A Novel Disguise (A Lady Librarian Mystery) by Samantha Larsen

About A Novel Disguise

A Novel Disguise (A Lady Librarian Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Imaginary English village, 1784
Crooked Lane Books (May 16, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639103465
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639103461
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B9WJ8FFT

When Miss Tiffany Woodall assumes the identity of her half-brother after his death, she realizes she isn’t the only one with a secret to hide in this historical series debut, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Sherry Thomas.

1784 London.Miss Tiffany Woodall didn’t murder her half-brother, but she did bury him in the back garden so that she could keep her cottage. Now, the confirmed spinster has to pretend to be Uriah and fulfill his duties as the Duke of Beaufort’s librarian while searching Astwell Palace for Uriah’s missing diamond pin, the only thing of value they own. Her ruse is almost up when she is discovered by Mr. Samir Lathrop, the local bookseller, who tries to save her from drowning while she’s actually just washing up in a lake after burying her brother.

Her plan is going by the book, until the rector proposes marriage and she starts to develop feelings for Mr. Lathrop. But when her childhood friend, Tess, comes to visit, Tiffany quickly realizes her secret isn’t the only one hidden within these walls. The body of a servant is found, along with a collection of stolen items, and someone else grows mysteriously ill. Can Tiffany solve these mysteries without her own disguise being discovered? If not, she’ll lose her cottage and possibly her life.

Author Guest Post

10 Frightful Fashions from the Eighteenth Century

By Samantha Hastings

Want a pair of perfectly shaped eyebrows? Try using mouse hair!
How do you like your taxidermy? Try it in your latest wig. Stuffed birds were particularly popular.
Is your unwashed hair and large wig causing your head to itch? Never fear, get your own ornamental “wig stick” to poke at the vermin until it gets so bad that you pay a wigmaker to boil the bugs out.
Can’t afford your own wig? You can make your own hair-pillow at home. Try different shapes to lift and expand your natural hair.
Wishing for glorious white hair? Try some hair powder. Bonus fact: the flour in it works like a modern-day dry shampoo.
Gentleman, are your legs too thin? Add a little definition to your calves by stuffing them with padding underneath your stockings.
Is your complexion spotty or pocked? It doesn’t matter if you are gentleman or a lady, both wear makeup! Including face powder, rouge, carmine for lips, and eyeshadow powders.
Tired of getting your boots all muddy? Wooden pattens worn underneath your shoes will lift you right out of the dirt.
Ladies, are your hips rather small and your backside flat? Do not despair, add a hip or bottom pillow to fill out your gown perfectly.
Lords, is your male area a bit small and unimpressive? Add padding to the front of your trousers and no one will doubt your virility again.

Enjoy many of these frightful fashions in A Novel Disguise, Crooked Lane Books (5/16/23).

About Samantha Larsen

Samantha Hastings 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’s the author of: The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter, A Royal Christmas Quandary, The Girl with the Golden Eyes, Jane Austen Trivia, The Duchess Contract, Secret of the Sonnets, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady, and A Novel Disguise. She also writes cozy murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen.