"Two Truths and a Murder" By Colleen Cambridge: Review/Giveaway

 Review by Sarah E. Burr

 Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

My favorite housekeeper is back and ready to make all the right moves! Phyllida Bright, sleuth extraordinaire, has returned from her big-city London adventure to Mallowan Hall for another delightful murder mystery. I love the world Colleen Cambridge has created, especially since this installment brings back so many familiar faces in the quiet (yet suspiciously murderous) village of Listleigh.

---

➡ switch to KingsRiverLife.com for more articles ⬅

---

Image Source Kensington

With this being book five, we can officially skip the pretense of “will Phyllida get involved or not.” She is a stellar detective, and everyone in town knows she’s the one you want on your team. We begin right off the bat with the fun yet flighty Vera Rollingbroke begging for Phyllida’s assistance in determining whether her husband, the affable Sir Rolly, is having an affair with the extremely odious Genevea Blastwick (what an excellent character name for a foil).

What begins as a dinner party to sniff out Sir Rolly’s supposed misdeeds quickly goes off the rails when Genevea announces she’s witnessed a murder during a game of Two Truths and a Lie. When Genevea’s sister is discovered dead the next morning, Phyllida's little grey cells tell her that Genevea was the real target. What follows is a twisting mystery that has readers rolling dice right along with her, unsure what clue she’ll uncover next.

I must say, I adored the setup for this mystery. As a mystery writer myself, I applaud Colleen Cambridge for her inventive plots, which always give a reverent nod to Dame Agatha in her own right. With two murders to unravel, Phyllida has her work cut out for her, but with a stellar supporting cast by her side, Two Truths and a Murder reaches the final square as a true winner. This series remains one of my favorites in the historical mystery genre, and I cannot wait to see what dangerous game Phyllida Bright decides to play next!

To enter to win a copy of Two Truths and a Murder, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "two truths,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen Januar 5, 2026. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! 

You can click here to purchase this book.

About the Reviewer: Sarah E. Burr is the award-winning author of the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, Trending Topic Mysteries, the Book Blogger Mysteries, and the Court of Mystery series. She is the producer and co-host of It’s Bookish Time TV, a web channel featuring live-streamed author interviews. When she's not spinning up stories, Sarah reads everything from mystery to manga, plays video games, and enjoys walks with her dogs. Stay connected with Sarah and receive free short stories via her newsletter: saraheburrbooks.substack.com/subscribe.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.