Stella and Lynd are married and on their honeymoon in York but when they arrived at their hotel, they discovered the honeymoon suite that Lyndy had booked had been given to a wealthy candy company owner by the smarmy hotel clerk for a tip. Our couple was given the Royal suite across the hall and when the maid goes to the honeymoon suite she starts screaming and we learn that the man has been murdered. Stella immediately starts investigating and finds some curious things in the room. Lyndy is worried that maybe they were the target. There's a visit to York by the two princess' and an attack by anarchists along with the business intrigue before Stella figures out what is going on while an adoring Lynley proudly lets her do her thing. ( )

I love mysteries and am always thrilled when I discover a new mystery author. This is the first mystery I’ve read by Clara McKenna and it certainly won’t be the last! Set in the Edwardian era in York, this whodunit kept me guessing and turning the pages. There’s romance, plenty of suspects, and delicious chocolate involved! I also enjoyed the historical details. There are three previous books in this series, but I felt like the author did a great job making this a standalone read while including helpful information from previous books. I’m excited to go back and read the other books in the series!

Viscount & Lady Lyndhurst are on their honeymoon hoping for a relaxing time in York, and no dead bodies. When they arrive at the Majestic Hotel, they’re dismayed to find their honeymoon suite has been booked that night by Horace Wingrove, England’s most famous chocolate confectioner. When the elderly gentleman winds up dead, at first it’s deemed an unfortunate accident. When the formula for his famous chocolates goes missing and other strange clues are discovered, Stella and Lyndy find themselves once again in the middle of a mystery.

Besides the murder, the police are stretched thin preparing for the unveiling of a statue of Queen Victoria who recently passed away. Anarchists continue to threaten the monarchy and the last thing they want to worry about is another murder. There’s also Wingrove’s suspicious interest in visiting York.

I really enjoyed Stella & Lyndy! Stella is the wealthy daughter of an American now married to the Viscount. She’s spunky, forthright, and not afraid to ask questions or search for clues. Lyndy is British aristocracy through and through clearly in love with his new wife. He adores Stella and she helps him overcome his natural reserve. I can’t wait to read the previous books to find out how their relationship developed. There’s plenty of romance since they are on their honeymoon, and while there’s some innuendo, the author keeps things firmly closed door. They work well together with Lyndy fully supporting his wife’s investigations.

The mystery is clever with multiple parts. There’re a slew of suspects: the nephew who stands to inherit the company, the controlling secretary, other chocolate competitors, shifty hotel staff, and hotel guests with various motivations. I also liked the other mystery involving Queen Victoria’s statue. While I had my suspicions, I wasn’t sure of who did what until the very end.

With plenty of action, suspects, twists and turns, beautiful descriptions of Yorkshire, and romance, this historical cozy mystery is a must read. I look forward to reading more from this author. There is some very mild infrequent swearing, and a mention of suicide for those sensitive to these issues. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. ( )

Murder At The Majestic Hotel is the fourth book in the Stella and Lyndy Mystery series by Clara McKenna.

Stella and Lyndy(Lady and Lord Lyndhurst) are heading to York for their honeymoon, where Lyndy has reserved the Honeymoon Suite. Lyndy approaches the manager's desk and soon learns their suite has been given to someone else somehow. They are told they may have the honeymoon suite the next day and are given the Royal Suite for the night. After settling into their suite, Lyndy approaches the man, Horace Wingrove, to discuss changing suites, but to no avail. During the night, they hear a disturbance coming from the hall, but by the time Lyndy gets presentable, no one is in the hallway. The next morning they are awakened by screaming. They find a chambermaid screaming for help. The maid asks for Stella and Lyndy to check the bedroom, and they see the dead body of Wingrove. Dr. Bell, also staying at The Majestic, says the cause of death is suffocation due to carbon monoxide poisoning. When the hotel manager hears this, he insists that the police be called to avoid bad publicity. Detective Sergeant Glenshaw arrives to investigate and is quick to say that his report will show that the death was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, even though Stella has her doubts and points out things that need to be considered. In the back of Glenshaw’s mind is that he should be Guidhall getting ready for the Royal Highnesses' visit the next day.

Stella, seeing that Glenshaw isn’t taking her suggestions seriously, will start her own investigation. Stella learns that Wingrove’s heir to his chocolate empire, Morgan Amesbury-Jones, is staying in the hotel as is Wingrove’s secretary, Miss Evan. She will find that the hotel’s staff are anything but completely honest and forthcoming. Stella hopes to learn who the killer is soon, so she and Lyndy can resume their romantic honeymoon.

The story is exciting, well-plotted, and written. The story has plenty of red herrings that I was kept guessing until the killer was announced. The characters are well-developed, interesting, and believable. The story is historically accurate, and the author provides notes explaining some of the events in the book.

I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in this series to see what adventures are in store for Stella and Lyndy. ( )

Three-and-a-half years ago when I read this author’s debut book, I had no idea I was discovering both a new favorite author and a new favorite series. We’re four books in now, and the writing quality is still excellent as is the quality and complexity of the mystery, and that doesn’t even mention the wonderful romance.

Lyndy and Stella are finally off on their honeymoon and they have chosen York as their destination. They are so excited to begin their new life together and can hardly wait to arrive at the Majestic Hotel in York where they have reserved the honeymoon suite. Only, when they try to check in, they find someone else is already in the honeymoon suite. They’ve had the reservations made for weeks – how can that be? The hotel manager offers them the Royal Suite instead, but Lyndy nor Stella is happy about that – and they confront the man in the room. The man, Horace Wingrove, will not budge and informs them that they can have the room starting tomorrow night. That, of course, doesn’t happen because a maid discovers the man’s body when she opens the room to clean it the next morning. He was an old and frail man; did he just die naturally in his sleep? If it wasn’t natural – was he the intended victim or was it Lyndy and Stella because they were supposed to be in the room?

Another hotel guest, Dr. Bertram Bell, is summoned to the room and quickly says the death was accidental asphyxia (carbon monoxide poisoning from the grate). The hotel, concerned about its reputation if the death was their fault, calls the police. When Detective Sergeant Thomas Glenshaw arrives, he sees no reason to rule it murder and is happy enough to rule it accidental – though they will investigate a bit further. DS Glenshaw is very unhappy to have been called out for such a minor thing – he should be totally focusing on the plans and security for the unveiling of the statue in honor of the late Queen Victoria that is being unveiled at the Guildhall.

Stella knows she should just forget about it and let DS Glenshaw handle it, but there are some things that niggle at her – and she just cannot sit back when she’s puzzled, she has to solve it. To add to her initial concerns, there are strange people who demand to speak with them, strange whispers in the hallway, hotel employees who seem to be tainted, and the victim’s heir, Morgan Amesbury-Jones, who seems as perplexed as everyone else. Nobody knows why Mr.Wingrove was even at the hotel because the reason he gave isn’t really why he was there.

Lyndy just wants to get on with their honeymoon, but Stella can’t curb her voracious curiosity. Lyndy knows that Stella’s intuition is rarely wrong and goes along with her. Can they solve Mr. Wingrove’s murder? Oh! And did I mention there are more murders, more attacks, and even a bombing? Yes! This book is filled with non-stop excitement and plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. There are murderer(s), anti-Royalists, disgruntled employees, thieves, happy reunions, and romance all in one book. Will Stella and Lyndy survive to solve the crime and finally get back to their honeymoon? Oh! You’ll just have to read this fast-paced, excellently plotted, and well-written story to find out. I hope you’ll read it and love Stella and Lyndy as much as I do. BTW, you can read this as a standalone book if you haven’t read the first three. There is enough background dribbled into it to get the gist of the series so far. However, to REALLY understand Stella – an American – and how she came to be betrothed to an English viscount, you really need to read at least the first book in the series. Happy reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

This fourth installment in the Stella and Lyndy historical cozy series is excellent, with a great plot and interesting characters and a bit of fun.

American Stella Kendrick, an heiress, and her new husband, Viscount Lyndy Lyndhurst are in the cathedral city of York on their honeymoon. Even though Lyndy reserved the honeymoon suite for an extended period, the couple arrived at the Majestic Hotel to find an elderly gentleman, Horace Wingrove, the head of England's best chocolate company staying in their suite.

Loved the characters in this one and, while this 4th book was the first I read, I had no trouble following along and, in fact, have just picked up a copy of the first book so I can quickly get up to speed in this series.

Very enjoyable!!

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) ( )