A Deadly Endowment by Alyssa Maxwell
The reason why I wanted to read this book is because of past works by the author based in Newport, RI where I live near.
This book starts out with other works by the author, dedication page and acknowledgement pages.
Story starts in 1921 Cotswolds, England in a mansion and the sisters live there with their grandparents. Julia has her own baby and she has money enough to live on.
The girls come up with a scheme to make money from things others have done-allowing a tour of the house.
They have the plan in place and their grandfather wants to give them a chance. The grandmother is not so open to the idea but sets rules-no one upstairs.
The very first tour starts off with a busload of kids and their teacher. One woman gives the tour and answers questions and she often has to ask another sister to go find one who wandered off. That happens often and I enjoy learning about the history of the mansion during the tour. Like how they interact with the guests, most from the local historic society.
A missing woman is found.... Miles is one of the local cops that has been dating one of the sisters.. Everybody is questioned and the girls take it upon themselves to also accumulate clues.
Man in question is actually the murdered mothers son, he's got a lot to gain monetarily and the estate. Others who attended were quite suspicious also, magazine reporters and authors and they wanted to wander into other rooms not on the tour.
A break in and only a photo was stolen...A hidden treasure and another murder...
Love the politeness and manners.
Some visit the suspects at their house and even have tea and sweets. The women compare notes and also have warned others that the one the cops were holding has been released so real killer is on the loose.
Very detailed descriptions of not only the houses but the gardens and the clothes they wear.
Never thought that it was the person who murdered others. Also treasure, wow where it was found.
Can't wait to read more from this author. Lots of action, adventure, mysteries, murders, clues home life and travel.
I received this review book from Kensington Books via Net Galley and this is my honest opinion.
#ADeadlyEndowment #NetGalley. ( )

Swept back in time to the the bucolic and scenic Cotswolds in May, 1921 prepare to become reacquainted with Phoebe Renshaw of Foxwood Hall and her Lady’s maid Eva Huntford. If you have not have the pleasure of reading any of the previous installments of this series “A Lady & Lady’s Maid Mystery”, no matter as #7 doesn’t require reading the previous installments (although you have missed out on a lot of fun). Phoebe, ever pushing the boundaries of defined social class constraints, is about to discover just how quickly good intentions can lead to inexplicable and horrible results. And we are off - Foxwoods Hall is about to be open to house tours. With the best intentions to raise much needed funds for tenant repairs and to bring a new influx of visitors to Little Barlow this seemed a meritorious compromise. The result is going to give added weight and dimension to that old adage “No good deed goes unpunished.”

The trial tour is comprised of a dozen school children with their teacher who are exempt from the tour charge and eight members of the Greater Gloucestershire Historical Society who are the paying guests, each with their own prying agenda and secrets. In the blink of an eye the children have gone hither and yon and a few are missing. Another blink or the eye and the paying guests are snooping in places that are completely off limits and a head count shows adult members are missing as well. Something has gone very wrong and the next visitor to Foxwood Hall is Chief Inspector Perkins. Now the fun really begins with so many twists and turns, red herrings, warnings and bumps in the night.

Alyssa Maxwell handles everything so well - the period, the setting, the characters, the dialogue, the internal asides, the murder, the mystery, the romances. She is a skilled writer who is a master of this genre. As long as she is writing I am reading.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a copy. ( )

1920s, class-consciousness, murder, murder-investigation, country-house, cosy-mystery, family, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, England, historical-novel, historical-research, amateur-sleuth, Cotswolds, secrets, false-information*****

It was such a good plan. Allow local tourists to tour the grounds and parts of the manor house to gain a small infusion of much needed cash. Who knew it could all go so horribly wrong? Enter the first murder, lazy policing, sleuthing by Lady and her friend/maid, and a whole lot more.
It is a well formulated story with many fascinating, if exasperating, characters and excellent world building. A nice easy read, I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )