Rotten to the Core
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-13 11:22:09
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：T.E. Kinsey
- ISBN：1713670054
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Summer 1911。 A scorching heatwave engulfs the quiet town of Littleton Cotterell and brings about an unusually early harvest。 The villagers are thrilled， but events quickly turn sour when one of them turns up dead in an apple orchard， stabbed through the heart。
Amateur sleuth Lady Hardcastle and her trusty lady’s maid， Flo， suddenly have a juicy case on their hands。 Might the mysterious stranger they recently met in the village be to blame？
When a second cider-related murder takes place， it quickly becomes clear that there’s more to these mysterious deaths than meets the eye。 The daring duo uncover whispers of an ancient order and moonlit rituals。 And evidence points to a macabre secret in the village stretching back years。 A secret someone will do anything—anything at all—to keep hidden。
Something is rotten， that’s for sure。 With the local constabulary baffled， Lady Hardcastle and Flo must use all their powers of wit and whimsy to get to the bottom of the dastardly deed。 But can they catch the killer before any more people drop dead？
Amateur sleuth Lady Hardcastle and her trusty lady’s maid， Flo， suddenly have a juicy case on their hands。 Might the mysterious stranger they recently met in the village be to blame？
When a second cider-related murder takes place， it quickly becomes clear that there’s more to these mysterious deaths than meets the eye。 The daring duo uncover whispers of an ancient order and moonlit rituals。 And evidence points to a macabre secret in the village stretching back years。 A secret someone will do anything—anything at all—to keep hidden。
Something is rotten， that’s for sure。 With the local constabulary baffled， Lady Hardcastle and Flo must use all their powers of wit and whimsy to get to the bottom of the dastardly deed。 But can they catch the killer before any more people drop dead？
Reviews
Danielle
，
Lady Hardcastle and Flo have the best adventurexI thoroughly enjoy each episode。 The witty repartee makes me giggle。 All in all， fun books to read and enjoy。
Katie
，
Not surprisingly， the plot and red herring characters are kind of predictable， but I still enjoyed this book。 The murder rate in this tiny village is truly atrocious， which one character actually notes in this book。 Another solid Lady Hardcastle and Flo adventure， with a higher than usual murder rate。
Carôle Ceres
，
As Good As Ever， With Just One Flaw……sadly I can’t say what the flaw is， as it’s a spoiler！However， Lady H and Flo are as delightful as ever！ I’m really pleased that the police are working with them， rather than batting them to one side， I’m equally pleased that they are working with the police and not surreptitiously， successfully behind their backs！A complicated tale and a not so Cozy Mystery。
Ali
，
I have loved this series from book one。 And this was another great tale。 The characters are so fun and smart and I read these books over and over again。 And listen to them。 Buy the audible version as well you won’t regret it。
Chautona Havig
，
Only T。E。 Kinsey can make murder funny without making you feel guilty for laughing as people start dropping like windfall apples near harvest time！Flo and Emily are back at it， being their usual clever selves without being so perfectly brilliant as to make them unbelievable （and therefore unlikeable）。 Nope， I loved them even more as they toodled about the English countryside in pursuit of someone killing off the members of a local secret society。 I did guess several connections and the killer pr Only T。E。 Kinsey can make murder funny without making you feel guilty for laughing as people start dropping like windfall apples near harvest time！Flo and Emily are back at it， being their usual clever selves without being so perfectly brilliant as to make them unbelievable （and therefore unlikeable）。 Nope， I loved them even more as they toodled about the English countryside in pursuit of someone killing off the members of a local secret society。 I did guess several connections and the killer pretty early， but I had zero proof as to the name of the killer （just what he/she would be and a bit of why）。 Kinsey， as usual， keeps some cards close to hand until nearer the end without making you feel like he pulled one from his sleeve when you weren't looking， either。 He's a "fair" author who gives you what you need to figure it out and makes sure you have a hard time trusting your gut。 I'd nearly swapped over to an innocent party by the 75% mark。More， the ravenous readers cry！ More！ Meanwhile， I'm going to attempt to learn to like cider again。 Can't hurt to try。 。。。more
Linda Sharp
，
GreatI was hoping there would be more of these。 This is by far one of my favorite series。Thank you Mr。 Kinsey and keep on writing these， please。
Scilla
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Lady Hardcastle and Flo are walking home and meet a beautiful young woman who asks them if the pub still has rooms。 They wonder what she is doing in Little Cotterell。 After dinner they go to the pub， and everyone seems to be outside。 Inside there is a group of 12 men who don't want others around。 It is a meeting of the Weryers of the Pomary， known as the Guardians of the Orchard。 The next morning， Edna tells Lady Hardcastle and Flo that Cridland， a local farmer and Weryer had been murdered in hi Lady Hardcastle and Flo are walking home and meet a beautiful young woman who asks them if the pub still has rooms。 They wonder what she is doing in Little Cotterell。 After dinner they go to the pub， and everyone seems to be outside。 Inside there is a group of 12 men who don't want others around。 It is a meeting of the Weryers of the Pomary， known as the Guardians of the Orchard。 The next morning， Edna tells Lady Hardcastle and Flo that Cridland， a local farmer and Weryer had been murdered in his orchard。 Soon Sergeant Dobbins arrives to ask for their help。 Lady Hardcastle and Flo work with Inspector Sunderland to try to find out who killed Cridland and why。 However， it is a difficult case because there are several other Weryers who might have killed him， a few who were turned down for membership by the Weryers， as well as the woman stranger who is still in town。 They have seen the woman near the homes of several Weryers， and she is very noncommunicative。 I enjoy the clever repartee between Lady Hardcastle and Flo。 Before long， one of their suspects is also killed and they begin to think it has something to do with the murder of a Weryer 20 years previously。 After the third murder， Lady Hardcastle and Flo soon find out that they are next in line to be murdered。This is a fun， clever cozy mystery with humor and suspense。 I thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for allowing me to read the ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Eden
，
2022 bk 174。 Lady Hardcastle and Flo are back at solving local mysteries again。 Settled into village life after their seaside adventure in espionage， the pair have survived the village talent show and just want a quiet evening in the pub when they learn about a secret society， one that is centuries old。 It is into this society that misadventure falls and the two are called into action by the Inspector。 Old friends re-appear and there are more tales of Lady Hardcastle's love of speed。 A fun myste 2022 bk 174。 Lady Hardcastle and Flo are back at solving local mysteries again。 Settled into village life after their seaside adventure in espionage， the pair have survived the village talent show and just want a quiet evening in the pub when they learn about a secret society， one that is centuries old。 It is into this society that misadventure falls and the two are called into action by the Inspector。 Old friends re-appear and there are more tales of Lady Hardcastle's love of speed。 A fun mystery adventure to read！ 。。。more
Cynthia Grove
，
A very pleasant read but somehow not quite as good as the previous books in the series so perhaps 3。5 stars。 Of course the star rating is strongly influenced by one's reception of the book（s） read immediately prior。 For me this book did not seem to advance the story of Lady Hardcastle and Flo in any way。 A very pleasant read but somehow not quite as good as the previous books in the series so perhaps 3。5 stars。 Of course the star rating is strongly influenced by one's reception of the book（s） read immediately prior。 For me this book did not seem to advance the story of Lady Hardcastle and Flo in any way。 。。。more
Mary
，
A wonderful series！！！
Annette
，
Lady Hardcastle and her assistant Florence have an interesting history。 They work for the British government every now and then。 They have traveled the world together。 Actually， they were escaping danger at the time。 And surprisingly， they also investigate for the police department every now and then。The ladies live in a village populated by wonderful characters。 And they all add a great deal to the fabric of each story。A dead body is found。 The man was a member of an ancient society。 He was als Lady Hardcastle and her assistant Florence have an interesting history。 They work for the British government every now and then。 They have traveled the world together。 Actually， they were escaping danger at the time。 And surprisingly， they also investigate for the police department every now and then。The ladies live in a village populated by wonderful characters。 And they all add a great deal to the fabric of each story。A dead body is found。 The man was a member of an ancient society。 He was also considered to be a very good man。 No one would want to murder him， would they？When there is another body， the investigation gets even more intense。 But， there is no rhyme or reason to the case。 The list of suspects seems to grow with every question asked and answered。This is a wonderful story。 There is humor and mystery。 The reader is given all the information as the story moves along。 The journey to the solution is filled with fully formed characters and exciting events。。 The villagers all admire Lady Hardcastle and Florence。 They easily provide answers to any questions。 This book is part of a series。 I believe complete enjoyment requires reading every book。 But， each book can be read as a stand alone read。I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley。 I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own。 。。。more
Kerrie Howard
，
Fun addition to the seriesLady Hardcastle and Flo are the fun main characters in this series。 Always a good mystery and great humor。 This could be read as a standalone but don't deny yourself the pleasure of reading all the books in the series。 Lady Hardcastle and Flo spent years working undercover for the government and they have many unexpected skills which are still useful as they solve these mysteries Fun addition to the seriesLady Hardcastle and Flo are the fun main characters in this series。 Always a good mystery and great humor。 This could be read as a standalone but don't deny yourself the pleasure of reading all the books in the series。 Lady Hardcastle and Flo spent years working undercover for the government and they have many unexpected skills which are still useful as they solve these mysteries 。。。more
Kris
，
（I was all set to give a disappointing review because I had figured out the mystery from the very beginning， but I was completely wrong！ :-）Flo and Lady H are up to their usual hijinks and in fine form。 Lots of clever banter left me grinning and even laughing out loud！ And there’s the usual cast of rustic characters to add some local charm to the story。 And， as I said， the mystery had me completely fooled。 An absolutely wonderful addition to this brilliant series！ A note on the audiobook version （I was all set to give a disappointing review because I had figured out the mystery from the very beginning， but I was completely wrong！ :-）Flo and Lady H are up to their usual hijinks and in fine form。 Lots of clever banter left me grinning and even laughing out loud！ And there’s the usual cast of rustic characters to add some local charm to the story。 And， as I said， the mystery had me completely fooled。 An absolutely wonderful addition to this brilliant series！ A note on the audiobook version: as usual， the narrator was perfection！！ 😙👌🏼 。。。more
Melissa MacKenzie
，
Once again， I am sighing with joy over T。E。 Kinsey's latest book and once again having the giggles over two of the most dynamic ladies as they banter and solve another crime in their village。 This time with cider， apples and a society full of charitable men with some sort of nightly ritual and a deadly secret！I cannot get enough of Lady Harcastle and Armstrong series！ Love the ladies， love the other characters， love the storylines， love the plots。T。 E。 Kinsey， keep it coming！！ Once again， I am sighing with joy over T。E。 Kinsey's latest book and once again having the giggles over two of the most dynamic ladies as they banter and solve another crime in their village。 This time with cider， apples and a society full of charitable men with some sort of nightly ritual and a deadly secret！I cannot get enough of Lady Harcastle and Armstrong series！ Love the ladies， love the other characters， love the storylines， love the plots。T。 E。 Kinsey， keep it coming！！ 。。。more
Carol Keogh （Goodfellow）
，
Another sterling romp from the pen of Tim Keinsey！ I love his series featuring Lady H and Flo， and this eighth outing does not disappoint。 The village of Littleton Cotterill is rocked by the murder of one of their own， owner of a thriving orchard supplying apples for their famous cider。 More murders follow and the ladies are recruited by Inspector Sunderland to help him solve the crimes。 This story has a bit of edginess and 'bite' to it which adds a nuance to this tale。 Highly enjoyable with ple Another sterling romp from the pen of Tim Keinsey！ I love his series featuring Lady H and Flo， and this eighth outing does not disappoint。 The village of Littleton Cotterill is rocked by the murder of one of their own， owner of a thriving orchard supplying apples for their famous cider。 More murders follow and the ladies are recruited by Inspector Sunderland to help him solve the crimes。 This story has a bit of edginess and 'bite' to it which adds a nuance to this tale。 Highly enjoyable with plenty of humour， great side characters and a fair bit of gore- but always in the best possible taste of course。 My grateful thanks to Netgalley， the publishers and Mr Kinsey for a brilliant tale。 。。。more
Alexandra
，
This way by far my favourite book in the Lady Hardcastle series！ I love how Kinsey writes the relationship between Lady H and Armstrong。 It's always the highlight of the novel， but for "Rotten to the Core" in particular it was a nice change of pace to see a storyline that was a little more sinister。 Can't wait for the next installment！ This way by far my favourite book in the Lady Hardcastle series！ I love how Kinsey writes the relationship between Lady H and Armstrong。 It's always the highlight of the novel， but for "Rotten to the Core" in particular it was a nice change of pace to see a storyline that was a little more sinister。 Can't wait for the next installment！ 。。。more
Christie M
，
Bravo！！ 👏Brilliant as always！ Mr。 Kinsey's books are always well researched and so much fun。 I mean， yeah， there's murder， sorry。 But the relationships among characters， the settings， and snappy dialogue are the jewels in the crown of mystery， and it never gets old。 Can't wait for November and #9！ Bravo！！ 👏Brilliant as always！ Mr。 Kinsey's books are always well researched and so much fun。 I mean， yeah， there's murder， sorry。 But the relationships among characters， the settings， and snappy dialogue are the jewels in the crown of mystery， and it never gets old。 Can't wait for November and #9！ 。。。more
john calkin
，
I've become a fan of cozy mysteries and the Lady Hardcastle mysteries in particular。 I trust that other reviewers have mentioned the storyline of this one。 #8 is as much fun as the previous seven and maintains the same level of humor。 The description of the protagonists' escape from certain death by apple crusher was a bit shakey， but since I knew they were going to live I let it go。 Otherwise， it's an enjoyable mystery set in a time that is much nicer than ours in 2022。 I've become a fan of cozy mysteries and the Lady Hardcastle mysteries in particular。 I trust that other reviewers have mentioned the storyline of this one。 #8 is as much fun as the previous seven and maintains the same level of humor。 The description of the protagonists' escape from certain death by apple crusher was a bit shakey， but since I knew they were going to live I let it go。 Otherwise， it's an enjoyable mystery set in a time that is much nicer than ours in 2022。 。。。more
Tony Hisgett
，
I really enjoy the interaction between Emily and Flo， but their investigation skills were a bit lacking in this book。 There plan for eliminating suspects seemed to be waiting for them all to be murdered and they failed to follow up several early clues。 If possible I would have given 3。5 stars。
Vanessa-Ann Dowsett
，
Fantastic book but please any reader attempting this 8th in the series， I beg of you to read the previous 7 as there is a wealth of knowledge explaining the relationship between Lady Hardcastle and her ladies maid Florence。
Ivonne Rovira
，
Yes， I have thoroughly enjoyed the two spin-off novels from this series， the new series featuring the Dizzy Heights: The Deadly Mystery of the Missing Diamonds and A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball。 But O how I missed the humorous exploits of the indomitable Emily， Lady Hardcastle， and her sassy maid and sidekick Florence Armstrong！ And， finally， author T。E。 Kinsey has obliged and released the eighth entry in this series！In the summer of 1911， the members of a secretive men’s charitable so Yes， I have thoroughly enjoyed the two spin-off novels from this series， the new series featuring the Dizzy Heights: The Deadly Mystery of the Missing Diamonds and A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball。 But O how I missed the humorous exploits of the indomitable Emily， Lady Hardcastle， and her sassy maid and sidekick Florence Armstrong！ And， finally， author T。E。 Kinsey has obliged and released the eighth entry in this series！In the summer of 1911， the members of a secretive men’s charitable society with the Old English name of the Weryers of the Pomary begin to die， one by one。 Who would want to eliminate some cider-guzzling but otherwise harmless men？ You can bet that Lady Hardcastle and Flo will ensure that Inspector Oliver Sunderland of the Bristol Police will solve the village of Littleton Cotterill’s latest crime。 What a wonderful read！ 。。。more
Anita
，
WonderfulAnother charming cozy mystery from T E Kinsey！ Very amusing characters， good back ground descriptions， and a few comical situations。 I highly recommend this one， and I can't wait for the next book。 WonderfulAnother charming cozy mystery from T E Kinsey！ Very amusing characters， good back ground descriptions， and a few comical situations。 I highly recommend this one， and I can't wait for the next book。 。。。more
Danielle Cummings
，
I love this series of books！I have read every book and love them all！ T E Kinsey is a fabulous author and with a great sense of humor and writes his two main characters， Lady Hardcastle and Flo Armstrong with such ease and wit。
PeggySue
，
A very enjoyable addition to a favorite series of mine。 Looking forward to the next one already。Narrator， is as always， very good。
PeggySue
，
A very enjoyable addition to a favorite series of mine。 I really don’t care what Flo and Lady Hardcastle do， I just want to hear about it whatever it is。 So， as I tootle and pootle along I am on tentacles waiting for the next book in the series。 Just quoting Lady Hardcastle。
sue dawson
，
GrippingReally enjoy these books。 Good fun and good story，can't wait to read more of Flo and Emily。 Not usually find of period books。 GrippingReally enjoy these books。 Good fun and good story，can't wait to read more of Flo and Emily。 Not usually find of period books。 。。。more
Vintagebooklvr
，
3 1/2 stars。 Lady Hardcastle and her lady’s maid， Flo， are at it again！ Littleton Cotterell experiences a murder during the preparations for an early harvest and， of course， Lady Hardcastle and Flo must extend their expansive expertise to help the local police。 They uncover clues pointing to an ancient secret society， moonlit rituals， and a death years before。 When someone else ends up dead， the duo must find who is Rotten to the Core before they end up being the next victims！This series is a lo 3 1/2 stars。 Lady Hardcastle and her lady’s maid， Flo， are at it again！ Littleton Cotterell experiences a murder during the preparations for an early harvest and， of course， Lady Hardcastle and Flo must extend their expansive expertise to help the local police。 They uncover clues pointing to an ancient secret society， moonlit rituals， and a death years before。 When someone else ends up dead， the duo must find who is Rotten to the Core before they end up being the next victims！This series is a lot of fun and this addition is no exception。 Lady Hardcastle and Flo are humorous and light-heartedly poke fun at the class differences as well as their oh， so， secret past as agents for the crown all over the world （they have no problem trouble telling their exploits to everyone）。 A fun romp and decent mystery too。 This is really a series that you should read if you haven’t already！Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a honest review。 。。。more
Angelia
，
Mr。 Kinsey has done it again。 Lady Hardcastle and Flo are on another adventure， this time in their own village。 The harvest festival is coming up， and the cider is running freely until a member of the Protectors of the Orchard is found murdered in his orchard。 Lady H。 and Flo have no shortage of suspects， but they inconveniently keep dying off。 But fear not， our intrepid ladies restore peace and order to their village in time for the festivities。 As usual， Lady H and Flo are a great duo。 I like Mr。 Kinsey has done it again。 Lady Hardcastle and Flo are on another adventure， this time in their own village。 The harvest festival is coming up， and the cider is running freely until a member of the Protectors of the Orchard is found murdered in his orchard。 Lady H。 and Flo have no shortage of suspects， but they inconveniently keep dying off。 But fear not， our intrepid ladies restore peace and order to their village in time for the festivities。 As usual， Lady H and Flo are a great duo。 I like the mutual respect and friendship between the two women。 The mystery makes sense， and is solved in a logical manner。 There’s even a red herring thrown in for fun， and an advanced warning of a red herring being thrown in for fun。 This is another great entry to the series， and I can’t wait to see what the ladies are up to next。I received a free advance copy of this book from NetGalley。 。。。more
Beverly
，
Well written 'who dun it' with engaging characters and a wonderful narrator。 I haven't read all the books in the series but I will try。 Well written 'who dun it' with engaging characters and a wonderful narrator。 I haven't read all the books in the series but I will try。 。。。more
Michaela
，
I love the Lady Hardcastle series， and this is the eight book that features her and her maid/friend Flo Armstrong， this time again in the countryside。 A member of the Weryers society is found stabbed in his apple orchard， and Inspector Sunderland requests their help once more。 With the help of chatter， the crime board and their wits they finally find out what really happened a while ago and how it all turned to today´s crime。 I love the amateur sleuths with their banter and unusual abilities， a I love the Lady Hardcastle series， and this is the eight book that features her and her maid/friend Flo Armstrong， this time again in the countryside。 A member of the Weryers society is found stabbed in his apple orchard， and Inspector Sunderland requests their help once more。 With the help of chatter， the crime board and their wits they finally find out what really happened a while ago and how it all turned to today´s crime。 I love the amateur sleuths with their banter and unusual abilities， and there are also other well-depicted characters。 The suspects are many， perhaps too many， but there is an exciting solutions。 Looking ahead to the next book in the series！Thanks to the publisher Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for an arc ebook in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Rotten to the Core
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Rotten to the Core&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Rotten to the Core&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0