Don’t Upstage the Body + Giveaway

Hippolyta Halfpenny and her family of professional mourners have perfected the theatrical art of grief. When the reclusive Lord Basil Monfort engages her family’s services for his own funeral, she vows it will be her last performance as she’s tired of the disguise. Then she discovers the undertaker’s body in the library and finds herself cast as an amateur sleuth in an undercover investigation. 
 
Rain washes away the roads, trapping the funeral party at Lord Monfort’s estate–with an unidentified killer in their midst. Bound by her father’s wishes to maintain their charade, Hippolyta must navigate a web of secrets spanning decades. But sorting truth from deception proves even more difficult when Lord Montfort’s charming yet perceptive heir suspects Hippolyta is not all she appears to be. 
 
Concealing her family’s true identities while unraveling secrets might be the role of Hippolyta’s life, but with a murderer among them, she must unmask the truth before the final curtain falls. 
 
With her Agatha Christie inspired voice, Naomi Stephens pens a 1950s manor house murder mystery where no one is who they seem. 

My Review:

Very much a classic cozy mystery along the lines of Agatha Christie and brilliantly executed. I was enchanted from the very first line, “The first body was exactly where it was supposed to be.” A bit of fine foreshadowing there since the second body was exactly where it wasn’t supposed to be!

The 1950s British setting adds all kinds of ambience to the mystery. As does the notion of a family of professional mourners! And in true Golden Age Mystery fashion a host of intriguing characters are stranded at a mansion…and one of them is a murderer. Bwahahaha!

There’s also some light romance with the most charming witty banter. I mean, really, can you ask anything more of a cozy mystery? Oh, yes, there’s also a cat! 🙂 Loved this to pieces and am hoping that Naomi Stephens has many more mysteries in her future (and ours!)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook – winner’s choice

Canada – ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Don’t Upstage the Body, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Wednesday July 18 2026.