Murder in Postscript by Mary Winters

Murder in Postscript
by Mary Winters

ISBN-13: 9780593548769
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley Books
Released: March 28, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Amelia Amesbury--widow, mother, and countess--has a secret. Amelia writes for a London penny paper, doling out advice on fashion, relationships, and manners under the pen name Lady Agony. But when a lady's maid writes Amelia to ask for advice when she believes her mistress has been murdered--and then ends up a victim herself--Amelia is determined to solve the case.

With the help of her best friend and a handsome marquis, Amelia begins to piece together the puzzle, but as each new thread of inquiry ends with a different suspect, the investigation grows ever more daunting. From London's docks and ballrooms to grand country houses, Amelia tracks a killer, putting her reputation--and her life--on the line.


My Review:
Murder in Postscript is a mystery set in 1860 in England. The main characters were likable and had distinct personalities. Amelia was supportive and caring toward her ward--her husband's niece. Amelia was a commoner before her marriage, so she wasn't always compliant with high society's expectations in behavior. Plus she could get away with things as a widow that a young miss couldn't. One little rebellion was writing the advice column, though she hid that she's Lady Agony. I still don't understand why the maid wanted to meet with Lady Agony rather than go to the police with what she knew. Amelia felt like she had an obligation to investigate the maid's murder (and therefore the mistress's murder) when she found the maid dead at the meeting spot.

Amelia asked questions to discover who might have a motive and who was present when the original murder happened. This was a clue-based mystery, but I had dismissed whodunit as a suspect because two clues pointed away from whodunit (only one of which was explained away). The mystery was solved by whodunit finally following up on the repeated threat to kill Amelia, resulting in a confession revealing all. I figured out whodunit and why right before the reveal whereas Amelia blithely walked into the trap.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I enjoyed the fun characters enough to recommend this story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.