A Staged Death: A Lady Libraian Mystery By Samantha Larsen-Historical Mystery Audiobook Review

 Book Synopsis

A cozy historical mystery set in the 18th century—perfect for Bridgerton fans!

1787, Bath. Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop has catalogued the entire library at Astwell Palace and is feeling rather dull when Mr. Thomas Montague invites her and her husband, Samir, to visit Bath. Thomas begs Tiffany to help reconcile his mother, Catharine, the Marchioness of Harwood, on his engagement to the famous actress Miss Rosalyn Arden—a beautiful young woman with bright red curls and eyes of mismatched color.

Eager to see his beloved, Thomas stops at the Theatre Royal with Tiffany, and they discover a dead body wearing a red wig in Rosalyn’s dressing room. The body is that of Miss Julia Shakespeare, Rosalyn’s understudy and the person who has been blackmailing members of the acting company. Not only are the actors behaving suspiciously, but so are Rosalyn’s newly reconciled relatives, who cast her off nine years before when she jilted Sir Frederick Bingham, who then married her younger sister.

If all the world is a stage, then someone acting innocent must be the murderer. Can Tiffany solve the mystery before the final curtain?

Book Details

Listening Length	8 hours and 17 minutes
Author	Samantha Larsen
Narrator	Marni Penning
Audible.com Release Date	March 31, 2026
Publisher	Dreamscape First
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0GCGRPKHW

My Review

The Lady Librarian Mystery series has been such a fun and unique find for me. I just finished the fourth book, A Staged Death, and it was another great installment. I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator, Mani Penning, does a fabulous job, and it’s a perfect series to listen to.

This one is a historical cozy mystery set in the 1700s. The story follows Tiffany and her husband, Samir, as they head to Bath with their friend Thomas Montague. Poor Thomas has the worst luck with fiancés, and I was really rooting for his happily ever after this time! He’s engaged to a beautiful actress named Rosalyn, but since his mother (the Marchioness) doesn’t approve, he’s hoping Tiffany can help smooth things over.

Of course, Tiffany has a knack for finding dead bodies. This time, it’s Rosalyn’s understudy who ends up murdered. The plot gets pretty thick with two dead bodies and two innocent people accused of the crimes. I honestly wasn't sure if Tiffany would be able to exonerate them in time! It’s a well-plotted mystery that kept me guessing with plenty of secrets and blackmail. I tried playing armchair detective, but I couldn’t solve it myself. Luckily, Tiffany is on the case, and she knows what she's doing.

What I love most are the characters. The author has created such strong, intelligent women and men, and their relationships feel very modern for the time period. I also really enjoyed Lady Catherine and her young son, Beau; they added some much-needed humor to the story. The book also touches on heavier themes like racism and interracial marriage, which adds a lot of depth.

The setting is honestly gorgeous, too. The author's descriptions of Bath, from the social events to the makeup and hairstyles, make it so easy to visualize the world. I could perfectly imagine Rosalyn with her red curls and mismatched eyes. 

If you like a fast-paced mystery full of family secrets and great historical detail, I definitely recommend this one. It’ll keep you on your toes!

I received an audiobook copy from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley.

****Meet Author Samantha Larsen****

Samantha Larsen has degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of Reading (Berkshire, England), and the University of North Texas. She 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, drinking tea, and chasing her kids. She publishes historical romances under Samantha Hastings. Learn more at www.SamanthaHastings.com

~*~*~*~*Purchase A Staged Death ~*~*~*~*

HERE:

Audiobook: https://a.co/d/0fDN3Id9