaining a reputation, the cops begin sending cases to these two women, cases that have left them dumbfounded. The books are set in the early 1900s.

“A Quiet Life in the Country” is the first novel in the “Lady Hardcastle Mystery” series and was released in the year 2014. Lady Emily Hardcastle is a rather eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, who is her confidante and maid, is an expert in the field of martial arts. The year is 1908, and they have just moved from London out to the country, hoping to have a quiet life.

It is not long before Lady Hardcastle gets forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There is a corpse out in the woods, and the cops are on the wrong scent. Lady Harcastle makes a few enquiries of her own. It appears that she knows a rather surprising amount on crime investigation.

While Flo and Lady Hardcastle dive deeper into resentment and rural rivalries, they discover a web of intrigue that goes well beyond the village. With close to nobody free from suspicion, they could be certain of just one fact: there is no such thing as having a quiet life out in the country.

This author gives a new lease on life to the tried and true whodunit genre. Emily and Flo have a different relationship with each other and Flo has some hidden depths to her. The book is a lot of fun and entertaining, having been well written. Upon finishing the novel, readers cannot wait to check out more books in this series.

“In the Market for Murder” is the second novel in the “Lady Hardcastle Mystery” series and was released in the year 2016. Spring during the year 1909. Lady Hardcastle, who is an all-around eccentric and amateur sleuth, enjoys her well earned rest. A week after a trip to the cattle market, a local farmer named Spencer Caradine, winds up dead in his beef and mushroom pie. Once more, it is up to Lady Hardcastle and Florence to solve this case.

Armed with whimsy and wit, as well as Florence’s mean right hook, the duo set out to find out what actually happened and why. Was it just ill luck or poison?

While they dive deeper into their investigation, they find a theft where nothing has been stolen, a séance with one troubled ghost and the ever-increasing number of Spencer’s friends and family who could have the motive for murder. One thing is certain: Lady Hardcastle has got a mystery on her hands.

Readers find this to be developing into quite a fun series, and find Emily and Flo to be fantastic together as well as incredibly brilliant. They have lively banter with each other that makes the book interesting. Kinsey does a great job of plotting each one of the mysteries in the novel. The book is just as clever and amusing as the first in the series, and is entertaining and light, with some laugh-out-loud sections in it.

“Death around the Bend” is the third novel in the “Lady Hardcastle Mystery” series and was released in the year 2017. Lady Hardcastle and Florence, her maid, get invited to Lord Riddlethorpe’s country estate for a week of parties and motor racing, they both agree that it sounds like a charming little holiday. One of the drivers dies in a crash during the first race that is held, they find out that what appeared to just be an uncharacteristic error in judgment could have a more sinister explanation.

Closer investigation proves that the driver’s car was in fact sabotaged, and the driver killed. The local constabulary is rather quick to dismiss this case, but Flo and Lady Hardcastle are determined to find out just who pulled off this dastardly act and why.

While the pair start making enquiries of Lord Riddlethorpe’s guests and servants, it appears that, above stairs and below, there is a lot more to this case than meets the eye. Even in the quiet of the countryside, there is death always around the bend.

Fans find Emily and Flo have great camaraderie with each other and dry wit. The mystery in the novel was constructed and readers came nowhere close to guessing who the killer was. It is well written and full of some interesting vocabulary words. Readers found it to be entertaining with quite a few humorous moments.

“Picture of Murder” is the fourth novel in the “Lady Hardcastle Mystery” series and was released in the year 2018. Late in October in 1909. the season of ghouls and stuff that go bump in the night has descended on the village of Littleton Cotterell.

Lady Hardcastle and Florence find themselves hosting a rather colorful cast of actors whose movie, “The Witch’s Downfall”, gets shown to mark Halloween. Things take a macabre turn as the first night’s screening ends with a mysterious night with another. One by one the actor winds up dead in some ways that eerily echo their movie.

The police are left to scratch their heads, Hardcastle calls on her amateur sleuthing skills to launch an investigation with Flo’s sure handed assistance. Surrounded by suspects that are both supernatural and human, Lady Hardcastle has to use some trickery of her own in order to unmask a killer.

The book is an intriguing cozy mystery with some whimsical and wonderful characters. In this one, Flo and Emily are just as entertaining as ever and you get to find out more about their back story this time around. They are great together, the way they are rude to one another adds an element of humor to the story.

Book Series In Order » Characters » Lady Hardcastle

2 Responses to “Lady Hardcastle”

1. Chris: 2 years ago

   will there be any more lady hardcastle books?

   Reply

   • Graeme: 2 years ago

     Yes. Rotten To the Core is currently scheduled for June 8th, 2022.

     Reply

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