ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF LAUREL ANN NATTRESS | DIRECTOR, AUSTENPROSE PR.
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This new Victorian-era mystery is part of A Countess of Harleigh series and features Frances Hazelton, and her husband George, as they uncover the secrets of backstage Paris to find out who’s acting the role of a killer to chilling perfection . .
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June 24, 2025
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ABOUT A DAUGHTER'S GUIDE TO MOTHERS AND MURDER:
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.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Photo taken from Dianne's Amazon Page
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.
Princess Elizabeth has become the Queen of England, and we meet her and other characters at Sandringham House.
What a lovely bustling place to be.Cooks, housekeepers, and all the staff rushing around to make Christmas perfect and special for the first Christmas with the new Queen.
The kitchen is the busiest place of all and where we meet Jack Devereux, a fill-in chef, and Olive Carter a typist and reporter for the BBC.
How did they meet?Well....they met many years ago and have a history and run into each other at Sandringham House.
Neither could believe they had run into each other.Why were they surprised but pleased?
Find out in this wonderful read by master storytellers Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb as we spend Christmas with the Royals, many lovely characters, and as we follow Olive and Jack both past and present.
Both authors know how to tell a story that you won't be able to put down and that you will think about long after you turn the last page.
A lovely, lovely storyline, wonderful behind-the-scenes information about the Royals, and a beautiful read all around. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.All opinions are my own.
Police therapist Dot Meyerhoff helps a young woman find her birth parents and unburies dark family secrets in this psychological thriller.
Police psychologist Dot Meyerhoff’s caseload is usually filled with cops—which is why she’s hesitant to help an adopted teenager locate her birth parents. But the teen’s godmother is Dot’s dear friend Fran and a police widow to boot. How could Dot possibly say no?
Once Dot starts digging into the case, though, she’s drawn into a murky world of illegal adoptions and the choices a young pregnant woman might make as a last resort. Soon there’s only one thing Dot knows for sure: the painful truth of what happened all those years ago might heal one family—but it’s certain to destroy another.
Praise for Call Me Carmela:
"Ellen Kirschmann’s front row criminal justice insight is woven throughout the mystery, and in Dot Meyerhoff, she’s created a hero the world needs: smart, big-hearted, and complex. This is a story that will stick with you long after you close the book." ~ Edgar-nominated author Jess Lourey
"Have a seat in Fran and Eddie’s Café and you are among friends who care about what happens to a teen desperately seeking the truth of her adoption. Ellen Kirschman seamlessly brings her expertise and empathy as a therapist for first responders in creating her fully realized amateur sleuth, Dr. Dot Meyerhoff. Call Me Carmela is like the perfect morning coffee, rich, smooth, and nuanced and leaving you craving for another cup." ~ Naomi Hirahara, USA Today bestselling and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author of Clark and Division and Evergreen
"Ellen Kirschman sees into people's hearts: not just those of the victims, or of the good guys, but the hearts of all her characters. With a rare delicacy of language she lets us know that no one's innocent, but no one's past redemption, either -- except those who refuse to try." ~ SJ Rozan, best-selling author of The Mayors Of New York
"Call Me Carmela is a firecracker of a read, a tour de force that immerses you in the characters' lives with empathy and insight. I couldn't put it down until I reached the very last page--I will be back for more Dot Meyerhoff. Highly recommended!" ~ Deborah Chrombie NYT bestselling author of the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James novels
"This latest in the Dot Meyerhoff series gets everything right, as we've come to expect from author Ellen Kirschman. Psychologically astute, its blend of intriguing mystery, topical subject matter and well-rounded characters make this a must-read for anyone who loves a great story." ~ Dennis Palumbo, psychotherapist and author of the Daniel Rinaldi mysteries
Ellen Kirschman, Ph.D. is a police psychologist. and clinician at the First Responders Support Network. She is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, The American Psychological Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Public Safety Writers Association. She is the recipient of the California Psychological Association’s award for distinguished contribution to psychology as well as the American Psychological Association’s award for outstanding contribution to the practice of police and public safety psychology. Ellen brings her expertise and decades-long experience to both fiction and non-fiction. She is the author of three non-fiction books and a five-book mystery series featuring police psychologist Dot Meyerhoff.
