A Lesson in Love and Murder

Praise for
The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder

Book 1 in the Herringford and Watts Mysteries

“It's been a long time since I've had this much fun reading a historical novel, but [
The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder
] not only tickled my fiction-loving fancy, but made me want to put a Canadian stamp on my passport to discover the Toronto this author so clearly adores. This book is utterly delightful… and an all-around surprise. Fans of all incarnations of the Sherlock Holmes tales will love the humor, romance and sensibly feminist take on the mystery-solving-for-hire story. Highly, highly recommended!”

USA Today

“McMillan's delightful debut is an original, humorous tale. The author describes the 1910 Toronto setting incredibly well, immersing the reader from the beginning. Jem and Merinda are perfect foils for each other; levelheaded Jem balances impetuous Merinda. With shades of Sherlock Holmes, tongue-in-cheek footnotes, and a great whodunit, put this one on your must-buy list.”

Romantic Times

“Canadian author McMillan makes a terrific debut with this Edwardian mystery, mixing Sherlockian deduction with humor and a side order of romance. Her protagonists—the mischievous Merinda and the more levelheaded Jem—are sure to delight readers who will also enjoy the snappy dialog and plot twists. Historical fiction fans will be intrigued by the fascinating details on Toronto's early twentieth-century theater scene. A solid choice for devotees of Rhys Bowen's mysteries.”

Library Journal,
starred review

“Fresh and beguiling, the Bachelor Girls are an engaging new addition to the mystery scene. They tackle criminals with a combination of unique moxie and an irrepressible sense of adventure. I want to be friends with the Bachelor Girls!”

Deanna Raybourn,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey Mysteries

“In her fabulous debut, Rachel McMillan brings 1910 Toronto to rich and wonderful life. The intrepid Jem and Merinda make a winning detective team. Full of romance and derring-do,
The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder
will keep you turning pages.”

Nancy Herriman,
author of
No Comfort for the Lost

“Smart, sassy, and chic.
The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder
is all that and more. A fabulous historical. Encore, Rachel McMillan!”

Laura Frantz,
author of
The Mistress of Tall Acre

“A wonderful romp! McMillan's delightful debut introduces us to a beguiling and intrepid crime-solving duo. The two lovely ladies defy expectations and social norms as they lead us across early twentieth-century Toronto and into the heart of a compelling mystery… with a dash of romance on the side. Can't wait for more of these two and the adventure they'll lead us on next!”

Katherine Reay,
author of
The Brontë Plot

B
OOKS BY
R
ACHEL
M
C
M
ILLAN

H
ERRINGFORD AND
W
ATTS
M
YSTERIES

A Singular and Whimsical Problem

(ebook-only novella)

The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder

Of Dubious and Questionable Memory

(ebook-only novella)

A Lesson in Love and Murder

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Cover by Nicole Dougherty

Cover illustrations © Snusmumr, sibiranna / Shutterstock

Published in association with William K. Jensen Literary Agency, 119 Bampton Court, Eugene, Oregon 97404.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A LESSON IN LOVE AND MURDER

Copyright © 2016 by Rachel McMillan

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-6642-9 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6643-6 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: McMillan, Rachel, author.

Title: A lesson in love and murder / Rachel McMillan.

Description: Eugene Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, [2016] | Series: Herringford and Watts mysteries; 2

Identifiers: LCCN 2016009768 (print) | LCCN 2016016124 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736966429 (softcover) | ISBN 9780736966436 ()

Subjects: LCSH: Women detectives—Canada—Fiction. | Missing persons—Investigation—Fiction. | GSAFD: Mystery fiction.

Classification: LCC PR9199.4.M4555 L47 2016 (print) | LCC PR9199.4.M4555 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6—dc23

LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2016009768

All rights reserved.
No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author's and publisher's rights is strictly prohibited.

Dedication

F
OR
T
HOM
L
EVENE
,

Who not only inspired my lifelong love of story but taught me it was okay to be myself.

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks go to…

Kathleen Kerr. You went above and beyond (as per always) and are truly the brains behind this series.

The entire Harvest House team, for believing in me and my zany ideas.

Kathleen McMillan. My best friend, cookie-maker, research assistant, ledge-talker-offer. I “endeavour” to make you proud.

Gerry McMillan, RCMP chaplain, Canadian history buff, and teller of endless stories about his childhood summers in Riverton, Manitoba.

Jared and Tobin, who keep the infinity pool dream going strong.