Kitty Bryant rushes to New York with her husband Matt when she gets a telegram saying her father is seriously il. On arrival, the pair discover that Edgar is not as ill as he claimed and they decide to enjoy the sights of the city. But instead they find the body of a neighbour and become emboiled in another murder investigation…
Murder in New York is the 18th book in the historical cosy murder mystery series set in the 1930s which features Kitty Bryant and her husband Matt. There are no spoilers about earlier books in the series although there are some mentions of Kitty and Matt’s pasts.
Nora Dangerfield is a vibrant yet caring neighbour, welcoming Kitty and Matt to New York. Sadly they find her dead body and an’t resist investigating. Motives and suspects are everywhere they look: Nora’s lover and his jilted wife, two members of staff whose employment was at risk, Nora’s daughter and son in law concerned about their inheritance.
On the personal side, Kitty has had a strained relationship with her father in the past so it is to her credit that she races to his bedside when she hears he is ill. Luckily the pair enjoy a better relationship in this book despite her annoyance that his illness was exaggerated. I did miss the peripheral characters that usually feature in this series but I liked the focus on Kitty and Matt.
The writing style is easy to read and I liked how the descriptions brought New York in the 1930s to life. Kitty and Matt get on quite well with the American detective but do manage to place themselves in danger in the course of the investigation. There is a big mystery at the end, hopefully setting us up for the next book…
Murder in New York is an enjoyable cosy historical murder mystery.
Book Description:
Sipping Manhattan cocktails, strolling through Central Park and sightseeing at the Empire State building. Kitty Underhay is loving life in New York… until she stumbles across a murder!
Winter, 1936. Kitty receives an unexpected telegram just before Christmas saying that her father in New York is seriously ill. She and her husband Matt swiftly set out for America and, after a fraught ocean crossing, they arrive to discover he is much improved. Kitty decides to make the most of her visit by taking in the sights and attending a costume party thrown by her father’s friend, Mrs Dangerfield.
After a fabulous night, Kitty and Matt blow away the cobwebs with a chilly morning walk in Central Park. They enjoy watching ice skaters glide across one of the frozen lakes but then they discover their hostess Mrs Dangerfield murdered, her body partly hidden in some bushes. She is still in her evening wear, but her diamond earrings and necklace are missing.
Soon, Mrs Dangerfield’s resentful daughter, elderly chauffeur and secret lover make Kitty and Matt’s suspect list. The finger of suspicion seems to be pointing towards Mrs Dangerfield’s secretary, but then the typist turns up dead too. With a mystery killer spoiling their trip to the Big Apple, will the amateur sleuths save the day, or will they breathe their last in the city that never sleeps…?
Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey or Lee Strauss will adore this utterly charming murder mystery. The perfect treat for cozy crime fans!
Author Bio:
Helena Dixon is the author of the best-selling Miss Underhay murder mystery series and
lives in Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a
cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and
housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010
as Nell Dixon.
It’s been another hectic week of work and my health has been suffering. By Friday my balance was severely affected and I’d fallen several times. However, time to focus on the positives!
Wednesday evening saw me and Matthew head to a college open event. How did he get this grown up??!! He has fallen in love with a BTEC course in game development although I would prefer him to do A Levels.
More work at the weekend but I promised Zach I would help him with a puzzle and we actually had a lot more fun than I expected (despite our serious faces below! Such concentration!)
Eva wakes to find herself with horrific injuries, amnesia and locked in the attic of the family home. Her parents are protecting her, but from what…or who…?
Lake Child is a psychological thriller set in Norway.
Eva has no memory of the night she climbed into a truck that crashed. She was is a coma for months but is now ready to find out the truth about the accident. But her parents are keeping her locked up, supposedly for her own protection as she has been sleepwalking and the truck driver may target her as he was never caught. Her best friends are banned from visiting and Eva doubts whether she can fully trust her parents or even the police. I really liked Eva’s character. She is determined and resourceful but I am quite surprised at how mistrustful she is.
There is a great sinister atmosphere as Eva is fearful, confused and frustrated about the circumstances of her accident and her new reality locked up at home. The mystery is sustained well and the flashbacks/dreams at the start of the chapters adds to the tension as we and she try to make sense of her experiences. Then there is a huge twist and the dynamic changes as the book takes an unexpected direction…
Lake Child is packed full of mystery and has a sustained sinister atmosphere.
Book blurb:
You trust your family. They love you. Don’t they?
When 17-year-old Eva Olsen awakes after a horrific accident that has left her bedbound, her parents are right by her side. Devoted, they watch over her night and day in the attic room of their family home in the forests of Norway.
But the accident has left Eva without her most recent memories, and not everything is as it seems. As secrets from the night of the accident begin to surface, Eva realises – she has to escape her parents’ house and discover the truth. But what if someone doesn’t want her to find it?
An historical re-enactment of a battle ends in tragedy when one of the participants falls from the ruins. Everyone thinks it is a terrible accident until Alex’s best friend convinces Flora and Jack to investigate…
Murder in an English Castle is the 10th book in the Flora Steele series of murder mysteries set in the 1950s.
Flora and Jack are enjoying the experience of the battleground when Alex falls. His best friend Hector is sure that someone pushed his friend and the amateur sleuths begin to agree that the circumstances are suspicious. Suddenly they expose a range of suspects with a variety of potential motives but things get more complicated when another body is found.
We are straight into the action at the battle site at the start of the book but it then takes some time for the death to be recognised as murder. Alex appears to have no enemies at first but gradually his issues with various characters come to light. On the personal side of the plot, Flora and Jack are still negotiating married life and their work schedules. As always, I enjoyed the historical context of the series and thought that the Sussex village was brought to life.
Murder in an English Castle is an enjoyable historical murder mystery.
Book Description:
It’s time to rewrite history with amateur detectives Flora Steele and Jack Carrington as they are called to a castle to unearth the clues of a murder most medieval…
Sussex, 1959. The sun is shining on the breathtaking castle as the Abbeymead Historical Society prepare their re-enactment of the Battle of Lewes. But the fun ends abruptly when council worker Alex Vicary falls to his death from the castle ramparts. A shadowy figure runs from the scene, but Alex was a beloved member of the community… who could possibly want him dead?
As Flora and Jack investigate further, they dig up troubles Alex kept buried from those closest to him. Perhaps he was pushed by his money-hungry landlord, Larry Morton, who was trying to sell Alex’s home? Or maybe his oldest and shiftiest friend, Bruce Sullivan, who gambled away the money Alex loaned him? Or could it be his wide-eyed new girlfriend, Diane Croft,who dodges questions about Alex’s death, and hides presents from another suitor?
But when Flora discovers an engagement ring among Alex’s possessions, she is stunned to learn that his relationship with Diane was more serious than everyone thought. With whispers of another man fighting for Diane’s heart, were the battle lines drawn for love?
Then the body of a second member of the society is found, and the pair realise time is running out. Will history repeat itself with yet another death? Or can Flora and Jack catch their killer before the medieval murderer bids them both adieu?
A totally compelling and absolutely charming cozy mystery novel. Fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis will adore this unputdownable series!
Author Bio:
Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.
It has been a manic week of work, mainly mock exams but also 2 governor meetings as well as parent governor election prep.
The moon has been pretty spectacular this week too, apparently the last supermoon of the year. The cloud cover made it seem a bit spooky so I was glad to have the dogs for company!
