Since the Great War, some family fortunes have suffered, including those of the Renshaws. Despite being the granddaughter of an earl, Julia Renshaw is under pressure to marry for money—and has settled for Gilbert Townsend, a viscount and a wealthy industrialist. He is decades older than Julia, and it’s clear to her sister Phoebe—and to Eva, who has been like a surrogate mother to the girls—that this is not a love match. Nevertheless, the wedding takes place—and in a hurry.
At the reception aboard the groom’s yacht, there appears to be tension between Gil and several guests: his best man, a fellow veteran of the Boer War; his grouchy spinster sister; and his current heir, a nervous young cousin named Ernest. The bride is also less than pleased when she discovers that her honeymoon will be more crowded than expected—with Gil’s pretty secretary, among others, coming along.
That very night, Julia pounds on her sister’s door, brandishing a bandaged hand and reporting a hot-tempered outburst on her new husband’s part. Julia is feeling doubt and regret about her hasty decision, but returns to the boat. Then the next morning, before the yacht can depart the harbor, Gil’s body is found in the water below—and Phoebe and Eva must discover who pushed him over . . . before the Renshaws’ social standing is irreparably stained by Julia’s arrest for his murder . . . (Summary via Goodreads)
Wow !! Nothing can prepare you for what A Murderous Marriage has in store for the reader. Alyssa Maxwell is effortlessly able to send the reader back in time with her words..... As soon as you open the book and begin reading, you feel like you just got out of a time machine and are back in the year 1920 where you would think things would be much easier and the stress factor would be low. But that is not the case when you hang around the Renshaw family.
In A Murderous Marriage you begin the story preparing for the eldest daughter Julia's wedding. She is to marry a viscount who is quite a number of years older than her. And even though the family wonders if this is the right thing for her to do, Lady Julia is determined to marry him.
Unfortunately in the middle of the night, the wedding night, Julia shows up at her sisters hotel room with a cut on her hand wondering if she did the right thing after her and her new husband had a fight. However once she calms down she realizes that she is being silly and returns to the yacht to her husband and her commitment. In the morning the groom is found washed up to shore causing the police to arrest Lady Julia and detain the remaining wedding guests to their hotel.
Lady Phoebe and her maid Eva know that there is no way that Lady Julia would have thrown her new husband overboard regardless of their fighting but it looks like the police only have eyes on her for the crime.
Lady Phoebe and Eva will do whatever it takes to prove Lady Julia's innocence, even if they have to cross some lines to do that. And the hotel is full of suspects from Gil's sister and brother to his best friend from the war to his too friendly secretary.
Maxwell will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what trouble the ladies are going to get in to and what secrets they will uncover and as you get closer to the end of the story, your heart will be racing as you turn the pages..........
Review by Missi S.
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