Many thanks to the good people at Hodder & Stoughton for including “Angelnet Reviews” on their blog tour around the release date for Dandy Gilver’s latest outing.
As usual I’ve done my normal trick of picking up a book far along in a series! This is book twelve in McPherson’s cosy crime series about an aristocratic private detective in the 1930s. If you are a fan of traditional Agatha Christie mysteries or P.G.Wodehouse I think that you’ll really enjoy this humorous and lively mystery story.
Dandy Gilver and her detective partner Alec Osborne arrive at a friend’s castle in Scotland. The impending issues of death duties and their effect on the estate has necessitated a search for a long lost family jewel. As Dandy and Alec begin the search for the ill-fated and cursed ruby a band of actors arrive at the castle to begin a season of Shakespeare that will hopefully raise some more money for the family.
As the rehearsals proceed for the equally cursed Scottish play – he who shall not be named! – Dandy soon discovers that there are much worse deeds taking place behind the scenes than there are on the stage.
The story does take a little while to get going. The opening sets the scene for the social setting and explains a bit more about the mores of the day. It is interesting in that it is set in a Downton-esque period of flux where staff in great houses are dwindling and women are becoming more independent in their own right.
You don’t need to have read the rest of the series to enjoy this book although I will be adding them to my very long reading list to go back to. Its a fun and comfortable read with interesting characters and an astute leading lady.
Supplied by Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.
UK Publication Date: July 13 2017. 320 pages.
Categories: 3.5 Stars Book Review
angelnet69
Prolific reader, enthusiastic theatre and movie-goer and ex-Olivier Awards judge who spent twenty years working in the music industry in London. Sharing my house with a gorgeous cockapoo called Harry who has taken over completely.
I love sharing my favourite books with friends - nearly always spoiler-free as I hate reading a synopsis of the whole book in other reviews.
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