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The Hanging Cheat (Lady Fan Mystery Book 10) Kindle Edition

4.5 out of 5 stars 939 ratings

The Fanshawes are back in another twisty mystery! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Barbara Erskine and Jane Austen.

Who hanged the body in the woods…?

1796, England

Heavily pregnant Lady Ottilia Fanshawe should not really be travelling. But when her sister-in-law dies, she goes with her husband Francis to comfort her brother and her two nephews.

And of course it’s not long before the services of her alter-ego, Lady Fan, are required.

While playing in the woodlands, the two boys come across a gruesome discovery. A dead man is hanging from a tree.

The corpse is quickly identified as the local justice, Hector Penkevil, a man universally disliked for his meanness.

And it’s soon clear that his death was not suicide, but murder.

With Penkevil so disliked in the community, how can Lady Fan narrow down the suspects? Will she find the killer?

And can she solve the mystery before she is forced to bed with her pregnancy…?

THE HANGING CHEAT is the tenth 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 England.

‘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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There are 11 books in this series.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elizabeth Bailey is the author of more than a dozen Regency novels. She lives in England.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CJC6C1H9
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 24, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 353 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0854951949
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 10 of 11 ‏ : ‎ Lady Fan Mystery
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 939 ratings

About the author

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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

4.5 out of 5 stars
939 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's story engaging with plenty of intrigue, and one review notes how well it's situated in historical context. Moreover, the book receives positive feedback for its readability, character development, and complexity. Additionally, customers praise the writing quality and consider it a wonderful addition to the series.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

11 customers mention "Story quality"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story's intrigue and well-developed plot, with one customer noting its fast-paced narrative and well-rounded suspects.

"...well-written, the characters well-defined, and the story well-situated in the historical context. Overall this is a good read." Read more

"...Elizabeth Bailey's characters and plot are so well developed that it is nigh unto impossible to put the book down for more than a brief period...." Read more

"...Great supporting characters. Wonderful sense of time and place. Plenty of intrigue. Keeps you guessing!" Read more

"...This delightful story reintroduced us to Lady Fan's brother and his sons, but a new character has come forth that appears to become a semi regular...." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and easy to read, with one customer noting it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story.

"...Overall this is a good read." Read more

"...This can certainly be read as a stand-alone book, but I would encourage a new reader to devour the entire series to meet other characters who are..." Read more

"...How Lady Fan solved this crime gives you an enjoyable read." Read more

"...I experience the same delicious but with your books. The story begins, and pay attention as clues and hints are left along the way...." Read more

6 customers mention "Series quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy this book as a part of the series, with one customer noting it's a well-written addition.

"This is a well-written addition to the series...." Read more

"This series only gets better ! I have to say, Ms Bailey! You’ve left is with a double cliffhanger here!..." Read more

"...Such a wonderful character and such a great read all around. Wonderful series, a good read alone but don't miss the rest!" Read more

"If you love solving mysteries, this series is a must read you won't want to put down! Get it now!" Read more

5 customers mention "Character development"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one review highlighting the compassionate heroine.

"...Still the book is well-written, the characters well-defined, and the story well-situated in the historical context. Overall this is a good read." Read more

"...Strong, intelligent, warm and compassionate heroine and hero. Great supporting characters. Wonderful sense of time and place. Plenty of intrigue...." Read more

"A lot of cover-up! Great story loved the characters. No one mourns the deceased but the law demands the truth! Hope there is a book 11! Lynn" Read more

"I am in awe of the fabulous Lady Fan! Such a wonderful character and such a great read all around...." Read more

3 customers mention "Complexity"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book nicely complicated, with one mentioning it's easy to become invested in the story.

"...It has been easy to become invested in wanting to see them through scary situations, sad times, and now the unexpected news regarding this upcoming..." Read more

"...Nice and complicated, this one. Very enjoyable!" Read more

"Nicely complicated..." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written, with one mentioning nice wordbuilding.

"...Still the book is well-written, the characters well-defined, and the story well-situated in the historical context. Overall this is a good read." Read more

"A mystery full with well rounded suspects and nice wordbuilding set on the last years of the 18th century...." Read more

"Each book was well written and constructed. The characters were all endearing. Except of the true villains...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2023
    Lady Fan is at it again, this time with the blessing of her husband. While she is making a condolence visit to her brother whose wife has died, the local misanthrope is found dead in the woods and not by natural means. Pregnant though she is, Lady Fan prolongs her stay to investigate, aided by her husband and nephews, and uncovers the secrets of the neighborhood. The final solution is not as satisfying as I would like--I almost down-graded the rating. It is of a sort of ending that feels a bit like a cheat. Still the book is well-written, the characters well-defined, and the story well-situated in the historical context. Overall this is a good read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2024
    This is a well-written addition to the series. Each time I read one of these, I must reacquaint myself with the language--she writes in the phrasing of the period (mostly).

    I'm looking forward to the next addition!
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
    No need for me to delve into the story, as you can read the blurb for yourself. Elizabeth Bailey's characters and plot are so well developed that it is nigh unto impossible to put the book down for more than a brief period. She uses the language of the period and place so expertly that I find myself reading with various accents and voices (in my head) for each character. This can certainly be read as a stand-alone book, but I would encourage a new reader to devour the entire series to meet other characters who are mentioned within. Each mystery is well crafted, definitely worth the time. Enjoy!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2024
    Love the relationship between the female and male leads. Strong, intelligent, warm and compassionate heroine and hero. Great supporting characters. Wonderful sense of time and place. Plenty of intrigue. Keeps you guessing!
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2023
    Ottilia is in the country visiting her recently widowed brother when her nephews discover a body. Tillie has been inactive due to her pregnancy and so is very happy to take on the investigation. The victim is an obnoxious, vicious man that everyone is happy to see dead, which makes pinpointing a likely suspect difficult. Added to that are the discovery of some (to Ottilia) shocking, adulterous liaisons. Characters new and old enliven the story and the solution is satisfactorily complicated. I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one which will hopefully include some of the new chartacters introduced here.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2024
    Not only does Lady Fan solve the murder but we are allowed to accompanied her while she does it. This delightful story reintroduced us to Lady Fan's brother and his sons, but a new character has come forth that appears to become a semi regular. There are numerous suspects who had a beef with the victim, including his family. How Lady Fan solved this crime gives you an enjoyable read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2023
    The Hanging Cheat was an eloquent story about an wife and husband detective team murder mystery where the whole town is full of precariously flawed residents who play well into a good "who done it." I found at times it was lagging and boring but overall it kept me on my toes and it was a fun exploration into the minds of people in a time of great chaos. Would definitely recommend to anyone that enjoys historical fiction and Agatha Christie.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2024
    The answer to this mystery was not confirmed for me until just before the final “puzzle pieces” were revealed. I have thoroughly enjoyed each Lady Fan Mystery, with so many plot twists, reversals of opinion with seeming good guy/bad guy characters and especially the interactions of Lady Ottilia and her husband,Francis. It has been easy to become invested in wanting to see them through scary situations, sad times, and now the unexpected news regarding this upcoming birth. I so look forward to the next book in this series.

Top reviews from other countries

  • wizzie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow wow and again wow!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2025
    Ploughing through the series of absolutely wonderfully powerfully told stories.. loved every word of these intriguing powerful books.
    Well done.
  • Putchuco
    1.0 out of 5 stars really!?
    Reviewed in Germany on January 30, 2024
    A wife who cheats on her husband with Alzheimer’s, a doctor who cheats on his wife with cancer, a disabled man being the murderer, the priest who only thought about helping him being punished for it and a selfish pregnant woman who risks the lives of her own babies!!! That is a No No dearest dear!
  • Christina M
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable early Georgian murder mystery
    Reviewed in Australia on September 16, 2024
    This early Georgian murder mystery is very enjoyable. It's nice to read something set before the Regency but I forgot how many medical advances came then and later. This is a very involved mystery with a lot of sub plots and a wide cast of characters.
  • Cynthia Southwell
    4.0 out of 5 stars book 10
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2024
    I felt somewhat let down as the story left some of the story line without being finished but is there is a book finishing things in book 10 l can’t wait to read it.
  • Joyce West
    5.0 out of 5 stars I love it!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2024
    In a way I'm lucky that I came late to this series so was able to binge until this last book where I required patience. I enjoy the way that relationships and mystery merge to result in an almost retro Agatha Christie way within the correct manners of the day. This book with the hanging man and junior input gripped me from the start. I now wait patiently for the next book.

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