This series started in 1993 and is set in England in 1906. It features Cecily Sinclair. She is a recent widow and runs the Pennyfoot Hotel... a seaside hotel left to her by her husband. Cecily is very forward for her time-- smokes cigars, drives the carriage herself, and treats the downstairs staff as equals. In this upstairs/downstairs tale there are many quirky recurring characters. Baxter, the hotel manager is always by Cecily's side and her friend Phoebe wears fantastic hats and stages zany hotel entertainment. The upper crust of London stays at the Pennyfoot where there is always a murder or two. There are 12 books in this series plus special Christmas books. I have the Christmas books listed as a separate series-- A Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery.
