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Elizabeth Bailey
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The Dagger Dance (Lady Fan Mystery Book 7) Kindle Edition

by Elizabeth Bailey (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,360 ratings
Lady Fan returns in another twisty murder case! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Barbara Erskine and Jane Austen.

Can Lady Fan unravel another mystery…?

1793, England

After a not-so-relaxing holiday in Tunbridge Wells, Lady Ottilia and Lord Francis Fanshawe have returned to their home with a young orphaned girl, Pertesia ‘Pretty’ Brockhurst.

After losing both her parents in tragic circumstances, Pretty had been abandoned by the rest of her family and the childless Fanshawes have delighted in having her around.

But when her estranged grandfather turns up on their doorstep, Ottilia is worried she will lose the child she is growing so close to.

Meanwhile, their footman Hemp Roy, has run into trouble. After becoming reacquainted with Dorote, a woman from his past life in Barbados, Hemp is desperate to help her when she is accused of murder in Bristol.

And who better to turn to than his trusted Lady Fan?

Can Lady Fan save Dorote – and Hemp? Will she unmask the killer?

And what will happen to the poor orphan girl under her care…?

THE DAGGER DANCE is the seventh book in the Lady Fan Mystery series: historical romance murder mysteries with a courageous woman sleuth embarking on a traditional British, private investigation in eighteenth-century London.

‘The late Regency writer Georgette Heyer lives—and she's writing mysteries as Elizabeth Bailey!’ - Meritorious Mysteries
‘Ottilia is a strong, intelligent character with a real enthusiasm for detective work’ – She Reads Novels

‘They have everything you love in romances, plus continuing characters you can really come to love, and murders as well! Her heroine sleuth, Ottilia, is a fantastic character.’ - Historical Romance UK

LADY FAN HISTORICAL MYSTERY SERIES
BOOK ONE: The Gilded Shroud
BOOK TWO: The Deathly Portent
BOOK THREE: The Opium Purge
BOOK FOUR: The Candlelit Coffin
BOOK FIVE: The Mortal Blow
BOOK SIX: The Fateful Marriage
BOOK SEVEN: The Dagger Dance
BOOK EIGHT: The Unwanted Corpse
BOOK NINE: The Vengeance Trail
BOOK TEN: The Hanging Cheat
BOOK ELEVEN: The Killing Cave
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  1. Book 7 of 11
    Lady Fan Mystery
  2. Print length
    363 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    April 13, 2021
  5. File size
    2.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elizabeth Bailey is the author of more than a dozen Regency novels, including Mademoiselle At Arms, the Brides By Chance Regency Adventures, and the Lady Fan Mystery series. She grew up in Africa with unconventional parents, where she loved reading and drama. On returning to England, she developed her career in acting, theater directing and finally writing. Elizabeth lives in Sussex, England.

Esther Wane is a British actor and voice-over artist. After a career in finance Esther fulfilled a childhood dream of going to drama school in London, and her life as an actor began at age forty. She has a lifelong passion for literature and can often be found browsing bookshops at any spare moment. She owes her career in audiobooks to her impression of Joanna Lumley and has since narrated books in many genres, including memoir, politics, romantic fiction, and children's literature. She enjoys taking her listeners on a journey in time and space and bringing the characters on the page to life in their imagination. She lives with her family and collection of books in Hertfordshire, just outside London, where she has built a professional voice studio in the bottom of her garden.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08WRC9CFJ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books (April 13, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 13, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 363 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 1,360 ratings

About the author

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Elizabeth Bailey

Elizabeth Bailey

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Elizabeth Bailey grew up in Africa with unconventional parents, where she loved reading and drama. On returning to England, she developed her career in acting, theatre directing and finally writing.

Elizabeth's latest venture is The Lady Fan Mystery series, published by Sapere Books. The novels feature amateur sleuth Lady Ottilia Fanshawe and a cast of family members including her husband and champion Lord Francis Fanshawe. She originally published Regency romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon and has many titles in her Brides by Chance Regency Adventures series, now also published by Sapere, as well as standalone Regency and Georgian romances.

Elizabeth also writes edgy women's fiction: Her dual time novel Fly The Wild Echoes, which deals with past lives, and For One More Tomorrow, where the ghost of the real Macbeth returns, protesting his villainous portrayal by Shakespeare. And she has published a romantic suspense novella, Silence of a Stranger.

Elizabeth lives in Sussex, England. She is still an inveterate reader with eclectic tastes and she spends her spare time helping other writers improve their craft.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,360 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a fantastic read with a good mystery tale that includes unexpected twists. The characters are well-developed, and one customer particularly appreciates the lively description of the seedy parts of the city. They enjoy the romantic elements, with one review noting how the characters become partners in the truest sense.

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16 customers mention "Readability"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a fantastic read and part of a wonderful series.

"...There is no more bragging about how remarkable and incredible she is, which was a relief and to be welcomed...." Read more

"...They are worth reading." Read more

"...Book 1 was my favourite book as far as Tilly's quiet confidence and cleverness is concerned. However, much has changed in Tilly's life...." Read more

"I loved this series and have already ordered the next book" Read more

14 customers mention "Mystery story"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the mystery story, describing it as an exciting murder mystery with unexpected twists, and one customer notes that the author provides enough clues for readers to follow along.

"...Thankfully the author gave enough clues for me to remember...." Read more

"...And still I didn't get it right! Such a great story teller Miss Elizabeth!!! 🤗 Lynn..." Read more

"...The mystery is ok, but their aren't enough good guys to balance all the evil ones...." Read more

"...down as the author knows how to keep you in suspense and gives us the unexpected twists that make a great story...." Read more

9 customers mention "Character development"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one mentioning how entertaining it is to watch the characters interact.

"...It was much diverting to watch the characters interacting, the lively description of the seedy parts of city, the detailed menus as the heroes love..." Read more

"The characters are well fleshed out, but I have been the series for some time, so I accustomed to them...." Read more

"...The dialogue of the various characters was perfect and I chuckled over the reparte between Tillly and Francis, especially when Francis was..." Read more

"...about this series is the marital relationship and interactions between the two main characters...." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it beautifully crafted, with one customer highlighting its lively descriptions of city scenes and another noting its down-to-earth approach.

"...diverting to watch the characters interacting, the lively description of the seedy parts of city, the detailed menus as the heroes love their food,..." Read more

"...The reading is easy and entertaining - the kind of book you cherish when you disconnect from the obligations and immerse yourself in the whodunit...." Read more

"...Excellent writing and descriptions of people and places. It makes you wish you were there looking on." Read more

"The mystery was good as usual. I love the Fanshaw's down-to-Earth outlook and their actions are way beyond their time...." Read more

4 customers mention "Entertainment value"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, with one describing it as a delightful outing.

"...In all, it was much entertaining to follow this study as it showed the various colors of the involved protagonists from the lowly to the lofty, the..." Read more

"...The reading is easy and entertaining - the kind of book you cherish when you disconnect from the obligations and immerse yourself in the whodunit...." Read more

"...As enjoyable as the first six books, the Dagger Dance engages the reader and is a great read!" Read more

"Another delightful outing for Lady Fan..." Read more

3 customers mention "Romance"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the romantic elements of the book, with one review highlighting how Lady Fan and her partner become true partners.

"...I liked the quiet wit full and easily understood relationship she shares with her husband, it is one of mutual respect and appreciation...." Read more

"...What I really enjoy about this series is the marital relationship and interactions between the two main characters...." Read more

"So enjoy the relationship between Lady Fan & her husband. And I so enjoy how she takes no guff from anyone!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Élodie Nicoli
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good mystery tale
    Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Will they be able to clear a slave’s name by revealing the true culprit...

    Yesterday after reading the three first chapters, I had to switch this book for the first one in this series, to get to know the main characters as the beginning of my reading gave me a first wrong impression about Ottilia.
    So now that I have gripped some insights about the heroine’s characters, I can come back to this book.
    I still have to determine who is who in the many side characters, but I now have a global picture with some holes to fill.
    And while at first I was prejudicial about Ottilia, after reading the first book, I appreciated her much more. There is no more bragging about how remarkable and incredible she is, which was a relief and to be welcomed.
    I liked the quiet wit full and easily understood relationship she shares with her husband, it is one of mutual respect and appreciation. Together they are for better and for worse.

    I won’t say much about the murder investigation, but for this one, I did not see coming the culprit, but I should have. Yet Ottilia is someone who cares, perhaps too much, still it is because of her deep empathy she jumps immediately to the rescue of her employee turned friend Hemp.
    And determined she is once she ascertains the designed culprit is in fact an other victim.
    However my mind was more focused on the many interactions between the main characters, the changes rightly occurring in Ottilia and Francis’s life and those to come soon as my suspicions were priced right, and also what about Hemp and his ladylove Doro.

    In all, it was much entertaining to follow this study as it showed the various colors of the involved protagonists from the lowly to the lofty, the enslaved to those walking free.
    A great paint of the period, right before a new lengthy war takes its toll.
    It was much diverting to watch the characters interacting, the lively description of the seedy parts of city, the detailed menus as the heroes love their food, and to put clue with clue.
    5 stars

    𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 some embraces
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Allen
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The characters are well fleshed out, but I have been the series for some time, so I accustomed to them.

    The author touches on subjects that should be more discussed, but that's not the point of her books.

    They are worth reading.
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  • S. Ray
    5.0 out of 5 stars Tilly's back and she is on FIRE!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    “What threat did you use, my ruthless one?”

    Book 1 was my favourite book as far as Tilly's quiet confidence and cleverness is concerned. However, much has changed in Tilly's life. She has become a titled lady, embraced her husband's family including the indomnitable Lady Sybilla(my favourite secondary character) and has had to deal with the fallout of losing a cherished baby. Francis and Tilly have weathered this loss and Francis has now accepted the presence of Pretty from Book 6.
    Tilly seemed to have lost some of her self confidence from about Book 3 and at times appeared to be quite exasperating except when investigating a murder.
    Tilly and Francis' relationship seems stronger than ever in this book and their obvious love for each other shone throughout. I have stated in other reviews that I adore Tilly's humour, her adorable gurgle and her penchant for placing her hand on her 'dearest dear's' chest. The dialogue of the various characters was perfect and I chuckled over the reparte between Tillly and Francis, especially when Francis was commenting on Tilly's appetite as well as her drinking tea instead of coffee. (I will say no more of that)
    The continuation of the storyline of slavery and ownership is woven throughout the main story as well as Hemp and Doro's story. Although Elinor Scalloway has a deplorable attitude towards her ownership of Doro, I am acutely aware of the fact that Elinor herself was 'sold' off to Marcus Scalloway by her father as a contractual marriage. Also rumbling in the background is the French Revolution and its effect on the economy.
    Once this book hit my Kindle reader, I schooled myself to read the book over several days rather than scoff it down in one hit as I always do with Lady Fan mysteries. Here's hoping to continued good fortune for the Fanshawes!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Deloris G.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Tillie to the rescue
    Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Ottilia can't help herself. When someone needs her she drops everything to respond. It had been awhile since I read the previous book in this series, so it took me a few minutes to reorient my mind as to what occurred in the last mystery. Thankfully the author gave enough clues for me to remember. What I really enjoy about this series is the marital relationship and interactions between the two main characters. Often in the regency books, the book ends with either the marriage or promise of such, and you may encounter the couple in future books but only in passing. With this series you get to follow along with their sometimes disagreements and then making up again. They become partners in the truest sense. I'd recommend starting with the first book in the series and read them in order to get the fullest appreciation of the couple.
    Helpful
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  • Vicky Lee
    4.0 out of 5 stars want more book like this one
    Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this series and have already ordered the next book
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  • Lynn
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Long List of Suspects
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I kept perfect notes on each character so I could guess the culprit! And still I didn't get it right! Such a great story teller Miss Elizabeth!!! 🤗
    Lynn
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Mary Hearn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Lady Fan is such a wonderful Character.
    Very gripping plot from start to finish.
    Loved it very much. Can't wait for the next book.
    Report
  • Ann Fox
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful series
    Reviewed in Australia on April 23, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Found these books wonderful to read
    Hoping they will continue so I can find out what happens in the future
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Very entertaining book
    Report
  • Long Life Fun Life
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mixing mystery, romance and hard issues
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Elizabeth is a past master at writing mysteries that intrigue and delight. Her female sleuth, Lady Fan, is all too human, depressed by miscarriages. But give her a murder to solve and her brain goes into overdrive. Her powers of observation and sharp wit make the pages turn. This time, it is her black Barbadian steward's first love who is in trouble. Steward Hemp found Doro in a pitiful state as a downtrodden slave in Bristol. Then she is accused of murder and Lady Fan hurries to their aid. Her liberal views make Lady Fan furious that this poor girl suffers so much and she vows to free her as well as solving the mystery. There are many suspects and as usual, it's hard to guess who is the wicked perpetrator. So tension is sustained until the end of the book. At the same time, Lady Fan's fortunes change and fortune shines on Hemp and Doro too. A great read.
    Report
  • Rachel Priddle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
    Reviewed in Australia on May 5, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Have enjoyed the whole series
    Report

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