About the Book:

Title: A Poetic Pox 

Author: Samantha Larsen

Narrator: Marni Penning

Publisher: Dreamscape First 

Release Date: July 22, 2025

Pages: 8 hours and 47 minutes

Genre: Historical, Mystery, Cozy Mystery 

Synopsis:

1786, England

It is the twelve days of Christmas, and Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop is happily juggling her duties as a new mother and a librarian to Catharine, the Duchess of Beaufort. Her employer receives a mysterious letter from an old paramour, the Marquess of Harwood, who is the biological father of Catharine’s son. He promises to leave his estate and fortune to Beau if he can see the boy before he dies.

Her elder son, Thomas Montague, has a terrible cold, so Catharine asks Tiffany to accompany her and Beau. When they arrive at the dilapidated abbey, they discover a dead body—only it isn’t the marquess, but his valet! Lord Harwood is alive, but unconscious with suspicious-looking pox marks on his hands. Tiffany wonders if the marquess is really dying, or if it is all poetic revenge? Especially when she discovers the secrets that haunt Rosedean Abbey.

Between breastfeeding and dirty diapers, Tiffany must discover who killed the valet and attempted to murder the marquess before anyone else dies.

Review:

* I received an e-arc/audiobook via the author, Netgalley and the publisher. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*

So excited to dive back into this series after loving the previous two books! This time around I was able to listen to the audiobook while reading along, and it enhanced my reading experience. The narrator was a great choice! A Poetic Pox is an entertaining mystery, filled with twists and turns. If you enjoyed the previous books, or you enjoy historical mysteries, I think you’ll love this one too!

Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop is balancing her responsibilities as a new mother and also as the librarian to Catherine, The Duchess of Beaufort. During the 12 Days of Christmas, Catherine receives a letter from her son Beau’s biological father, The Marquess of Harwood. In this mysterious letter, the Marquess requests that his son come to visit at once and he will bequeath him his estate before he dies.

Catherine’s older son, Thomas Montague, has a bad cold, so Catherine asks Tiffany and her daughter to accompany her and Beau to the estate. When they arrive at the abbey they are shocked to see the deplorable condition of the home, and not only that, they come across a dead body! The body is not that of the Marquess, but his valet. Lord Harwood is still alive, but barely and he is unconscious with strange pox marks on his hands.

While breast feeding and changing diapers, Tiffany races against time to discover who killed the valet and attempted to murder the Marquess before anything else happens.

It was wonderful seeing Tiffany as a mother in this one and I appreciated the nursing mother representation. As a mother who nursed my babies, this was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed getting to see Tiffany’s relationship with Catherine blossoming, as well as the sweet romance she shares with her husband. It was also interesting to learn more about small pox, and I always appreciate Samantha’s research.

Fans of historical mysteries don’t want to miss out on this wonderful series! I hope that the author will write more in this world.

About the Author:

Samantha writes cozy mysteries under Samantha Larsen and historical romances under Samantha Hastings. 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, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. She has degrees from Brigham Young University, University of North Texas, and University of Reading (UK). She’s the author of: The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter, A Royal Christmas Quandary, The Girl with the Golden Eyes, Jane Austen Trivia, The Duchess Contract, Secret of the Sonnets, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady, and A Novel Disguise. Learn more at: http://www.SamanthaHastings.com