Reviewed by Fran.
The cover of this novel implies it may contain erotic passages. Be assured it is not in the least given to sexual scenes of a lusty bent. It is a sweetly charming cosy murder mystery in which the heroine’s sister-in-law is quite the sleuth in the vein of a married Mrs. (Miss) Marple. The story itself is adaptable to almost any era during the days of coaching with horses. Though as I understand it, the setting is most definitely Regency England.
Poor Lady Kersey, squarely in the frame as murderess, is not only struggling in coming to terms with the dreadful murder of her husband, she’s on the run from the Bow Street Runners. Naturally she turns to her brother Lord Markson for help and support in her time of need. As would be expected his lordship provides shelter and sets out to discover the identity of the murdering scoundrel, but it is Lord Markson’s wife whose sharp eye and love of reading murder mysteries that eventually unearths a host of secrets and lies. Lady Markson is not to be trifled with, and where she leads her husband guards her back and that of his sister, and between the trio the mystery is finally solved. The Guilty Countess is a fast-paced story befitting a crème de la crime Miss Marple novel, despite the fact Lady Markson is not your average knitting fanatic.
