Two Spinsters and a Corpse by Eve Tarrington

Two Spinsters and a Corpse
by Eve Tarrington

ISBN-13: 9798227676665
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Tenacious Teacup Press
Released: September 1, 2024

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When Miss Judith St Clair's father accepts a lucrative new position as the rector of a parish in Derbyshire just before Christmas, she is dismayed that she and all her siblings must move to this cold and inhospitable country while still in mourning for their mother. What’s worse, her father’s patrons are the rich and imposing Haddingtons, a family recently settled at Wycliff Castle.

Miss Louisa-Margaretta Haddington is in love with a Jewish man. Her parents, who will not consent to the match, have removed her from harm by buying an enormous estate in Derbyshire. Louisa-Margaretta is determined to avoid everyone, but when she and the rector’s daughter both take refuge in the library during a ball, they are unwitting witnesses to a murder.

Though each young woman despises the other, they know they will need each other’s help if they are to find the killer. When one of them has a brush with death disguised as a hunting accident, they realise that they must be quick, or they shall risk running out of time.


My Review:
Two Spinsters and a Corpse 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.


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.