This regency/cozy finds two young "spinsters" trying to solve a murder. The story has all the trappings of the grand house, the lord of the manor, the dances, and the familial trappings as to who marries whom. Judith, the minister's elder daughter, does not want to marry but wants her own life. The daughter of the Lord of the manor has fallen for the wrong man and is whisked away from certain ruin,. However, both women must put their heads together to find a murderer in the family. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

What an interesting premise for a thriller, and in a setting & time period where so often you don’t see this genre thrive. It was a fun read, a great exploration into the subversion of expectations, and an overall enjoyable time spent from page one to page done!

My thanks to the Author publisher's and Netgalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
I was surprised by the Spinsters in the title as I was expecting two nosy old biddies, of my age whilst in fact they were just unmarried young ladies. The Author gives a real feel for time and place, with interesting characters throughout. Clever intelligent storytelling with some surprises along the way. An engaging intriguing mystery.
Recommended.

Thank you Netgalley for the digital Arc!
Two Spinsters and a Corpse is a cozy historical Mystery story about two young unmarried ladies in Regency-era England, Judith and Louisa-Margaretta, who are brought together on a cold night when a murder is committed in Louisa's home. Together, they set out to find the killer and save themselves and their family before another crime is committed.

What I liked:
The writing was very well done. I loved the witty turn of phrases and giggled a couple of times! It reminded me of Jane Austen, without being tacky or over the top. The story was fast-paced and easy to follow. I enjoyed myself overall.

What I disliked:
Although it was a mystery, the story wasn't very thrilling or entertaining. The "plot twists" were written in a way that made them underwhelming, which made the story quite dull. I thought it was a great idea, and while I hadn't guessed who the murderer was, I was a little disappointed at the way the story ended. It resolved way too quickly. I understand it was historical fiction, but it could still have been exciting. I think I would have loved it more if it had been a sapphic romance. Missed opportunity in my opinion!

In this Regency-era murder mystery, two young women, while hiding out from a country ball in the grand house’s library, accidentally witness a murder. They barely know each other, and don’t much like each other, but with more people dying – and one of the young ladies escaping a brush with death herself – they must work together to solve the murder.

For some reason, I thought this was going to be a bit more fun and hijinks-y – sadly that is not the style of this book. It’s much more straightforward. But overall, it’s a fine little murder mystery. There was not much tension in the beginning and both of the spinsters are a bit unlikeable toward the start, and so it was a bit slow at first. But around the middle the tension picks up, and I started to warm up to the main characters as they warmed up to each other, so it was much more enjoyable from there on out. It’s nothing earthshattering but if you like historical mysteries, it’s a decent read. I’d read another if presented with one.

Excellent read. I love books set in this time period. These adventures are always the best

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for choosing me to read an advanced copy

This is what I would call cosy crime historical fiction. Two spinsters team up to uncover a murderer.
I sometimes had trouble keeping up with all the characters but it was enjoyable enough and cosy crime fans will like it.

As a fan of crime fiction, I was really excited to read this book as the idea of a murder mystery plot line set in the regency era sounded really intriguing. However, it was quite difficult to get through the book as the beginning was quite slow. When reading murder mysteries, readers often want to feel as though they are at the edge of their seats with the plot twists and actions but the plot seemed quite stiff in this aspect. Which only lead to me being quite unmotivated to continue reading.

Hello! Thank you for the ARC!

I was not a big fan of this book. I was hoping it would be more of a murder/mystery and it wasn't. I think the focus was the characters and their relationships with each other, even though they could barely stand each other. I think that the character development didn't make much sense either, especially for Louise-Maragretta.

I published my reveiw on goodreads on 08/09/2024.

Historical Mystery that follows two Regency era spinsters, one a rector's daughter and the other a rich man's daughter, as they set out to catch a killer before Christmas.

4/5 stars: This is the first entry in Tarrington's Two Spinsters and a Murder Mystery series which is a Historical Mystery featuring two Regency era spinsters, one a rector's daughter still grieving her mother's death and the other a rich man's daughter pining for the “unsuitable” man she loves, as they team up to uncover who poisoned a guest during a Christmas week party. With plenty of twists and turns, Tarrington has crafted a mystery that balances the suspects and weaves in plenty of clues and red herrings that will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Additionally, Tarrington's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Judith and Louisa-Margaretta may be complete opposites but find they have much in common. It's great to see them come together to figure out the mystery. Tarrington touches on some sensitive topics, so take care and the CWs. This is an interesting start to a new series and I look forward to reading more.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Tenacious Teacup Press in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I think there’s probably a good story here buried beneath a lot of irrelevant focus on Judith’s nonconformity. The book could use a good developmental editor to help the author improve the pacing and storytelling. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This regency era murder mystery had me hooked so quickly!.

Miss Judith St Clair and Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington were a surprisingly delightful duo that balanced each other well. I loved watching their friendship and will admit that I thought we might be getting a sapphic twist, but sadly it wasn’t meant to be. I really enjoyed watching their story unfold from their perspective and loved seeing all the twists and turns packed into this short story.

It had a very immersive setting and a satisfying conclusion. This was such a fun, quick read that was non-graphic/limited violence and will appeal to a wide audience. I would definitely recommend this, even to those who wouldn’t normally reach for this style of book.

Eve Terrington's *Two Spinsters and a Corpse* is a charming addition to the historical mystery genre. Set in the Regency era, the novel centers on two unlikely allies: Miss Judith St Clair, a reserved and pious young woman, and Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington, a spirited and rebellious socialite. When a murder disrupts their Christmas season, these two women must join forces to uncover the truth.

Terrington skillfully crafts a delightful narrative, blending witty banter with a gripping mystery. The dynamic between Judith and Louisa-Margaretta is the heart of the story, their contrasting personalities providing both humor and depth. Judith’s methodical and cautious approach complements Louisa-Margaretta’s bold and impulsive nature, making their sleuthing adventures both engaging and entertaining.

The setting of Derbyshire and the backdrop of Regency-era social mores add authenticity and charm to the novel. The plot is well-paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing. However, at times the resolution feels slightly predictable, and the secondary characters could benefit from a bit more development.

Overall, *Two Spinsters and a Corpse* is a delightful read for fans of historical mysteries, offering a blend of humor, intrigue, and period detail that makes for an enjoyable and satisfying escape into the past.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for giving me a free copy in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this book! I totally did not predict who the killer was so it was a nice surprise when it was revealed. I really enjoyed the friendship between Louisa-Margaretta and Judith and while I did see at least one review wishing they got together, I personally thought the ending was really nice as it is (and trust me, I'm ALL for a sapphic story). I thought the book was well-paced and had a cozy element to it. It was a nice historical fiction read in the sense that it gave off the proper vibes from that time period but the language did not feel stuffy. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will be reading more from the author!
5/5 stars

This book is a mystery set in the Regency period in Britain. This isn't a puzzle mystery. The heroines didn't work together, just investigated on their own and then told the other why their guess was wrong. They initially simply chose the person they least liked from the possible suspects. In the last quarter of the book, they did find clues but the author refused to give the reader even a hint of what they were until the big reveal. Neither heroine was skilled at thinking on their feet or logically thinking things through.

The heroines weren't likable as both were very self-centered and determined to dislike everyone. They had to justify meeting together and so called each other 'friend' enough that both eventually decided that the other was maybe tolerable. Neither was really a spinster, either. Louisa-Margaretta intended to elope with a Jewish man that her parents refused to allow her to marry, but she hadn't had an opportunity to run away yet. Judith showed no marked interest in any of the potential suitors at the Christmas house party, yet at the end, we're told she's interested in one of the men.

The historical details were generally okay, though some things made little sense (though I can't explain without spoilers). There was no sex or modern bad language. As I prefer mysteries where I can guess whodunit and which have likable heroines, this series clearly isn't a good match for me.

I've given this book 3 stars - I really like the concept and feel like it was really promising! However, I think the book needed refining in certain areas. A rather big one to note is that Judith's friend is first introduced as 'Letty', then referred to as 'Lucia' for the rest of the chapter, and later comes back as 'Letty'.
I also felt like there were probably a few key sentences that were missing and left it hard to follow in places. I appreciate the author wasn't giving us all the information up front in order to keep the mystery until the end, but I think things were missing that meant when it all tied up together I was quite confused as to how the two heroines had figured it out. What made Judith think to check the registers, for example? How did Judith even know about the snuff boxes? At no point is there any indication that what was shared over the family time that morning with Louisa-Margaretta was later shared with Judith, so it seemed a bit odd that she suddenly knows enough to think to check the nursery. How on earth did that lead them to realise that it was Theo?
I also felt all the characters were introduced in very close succession, but not all together, which made it much more difficult to piece together who was who and how they were related.

All in all, I really like the idea of this book, but found the execution difficult to follow at times. The joy of a book for me is getting lost in the world, but the writing style meant that I was consistently having to return to previous pages as things didn't feel like they flowed well. But maybe it's just that this sort of book isn't for me!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it.

I really wanted to love this but I struggled to get through it. The pacing felt all over the place at times and the story was hard to follow with the story going off on a tangent sometimes. I did enjoy the setting, but it didn’t hit the Bridgerton x Agatha Christie vibes that I was expecting

Two Spinsters and a Corpse by Eve Tarrington.

Two young women meet each other while trying to avoid dancing at a ball and find themselves overhearing events, which result in a murder. They join forces to piece all the clues together and unmask the killer.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as I like historical crime novels, but it was a very slow burner.

To begin with, I had to keep going back and checking previous pages as I kept getting confused about which character was which and what their relationship to the other characters was.

I did eventually get into the book and started enjoying it, but the end was a bit rushed, and I’m still thinking who the visitor at the end is.

I would have liked a more detailed account regarding Louisa-Margaretta’s time in London as it was dealt with in a couple of sentences but not really dealt with at the same time.

All in all, it is a fairly enjoyable read, but more character back stories are needed. I would read another of the series now that I'm up to speed with the characters.

For fans of cosy crime or historical crime novels.

Thank you to Net Galley and Eve Tarrington for my opportunity to read the book.

#TwoSpinstersandaCorpse #NetGalley

Two Spinsters and a Corpse by Eve Tarrington

I had high hopes for this book because I love historical mysteries set in the UK, but this book was a disappointment. From the beginning, I felt like I was just dumped in the middle of some very unhappy young women’s lives. It was hard to follow along with the characters because most had the same last name and were referred to by their full name every time. I know that might have been historically accurate, but it made it very hard to follow and made much of the writing seem very formal and clunky. There was not one character in the book that was likable, maybe if there had been more character development, but it just wasn’t there. The ending was slightly better than the rest of the book, but even it felt very abrupt.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Regency Period - During a ball at Wycliffe Castle, home of the Haddingtons, rectors daughter Judith St Clair, and Louisa-Margaretta Haddington are hiding in the library when they overhear a conversation. Later Miss Matilda Ross is discovered dead in the library. They decide to investigate believing she was murdered.
Overall an entertaining cozy mystery but I couldn't really take to the two main females or many of the other characters.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.