We meet with Abby again, this time she is to go to a country side England estate and cover the wedding between wealthy car manufacturers son to a lord and lady's daughter. Abby wants to cover the murder of a local girl while there as well but is told no by the boss. Then sabotage and murder follow her at the estate. Will the wedding go on? Will Abby solve the case?

Overall this was an enjoyable read, but it started off slow. It didn't get really engaging for me until after the 30% point. More Abby adventures to come, will she get the hard news beat she dreams of?

Sadly this book was not for me. I did not enjoy the main character and the overall plotting never really captured my attention. I am new to Nancy Warren, but I will seek to read more to better understand this author’s style.

If you love a cosy mystery series set in the 1920s with a female sleuth you will love this. Abigail is sent to Darrington Manor to report on the wedding of the year but murder strikes. I loved the characters in the book and really felt like I was part of the party of people being entertained. It had everything sass, love, mystery, untrustworthy characters and coco Chanel herself. Can't wait to see where the series leads too.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Spring 1925. Abigail Dixon arrives in Somerset to report on the high-society wedding of an American car tycoon’s son and an English aristocrat’s daughter. But when a man is murdered on a trout-fishing expedition, and with the quaint village abuzz with gossip of a local woman discovered dead in London, Abigail quickly finds herself entangled in a web of murder and scandal. This was a fun historical cozy that I read in one day. It is the second in a series and I am looking forward to the third.

Death at Darrington Manor is a cosy mystery set in the 1920's. Abigail Dixon is a journalist based in Paris who is invited to England to cover a hight society wedding between a young British woman of nobility and the son of an American millionaire. Unfortunately, Abigail's week of reporting on the fun festivities/celebrations of two young lovers takes a dark turn when she finds herself in the midst of not one, but two murders. Abigail will have to use her journalism experience to uncover the truth and secrets that are hidden within Darrington Manor and its guests...

I really enjoyed this book!! I didn't realise this was the second book in a series so I was a bit confused with Abigail's past experiences with Inspector Deschamps but it did not take away from the story. The setting and the plot along with the mysterious, unique characters really sets the mood and motivates the reader to work alongside Abigail to uncover the murderer and solve the mystery.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read and I loved Abigail's character and her friend Vivian ( they make a great team! )

I am definitely going to get the first book and I look forward to reading more about other mysteries waiting to be solved by Miss Abigail Dixon!! This book was a 3.75 stars for me!!

Thank you Net Galley and Nancy Warren, however due to personal things that had happen during the period that this book was to be published I was unable to read it and provide feeback.

In the second Abigail Dixon mystery, readers join her at a high-society wedding in Somerset, where English aristocrat Cecilia is marrying the son of an American car tycoon. However, a girl from the village who had worked at Darrington Manor dies in London shortly before the wedding, and dark secrets, a second murder, and another murder attempt in the leadup to the wedding draws Abby into the investigation. Once again running into the same French police officer who had investigated her stepmother’s murder, Abigail must expose the murderer in a town where everyone has a motive. Abigail is once again a fantastic protagonist and fascinating heroine with the eye for detail and the intelligence and stubbornness necessary to make her mark in the newspaper industry of 1925. This new murder and the new cast of characters are complex and unique, and the location is reminiscent of both Downton Abbey and Agatha Christie. The setting and the different plot elements once again encourage readers to solve the case with Abigail and take note of the relevant details. Once again creating another fantastic case and bringing new and familiar characters to life, Warren once again proves that Abigail Dixon is a wonderful detective character with a bright future ahead of her.

Another fun adventure with Abigail and Vivian. I like that Inspector Deschamps was also in the novel as I like the interactions between him and Abigail. The setting was quaint and the characters were interesting and I did figure out who and why the murder happened early on but I still enjoyed this mystery. Looking forward to the next one.

I am a big fan of 1920s historical mystery novels and I think I’ve found a new favourite in the Abigail Dixon series by Nancy Warren. The protagonist of this series is a twenty-something American journalist expatriated to Paris to work for the Chicago International Post. Abigail dreams of being an investigative reporter, but her editor wants her to write for the women’s section about society and fashion. Her latest assignment takes her to Somerset to cover the wedding between the daughter of a duke and the son of an American car magnate. Abigail expects a week of dull festivities and writing about food and wedding clothes, not a series of mysterious and unfortunate “accidents” followed by the murder of one of the guests. Who would have wanted the victim dead? Is there a killer among the residents of Darrington Manor? And is this murder linked to the death in London of a former maid a week before? Abigail has every intention to find out.

I haven’t read the first book in the series, yet, so I can tell you that it can be easily read as a stand-alone. The story is very well-written and developed and the characters are quite intriguing. Abigail is not interested in writing about weddings and fashion and she doesn’t let her editor’s objections stop her from reporting a murder. She involves herself in the investigation and teams up with Inspector Henri Dechamps (who she first met in the first book and is a guest at the wedding) to solve the murder. I enjoyed her relationship with her flatmate and close friend Vivianne who, in time of need, turns into a personal maid and informer for her and the appearance from fashion designer Coco Chanel.

Death at Darrington Manor is an immersive and enjoyable cozy mystery and I am looking forward to reading more of Abigail’s adventures!

This cosy mystery set in the 1920s, featuring journalist Abby and her friend Vivian, gives a refreshing, unique perspective on this popular genre. I didn't read the first book in the series, but as the story has its main protagonists' backstories woven into it and the mystery is complete, it is easy to read as a standalone. Abby is a likeable character, as is her friend. Their relationship dynamic is relatable and gives the story an upstairs-downstairs perspective. A well-thought-out mystery and an evocative historical setting make this an engaging, cosy mystery.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Abigail Dixon is an American journalist based in 1925 Paris. She dreams of writing about hard news, but her editor wants her to copy the society news. When she is invited to England to the wedding of a British aristocratic young woman to the son of an American millionaire, she finds herself in the middle of not one but two murders.
With the help of her best friend, who is acting as her lady’s maid and a French inspector who just happens to be invited to the same wedding, Abby sets her mind to finding out what really happened.

I loved the character of Abby and the setting of the British country house. Some of the clues might have been a bit too obvious, but I still enjoyed myself enormously reading this book in my summer holidays. I can’t wait to see what happens next to Abigail and ‘her’ inspector Henri.

Thank you very much for this review copy!

Death at Darrington Manor
A totally gripping 1920s cozy mystery (An Abigail Dixon Mystery Book 2)
by Nancy Warren
Pub DateJun 27 2024
Storm Publishing
General Fiction \(Adult\)| Historical Fiction| Mystery & Thrillers



Storm Publishing and Netgalley provided me with a copy of Death at Darrington Manner for review:


Abigail Dixon expects afternoon tea on the lawn and cocktails in the drawing room when she swaps Paris for an English manor for the wedding of the year, not to find a man dead in a stream and a woman strangled by her own silk stockings.


It was spring 1925. In Somerset, Abigail Dixon reports on the high-society wedding of an American car tycoon's son and an English aristocrat's daughter. After a man is murdered on a trout-fishing expedition, and with the quaint village abuzz with gossip about a woman discovered dead in London, Abigail finds herself entangled in a web of murder and scandal.



During her investigation, Abigail uncovers some dark secrets lurking within Darrington Manor, along with clues linking the two murders. The lovelorn estate manager, the tight-lipped butler, and the local mechanic with an axe to grind are all possible suspects.


Will Abigail be able to uncover the truth before the 'wedding of the year' becomes an obituary?


I give Death at Darrington Manner five out of fivestars!

Happy Reading!

Death at Darrington Manor is book 2 in the Abigail Dixon series.

I really enjoyed this book. This is a new to me author and I can't wait to read more of her books!
I love that this book is a good mix of mystery, who done it, and detective work. I think the author did a fantastic job writing the story, and the characters personalities were great. There is a few twists that keep you guessing what will happen next. It was just a very enjoyable book that I would recommend to a friend.

I love the Abby Dixon series! Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this eARC! Abby’s next adventure is attending a high society wedding in England where she is supposed to be reporting on the bride’’s fashion. Instead she finds herself wrapped up in another murder mystery. There’s been not only one but two murders that happened in Darrington Manor right before the wedding. Abigail uses her journalism skills to help solve this crime before anybody else gets hurt. This was a mystery that I would recommend for anyone looking for some historical fiction that also ties in fashion and Europe in the 1920s.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and author Nancy Warren for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

I’m a fan of Warren’s Great Witches Baking Show series, and I love 1920’s cozy mysteries, so I was excited to read this new series! Abby is a fun and competent heroine (dare I say plucky?), and I enjoy the other recurring characters. The mystery here takes a little while to set up, as there are many new characters to meet, but they’re mostly an interesting bunch, so it’s a fun house party type read (think P. G. Wodehouse or Nancy Mitford) until tragedy strikes! I’ll be eagerly awaiting Abby’s next adventure.

The novel is well paced with twists and turns that keep you guessing. The interplay between Abigail’s and Vivian is especially likeable and fun, Th only negative note is that it was a bit predictable in places it does well to balance suspense with moments of levity and romance to add interest and I did enjoy it slightly more than the first book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was very pleased to see the second installment in the Abigail Dixon series!

"Plucky" American reporter Abigail Dixon has a knack for finding herself repeatedly in sticky spots involving one or more suspicious deaths. She came to Paris from America with dreams of becoming a serious reporter, but her boss keeps relegating her to the women's pages covering the latest fashions and such. She's sent off to the English countryside for a big society wedding, and finds herself in the midst of another murder! (Not to mention, a murder of a young woman who worked at the manor prior to Abigail's arrival.)

I loved that her bestie was a larger part of the story! They have a such a relatable friendship, and balance each other out so well.

Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Nancy Warren for the eARC.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I honestly hate saying that, because I was so excited for it. I got to around 70% before I decided to stop reading it.

After ambitious American journalist in Paris Abigail Dixon is sent to Darrington Manor, UK to cover the wedding of Cressida Wimbourne, from a titled, but financially struggling family to Reggie Mitchell, the son of an American car tycoon.

This book is a fun, cozy murder mystery that was the perfect rainy day read for me. Abby is determined to be assigned more than just 'women's stuff', especially after learning about the murder of one of the casual house staff. I love Abby's ambitiousness and her friendship with her housemate Vivian. What I found enjoyable was the depiction of the post Great War 1920s and the rise of industry and America as a burgeoning super power. Having Abby as an American in both Paris and UK allows for interesting observations about class and the rise of the nouveau riche. I can't wait for Abby's next adventure.

Thanks to Storm and NetGalley for the ARC.