A PICTURE OF MURDER
Lady Hardcastle and Flo Mystery # 4
T. E. Kinsey
Thomas & Mercer
October 22,2018
The fourth in the adventures of Lady Hardcastle and Flo takes us back to the quiet village of Littleton Cotterell in 1909 Gloucestershire. I say quiet, but Littleton Cotterell has been anything but quiet since the formerly globetrotting Lady Hardcastle and her "tiny servant," Flo Armstrong, settled there. Mysteries and murders have been plentiful, all needing the skills of the ladies to solve.
It's late October and with the advent of Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night, their friend and neighbor, Lady Farley-Stroud, wants to organize something special for the village. She has invited a producer of the new moving picture shows, Nolan Cheetham, and his actors to premiere his film in the village. The film is a ten-minute masterpiece entitled The Downfall of the Witch. Lady Hardcastle and Flo get involved when a fire in Lady Farley-Stroud's kitchen makes her unable to put the troupe up as planned, and Lady Hardcastle steps in to offer them accommodation. The film's showing is a huge success, despite noisy, bible-thumping protesters who think that moving pictures are the devil's workshop. The success of the show is dampened when one of the actors is murdered shortly after its premiere, in the same manner as in the film. Other deaths follow, and it will take all the ladies' skill to solve this convoluted puzzle.
A Picture of Murder is as delightful as its predecessors with quirky characters, a charming setting and a tricky puzzle to solve. The villagers, local police and household staff we have come to know make appearances, along with a pair of jazz musicians from an earlier book. We get the whole story behind Lady Hardcastle and Flo's journey through China and India, along with a foreshadowing of events to come. Flo even gets to demonstrate the martial arts skills she learned on those journeys while taking down the culprits. I especially love the friendship forged between Lady Hardcastle and Flo. They are nominally employer and servant but are more like sisters. These novels are perfect escape reads, and I recommend reading them in order to maximize the enjoyment.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley.com for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
RATING- 4.5 Stars
MURDER AT ARCHLY MANOR
The High Society Lady Detective, Book 1
Sara Rosett
October 15, 2018
Sara Rosett takes us back to the Roaring 20's with the first book in The High Society Lady Detective Series. Olive Belgrave is from an aristocratic background but finds herself nearly penniless and needing a job. She and her father have always been close, especially since the death of her much-loved mother. However, financial reverses and the advent of a new and managing wife have driven a wedge between them. Olive is determined to set out on her own, and not be forced into a marriage with an obnoxious curate, which the new stepmother thinks is just the thing. Olive has no marketable skills and has been pounding the pavements in London, with no luck. She is wondering how she is going to manage her room rent when she gets a call from her cousin, Gwen. Gwen's flighty younger sister, Violet, has gotten herself engaged to a young man of whom knows anything. Alfred Eaton appears to have plenty of money, but Gwen fears that he is a fortune hunter. She implores Olive to accompany her, and Violet, to a house party at the home of Sebastian Blakely who claims to be Alfred's godfather. No one can imagine Blakely as a godfather to any child, and he has never mentioned it before Alfred's sudden appearance. Gwen wants Olive to try to find out what she can about Alfred and offers to pay her for her efforts. When a murder occurs, and Violet is the main suspect, Olive discovers detection skills she never knew she had.
Murder at Archly Manor introduces a very likable and determined heroine in the person of Olive Belgrave, along with other intriguing characters that I hope to see more of in future books. There is plenty of period atmosphere and mouth-watering descriptions of the fashions of the era. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this light-hearted, historical mystery. Thanks to the author for an advance copy. The opinions are my own.
RATING- 5 Stars
THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL
Hester Fox
Graydon House
October 2, 2018
It's 1812 in Massachusetts and the wealthy Montrose family, mother, father and daughters, Catherine, Lydia, and Emmeline have fled Boston pursued by scandal. The son of the house, Charles, has also fled to London. Catherine is the beautiful, volatile eldest daughter, Lydia the mousey, quiet middle daughter and Emmeline the imaginative youngest. Willow Hall is newly constructed and palatial but from the beginning seems unwelcoming, and even threatening to the family. Even worse, it seems to be amplifying certain powers that Lydia has been trying to suppress all her life. When spirits start to manifest, one an ancestor who was hung as a witch during the Witch Trials of the previous century, Lydia begins to understand that she must explore her heritage to save herself and her family.
Lydia is immediately drawn to her father's upright new business partner, John Barrett, and despite his reticence, he appears interested in her as well. She has always considered herself to be much less attractive than her flamboyant sister, Catherine. The fact that her fiance broke off their engagement when the scandal broke has not helped. Catherine is the source of the embarrassment that hounds them but seems to be determined to find a husband and get away as soon as possible. To that end, she will do anything, even undermine Lydia. Their father is distant, their mother is fading away slowly, so it is up to Lydia to raise and educate Emmeline. It will take a series of tragedies to bring some peace to the Montrose family.
The Witch of Willow Hall is a mixture of genres; gothic, ghost, paranormal, mystery, romance, and family history. It begins with an episode in Lydia's childhood that immediately engaged my interest and continues with enough twists and turns to make one's head spin. Hester Fox draws out the revelation of the scandal that caused the Montrose family to uproot themselves masterfully. When it finally is revealed, it is quite a shocker, unless one has been taking in just how destructive Catherine is. I am afraid that I found all the twists annoying after a while and just wanted to get on with it. My interest held, however.
Thanks to Graydon House and NetGalley for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
RATING- 3 Stars
THE DEAD RINGER
Agatha Raisin # 29
M.C. Beaton
St. Martins Minotaur
October 2, 2018
The 29th book in the Agatha Raisin series takes us to the Cotswold village of Thirk Magna, where the bell ringers of St. Ethelred are renowned and very serious about their pursuit. They are also very excited about the visit of the new bishop; especially middle-aged twin sisters, Mavis and Millicent Dupin. The new bishop is very dishy, seems to have sex appeal that he can turn off and on at a whim, and a questionable history with women. Despite his good looks and charm, Agatha dislikes him almost immediately. When one of the twins is murdered, Agatha is hired to find out who might have killed her and why. There are plenty of suspects because just about everyone in Thirk Magna is up to no good.
I had high hopes that Agatha was finally growing up in the previous book, Agatha Raisin and the Witches' Tree, but in this one, she falls back into her old insecurities. She seems even more determined to find a man to settle down with, and as a result, makes a huge mistake. And at the end of The Dead Ringer, possibly a more lasting mistake. Sir Charles is still around but as commitment phobic as ever. As ever, the Agatha Raisin series is fast and fun, but I didn't enjoy this one as much as some of the previous books.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Minotaur for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
RATING- 2.5 rounded up to 3
MURDER FLIES THE COOP
A Beryl and Edwina Mystery # 2
Jessica Ellicott
Kensington Books
September 25, 2018
Funds are tight again for old school friends and living companions, Edwina Davenport and Beryl Helliwell. On the surface, the two make a very odd couple: Beryl a brash, much-married and divorced American globe-trotter, and Edwina, a spinster who has lived in sleepy Walmsley Parva all her life. But the two formed a strong friendship at their shared boarding school, and they live comfortably together. Beryl, in particular, is enjoying being part of village life after never belonging anywhere. Edwina's shortness of funds is nothing new, but Beryl's ex-husbands are slow sending her alimony checks. On the strength of solving a murder in Murder In An English Village, the two decide to set up an investigation agency.
Their first client is the Vicar, who is president of the local pigeon-racing club. The club treasurer has gone missing, along with several prize pigeons and the club funds. The Vicar is hoping Beryl and Edwina can find him, discreetly, and get the funds and pigeons back. The two search for him at his workplace, boarding house and discover his body at his pigeon loft. It's clearly murder, and there is no shortage of suspects; extra-marital affairs, missing jewelry, coal miner unrest and changes in social mores all play a part in this fast-paced, clever mystery.
Jessica Ellicott has a deft hand with characters and a humorous way of skewering class distinctions. The notion that a tradesman is somehow socially superior to a coal miner may seem strange to us but not in an English village in the 1920's, despite all the changes brought by WWI. Walmsley Parva has more than the requisite number of eccentrics, all vividly portrayed.
I look forward to more adventures of these "ladies of a certain age." Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
RATING- 3.5 Stars
TREACHEROUS IS THE NIGHT
Verity Kent # 2
Anna Lee Huber
Kensington Books
October 25, 2018
Several weeks after Verity Kent's husband, Sidney, returned from the dead, having allowed Verity to believe him dead in WWI, the relationship is tense and strained. Even though Verity sympathizes with Sidney's mission to uncover and bring to justice traitors in his regiment, the fact that he deceived her for so long rankles. Both Verity and Sidney have been irrevocably changed by the war, and neither is sure that the marriage can be salvaged.
Spiritualism is a craze in England, and while Verity understands hoping to reach lost loved ones, she is not a believer. A friend persuades her to attend a seance and to Verity's surprise, an agent she worked with during the war, Emilie, purports to contact her. Not only does Verity not believe in Spiritualism, but she is also reasonably sure that Emilie is still alive. And how does the medium know so much about Verity's work with the Secret Service? When Verity returns to the medium's house the day after, she finds the home engulfed in flames and the medium killed in the fire. Verity and Sidney set off to find Emilie in the ruins of Europe and find out the meaning of the cryptic message sent through the medium. The journey takes them through Belgium and France, and it becomes clear that they are being followed. Much more is at stake than they could ever imagine.
I liked the first in this series, This Side of Murder, but Huber has brought us a much more nuanced portrait of the dangers and horrors of WWI and its aftermath in Treacherous is the Night. Verity was much more involved in the Secret Service than we knew and was deeply embedded in espionage behind the lines, placing herself in danger with every step. Emilie was her guide and companion on many missions, and the two formed a deep bond. Sidney has his own horrific memories of trench warfare, but so does Verity. The two must navigate murky waters on this journey and learn to trust each other again.
I highly recommend Treacherous is the Night for anyone who has an interest in WWI and its aftermath. Huber has written an involving and emotionally wrenching story, and her extensive research adds to its effectiveness. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
RATING-4.5 Stars
DEADLY DRAM
A Whisky Business Mystery # 3
Melinda Mullet
Random House Alibi
September 4, 2018
Abi Logan, co-owner of Abbey Glen Distillery, is still very new to the business after it was bequeathed to her by her uncle. She has not yet given up her career as a photojournalist and returns to Scotland to attend the prestigious Quaich competition. The competition is a four-day event at a 5-star hotel and promises to be more contentious than usual. Several non-Scots distilleries are competing, and one, in particular, seems very strong. Abi and her partner, Grant McEwan think that the foreign competitors will be a positive influence, but others are adamantly opposed. When two of the judges are poisoned the short-handed local police include Abi in the investigation, mostly to take pictures at the crime scenes. But her dear friend, Patrick, is a suspect and Abby jumps in with both feet. When Grant McEwan is targeted, she is even more determined to get to the bottom of the plot.
The Whisky Business mysteries are an excellent read, with vivid descriptions of the business and Scotland. The characters are well-drawn, and the mystery itself is intricately plotted. I certainly did not figure out "whodunnit" until the end, along with Abi herself. I also enjoy the developing romance between Abi and Grant. After some failed relationships Abi is skittish, but the return of Grant's former flame makes her rethink her position.
Thanks to Random House Alibi and NetGalley for a digital advance copy. The opinions are my own, and I look forward to the next in the series!
RATING- 4 Stars
