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Title details for A Fashionable Fatality by Alyssa Maxwell - Available

A Fashionable Fatality

#8 in series

by Alyssa Maxwell
Jennifer M. Dixon
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Amid the aftermath of the Great War and its hardships, it's no wonder that many wish to rediscover life's pleasures-parties, fashion, dancing. Still, Lady Phoebe and Eva are disconcerted when a small gathering at the home of Phoebe's sister, Julia, becomes a far larger and more glamorous affair . . . Julia has invited her favorite French fashion designer, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, and Coco's current beau, the Earl of Chesterhaven. Coco has brought an entourage of her own, including two models, and intends to use the gardens as a photographic setting for her latest creations. Madame Chanel is as outspoken as she is talented, offering a scathing critique of Phoebe's fashion sense. There is tense competition between the models as well. When one of the guests is found dead of smoke inhalation, it appears to be a tragic accident. But was a footman really to blame for mistakenly closing the fireplace flue, or is there a more sinister explanation? Phoebe is determined to find out, despite the protestations of her sweetheart, Owen Seabright. Both above and below stairs, Phoebe and Eva uncover myriad motives-career ambition, romantic rivalries, and even deeper betrayals.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 31, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781696610506
      • File size: 269879 KB
      • Duration: 09:22:14

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 21, 2022
      Set in 1921, Maxwell’s engrossing eighth Lady and Lady’s Maid mystery (after 2021’s A Deadly Endowment) takes plucky Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her intrepid lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, to the Cotswolds, where Phoebe’s sister, Julia, the Marchioness of Allerton, is hosting a house party. The guests include up-and-coming French fashion designer Coco Chanel, but unfortunately Coco has decided that Julia’s estate would be the perfect place to stage a fashion shoot and has brought her entire entourage without consulting her hostess. Julia endures the imperious Coco and her battling crew—a caddish photographer, two miserable assistants, and two bitterly competitive models. When one of the models is found dead of smoke inhalation, Julia is quick to blame a servant for forgetting to open the flue in the woman’s bedroom, but Phoebe is convinced it was murder. Phoebe and Eva make a great team, seamlessly working together above stairs and below stairs to uncover the truth. An evocative setting, realistic relationships, and a nicely crafted plot more than make up for the unlikely murderer simply confessing at the end. Fans of lighter historicals should be satisfied. Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency.

    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Jennifer M. Dixon returns to narrate Maxwell's eighth installment of the "Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery" series, following A Deadly Endowment. While visiting her sister's manor, Lady Phoebe and her lady's maid Eva are surprised to meet the famous French fashion maven Coco Chanel. Coco's unexpected guests soon fill the house with her fashions and her many assistants staging photographs of the designer's latest creations. Soon it's apparent that all is not well with Coco's entourage, as accidents befall one of her models, and another dies under mysterious circumstances. As they strive to prove that the death was murder, Phoebe and Eva use their investigative skills to uncover the guests' secrets. Dixon's pacing keeps the story moving. Most of the characters are distinguishable from one another; however, many of the English women characters speak with a petulant, simpering tone, much to the detriment of the novel's serious events. With the large cast of characters originating from different places and classes, Dixon has the opportunity to showcase a wide range of accents, which she does to a limited extent. VERDICT An inessential purchase, except where the previous audiobooks in the series have been popular.--Amanda L. S. Murphy

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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