What do you think?
Rate this book
Freddy Pilkington-Soames Adventures #4
A Case of Duplicity in Dorset
When the Duke of Purbeck throws a house party to celebrate his daughter's twenty-first birthday and present her with a family heirloom, nobody expects that the weekend will end in murder. The fabled Belsingham pearls have a history steeped in blood and slaughter dating back more than a century—and now it seems they've claimed another life, when the interfering and opinionated Professor Coddington is found dead in the library with the pearls clutched in his hand. It looks like a robbery gone wrong, but then why didn't the thief take the necklace? And how did he escape unnoticed, given that half the guests were seemingly wandering around the house at the time of the murder?House guest Freddy Pilkington-Soames has enough on his plate already, with a lecherous nuisance of a grandfather to keep an eye on, a girlfriend his mother disapproves of, and an ex-girlfriend who's engaged to another man but shows signs of changing her mind. But with a killer on the loose in the house, it's time to forget his own troubles and rise to the occasion—or risk a scandal that could destroy the reputation of his whole family.
278 pages, Paperback
Published September 14, 2019
160 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Clara Benson
33 books341 followersClara Benson is the author of the Angela Marchmont Mysteries and Freddy Pilkington-Soames Adventures - traditional English whodunits in authentic style set in the 1920s and 30s. One day she would like to drink cocktails and solve mysteries in a sequinned dress and evening gloves. In the meantime she lives in the north of England with her family and doesn't do any of those things.
If you want to be the first to hear about new releases, and to receive a free, exclusive short story, sign up to her mailing list at clarabenson.com/newsletter.
If you want to be the first to hear about new releases, and to receive a free, exclusive short story, sign up to her mailing list at clarabenson.com/newsletter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 31, 2023
3.5 stars for another fun, cozy outing with Freddy, ace reporter, man about town and amateur detective. Read with the Detectives group, I always listen to the audiobooks while knitting- this is a fluffy, charming but lightweight series that doesn’t take a lot of concentration.
This time Freddy, his gossip columnist/socialite mother and lecherous grandfather are visiting their relative, a duke, for a country house party celebrating the daughter of the house’s upcoming birthday. She is to wear the family’s famous heirloom pearls at the birthday dinner; there’s an interesting selection of guests, as expected, including a pompous professor who manages to rub everybody the wrong way - until he’s found dead on the library floor, pearls clutched in hand, the door to one of the house’s secret passages open behind him.
The police are of course called in, but Freddy can’t resist investigating. The book stuck a bit and rambled over the secret passages, but Freddy solved the case as usual. Fun and entertaining, an easy listen.
This time Freddy, his gossip columnist/socialite mother and lecherous grandfather are visiting their relative, a duke, for a country house party celebrating the daughter of the house’s upcoming birthday. She is to wear the family’s famous heirloom pearls at the birthday dinner; there’s an interesting selection of guests, as expected, including a pompous professor who manages to rub everybody the wrong way - until he’s found dead on the library floor, pearls clutched in hand, the door to one of the house’s secret passages open behind him.
The police are of course called in, but Freddy can’t resist investigating. The book stuck a bit and rambled over the secret passages, but Freddy solved the case as usual. Fun and entertaining, an easy listen.
January 23, 2023
This book is set at a country estate of one of Freddy's family, to celebrate a 21st birthday dinner. The present from her parents will be a necklace of pearls, an heirloom that an ancestor won over a century before. There are quite a few friends and relatives gathered together for this celebration, but unfortunately the pearls go missing, although they have been substituted by fakes. At first nobody notices the substitution, apart from an interfering professor, who wishes to take a closer look at said necklace. It is not long before the professor is found dead clutching the pearls, putting all the guests under suspicion. It seems the house is absolutely riddled with secret passages, and a number of the guests are having fun with them.
I enjoyed the book, as a romp with Freddy is always fun. However, I was pretty sure who had substituted the fake pearls for the real ones very early in the book, but I was at a loss about the murderer, and how it the murder was accomplished.
I enjoyed the book, as a romp with Freddy is always fun. However, I was pretty sure who had substituted the fake pearls for the real ones very early in the book, but I was at a loss about the murderer, and how it the murder was accomplished.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 24, 2017Another strong entry from Benson (though again Freddy is far less insouciant than he appeared to be in the initial series). I do hope
August 2, 2022
This was a pleasant cozy mystery. I must say though that I knew who would be the victim as soon as he was introduced to the story. Professor Coddington couldn't have been more disagreeably unpleasant if he tried. It's as if he derived great pleasure from goading people with his condescending, arrogant attitude. No one was sorry that he was dead. But Freddy's inquisitive nature and sharp intelligence saved the family from total scandal. It was an enjoyable read.
2nd reading Dec.2020 - ‘If this were a novel,’ went on Kitty, ‘Professor Coddington is the sort of person who’d be found dead in the study with a knife in his back, and we’d all be suspects.’
‘So he is,’ said Freddy. ‘And who should you have as the murderer?’
2nd reading Dec.2020 - ‘If this were a novel,’ went on Kitty, ‘Professor Coddington is the sort of person who’d be found dead in the study with a knife in his back, and we’d all be suspects.’
‘So he is,’ said Freddy. ‘And who should you have as the murderer?’
March 4, 2023
Guessed one of the crimes early in the book, but loved the Freddy mystery with its fun and odd characters.
November 24, 2017
I have no words to describe how much I enjoyed this latest Clara Benson mystery. I am a huge fan of the Angela Marchmont series, and I've been loving the Freddy books. The dialogues make me smile and even laugh out loud. The characters are always eccentric enough to make them fun, but not too much that they are not relatable. I love Freddy and the soft spot in his heart that he works so hard to hide. But this volume also did the unthinkable: it completely had me in the dark until the very end. I had no idea who killed the dead guy, who stole the jewels and, more importantly, how any of this had happened. If this series keeps getting any better, Goodreads will run out of stars.
September 8, 2024
A wild castle mystery
Freddy spends a weekend with relatives and their guests, and the strain is only magnified when a dead body is found. Nothing is really what it seems, and it’s a great opportunity for Freddy to do some detecting, and to think about what (and who) he really wants.
Freddy spends a weekend with relatives and their guests, and the strain is only magnified when a dead body is found. Nothing is really what it seems, and it’s a great opportunity for Freddy to do some detecting, and to think about what (and who) he really wants.
December 31, 2017
Freddy comes into his own! Darn clever figuring things out. There is romance! There is murder! His proximity to the aristocracy makes it all more illustrative. I enjoyed the references to the Duke in this book being very down to earth (my phrase). I very much look forward to more Freddy books.
February 25, 2018
First half boring due to the predictable upper class English setting and characters confusing.
It picked up and became a twisty mystery that Benson is known for
It picked up and became a twisty mystery that Benson is known for
December 19, 2020
Such a fabulous little book...
I'm going to reiterate what several other reviewers have said. The Freddy books are a wonderful mix of Agatha Christie and PG Wodehouse. That said, they have one more facet that gives them their own particular charm. Continuity and character growth (at least in my opinion). There's much to be said for keeping your characters very stable and letting the plot be the focus. Rex Stout did it memorably through more than 70 or 80 stories I think, in which Nero Wolfe and Archie stayed ageless and almost the same from the first book to the last. We know a little more about Poirot and Marple, but not much. And while I loved reading PG Wodehouse I rarely came to care about the characters as I have come to care about Freddy. Start with the Angela Marchmont series and you will see Freddy growing up in very subtle ways right before your very eyes. And I can't wait to see what happens to him next :-)
I don't know if author's read reviews but Clara Benson if you're reading this thank you for creating Freddy and for pricing the books so cheaply that I can chain-smoke my way though them. I started on the 1st Freddy book randomly, loved it and bought the second. Enjoyed it so much that I did some research and found he was a spin-off from another series. So then I had to take a slight detour and make my way through the Angela Marchmont series. I enjoyed those (mostly cos of the Freddy bits) but they were certainly much heavier emotionally, specially towards the end. I love this series because I find myself randomly laughing out loud and they have become my go-to when I need a pick-me-up. Now many weeks later I'm still buying the books like an addict and I'm dreading the time when I'll run out of them! Off to buy book 6 now...
I'm going to reiterate what several other reviewers have said. The Freddy books are a wonderful mix of Agatha Christie and PG Wodehouse. That said, they have one more facet that gives them their own particular charm. Continuity and character growth (at least in my opinion). There's much to be said for keeping your characters very stable and letting the plot be the focus. Rex Stout did it memorably through more than 70 or 80 stories I think, in which Nero Wolfe and Archie stayed ageless and almost the same from the first book to the last. We know a little more about Poirot and Marple, but not much. And while I loved reading PG Wodehouse I rarely came to care about the characters as I have come to care about Freddy. Start with the Angela Marchmont series and you will see Freddy growing up in very subtle ways right before your very eyes. And I can't wait to see what happens to him next :-)
I don't know if author's read reviews but Clara Benson if you're reading this thank you for creating Freddy and for pricing the books so cheaply that I can chain-smoke my way though them. I started on the 1st Freddy book randomly, loved it and bought the second. Enjoyed it so much that I did some research and found he was a spin-off from another series. So then I had to take a slight detour and make my way through the Angela Marchmont series. I enjoyed those (mostly cos of the Freddy bits) but they were certainly much heavier emotionally, specially towards the end. I love this series because I find myself randomly laughing out loud and they have become my go-to when I need a pick-me-up. Now many weeks later I'm still buying the books like an addict and I'm dreading the time when I'll run out of them! Off to buy book 6 now...
August 15, 2022
My first Clara Benson. Didn't even know it was the fourth in the series until I clicked on goodreads to review it. Doesn't really matter. It's very much a stand alone.
The book can be broken into three acts.
Act one, the very first half of the book.
This one was a bit boring. It sets up the location and introduces the characters as the typical English upper crust. Thing is they have no personalities so they blend into each other. This part was confusing as I could never tell who's who.
Act two, Second half. Post murder.
The victim was obvious. murderer less so but mostly because the characters blend in so I was never sure who's who. Still this part was fun and tortuous, both the writing and characters are smart so it never feels like the author is cheating.
Act three, last 10 pages.
We get the twist after the twist and a bizarre, out of character action scene. This one felt out of place but not too bad.
Overall this one was a slow starter but once you get past the boring set up it's just pure fun.
January 4, 2018
I loves Benson’s series about Angela Marchmont, and I’ve read all of the books in this spinoff series about one of the characters from that series, Freddie Pilkington-Soames. Alas, I just don’t like these as well, and this installment was a real slog for me. The plot—a classic country-house mystery, where one of the guests is murdered and another is the murderer—felt a bit stilted to me. The cast of characters, which is so important to this kind of plot, consisted of younger folks whose personalities weren’t distinct enough to make them interesting, and some older characters whose reasons for being invited to the house seemed confusing. I honestly never understood what the character who got murdered was doing there in the first place.
Don’t know that I’ll be reading any more of these. This was a perfectly fine winter-break read, but there are better cozies out there.
Don’t know that I’ll be reading any more of these. This was a perfectly fine winter-break read, but there are better cozies out there.
February 2, 2023
This is a fun series which is improving as I read on. It is very light and I am enjoying these in-between other books. This book sees journalist Freddy and his mother, Cynthia, heading to the family home of their aristocratic relatives, the Duke and Duchess of Belsingham for the twenty first birthday dinner of his cousin, Lady Rose. Freddy invites Daphne and her aunt, while still hankering after the lovely Iris Bagshaw, now engaged to another. There are a good cast of possible suspects, including a foreign dressmaker, Rose's brother and heir, nicknamed 'goose,' Iris's intended, an old friend of Cedric, the Duke, a displaced vicar and an unpleasant academic.
Of course, there is murder, as well as missing pearls and some romantic misunderstanding. The police are not keen for Freddy to be involved, but it is our foppish hero who solves the crime. I look forward to reading on.
Of course, there is murder, as well as missing pearls and some romantic misunderstanding. The police are not keen for Freddy to be involved, but it is our foppish hero who solves the crime. I look forward to reading on.
December 5, 2017
A cracking read, definitely the best Freddy yet. In this, the fourth book of the series, he finally leaves London behind and sets off for a pleasant country house party with various members of his family (headed by the Duke and Duchess of Purbeck) and an array of other eccentric characters. What with a body in the library, a stolen necklace, secret passages and lots of guests creeping about in the middle of the night, this is perfect murder mystery escapism.
Here’s the plot: the Duke and Duchess of Purbeck are hosting a party to celebrate the twenty-first birthday of their daughter, Ro, at which she will wear the famous Belsingham pearl necklace. But several of the guests have pasts they wish to conceal, which makes things awkward when the trouble-making Professor Coddingham is found murdered with the pearls in his hands. Freddy has his own difficulties with his present girlfriend and his ex, who may be engaged to someone else but still has a thing for Freddy.
The humour is as delightful as always, and Freddy is his usual insouciant self, even when caught misbehaving in the linen cupboard. I loved some of the side characters - lecherous old Nugs, Kitty the charmer, and Freddy’s society gossip columnist mother, not to mention the poor beleaguered Duke and Duchess. And the situation with the two girlfriends is handled with understanding and sympathy. They only have small parts, and in a light-hearted tale like this they might have become mere comedic fodder, but they both came across as real people. A terrific read, that I inhaled almost in a single sitting. Five stars. Highly recommended.
Here’s the plot: the Duke and Duchess of Purbeck are hosting a party to celebrate the twenty-first birthday of their daughter, Ro, at which she will wear the famous Belsingham pearl necklace. But several of the guests have pasts they wish to conceal, which makes things awkward when the trouble-making Professor Coddingham is found murdered with the pearls in his hands. Freddy has his own difficulties with his present girlfriend and his ex, who may be engaged to someone else but still has a thing for Freddy.
The humour is as delightful as always, and Freddy is his usual insouciant self, even when caught misbehaving in the linen cupboard. I loved some of the side characters - lecherous old Nugs, Kitty the charmer, and Freddy’s society gossip columnist mother, not to mention the poor beleaguered Duke and Duchess. And the situation with the two girlfriends is handled with understanding and sympathy. They only have small parts, and in a light-hearted tale like this they might have become mere comedic fodder, but they both came across as real people. A terrific read, that I inhaled almost in a single sitting. Five stars. Highly recommended.
July 2, 2018
A weekend house party at lovely Belsingham, where Freddy and his mum among others are guests of his cousin the Duke and his dear wife, the duchess hostess. But the careless daughter, preparing for the coming out dinner then big ball to celebrate her coming of age, discovers the fabled Belsingham pearls she was finally to wear are missing. What's more, there's a dead house guest in the library. A fun romp with Freddy. Be prepared for hidden passageways, girls getting smooched in linen closets, and an entertaining mix of annoying relatives and curious house guests, each with a distinctive mysterious back story or hidden bit of relevance to the crime of pearls purloining or professor murdering. And Freddy is caught between two girls.
July 24, 2020
Light-hearted, lights out and light-fingered..
.. a murder, missing pearls, secret tunnels, too many houseguests.. Freddy in fine form caught between the girl he lost and the girl he doesn't really think he wants.. can he improve his families opinion of him, or will he only create more trouble for everyone?
The unforgivable is the huge clue to half the solution slapped right there on the cover. I just don't understand why anyone would do that. Such an obvious clue.. please consider that actually giving the answers on the cover rather reduces the reason for reading in the first place.. you were much more careful with the previous novels in finding images that didn't directly point at one person.
.. a murder, missing pearls, secret tunnels, too many houseguests.. Freddy in fine form caught between the girl he lost and the girl he doesn't really think he wants.. can he improve his families opinion of him, or will he only create more trouble for everyone?
The unforgivable is the huge clue to half the solution slapped right there on the cover. I just don't understand why anyone would do that. Such an obvious clue.. please consider that actually giving the answers on the cover rather reduces the reason for reading in the first place.. you were much more careful with the previous novels in finding images that didn't directly point at one person.
September 2, 2021
Freddy must avoid closets
Another excellent adventure for Freddie. Think Bertie Wooster with brains. In this traditional country house murder mystery frivolous behaviors and eccentric characters are on display, as they should be. The period details are delightful, not contrived. I laughed out loud several times. The plot was intricate. Although the murderer was a bit weak on motive, the culprit was revealed with aplomb, romances pursued and nasty people either redeemed or cast down. Totally enjoyable! But Freddie must learn to avoid linen closets, particularly when the closet is occupied by another man's fiance.
Another excellent adventure for Freddie. Think Bertie Wooster with brains. In this traditional country house murder mystery frivolous behaviors and eccentric characters are on display, as they should be. The period details are delightful, not contrived. I laughed out loud several times. The plot was intricate. Although the murderer was a bit weak on motive, the culprit was revealed with aplomb, romances pursued and nasty people either redeemed or cast down. Totally enjoyable! But Freddie must learn to avoid linen closets, particularly when the closet is occupied by another man's fiance.
January 26, 2024
As I've got Kobo Plus on a trial at the moment, I'm ploughing my way through the Freddy Pilkington-Soames Adventures. This is the fourth one. This time Freddy's staying at a relative's mansion in the country.
This was a fun read and I enjoyed the mystery. I did spot who was up to shenanigans with the pearls but not the murderer. The murder victim, in the best tradition of cozy mysteries, was someone who many people would have happily polished off. I think I preferred it to the second and third in the series.
This was a fun read and I enjoyed the mystery. I did spot who was up to shenanigans with the pearls but not the murderer. The murder victim, in the best tradition of cozy mysteries, was someone who many people would have happily polished off. I think I preferred it to the second and third in the series.
February 20, 2022
4th in the series
I really like Costa Benson writing style so it was a joy to read this book. I get mixed up with all the different characters so part of the story is lost during my reading but the overall plot was a entertaining to with plausible behaviors by the cast. I look forward to the next in the series.
I really like Costa Benson writing style so it was a joy to read this book. I get mixed up with all the different characters so part of the story is lost during my reading but the overall plot was a entertaining to with plausible behaviors by the cast. I look forward to the next in the series.
December 13, 2022
Each of the stories in this series can stand alone after reading the first one. The same formula and many of the same characters. Enjoyable, cozy little murder mysteries with just enough intrigue to want to know "who dun it". Not complicated and if one likes the type of mystery of the Jeeves series by P.G. Wodehouse, it's likely you'll like these.
February 25, 2023
I'm going to DNF this book at the 33% mark. It's not bad, I just haven't been able to muster enough interest in it to keep going. I've not read earlier books in the series, but I doubt very much that matters. I do think you have to really love Freddy and find him highly amusing to enjoy this. I think he's OK, but that's all.
January 14, 2018
Adore Freddy
I enjoyed this book very much. The plot was well thought out and interesting. I adore Lord Lucian and hopefully he will appear in more of Freddy's adventures. Can't wait for the next book!
I enjoyed this book very much. The plot was well thought out and interesting. I adore Lord Lucian and hopefully he will appear in more of Freddy's adventures. Can't wait for the next book!
December 13, 2017
Great fun
Another enjoyable episode in the Freddy series. Fans of Freddy won't be disappointed. Lighthearted, funny and enjoyable are words that spring to mind
Another enjoyable episode in the Freddy series. Fans of Freddy won't be disappointed. Lighthearted, funny and enjoyable are words that spring to mind
October 7, 2020
Another enjoyable book in the Freddy Pilkington-Soames series. These mysteries are well-written and the characters are well drawn - good choices for my short attention span in this pandemic.
Read
February 28, 2021I found this the most enjoyable of the series so far. Interesting premise and interesting characters, with some unexpected plot twists, that with one exception, kept me guessing till the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2021
I am not entirely sure how the murder happened to be entirely honest. But I love Freddy and his complicated women.
July 24, 2023
A nice easy time waster
October 13, 2023
3.75*
Another enjoyable book in this series.
Another enjoyable book in this series.
August 17, 2025
Listened to the audiobook.
Delightful cosy crime.
4th in the series.
Freddy is becoming quite the sleuth now and must investigate a murder at a family gathering.
Enjoyable as always.
Delightful cosy crime.
4th in the series.
Freddy is becoming quite the sleuth now and must investigate a murder at a family gathering.
Enjoyable as always.
August 26, 2025
I read this book as a palate cleanser , before taking on anything serious and it seems to have done its job !!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews