Fiction

The Ambitious Stepmother

Reviews
The third book in the Countess Ashby de la Zouche mysteries

A third irrepressible outing for the ebullient Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her awesomely bosomed maid, Alpiew, a pair of Restoration detectives dubbed "Cagney and Lacey in corsets", although I'd add a strong dash of Laurel and Hardy to the mix. When the second Mrs Alderman Franklyn-Green recruits the bawdy countess to find a suitable husband for her shrew of a stepdaughter, the jolly gang are off to France and Versailles where, naturally, all havoc is soon set loose among the gambling, gay balls and treachery of the exiled English court. And the food is no great shakes either, as a guest is soon found poisoned. Plots within plots, culinary eccentricities, the Bastille's most mysterious prisoner and the discovery of Lord Whippingham's favourite depravity, involving women with strong teeth, pepper the uproarious progress of our two unconventional heroines. Fun never came so lusty.Maxim Jakubowski (The Guardian)

A humorous novel is a strange beast – too often the humor takes the place of plot and in a whodunit this is usually a sign that the novel will be as shallow (and silly) as a childrens’ paddling pool. When it is done well however the whole is a joy to behold and the humor adds an extra dimension. So you can have a jolly good laugh when you are reading this together with trying to figure out whodunit and why (not easy) and being impressed with the standard of the research … The Bastille, Louis XIV, the Man in the Iron Mask, peas, wolves, béchamel sauce and an interesting use for ladies with strong teeth are some of the ingredients in this glorious concoction of a novel. As usual the characters are lively and well drawn, the situations larger-than-life and plenty of humor of a frequently risqué – but never crude – style. This is the third outing for Ashby and Alpiew and I can comment that what started good seems to be getting even better and into its stride, now having a holiday from London and finding plenty of opportunities for murder, mayhem and mirth. This is not a period often portrayed in books so it all has the added dimension of being novel. Guaranteed to appeal to more people than just those who enjoy historical crime – this series seems to stand apart from the herd. MyShelf.com

Woo-hoo! The Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her maidservant, Alpiew have returned in their most exciting adventure yet! “The Ambitious Stepmother”, by Fidelis Morgan, is a wildly funny, wickedly decadent and immensely entertaining... a vastly entertaining story with marvelous characters, creative settings and exciting drama. Ms. Morgan is clearly the expert on the Restoration time, as evidenced by her accuracy of dialogue, characterizations and royal history of the era. Another fantastic adventure to be read and enjoyed!Books'n'Bytes