A Malevolent Connection

Thank you NetGalley and Potatoworks Press for this arc.<br /><br />A Malevolent Connection is the 9th book in this series. I read the 1st book, A Brazen Curiosity prior to this one for the character introductions, but have yet to catch up on the others (that will be remedied). These are fun reads, mostly historical cozy mysteries with some romance tossed in for some spice.<br /><br />The characters are great. Beatrice is truly the master of the mannerly understatement, while Damien provides a so so dry - dehydrated - comic commentary to it all. The two of them have fallen into a ridiculous habit of separately tripping over murdered, dead bodies together while they out trying to live their lives. Beatrice just has to figure out why (because she's nosy and dead bodies are a lot more interesting than needlework).<br /><br />Once I got used to Beatrice's ever-running internal monologues (the fun understatements), these books are easy<br />well-paced reads. While it's not strictly necessary to read them in order, I've got to go back to #s 2-8 to figure out WHY Beatrice is being plagued by pineapples!<br /><br />4 stars

This latest addition to the Beatrice Hyde-Clare series will be enjoyed by fans who have been following her since the beginning. In the first half of the book in particular, the relationship between her and the Duke of Kesgrave seems to come full circle, as the focus shifts from the troublesome past of Beatrice's family to the troublesome past of the duke's.<br /><br />The premise of having Bea's archnemesis, the woman who obliterated her chances of social success in early years, suddenly come groveling with outlandish gestures to gain forgiveness, is a fresh plot line and probably the most amusing and fun part of the book.<br /><br />The mystery itself didn't grab my attention, especially in the last half, as it seemed to be mainly a revolving question of which suspects knew what facts at what point and I couldn't bring myself to care who was actually the culprit, so I found myself skimming through some of the hypothesizing.<br /><br />Thanks to NetGalley and The Book Whisperer for this digital review copy!

Barbara’s rating: 3.7 of 5 Stars<br />Series: Beatrice Hyde-Clare #9<br />Publication Date: 11/11/21<br />Period: Regency London<br />Number of Pages: 261<br /><br />Although Beatrice (Bea) Hyde-Clare, still hasn’t managed to deal with her chef putting pineapple into everything she eats, she’s nicely settled into her month-long marriage to Damien Matlock, the sixth Duke of Kesgrave. The pineapple fiasco is her own fault though – and she knows it – and she’ll deal with it – just not today. She loves being married to a man she adores and who treats her as an equal partner – until she feels he doesn’t treat her that way. Oops.<br /><br />When Bea’s archnemesis tries to weasel her way into Bea’s good graces by telling Bea about a plot on her life, Bea doesn’t know whether to believe the woman or not. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time Mrs. Norton had born tales designed to hurt Bea in some way. This tale though, if true, will have major repercussions on both Bea and Damien. The plot, you see, is that Damien’s uncle, Lord Myles Matlock, is hiring a thug to murder Bea. That would allow his son, Mortimer, to become the duke’s heir.<br /><br />Although Bea agrees to allow Damien to handle the situation, she manages to parse her agreement so she feels she can still investigate on her own. What does she find? She finds Damien, with a bloody silver candlestick in his hand, standing over the dead body of his uncle. Oops – again. Beatrice knows Damien didn’t murder his uncle – but who did? Their investigations lead them through many suspects from barristers to criminal kingpins and everything in between. It seems his uncle was a very unsavory character.<br /><br />The only other book I’ve read in the series is <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/52879754.A_Sinister_Establishment__Beatrice_Hyde_Clare_Mysteries___6_" title="A Sinister Establishment (Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mysteries, #6) by Lynn Messina" rel="noopener">A Sinister Establishment</a>, and I did not enjoy this one as much as I did that one. The crime, the victim, the suspects, nor the motive intrigued me and I found the investigation to be slow and a bit plodding. I do love the wit and banter between Damien and Bea, but I’m not sure I like Bea much at all. In this book, she expects Damien to check with her and get her approval for every little thing he does. I expected to see a place where he asked if he had her permission to go to the restroom. Everything was about her expectations of him – and evidently, he wasn’t allowed to have expectations of her. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for female rights, but Bea’s version seems to be that the female is the only one with rights. She chastises, thwarts, and dissembles all the time and I just find it difficult to believe that Damien could love that about her.<br /><br />I did mostly enjoy the story and may try another one to see if this version of Bea is repeated. If so, I probably won’t continue with the series. However, if they BOTH become equal partners in the relationship, then I believe I would happily continue with the series.<br /><br />I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.<br />

It's never a dull moment in the Matlock household as the former Beatrice Hyde-Clare discovers. Not only does she have to deal with pineapple in her beloved rout cakes, but a apparently her life is in danger from her husband the Duke of Kesgrave's Uncle. The deliverer of this news is none other than her former nemisis, Mrs. Norton nee Broughton... the woman who labeled Beatrice as drab and doomed her to wallflower status. Now Beatrice not only discovers that Kesgrave has more family than just his grandmother, that apparently they're murderous as well. But before Beatrice can even put her plans into motion, she finds her husband standing over his uncle's cooling corpse with a bloody candlestick in his hand... a situation which feels oddly familiar. <br /><br />---<br /><br />Stop! This book will spoil the endings of ALL of the previous books in the series. So if you don't like to be spoiled, then you can't pick this book up and go. If you can't, then I recommend going back and at least reading the first, fifth, and seventh books in the series. The events in those books are very relevant to this book and while the author tries to summarize them they come off as infodump-y and very "as you know." You'll thank me for this later. Seriously, this book spoils everything from the previous books. And it's something I don't love because it means that you spend approximately the first 10% of the book summarizing the events of the previous books. It's annoying and it's one of the reasons this book loses a star. When I skim the entire first 10% of a book, there's a problem. <br /><br />Additionally this book needs the following trigger warnings: parental death, parental neglect, child abuse, attempted child murder/endangerment, childhood trauma, period appropriate sexism, period appropriate classism, colonialism, period appropriate xenophobia, and ableism. Please make sure you're in a good place before reading.<br /><br />I have been following the series for a while, but hadn't had time to read some of the more recent books. That was a mistake. When I started reading the ARC of this book, I quickly realized that I needed to go read Flora's book and that I probably should read the book immediately preceding this one if I didn't want to be fully spoiled for the conclusions of those books. If you like this series, then I suggest you do the same. This isn't a book you can just pick up and go... Agatha Christie this is not. <br /><br />It's nice to see Beatrice and Kesgrave interacting. Yes, Kesgrave is emotionally constipated but that's part of his character arc as is Beatrice still learning to find her voice in situations that don't involve corpses. Their relationship is still one of my favorite things about this series and there are lots of closed door/implied sex scenes in this, but nothing is shown on the page. <br /><br />On to the other characters! I did like one of the suspects of the murder quite a bit, he's a bit of a gentleman rogue and I have a thing for those. LOL I'm not totally fond of Flora... I wasn't a fan of her book and I'm not a fan of her now. She's incredibly self-centered and self-serving to the point of brow-beating others to get her own way. She's remarkably similar to Mrs. Norton who is Beatrice's "Nemesis" and another character utilized in this book. While I liked the depth and intelligence that she displayed in her one scene.. she really was a one-scene wonder in this book. I wanted a better conclusion with her than just the handwave acknowledgement at the end. I also really didn't like the portrayal of one of the suspects of Kesgrave's uncle's murder who had a speech impediment. This is the first person in the series who has a disability and they are an antagonist/suspected killer. This is not a good look. In addition, his stutter was portrayed haphazardly and true to life he was discounted because of his disability in the story. It just rubbed me the wrong way and felt like a misstep. Disabled people of all kinds all too often are cast as either the victims or the perpetrators of crimes... it's much like how villians for a long time (and still to this day) are coded as LGBTQIA. It's a harmful trope. <br /><br />Additionally, a major plot point... that the murder victim's son not the murder victim himself will inherit the dukedom didn't make any sense. While it didn't change the outcome of the story, it was a huge inaccuracy. The Uncle would have inherited the dukedom if Kesgrave died without issue... it wouldn't skip to the uncle's son. He can't be disinherited like that. It was something that bugged me... a lot. <br /><br />That said, once the story got going it was fun until the end which left me feeling a bit... "is that it?" about the whole thing. <br /><br />It's not one of the stronger entries in the series. <br /><br />So because of the need to have to essentially read all of the books or risk being spoiled and because of the infodump and because of the iffy treatment of a few characters... particularly one with a disability as well as the huge historical inaccuracy. I'm going to give this....<br /><br />Two and a half stars rounded up to Three Stars<br /><br />I received an ARC of this book Via NetGalley

Pretty good book. Good mystery however I wish there was some more banter between Bea and Kesgrave

Bea is still struggling to adjust to her new role as Duchess. The servants are only just beginning to respect her so how can she tell them she no longer cares for pineapple, especially not with every meal and certainly not in her beloved rout cakes! As she ruminates on a plan to eliminate pineapple from the menu, Bea is surprised by a visit from her nemesis, Mrs. Norton, formerly Miss Brougham, the mean girl who ruined Bea's first season and nearly succeeded in separating Bea and Kesgrave for good. Mrs. Norton has shocking news to impart. She has come to redeem herself and assist Bea by sharing the news that the Duke's uncle has plans to kill Bea! The assassin is already hired and the plan put it motion but Mrs. Norton knows not when! Bea tries to acquiesce to Damien's request that she let him handle it in his own way, but while visiting Mr. Carruthers with Flora, she finds herself being escorted to the rooms of the solicitor, Mr. Jordan where Bea spies her husband standing over the dead body of his uncle with a candlestick. Yes again! So many thoughts flicker through her mind but one thing she knows is her husband is not a murderer. As a Duke he has the law on his side. So, who then killed Lord Myles Matlock? It will take all of Bea's powers of deduction to avoid being harmed and solve the mystery. <br /><br />This story is so much fun! The series is back on track after a few missteps since Bea and Kesgrave's wedding and a detour into Flora's adventure. The plot is a good blend of romance and mystery. I read this more for the romance than the mystery and I am so happy to see Bea and Damien working out their expectations for married life (and I don't just mean in the bedroom, although there's plenty of that too - behind closed doors). I really appreciate how well they know each other and can read each other's moods. We learn more about Damien's family background and the Matlocks are as dysfunctional as the Hyde-Clares were presumed to be. I don't know how many Dukes and Duchesses actually spent that much time with their children but normal families don't have uncles trying to kill them from the moment of their birth. Myles must be singularly stupid because what's to stop the Duke from having more children? It was legal and within his rights to force his wife to comply even if she didn't wish to- sadly. The Matlock family history explains a lot about why he's so close to his grandmother and why Marlowe is so overprotective. <br /><br />I just love Bea! I relate to her so much, as an introvert bookworm myself I understand her desire to spend all her days reading. I also share her aversion to pineapple and would probably hesitate to tell the chef fearing he would quit. She's much better than she used to be living with her aunt and uncle. They emotionally abused her and she was in danger of becoming a Fanny Price. Enter the Duke of Kesgrave standing over a dead body! That encounter changed their lives forever. Bea is so clever. I never would have put those clues together. In my reread, I noticed she had a piece of information in her hands but dismissed it. My favorite part is the romance. I adore their witty banter and how they charm each other out of a somber mood with silliness and pedantry. Damien is willing to fight for Bea even when she wants to back down. They talk about their problems and work through them. Being in a love match is all new to both of them and it exceeds either of their expectations. Bea is used to being meek and compliant. Only with Damien is she free to be herself. He has to learn to let go and open up to her more. I appreciate the author having them talk to each other instead of the usual "he/she must not love me!" trope. They're learning and growing. I also appreciate the commentary on women's rights and what women normally can expect from marriage at this time. It's subtle but it's there. Thank goodness someone killed Mr. Otley LOL! <br /><br />It was hysterically funny to see Mrs. Norton turn unto Bea. She even, sincerely, says to Bea "you cannot know how humiliating it is to realize the event that had a profound impact on your life was but a passing moment to everyone else." HA! That's not the only way she's turning into Bea. I was hoping for these rivals to team up to investigate. I'm not sure Mrs. Norton is truly sincere. She seems to have done a complete 180 turn and is overcompensating for being a meal girl before. I think she wants to get back into Almack's. Yet, the lengths she goes to PROVE to Bea that she's telling the truth show that she may actually be sincere. I could totally have done without Flora and her subplot. It makes the book too long and I still find her immaturity tedious. (You must read <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/54868783.A_Boldly_Daring_Scheme__Beatrice_Hyde_Clare_Mysteries___7_" title="A Boldly Daring Scheme (Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mysteries, #7) by Lynn Messina" rel="noopener">A Boldly Daring Scheme</a> before this book.) <br /><br />Lord Myles Matlock, uncle to the present Duke, younger son of the dowager, was a sad, sorry man. I almost feel bad for him. I would if he wasn't so nasty. Why does he have such a puffed up ego? The Dowager is lovely so why are her two sons so horrid? Her eldest was cruel and nasty. Her younger is a nasty, stupid wastrel who can't solve his own problems. Maybe he's not that stupid, given what the Duke and Duchess uncover during their investigation. So who killed him if it wasn't Damien? It seems kind of obvious. Is it the miscreant who ran out the door when Damien tried to stop him upon arriving on the scene? Tyne, law clerk to Mr. Douglas Jordan, does not seem the murderous type. He's slight, speaks with a stammer and cares about the safety of his parents. A better choice would be Mr. Douglas Jordan, Myles's solicitor. According to Mrs. Norton, Mr. Jordan knows about the plot to kill Bea. Is he so stupid as to go along with it? That's disgusting. Why not tell the Duke? Why does no one think Damien won't move heaven and earth to find out what happened to Bea? Does Mr. Jordan value his job and the money he gets, however, little? Does he value client privilege that much? This is MURDER we're talking here, not stock trading. Murder of a peeress too. Mr. Jordan disappeared and can't be found. Is he safe with an alibi or dead or in danger? I think he's the murderer. <br /><br />Mr. Tyne points fingers at Mr. Phineas "Hell and Fury" Hawes, "The King of Saffron Hill", a crime lord who has his finger in every pie. Murder is definitely in his line. He has a strong motive for murder but this murder seems a little clumsy for someone like Hawes. However, his hit man may have made a mistake or misunderstood directions. Someone like Hawes wouldn't get his own hands dirty. He's ruthless and scary but can be charming when he wants to be. His interest in Bea and her crime solving skills is disconcerting. Does he know more about the sinister plot to take her life? The hitman, Thomas "Bludge" Bludgeon, certainly seems the type to have killed Myles in the heat of the moment. Sure a candlestick is one of the tools of his trade but he wouldn't be so clumsy as to kill someone in broad daylight if it was premeditated. This was surely a falling out among thieves. He's a comical sort of villain but still terrifying. What about the moneylender? Did he get tired of waiting and go after Myles and have a heated argument that ended in death? If the victim has been Myles's son Mortimer, the moneylender theory would make more sense.<br /><br />I noted one minor typo, one minor historical error and one possible big error that would keep the plot the same. Wouldn't Myles be the heir after Damien and then once he dies, his son Mortimer? It still makes sense for him to want to murder his nephew and Bea though either way. Chocolate was processed in mills but yes it was difficult to prepare as it came in a block and had to be scraped, flavored, poured into hot milk, frothed and served in the correct chocolate pot and cups. I've tried it and it's AH-MAZING! If you're in the U.S. you can try American Heritage Chocolate (Mars company) at Colonial Williamsburg and buy it there or at Mount Vernon or a few other historic locations. <br /><br />I eagerly await the next installment! It's hard to believe they've only been married 6 weeks. I hope the happy couple gets a break from murder for a few months at least and I hope Bea is successful in her war against pineapple!<br />

<b>Rating:</b> 4 stars <br /><b>What I Liked:</b> I enjoyed this instalment to the series. It wasn’t my favourite, but I thought there were some interesting things going on in it. The mystery was a little bit different - it felt less like a traditional murder mystery to me and I thought the way it all resolved was quite clever and unusual. It was fun to try and piece all of it together. It was also good to finally find out some of Damien’s backstory - as terrible as it actually turned out to be.<br />I also liked the introduction of Hawes as a character. I don’t know if he’ll show up again, but he was exactly the kind of villainous character I like in a novel like this.<br />I liked some of the development to Beatrice and Damien’s relationship, too. There were some really lovely moments and I thought Damien’s love for Beatrice really shone through.<br /><b>What I Didn’t:</b> I found it a little slow, especially to get going at the start. Lynn Messina’s writing style is always quite wordy and I normally enjoy this but there were some parts of this that felt very dense to read. I also found some of the conflict between Beatrice and Damien a bit <i>unresolved</i>, for lack of a better phrase. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="f4da146a-1b40-41f5-9bd9-b997d4b67f6e" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="f4da146a-1b40-41f5-9bd9-b997d4b67f6e">I thought it was good that the novel focused on possible disparities in power and trust between them, but I didn’t think these were resolved very well. I felt like there would still be some conflict to bubble over between them in other instalments which is fine, I guess, I just like this kind of thing to feel resolved at the end of each book.</label><br /><b>Overall:</b> This had some interesting ideas and I liked the darker tone running through it. The mystery is well-constructed and, whilst there were no big or shocking twists, it was very satisfying to read it and try to work it out alongside Beatrice. I do like how Lynn Messina writes a mystery - she’s very clever at giving the reader a chance to work out the solution themselves. There was a little bit of conflict between Beatrice and Damien that, whilst I thought it was necessary, I would have liked a bit more resolution on, but overall I enjoyed reading it and thought it was a good addition to the series.<br /><b>Would I Recommend It?:</b> Yes, <i>if you’ve read the other books in the series</i> and are looking for a cozy regency mystery with an established relationship for romance. I really wouldn’t recommend trying to read this without reading <i>all</i> of the other books in the series first. <br /><b>Would I Read Something By The Author Again?:</b> Yes, absolutely!<br /><b>Content Notes:</b> <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="dfb0bb36-411c-4295-bfff-26a87decb563" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="dfb0bb36-411c-4295-bfff-26a87decb563"><i>Warnings</i>: Death of a parent (in past), mentions of death in childbirth, references to death of a child, intimate partner abuse (hero’s parents, in past), child abuse (in past), attempted murder, murder, violence, blood, organised crime.<br /></label>

3.5*<br /><br />‘Overseeing the finest residence in London, Mrs. Wallace would be deeply troubled to learn that all her new mistress needed was a book, a comfortable chair and enough light by which to read.’<br /><br />I am such a fan of Lynn’s work and have reviewed many of her books (HERE). Having partaken in her Regency Cozy Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mysteries before, I was eager to return to the story of Beatrice and Damien once more.<br /><br />A Malevolent Connection is the 9th book in this series and these are fun, light and entertaining reads. A little romance, a little mystery and loads of banter to bring a smile to your dial :)<br /><br />“I trust in the future you will remember that I am never the problem.”<br /><br />Quick to read and not necessary to have read others in the series (though obviously, it will enhance your experience) I highly recommend you sample some of Lynn’s writing. The characters are great with the banter between Bea and Damien an absolute highlight. I did find this one a tad slow in parts with the inner monologues from Bea a bit too much - I wanted more interaction. <br /><br />With murders to solve and chaos to reign in, these light and fun regency romps (solely in the sleuth solving department) are sure to please. It is the perfect book to make that cup of tea with and while away the hour with the quick witted Beatrice and Damien Kesgrave.<br /><br />‘… life was not lived in the grand moments. No, it was lived in the banal little exchanges that occurred day after day, and it was the accumulation of these insignificant interactions that made up a relationship. That was where the truth resided - in the cracks between grandiosities.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.<br /><br /><br />

Review of ARC Edition<br /><br />The new Duchess of Kesgrave, Beatrice Hyde-Clare, finds herself pitted against the Duke’s uncle, Lord Myles Matlock. It seems that Damien’s uncle has engaged a thug to murder Bea, thus ensuring that his son, Mortimer, will become the Duke’s heir.<br /><br />But when the Duchess finds her husband standing over the body of his uncle, bloody candlestick in hand, can she find a way to prove that Damien did not murder the man? <br /><br />=========<br /><br />“A Malevolent Connection,” ninth in the Beatrice Hyde-Clare series, opens with Beatrice’s arch-rival fawning over Bea as she seeks forgiveness. But she also brings a warning of a threat against the Duchess. Although there are many references to the previous book, readers will find that here there is a much stronger focus on the Duke’s family. The characters are well-drawn and believable, the plot twisty and unpredictable. <br /><br />Bea’s continual insistence on having Damien check with her and receive approval for his actions ultimately becomes annoying and, although the roles of women in the Regency era are quite clear, this feels a bit like being struck over the head with a sledgehammer. However, the relationship between Bea and Damien somewhat tempers this ultra-feminist stance; their banter is one of the highlights of the narrative. <br /><br />A bit about pineapple running through the story provides a bit of humor in the telling of the tale as the unfolding narrative offers readers a few unexpected surprises as it races toward a satisfactory denouement.<br /><br />Recommended, especially for fans of the series.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this eBook from The Book Whisperer, Potatoworks Press and NetGalley<br />#AMalevolentConnection #NetGalley<br />

Thank you to Potatoworks Press and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this novel. <br /><br />A Malevolent Connection - Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mysteries #9 was challenging to read without the context from the previous books in the series. It was incredibly drawn-out in the beginning - WOW there were a considerable amount of words to get to the point. <br /><br />This novel is part historical romance and a mystery. The newly wed Duke and Duchess soon find themselves investigating a murder, pointing fingers to uncover the truth. Bea is a strong female protagonist and determinant in her ways. Hence, pineapples! Just how many ways can it be incorporated into a meal?<br /><br />It was good cozy regency mystery.