Countess of Harleigh Series: Book 8
Publication Date: June 24, 2025
In the latest USA Today bestselling, Victorian Era-set Countess of Harleigh Mystery from multi-award winning author Dianne Freeman, Frances Hazelton and her husband, George, uncover the secrets of backstage Paris to find out who’s acting the role of a killer to chilling perfection…
Frances and George are enjoying some well-deserved leisure time in Paris when an old acquaintance from London, Alicia Stoke-Whitney, seeks Frances’s help to investigate a personal matter. Alicia’s daughter is being courted by Carlson Deaver, a wealthy American shadowed by a very suspicious tragedy.
Less than a year ago, Carlson’s wife, a former actress, was murdered, her body discovered in one of the more dubious quartiers in Paris. Though authorities guess it was a robbery gone wrong, no one was ever brought to justice. Until Daniel Cadieux, Inspector for the Sûreté, follows a startling new lead. None other Sarah Bernhardt, legendary icon of the Paris stage, receives a piece of jewelry stolen from the victim, along with an incriminating note: I know what you did.
It opens a new door for the Hazeltons’ investigation, as well. But not a soul believes that the Divine Sarah would become entangled in something so disreputable as murder—even if she and the late Mrs. Deaver did have a history of theatrical clashes. Amid questions of revenge, blackmail, scandals, and secrets, more poisoned pen letters follow, and suspects abound. Now it’s up to Francis and George to infiltrate the most elite social circles of Paris, and find a culprit before another victim faces their final act.
Fresh off a relaxing getaway with her husband, Frances embarks on another Victorian-era mystery.
In the eighth installment of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series, author Dianne Freeman delivers a whodunit connected to the death of a French actress.
A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder puts the sensible Frances on the trail of a blackmailer seemingly trying to implicate a prominent French actress in the other woman’s death. The probe unfolds in Paris, coinciding with the Olympics, which adds flavor.
The story also focuses on complex family relationships, including the dynamics between Frances, her sister, and their mother. The author provides ample context for readers new to the series.
A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder offers a cozy Victorian mystery with unexpected twists.
Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Agatha and Lefty Award winning Countess of Harleigh Mysteries, a two time finalist for the Macavity’s Sue Feder Memorial Award, and a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She spent thirty years working in corporate accounting and finance and now writes full time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband now split their time between Michigan and Arizona.
