After receiving a letter from her friend Lydia, Lady Anne Addison rushes to Yorkshire and Darkefell Castle to be with her. But she arrives only to discover a body, and tales of werewolves. Being of an intelligent and curious nature she decides to investigate. But is she being helped or hindered by Lord Darkefell.
Set within the Georgian period, this is more of a mystery than a romance (thankfully), well-written and a story I really enjoyed with its very likeable characters. A very good solid start to a new series.
A NetGalley Book
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This was one of the most delightful mysteries I have come across in a long time. I am hooked! Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark is the first in the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries series, which makes me very happy because that means I have more of these wonderful Georgian historicals to look forward to. Author Victoria Hamilton skillfully blends all the best elements of romance and suspense, and the addition of werewolf sightings is icing on the cake. The setting in Yorkshire felt chilling and dangerous – as did the Marquess of Darkefell when Lady Anne Addison first met him.

Lady Anne goes to Yorkshire at the request of her friend Lydia, the sister of Anne’s deceased fiancé. Lydia says werewolves are about. Anne doesn’t believe for a minute there are werewolves, but when she discovers a dead body upon her arrival she determines to do all she can to discover what is wrong and to fix it. This is not at all the way ladies of her time and station are supposed to behave. But as Lord Darkefell soon learns – to his alternating delight and dismay – Anne is not a typical lady and won’t be stopped. She is stubborn, willful, and often reckless. She is also intelligent and curious, fearless and loyal, and very alluring to the Marquess. Up to now Anne has considered her fiancé’s death an unhappy blessing and is quite willing to remain a spinster. She has more freedom than a married woman would have and because of her father’s position is wealthy in her own right and well educated. Why would she want to give that all up? But Darkefell has a hold on her that she can’t deny.

It was so much fun to watch the back and forth between Anne and Darkefell. Each is infuriated by the other but also unable to fight the pull between them. I have a feeling (and fervent hope) that Lady Anne and Lord Darkefell will end up together but her narrow escape from marriage to Lydia’s brother has made her very cautious; she will not go quietly, nor would he want her to be a different woman even if he is loath to admit it. The supporting cast of characters is rich and full, well-developed with intriguing backstories that made me want to know them better. Some you will love, like Mary and Osei Boatin, some not so much, but they will all draw you in. And the Yorkshire countryside is so well described you feel you are there.

I was lucky enough to listen to an audiobook version of Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark. Between author Victoria Hamilton’s superb plot and narrator Danielle Cohen’s superb narration, I often extended my daily walks because I couldn’t bear to stop listening. Fun fact: it took me a while to realize that Victoria Hamilton and Donna Lea Simpson are the same author. No wonder I love all her/their works. Just means more for my TBR. I received my copy of Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark from the author but was not required nor expected to provide a review. All opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am thrilled that there are more adventures with Lady Anne and Lord Darkefell waiting for me. ( )

Lady Anne Addison travels to Yorkshire to help her friend Lydia who has written a very distressing letter. But on her way to the castle in the dark, Lady Anne hears a howl and a scream, and while rushing over to offer her assistance, she stumbles over something. What is it? A dead body of course!

This was a fun cozy mystery, with Lady Anne battling possible werewolves, murderers, and traipsing around the countryside, all the while keeping her corsets and many layered skirts in order. And did I mention that there is a handsome, dark-eyed, moody Lord Darkfell? This was a little predictable and definitely on the light side, but entertaining and fun. ( )

I had a really nice time with this audiobook. I have listened to this narrator before and enjoyed her work so I thought I would give this series a try. I thought that this was really good. I found that once I got started with this audiobook, I eagerly listened to it for hours at a time. I am glad that I took a chance with this one.

Lady Anne goes to visit a friend who is troubled. When she arrives in town, she is shocked when nobody is around to meet her and she is forced to walk from town to the estate. Her walk turns out to be a lot more exciting than she had hoped for when she hears what sounds like a wolf and trips over a dead body. When she finally makes it to her friend's home, she is met with not so welcoming ensemble.

I was captivated by this mystery. I was very curious about what had happened to the poor maid that Anne stumbled over on the way to the estate. It turns out there have been several women who have died recently and I was just as puzzled as Anne was as to what was going on. The possible werewolf was another interesting element that had me guessing. I thought that Anne turned out to be a very good sleuth and it was fun watching her piece everything together.

I liked the characters in this story. Anne was smart and rather bold. After her fiance's death years ago, she has decided not to wed and she has become a fiercely independent woman. Darkefell seemed to be her perfect match. He was used to being in charge but eventually decides to work with Anne to get to the bottom of the murders. I really liked Anne and Darkefell together and thought that they had fantastic chemistry.

Danielle Cohen did a fantastic job with the narration. I felt like she really was able to bring this story to life. There was a nice sized cast of characters in this story and I thought that she did a really good job with all of them. I really liked her accent and thought that it added to the charm of the story. She read the story at a very nice pace. She was able to add a lot of excitement to the story. I feel like I enjoyed the book a bit more due to her narration.

I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be a very well done story filled with great characters and a mystery that kept me guessing. I can't wait to get started on the second book in this delightful series!

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the narrator. ( )

Summoned to assist a friend, Lady Anne Addison travels to Yorkshire where she immediately discovers a body. Curious to know more when Lord Darkefell wishes to keep things hidden, this independent-minded lady begins to ask questions. Can she find a murderer without bringing danger on herself?

The mystery in this book is excellent. The clues are scattered throughout the book and the solution is not immediately obvious. Lady Anne was an interesting main character. She is not beautiful, in fact, she's rather plain. She has a keen mind and isn't ashamed to use it. Her desire to help her friend made her sympathetic.

Lord Darkefell, on the other hand, I did not like. He was the epitome of a brooding, angry man, and for the life of me, I could not understand what attracted Lady Anne. She claims to be drawn to him, but why? Because he was handsome? He was a complete jerk!

The plot moved at an excellent pace., and the story remains in the bounds of what I would call a clean book. The supporting cast served their purpose, though none stood out as particularly unique.

For readers interested in Georgian mystery, I would recommend this. I was given a copy through NetGalley for reviewing purposes and all opinions expressed are my own. ( )