A Quiet Life in the Country

Really cute and cozy.

Silly and cute, this was just what I wanted as a palate cleanser in between other books.

A charming but typical mystery set in the Victorian era

This was my first time reading a cozy mystery, and I think I chose pretty well. The pace is a lot slower than that of the books I usually read, with tons of details about daily life, which I mostly enjoyed, although it did get a little boring sometimes. Also, the mysteries seemed kind of poorly paced, or something. There was not much attention given to the first murder after the second murder, until the very end, and the solution was not really satisfying.

But I really like the friendship between Lady Hardcastle and Flo, and I'll probably keep reading the series for that. They're adorable together and it's easy to see why they charm so many of the other characters. Lady Hardcastle reminds me a little of Phryne Fisher, although she's much more whimsical than Phryne. But there isn't even a hint of romance in this book; the police inspector who reluctantly comes to like and respect Lady Hardcastle and Flo is a happily married man. Reading something with a devoted friendship at the center, rather than a romance, was a nice novelty for me.

It is overall a pleasant book, and I can imagine the series improving in quality as it continues.