1916, Hannah travels to her sister’s home of Midwinter Manor with Aunt Violet to spend Christmas. But it isn’t the relaxing family Christmas they were expecting as one guest dies and a priceless ruby goes missing…
Murder at Midwinter Manor is the 3rd book to feature bookshop owners Hannah and Violet as they act as amateur sleuths during WW1.
As well as the usual stresses caused by a family gathering, Hannah is anxious to save her sister’s Christmas by finding the killer and the ruby. She is ably assisted as usual by her beau Darius, delightfully obtuse aunt Violet, and of course Bartleby the cat. The snowed in country house means that there is a limited number of suspects, motives and opportunities. Hannah needs to investigate to uncover links between the two crimes in order to solve them.
The family dynamic was enjoyable, however I was a little overwhelmed by the number of guests and their relationships, and felt that this could have been reduced slightly. The historical elements had been well researched and I liked the references to the war, suffragettes and fashion which all added an authenticity to the plot and characters. There is also commentary on social, class and gender norms of the era, adding depth to the narrative. I enjoyed the romantic threads for both Hannah and Violet, possibly because they are such fantastic characters that I want them to be happy!
Murder at Midwinter Manor is an enjoyable cosy historical murder mystery.
Murder at Midwinter Manor
Escaping the city doesn’t mean escaping the criminals…
1916, Midwinter Manor: Desperate for a Christmas weekend break from war-torn London, Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet take Bartleby the cat and themselves off to visit Hannah’s sister, in her beautiful country estate, deep in the English countryside.
The huge house is full of relatives, friends and merrymakers, and everyone’s excited to have a Christmas to remember.
But then, when a fellow-guest’s body is found in the library – apparently bludgeoned to death – and a precious ruby is stolen from another guest, it appears that it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.
With the house snowed in, and the rural police force completely incapable of finding a single credible suspect, Hannah and Aunt Violet realise that once again it’s going to be down to them to get to the bottom of it.
Because whoever’s behind the crimes must be at Midwinter Manor… And if they’re not found, who knows what their next ‘gift’ will be?
A totally unforgettable Golden Age, country house, cozy crime novel, perfect for fans of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, and Agatha Christie.
It has been a strange week. Did I mention I have another job? I’m now clerking at 4 schools as well as the exam invigilation. So this week I went into my new school which was fun but I also had a discipline committee at another school which was decidedly less enjoyable.
Zach lost a tooth and was extremely pleased about it. Matthew made his first recipe for GCSE Hospitality and Catering (soup and bread. He wanted to put beef in the potato and leek soup but luckily ran out of time!) Anya has been desperatey trying to help out around the house to earn money for her next nail treatment; it’s much easier to pay her not to ‘help’!
The weather has been grotty this week. It finally dried out and I got the guinea pigs out to enjoy the grass but then the hail and thunder descended! Not sure how the hail lined up in this photo, only noticed it when I uploaded it here!
It was a terrible afternoon and one of the guinea pigs found a broken bar on the run and managed to escape three times 🙁
Socks and cardigan have been reinstated already. Even the heating has been on this week!
This was February’s book club choice and it’s a classic I have read many (20+) years ago! This is the first time that I have listened to one of James Patterson’s books as an audiobook and I was not disappointed.
Two children go missing, abducted by a member of school staff. Detective Alex Cross is put on the case…
Along Came A Spider is the first book in the prolific Alex Cross series.
Alex is investigating multiple murders when he is called upon to consult on a high profile case. Two children with prominent parents have been abducted from their prestigious school. The pressure is on to find the children safe and sound but Alex and the FBI are up against an exceedingly clever killer.
I first read this book about 20 years ago so was happy to revisit it. I listened to the audiobook this time and found the experience very different. The racial elements still felt strong but the swearing jarred slightly. There is a huge twist which I had completely forgotten. The chapters are short so the plot rattles along speedily, and the audio narration was a good match. Perhaps some aspects are a little dated as it was published in 1993, but the plot and characters were still vividly portrayed.
Along Came a Spider is a gripping thriller and now I want to reread the whole series.
Book blurb
What have we got? A missing little girl named Maggie Rose . . . a family of three brutally murdered in the projects of Washington, D.C. . . . the thrill-killing of a beautiful elementary school teacher . . . a psychopathic serial kidnapper/murderer who is so terrifying that the FBI, the Secret Service, and the police cannot outsmart him – even after he’s been captured.
Gary Soneji wants to commit the crime of the century. Alex Cross is the brilliant homicide detective pitted against him. Jezzie Flanagan is the first female supervisor of the Secret Service. They complete one of the most unusual suspense triangles in any thriller you have ever read.
Alex and Jezzie are about to have a forbidden love affair—at the worst possible time for both of them. Because Gary Soneji is playing at the top of his game. The latest of the unspeakable crimes happens in Alex Cross’s precinct and it happens under the nose of Jezzie and her men.
Alex faces the ultimate test: how do you outmaneuver a brilliant psychopath?
Cressida Fawcett is enjoying a Christmas Eve party, hoping her best friend will get engaged. But the evening takes a shocking turn when she finds an acquaintance’s body in the fountain. The hotel is locked down and Cressy hunts the killer…
Death in the Mayfair Hotel is the 6th book in the amateur sleuth cosy historical murder mysteries (set in 1925).
Cressida and DCI Andrews only have a few hours to find the killer before the Christmas party ends and all the guests leave for their homes. Lady Victoria Beaumont is the victim and she was attending the party with her much older husband. Her former lover, disgruntled debutantes and her gynaecologist are also in attendance and Cressy unearths a myriad of motives.
I liked the limited setting and timing of the hotel party. It really intensified the investigation for me as midnight approaches. The glorious Ruby the pug is invaluable throughout the book and I loved her escapades. As well as her hopes for her best friend’s romanctic future, Cressy also has her own heart to consider as she begins to accept her feelings for Alfred.
Death in the Mayfair Hotel is a very enjoyable cosy historical murder mystery.
Book Description:
In a candlelit ballroom, London’s most fashionable amateur sleuth, Cressida Fawcett, is dancing the night away in her sparkling silk dress. It’s a night Cressida will never forget. Because outside the window, there’s a body under the falling snow…
Christmas Eve, 1925. The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is delighted to attend an exclusive ball at London’s glamorous Mayfair Hotel. When she steps out into the moonlit courtyard with her little pug Ruby wrapped in her furs, she is thrilled to see a dashing man propose to her best pal under the swirling snowflakes. But instead of squealing ‘yes’, Dotty lets out a terrified scream…
Because floating in the fountain, with her long blonde hair rippling in the ice-cold water, is the body of their dear friend Lady Victoria Beaumont.
It’s clear the wealthy young beauty was murdered, whacked over the head with a bottle of champagne. Would Victoria’s elderly husband Lord Beaumont kill his wife over rumours of her younger beau? Or did someone clobber Victoria to prevent her producing an heir for the Beaumont fortune?
A snowstorm prevents the authorities from arriving, and just as Cressida searches for clues, she finds herself locked inside a large wicker hamper. Why does the scent of the hamper’s smoky luxury tea remind her of the crime scene? And will a suspiciously rotund Ruby follow her snuffly nose and find Cressida in the nick of time?
Trapped in the hotel with a killer lurking among the guests, will Cressida lose someone dear to her heart? And when she finds a clue among the Christmas crackers, can Cressida solve her most mysterious case yet?
The perfect cozy whodunnit for a cold winter’s night. Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss won’t be able to put this down!
Author Bio:
Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.
Choo choo! It was originally meant to be a wet day so we had planned to go on a heritage railway so that we could keep the dogs (and us) dry. But the sun was shining once again so we stayed with the railway plan but added some extra English Heritage places too.
We arrived at Holt station to join the North Norfolk Railway. Dogs are welcome on the whole railway and there were plenty of furry visitors. Chas and Wurzel were a bit bewildered by the train experience and I wish they’d been allowed on the seats or our laps to look out of the window.
There are two model railways; one is labelled as a children’s one as it features all of the classic Thomas and Friends engines (very pleased I could remember them all after so long!) There is also a small museum about the railway and a cottage made out of an old carriage.
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