The day I was asked to talk about a typical day in my life was the day all my plans for the upcoming Christmas season were subverted by my family. I am Frances Hazelton, the Countess of Harleigh. My family consists of my husband, George Hazelton, my daughter, Rose Wynn, George’s ward, who is also our cousin, Lissette Hazelton, and her half-sister, Christine Granger. Our home is in Belgravia, a quiet neighborhood of London.
It was December 19th, 1900 and I was enjoying the unseasonably balmy weather and feeling rather smug as I had finished my Christmas shopping and managed to purchase tickets for Her Majesty’s carols at Royal Albert Hall for the family. There was so much to do in London and there was such a festive mood to the city. I couldn’t imagine spending Christmas anywhere else.
My family had other ideas.
We are a rather diverse group so it’s no surprise that we have differing opinions. Christine and Lissette were raised in France and heartily embrace the ideals of Equality, Liberty, and Fraternity or in their case, Sorority and often dispute the very idea that George and I are in charge of our household. Rose, at nine years old, was more than willing to adopt the two older girls as sisters and frequently gave her staunch support to them, making every family decision a negotiation.
It was exhausting.
The moment I arrived at home, before I could even tell them about the carols, I was to learn that George’s sister, also my dear friend, Fiona had invited us to her and her husband’s estate in the village of Badenworth in Norfolk. She dangled the added inducement of snow. The young people were over the moon for the idea. It seemed there was always snow for Christmas in Chartres where Christine and Lissette had grown up. Rose had never seen snow at Christmas. Even George was eager to go.
What were carols at the Albert Hall and balmy weather when compared to the promise of snow?
We packed up our gifts and ourselves and took the two train rides to Badenworth where we were greeted by Fiona and her family, but no snow. Though snow was predicted, what we received instead was a punishing rain storm; an absolute gale! It took out the estate gasworks, damaged several houses in the village, downed telephone wires, and dropped trees across roads and rail tracks.
The last two issues were what took George, Fiona’s husband, the police sergeant, and all but one of his officers away from the village to help clean up the damage toward the coast and clear the roads.
Aside from the storm, that was a typical day. The only thing missing was a dead body which I happened to stumble over the following day. With George and all the police officials gone, it looked like I would have to investigate this one on my own. Happy Christmas!
A CHRISTMAS GUIDE TO FAMILY AND MURDER
Series: A Countess of Harleigh Mystery, Book 9
Genre: Historical Mystery 1900s
Release: September 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
A country Christmas in Victorian England takes a murderous turn in Agatha and Lefty Award winning author Dianne Freeman’s delightful mystery featuring Frances Hazelton, the former Countess of Harleigh, and her husband, George.
Frances and George are looking forward to a Christmas season enlivened by all the diversions London can provide. But family comes first, and George’s sister Fiona and her husband persuade everyone to gather at their Norfolk estate for the holiday. The weather will be chilly, but the prospect of snow delights the youngsters. And with blazing fires and invigorating country walks in store, Frances envisions a peaceful, jolly Christmas.
Instead of a picturesque snowfall, however, Norfolk is hit by pounding rainfall and high winds. In the aftermath of the storm, Frances, Fiona, and the children make an unpleasant discovery in a nearby field—the body of their neighbor, dead in suspicious circumstances. Joshua Penhollow was the local doctor, though not a well-respected one. Indeed, most viewed him as a quack, and even his own stepdaughter held a grudge against him.
With the menfolk gone to help clear a blocked road, the investigation falls to Frances and Fiona, who must also curb the young people’s excitement at encountering a real-life murder. Combing through a village full of colorful characters and more than a few suspects, Frances feels any hope of a quiet Christmas slipping away. But more pressing is the need to stop a killer whose heart is as cold as the season . . .
About the author
Dianne Freeman is a life-long book lover who left the world of corporate finance to pursue her passion for writing. After co-authoring the non-fiction book, Haunted Highway, The Spirits of Route 66, she realized her true love was fiction, historical mystery in particular. She also realized she didn’t like winter very much so now she and her husband pursue the endless summer by splitting their time between Michigan and Arizona.