Once Upon a Murder

February 28, 2024

Once Upon a Murder

Once Upon a Murder (A Lady Librarian Mystery)
by Samantha Larsen

About Once Upon A Murder

Once Upon a Murder (A Lady Librarian Mystery) by Samantha Larsen

Publication Date: February 20, 2024
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639106219
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639106219
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C4J6WW7B

Miss Tiffany Woodall must sleuth the slaying of a footman to clear her beloved’s name in the second Lady Librarian mystery, in the vein of Deanna Raybourn and perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

1784 England. Officially hired as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort, Miss Tiffany Woodall is through with masquerades and murders for good. That is, until she stumbles upon the frozen dead body of former footman Mr. Bernard Coram. The speed with which her peaceful new life is upended is one for the record books: the justice of the peace immediately declares her the primary suspect in the murder.

As Tiffany hunts for the truth to clear her name, she learns that Bernard got into a fight over a woman at the local pub the night of his death–but he was also overheard blackmailing Samir. The justice of the peace arrests Samir, and Tiffany realizes that her life may have more in common with a tragic play than a light-hearted romance.

With her love locked up in jail and her own reputation on the line, Tiffany must attempt to solve the murder before the book closes on her or Samir’s life.

About Samantha Larsen

Samantha Larsen met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of North Texas, and the University of Reading (UK). She also writes historical romances under Samantha Hastings. Learn more at www.SamanthaHastings.com

Q&A With the Author

What was your inspiration for writing this book?
Once Upon a Murder is the second book in the Lady Librarian mysteries series. In the first book, Miss Tiffany Woodall’s library purchasing and murder solving was focused on Gothic stories. For this second book, Tiffany is buying children’s books for the young duke and accidentally finds herself in a fairy tale: there’s a dead body outside of her cottage in the woods.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I really enjoyed delving into the history of the publication of fairy tales. The term ‘fairy tale’ was coined by Marie-Catharine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d’Aulnoy. Also known as Comtesse d’Aulnoy. She published in French many fairy tales fairytales including “Finette Cindron,” or “Cunning Cinders” (1697). Charles Perrault’s famous, Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals: Tales of My Mother Goose was published that same year in French.

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?
The Stringham Family series is set during the Regency era and each book has a new romance. The first story The Duchess Contract is free: https://books2read.com/u/mY8AYd
The Marquess and the Runaway Lady is a Regency Cinderella with a fairy tale ending. This series is published under Samantha Hastings.

Can you tell us about what you have planned for the future?
I have a new book coming out May 13, 2024 called By Any Other Name by Samantha Hastings. After her parent’s untimely deaths, Jenny discovers that she once had another family and a different name.

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?
You are as clever as Finette Cindron (Cinderella) and even better than Miss Goody Two Shoes! Thank you so much for reading my stories. If you’d like to keep in touch or learn more about me, check out my website: www.SamanthaHastings.com