Review + Tour GIVEAWAY: Ask Me No Questions by Shelley Noble

Ask Me No Questions
By Shelley Noble
A Lady Dunbridge Mystery #1
Forge Books, 2018


Summary

From New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble, Ask Me No Questions is the first in the Lady Dunbridge Mystery series featuring a widow turned sleuth in turn-of-the-twentieth century New York City.

A modern woman in 1907, Lady Dunbridge is not about to let a little thing like the death of her husband ruin her social life. She’s ready to take the dazzling world of Gilded Age Manhattan by storm.

From the decadence of high society balls to the underbelly of Belmont horse racing, romance, murder, and scandals abound. Someone simply must do something. And Lady Dunbridge is happy to oblige.

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My thoughts

The English lords used power or the withholding of

power to achieve their ends. Americans, it appeared,

resorted to money. Phil understood the allure of money,

but she didn’t trust it as much as she trusted power.

Ask Me No Questions is a fascinating mystery of the highest quality, atmospheric and witty, and it was like I was in another world as I poured through its pages. Shelley Noble effortlessly draws readers into the 1907 world of New York City through rich historical detail and vivid descriptions.

Lady Philomena Dunbridge (Phil) is a compelling lead character. She’s strong, determined, smart, and sly. Phil likes to flirt, lives life as she pleases, and is not easily intimidated by those in authority. While I wasn’t crazy about her in the beginning, she grew on me as I got to know her better, and she is loyal to a fault. I loved seeing our country through her eyes, as she was often amazed at “those Americans.”

Two strong supporting characters stand out and will be fun to watch in future stories – Lily, Phil’s lady’s maid, and Preswick, her butler. Lily’s background is somewhat mysterious, promising much more to come. I love British fiction, and although this story takes place in America, Phil and her staff are English to the core. It’s fun to watch the often frustrating interaction between Phil’s staff and that of her friend, Bev.

The murder of Bev’s husband, Reggie, is baffling in itself, as it took place in the middle of the day, in a crowded area, and seemingly no witnesses. The ensuing investigation follows the logical step-by-step questioning of suspects in a manner that I enjoyed. The author excels at introducing characters slowly, in a way that it’s easy to keep up with them all. The world of horse racing, especially some of the criminal elements associated with it, comes into play. I’m not sure Lady Dunbridge and I would have been friends in real life, but if I were about to be charged with a crime, I’d certainly want her in my corner. There are a lot of twists and turns, and my suspicions could never rest solely on one person.

I hope Ask Me No Questions is the beginning of a long series. Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

_________________________

SHELLEY NOBLE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of women’s fiction – Beach Colors, Whisper Beach, Lighthouse Beach.

As SHELLEY FREYDONT, she writes cozy mysteries – Celebration Bay Festival Mysteries, The Sudoku Mysteries, and the Newport Gilded Age Mysteries, beginning with A Gilded Grave, a RT Reviewer’s Choice nominee for Best Historical Mystery of 2015 and Macavity Finalist.

As Me No Questions is the first of a Manhattan Gilded Age series and written as Shelley Noble.

A former professional dancer and choreographer, Shelley lives at the Jersey shore and loves to discover new lighthouses and vintage carousels.

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