Murder at the Masked Ball

Who Really Killed the Unpleasant Lord?

Kitty Worthington is back for her third adventure in solving crime. In her first, she prevented her brother from being convicted of murder. In the second, she saved her sister’s fiancé from a murder charge. Now she had a new challenge.

“Murder at the Masked Ball,” by Magda Alexander, follows the same template as the first two books. It is the 1920s, and Kitty Worthington, the youngest child in her wealthy family, is trying to avoid her mother’s attempts at matchmaking. But she stumbles into a murder, one of her friends and relations seems to be the guilty party, and it is up to Kitty and her crew to prove otherwise by finding the actual culprit.

In this case, the accused is her good friend Lord Newcastle. He has carried a torch for Lady Wakefield since before World War I. He even proposed marriage to her, only to be turned down by her family. (He was not then Lord Newcastle, only inheriting the title and fortune due to the death of other heirs during World War I.) Rather than allowing Lady Wakefield to marry a penniless love, they forced her to marry the wealthy Lord Wakefield. He turned out to be as cruel as he was wealthy, regularly beating his wife for failing to produce an heir.

Lord Wakefield gets murdered at the Duchess of Brightwell’s masked ball, which Kitty, her sister, and mother attended. Newcastle was there also, as was Lady Wakefield. Newcastle had a confrontation with Lord Wakefield shortly before the murder. Lord Wakefield had struck his wife hard enough to bruise her face before the ball, outraging Newcastle. Worse, Newcastle was seen holding the murder weapon, a heavy ceramic vase, when Lord Wakefield’s body was discovered.

Kitty’s romantic interest, Inspector Crawford is sent to investigate. Even he thinks Newcastle did it. Things are made worse when Newcastle confesses to protect Lady Wakefield.

Kitty remains unconvinced. Crawford is more interested in catching a killer than closing a case. He does not interfere as she pursues an independent investigation to find the real killer. In the process, she puts herself in real danger.

“Murder at the Masked Ball” proves another delightful addition to this series. It explores the mores and manners of the English upper class and upper middle class during the 1920s. It offers a humorous and fast-paced adventure in a clever plot with an equally clever solution.

“Murder at the Masked Ball,” by Magda Alexander, Hearts Afire Publishing, 2022, 300 pages, $12.99 (paperback), $3.99 (Ebook)

This review was written by Mark Lardas, who writes at Ricochet as Seawriter. Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, historian, and model-maker, lives in League City, TX. His website is marklardas.com.

Kitty Worthington is on the case again! A friend is framed for murdering the abusive husband of his first love and it is up to Kitty with the help of her friends and family to find the real killer. It doesn't help - or hurt - that DI Robert Crawford is in charge of the case for Scotland Yard.

I loved this book and am a fan of the series for many reasons. Kitty is a fun and smart protagonist while the supporting characters add to the story. The story is always well done and the settings are interesting.

I recommend to fans of the Kitty Underhay, Violet Carlyle, or Lady Swift mysteries, Thank you to #NetGalley fir the opportunity to read an advance copy of #MurderattheMaskedBall.

When a noble lord takes a plunge to his demise, Kitty Worthington once again steps in to investigate and exonerate a friend who is suspected of the murder.
Kitty and her team of lords, ladies, friends and relatives step up to investigate and this one is just as good as the first two.
I love Kitty and her cast of characters, they have perfect chemistry making their interactions interesting, believable and entertaining . This has all the elements needed for a historical mystery and can be read as a stand alone if you missed the first two.
I recommend for a entertaining weekend read. Thank you to Hearts Afire Publishing and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Historical mystery mainly set in London. I enjoy the characters and the setting. The MC is progressive - working towards women having the vote, wanting to work instead of just get married. She and her friends are working to solve what appears to be two mysteries. I enjoy this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fine entry in the Kitty Worthington series. If you like Anne Perry or Phryne Fisher, you'll really enjoy this series-it hits all the highlights-spunky female heroine, a large cast of fun side characters with their own lives, and historical glitz and glamor with a smidge of romance. In this entry, Kitty and her committee are once again trying to save someone who has been wrongfully accused even though the evidence seems incontrovertible. The villains seriously deserve their fate, the heroes are fun and this is a light, fun romp all the way through.

witty, verbal-humor, cosy-mystery, costume-party, London, murder, murder-investigation, class-consciousness, family-dynamics, friendship, 1920s, abusive-spouse, women-s-rights, women's suffrage, women-sleuths, historical-fiction, pet, dog, law-enforcement, romantic*****

OK, so I loved book one but missed book two. This one is much fun with both romance and a solid investigation of the time while reminding us of the groundwork laid by the alert and involved women of that era. All of the characters are interesting and well drawn while the settings and attire are clearly and imaginatively portrayed. But it's the whodunit that really demanded my attention. The abusive spouse of a friend is dead at the foot of the stairs during a masked ball. Did he fall or was he pushed?
Let Kitty's sleuthing begin! Great light read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Hearts Afire Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!