Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for A Staged Death: Lady Librarian Mysteries by Samantha Larsen. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
A Staged Death: Lady Librarian Mysteries
by Samantha Larsen
A Staged Death: Lady Librarian Mysteries
Historical Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – 1787, Bath.
Publisher: Dreamscape First
Audible.com Release Date: March 31, 2026
Listening Length: 8 hours and 30 minutes
Author: Samantha Larsen
Narrator: Marni Penning
A cozy historical mystery set in the 18th century—perfect for Bridgerton fans!
1787, Bath. Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop has catalogued the entire library at Astwell Palace and is feeling rather dull when Mr. Thomas Montague invites her and her husband Samir to visit Bath. Thomas begs Tiffany to help reconcile his mother Catharine, the Marchioness of Harwood, on his engagement to the famous actress Miss Rosalyn Arden—a beautiful young woman with bright red curls and eyes of mismatched color.
Eager to see his beloved, Thomas stops at the Theatre Royal with Tiffany and they discover a dead body wearing a red wig in Rosalyn’s dressing room. The body is that of Miss Julia Shakespeare, Rosalyn’s understudy and the person who has been blackmailing members of the acting company. Not only are the actors behaving suspiciously, but so are Rosalyn’s newly reconciled relatives that cast her off nine years before when she jilted Sir Frederick Bingham, who then married her younger sister.
If all the world is a stage, then someone acting innocent must be the murderer. Can Tiffany solve the mystery before the final curtain?
©2018 Samantha Larsen (P)2026 Dreamscape First
Interview with Author Samantha Larsen
Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me!
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi! My name is Samantha Larsen Hastings and write under both Samantha Larsen and Samantha Hastings. I teach World Literature classes at a local university and I used to be a librarian. I have four kids and they definitely keep me busy. We love to play games and I invented a card game that has been published by Chronicle Books: Jane Austen’s Dowries and Dalliances.
How long have you been writing?
I completed my first novel at twelve. It was delightfully terrible. I did not receive my first publisher’s contract until I was thirty-five years old. But I have always loved stories and writing.
Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?
Yes. Although, I began to fear that it would never happen. I chose to write cozy mysteries because I love them! In my opinion, every book needs two things: a mystery and kissing.
Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?
I love so many genres, but historical mysteries or romances are my favorite. I also enjoy romantasy, sci-fi, and contemporary.
Do you have a favorite place to write?
Kind of boring, but I like to write in my home office. There is a large window next to be desk and I love to feel the light.
What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?
My desk is unfortunately rather higgledy-piggledy. You’ll be pleased to learn that I have everything from a Jane Austen figurine to a button-maker on it.
What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?
Vampires Don’t Wear Polkadots by Debbie Dadey. I was eight. I loved getting books from the Scholastic fliers. I read the American Girl Doll Samantha series (because of the name). But my two favorite series were both mysteries: Nancy Drew and the Boxcar Children.
Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?
I prefer a physical book. It’s like having dessert. They smell like paper and perfection. I get the tactile enjoyment of turning each page.
If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?
I actually lived in Reading, England for a year while working on my Master’s degree in English Literature. And you’ll see Reading come up on several of my books!
What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?
It’s very cliché, but Jane Austen. I ordered Pride and Prejudice from the Scholastic catalogue in sixth grade and I have been obsessed with her books every since.
Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?
There are so many great authors in Utah that support each other. A shoutout to my Write Night friends: Tricia Levenseller, Tiana Smith, Charlie Holmberg, Sheena Boekweg, Kathryn Purdie, Sara Larson, and Ruthanne Oakey-Frost.
Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?
I am delighted to share that I have a new murder mystery series coming out from Severn House in October 2026. It’s set in London 1911, and the heroine is the intrepid Althea Adler, daughter of Irene Adler, the only person to outwit Sherlock Holmes.
Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions!
About Samantha Larsen
Samantha Hastings met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, having tea parties, and chauffeuring her four kids. She teaches World Literature at Brigham Young University. Her young adult fiction books are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, and her historical romances are published around the world. She also writes murder mysteries under Samantha Larsen that Publisher’s Weekly called “wildly enjoyable.”
Author Links
Website www.SamanthaHastings.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/samanthahastingsauthor/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHastingsAuthor
X https://x.com/HastingSamantha
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/samantha-hastings
Purchase Links: Dreamscape – Amazon – B&N
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A Staged Death TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 31 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 31 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
March 31 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 1 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
April 1 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
April 2 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
April 2 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
April 2 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 3 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
April 3 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
April 3 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
April 4 – The Editing Pen – AUTHOR GUEST POST
April 4 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
April 5 – Connie’s History Classroom – REVIEW
April 5 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 6 – Hall Ways Blog – REVIEW
April 6 – deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
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