A Fashionable Fatality

Lady and Lady’s Maid Mystery, Book 8

By: Alyssa Maxwell

Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon

Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2023 Lisa Manuel (P)2023 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Another awesome story!

I love Eva, Phoebe, and the whole crew. Adding Coco Chanel and the fashions of the time was icing on the cake.

Entertaining Read

Setting the Scene: "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."

What I Thought: This most recent release in Alyssa Maxwell's Lady and Lady's Maid series does not disappoint. Ms. Maxwell continues to demonstrate her ability to capture both the glamour and reality of the bygone era of 1920s England. Her insight, an intriguing mixture of fiction and fact, into the early days of fashion icon Coco Chanel proves quite interesting. In addition to the historical insights, I enjoyed the character and series development this book brings to the series. I am not sure that Lady Julia will ever be one of my favorites, but the last two books have given hope; and the development in the roles of both Theo and Owen is noteworthy here. I hope to see a lot more of both gentlemen, along with Miles, in future books. This book closes with an amusing dilemma unique to its historical setting that I do hope is picked up in the next outing, but either way, it left me chuckling. Now comes the hard part, especially after binge reading the first 8 books, and that is the wait for the next one.

I must say that none of the narrators in this series have impressed me. This narrator tends to age the female characters and use too many high pitched, nasally voices. It is a credit to Ms. Maxwell's writing that an often annoying narration does not dampen my enjoyment of this series in audiobook format.