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Daisy Dalrymple #20
Gone West
In September 1926, Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher visits Sybil Sutherby, a school friend now secretary to a novelist supporting a house of hangers-on by thrice-yearly Westerns. Sybil took over while Humphrey Birtwhistle was ill, sales increased, and she suspects someone is poisoning him - until he suddenly dies. Daisy investigates.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 17, 2012
68 people are currently reading
918 people want to read
About the author
Carola Dunn
91 books886 followersCarola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
December 12, 2019
I love Daisy Dalrymple mysteries and usually give them a 4 star rating (though the Christmas one -- Mistletoe and Murder rated a 5 star for me.) Anyway, Gone West was really slow to start -- a lot of time spent on setting up the background and all the players and the murder didn't happen until about a third of the way in and things didn't really pick up until Daisy's Chief Inspector husband and his men arrived on the scene about halfway through. After that, it was loads of fun. Love the dynamics between Daisy and Alec -- the way she finagles her way into his investigations -- the camaraderie between Daisy and the Scotland Yard detectives. How everyone can't seem to help confiding in her. I've enjoyed the audible edition of all the books I've 'read' so far -- 20! -- and the narration is excellent. My library just got in the remaining three in the series and I do hope there are many more to come.
February 8, 2021
Terrific, as always.
February 13, 2012
Lovely .......
July 11, 2017
Don't invite Daisy Dalrymple to stay at your place for the weekend, for wherever she goes an unexpected death seems to occur! And in 'Gone West' it is no different.
She visits Eyrie Farm in Derbyshire at the request of a friend who is in a quandary over something she and the owner of the farm are involved in. Daisy soon finds out what the problem is and it concerns the owner, Humphrey Birtwhistle, and his occupation as an author of Western fiction. Daisy's friend, Sybil, is his secretary but she has also been involved in something more than that of late.
Daisy contemplates the problem, which is acerbated by the fact that Sybil thinks Humphrey has seemingly become more ill and lackadaisical for no apparent reason as the days passed. The farm is filled with family and a few friends who rely on Humphrey's income to keep them in the custom to which they expect and as Humphrey becomes less well, suspicion falls on all those around him for he has no obvious physical ailments.
While Daisy is trying to work it out, Humphrey dies suddenly and this throws the whole gathering into panic and confusion. The local constabulary in the form of Detective Inspector Worrall is called in and in addition assistance from Scotland Yard is asked for and Superintendent Crane deputes Detective Chief Inspector Fletcher to go up to Derbyshire to get to the bottom of what has happened. There is method in Crane's choice for by then he is aware that Daisy, the DCI's wife is already at the scene of the crime and he is apt to be very touchy at the slightest hint that Daisy has got herself involved yet again in anything remotely criminal.
Before DCI Fletcher arrives, Daisy cannot help herself and she gets involved in trying to discover exactly what has happened; with 11 possible suspects she has plenty of investigating to do. When Fletcher does arrive he is almost unbelieving, and somewhat annoyed, that his wife is once more on the scene of a crime, for by this time it has become common knowledge as to how Humphrey has died.
From then on he takes charge but keeping Daisy out of the action is not easy. His instinct is always to keep her as far away from his investigations as possible but he is not very successful at it and he knows that once she is involved one way or another she will stay involved. And so she does, but it is Fletcher who eventually realises what has happened and who the perpetrator is, so the case is solved to the satisfaction of all.
While the 1920s setting of the book is admirable, the plot is a little weak and its uncovering is, for me, lost in too much verbiage, so much so that by the end of the book, I was wondering why the crime has been committed and how Fletcher has realised who the killer is. This is not definitely Daisy Dalrymple at her very best.
She visits Eyrie Farm in Derbyshire at the request of a friend who is in a quandary over something she and the owner of the farm are involved in. Daisy soon finds out what the problem is and it concerns the owner, Humphrey Birtwhistle, and his occupation as an author of Western fiction. Daisy's friend, Sybil, is his secretary but she has also been involved in something more than that of late.
Daisy contemplates the problem, which is acerbated by the fact that Sybil thinks Humphrey has seemingly become more ill and lackadaisical for no apparent reason as the days passed. The farm is filled with family and a few friends who rely on Humphrey's income to keep them in the custom to which they expect and as Humphrey becomes less well, suspicion falls on all those around him for he has no obvious physical ailments.
While Daisy is trying to work it out, Humphrey dies suddenly and this throws the whole gathering into panic and confusion. The local constabulary in the form of Detective Inspector Worrall is called in and in addition assistance from Scotland Yard is asked for and Superintendent Crane deputes Detective Chief Inspector Fletcher to go up to Derbyshire to get to the bottom of what has happened. There is method in Crane's choice for by then he is aware that Daisy, the DCI's wife is already at the scene of the crime and he is apt to be very touchy at the slightest hint that Daisy has got herself involved yet again in anything remotely criminal.
Before DCI Fletcher arrives, Daisy cannot help herself and she gets involved in trying to discover exactly what has happened; with 11 possible suspects she has plenty of investigating to do. When Fletcher does arrive he is almost unbelieving, and somewhat annoyed, that his wife is once more on the scene of a crime, for by this time it has become common knowledge as to how Humphrey has died.
From then on he takes charge but keeping Daisy out of the action is not easy. His instinct is always to keep her as far away from his investigations as possible but he is not very successful at it and he knows that once she is involved one way or another she will stay involved. And so she does, but it is Fletcher who eventually realises what has happened and who the perpetrator is, so the case is solved to the satisfaction of all.
While the 1920s setting of the book is admirable, the plot is a little weak and its uncovering is, for me, lost in too much verbiage, so much so that by the end of the book, I was wondering why the crime has been committed and how Fletcher has realised who the killer is. This is not definitely Daisy Dalrymple at her very best.
August 24, 2017
Couldn't get interested in this one. Unsympathetic characters, uninteresting plot. Skipped, skimmed, am marking this one DNF/Don't Try Again.
Gave up on this 8/23/17.
Gave up on this 8/23/17.
November 29, 2021
Ekscytująca do samego końca
March 10, 2022
This book was not nearly as much fun as previous series entries. A very slow set up, along with lack of the history of Historical Homes, Castles, etc. didn’t keep me engaged.
October 2, 2021
I enjoyed it all the way through to the end which was ridiculously contrived.
July 24, 2017
Sadly this book was just very meh. It took over one hundred pages (about a third of the book) till the murder happened which is just too long. I appreciate some setup but not at that lengths.
Additionally I just didn't care for the characters that much. Usually Dunn is really good at introducing a set of characters from really likeable to absolute jerks (though thankfully the jerks aren't always the murderers) but here almost everybody acted horribly and annoying (with the exception of Daisy's old school-friend Sibyll who admittedly was quite interesting): there's Simon the murder-victim's son who acts incredibly snobbish (he does get better after the murder but as we already established that this is quite late so we have to suffer through a lot of stupid comments before that), the victim's siblings (don't ask) and of course Myrna and her two admirers. Especially Myrna failed badly as character. I think she was supposed to be a subversion of the silly air-headed girl who only cares about clothes-type and at first it worked. She does regularily run out of her allowance money because she spends it on clothes and jewellery but there are also moments where she shows compassion and insight...and than ruin it again by acting incredibly stupid.
(Like leaving the house, something the police have repeatedly told her not to do, because she wanted to fetch her quarterly allowance at the first possibly moment...)
Her two admirers really weren't any better so the amount of likeable characters was very limited.
The mystery was actually OK...only that at the end it seemed like Dunn suddenly realized 'oh crap I only have 5 pages left to wrap it all up' and just threw everything (from the actual resolution of the crime to the resolution of all her red herrings) at the reader.
A rather dissappointing volume of the series.
Additionally I just didn't care for the characters that much. Usually Dunn is really good at introducing a set of characters from really likeable to absolute jerks (though thankfully the jerks aren't always the murderers) but here almost everybody acted horribly and annoying (with the exception of Daisy's old school-friend Sibyll who admittedly was quite interesting): there's Simon the murder-victim's son who acts incredibly snobbish (he does get better after the murder but as we already established that this is quite late so we have to suffer through a lot of stupid comments before that), the victim's siblings (don't ask) and of course Myrna and her two admirers. Especially Myrna failed badly as character. I think she was supposed to be a subversion of the silly air-headed girl who only cares about clothes-type and at first it worked. She does regularily run out of her allowance money because she spends it on clothes and jewellery but there are also moments where she shows compassion and insight...and than ruin it again by acting incredibly stupid.
(Like leaving the house, something the police have repeatedly told her not to do, because she wanted to fetch her quarterly allowance at the first possibly moment...)
Her two admirers really weren't any better so the amount of likeable characters was very limited.
The mystery was actually OK...only that at the end it seemed like Dunn suddenly realized 'oh crap I only have 5 pages left to wrap it all up' and just threw everything (from the actual resolution of the crime to the resolution of all her red herrings) at the reader.
A rather dissappointing volume of the series.
January 31, 2012
Daisy is at it again. Asked by an old school chum to come for a visit Daisy agrees even though the women were never really close. Sybil, a widow who works as a secetary for a writer, has gradually moved towards actually writing the books when the author gets ill. She worries that her boss, who should be stronger by now, isn't and wonders if foulplay is the cause. Of course, the lovely man dies and Alec gets called in to solve the case. A nice depature from the more serious nature of the last book.
October 23, 2015
Another engaging entry in this long-running series. This is the second time I've read it and I enjoyed it every bit as much this time around.
April 6, 2023
It's been a long time since Daisy Fletcher (née Dalrymple) has seen Sybil Sutherby. Sybil (then Richland) was a year ahead Daisy at school and the two weren't close friends. So, when a letter arrives saying that Sybil will be in London and would like to meet up with Daisy for lunch or tea, Daisy is both puzzled and intrigued. Fellow classmate and Daisy's best friend Lucy (alias Lady Gerald Bincombe) is sure that Sybil only wants to renew the acquaintance because of Daisy's fame as a writer of magazine articles. Over lunch, it becomes apparent that writing isn't on Sybil's mind--at least not Daisy's writing. She wants Daisy to indulge in her other interest...mystery & mayhem...and come to the country house where Sybil works as a secretary to Humphrey Birtwhistle (aka Eli Hawke, author of Western novels).
When Humphrey came down with pneumonia about three years ago, Sybil became more than a secretary. Humphrey was too sick to meet the deadline for the latest Hawke book and so she heavily edited what was done and ghost-wrote the rest. The editor noticed differences in the style and wasn't too pleased...until sales took off. It seems the reading public really like Hawke's new way with words. Since then, Humphrey has been ailing--he has a few good days, but then immediately relapses in weakness and tiredness. The doctor can't understand it and Sybil suspects that someone in the family is doping the elderly man so Sybil will keep writing and the extra money from the heightened sales will keep rolling in. She hopes she's wrong and, so, she hopes Daisy will come, investigate, and tell her she's imagining things.
Except she's not. Before Daisy can really get to know the people at Eyrie Farm, Humphrey is dead from a hefty dose of chloral hydrate and everyone is under suspicion. Daisy was supposed to be "under cover"--just an old school friend of Sybil's and no one was supposed to know she was married to an inspector from Scotland Yard. But Sybil couldn't keep the secret from the doctor (who seems to be sweet on her...and vice versa) and he immediately asks the local constabulary to call up the Yard and ask for Inspector Fletcher. Alec Fletcher is none too pleased to find his wife mixed up in yet another murder...
It's also been a long time since I visited with Daisy--long before I began blogging and quite possibly 20 years or so. She's a very likeable character and the time period is definitely one of my favorites. Of course, these are cozy mysteries and I read them more for character, setting, and comfort than for intricate puzzle plots, but this one seems a little lighter than usual. I spotted the villain of the piece right away, but I can't say I'm sold on the motive. It's similar to that of another character--but I'd have to say the motive makes more sense for that character than the actual perpetrator. And speaking of character...few of the characters (beyond Sybil and Daisy) are really likeable. Humphrey's wife Ruby is pretty okay and his son Simon has his moments, but his brother and sister are a nasty pair. They resent Humphrey's return from the States to claim his share of the inheritance, but don't mind when Humphrey's book sales boost the style of living (two maids to help out around the house!). Myra, Humphrey's niece would be better if she were written consistently, but she veers from apparent air-headed flapper interested only in when her next quarter's allowance is due to kind and compassionate when Ruby needs her and back again with surprising speed. It was difficult find anyone to root for (innocence-wise) and one really wouldn't have minded if any one of them wound up guilty.
First posted on my blog
When Humphrey came down with pneumonia about three years ago, Sybil became more than a secretary. Humphrey was too sick to meet the deadline for the latest Hawke book and so she heavily edited what was done and ghost-wrote the rest. The editor noticed differences in the style and wasn't too pleased...until sales took off. It seems the reading public really like Hawke's new way with words. Since then, Humphrey has been ailing--he has a few good days, but then immediately relapses in weakness and tiredness. The doctor can't understand it and Sybil suspects that someone in the family is doping the elderly man so Sybil will keep writing and the extra money from the heightened sales will keep rolling in. She hopes she's wrong and, so, she hopes Daisy will come, investigate, and tell her she's imagining things.
Except she's not. Before Daisy can really get to know the people at Eyrie Farm, Humphrey is dead from a hefty dose of chloral hydrate and everyone is under suspicion. Daisy was supposed to be "under cover"--just an old school friend of Sybil's and no one was supposed to know she was married to an inspector from Scotland Yard. But Sybil couldn't keep the secret from the doctor (who seems to be sweet on her...and vice versa) and he immediately asks the local constabulary to call up the Yard and ask for Inspector Fletcher. Alec Fletcher is none too pleased to find his wife mixed up in yet another murder...
It's also been a long time since I visited with Daisy--long before I began blogging and quite possibly 20 years or so. She's a very likeable character and the time period is definitely one of my favorites. Of course, these are cozy mysteries and I read them more for character, setting, and comfort than for intricate puzzle plots, but this one seems a little lighter than usual. I spotted the villain of the piece right away, but I can't say I'm sold on the motive. It's similar to that of another character--but I'd have to say the motive makes more sense for that character than the actual perpetrator. And speaking of character...few of the characters (beyond Sybil and Daisy) are really likeable. Humphrey's wife Ruby is pretty okay and his son Simon has his moments, but his brother and sister are a nasty pair. They resent Humphrey's return from the States to claim his share of the inheritance, but don't mind when Humphrey's book sales boost the style of living (two maids to help out around the house!). Myra, Humphrey's niece would be better if she were written consistently, but she veers from apparent air-headed flapper interested only in when her next quarter's allowance is due to kind and compassionate when Ruby needs her and back again with surprising speed. It was difficult find anyone to root for (innocence-wise) and one really wouldn't have minded if any one of them wound up guilty.
First posted on my blog
April 12, 2022
This is a first-rate mystery, even though I was pretty sure I figured out the murderer. It happened when I began to pay attention to what was left out. It is not exactly misdirection on the part of the author, just not including all the possibilities when itemizing things to consider. I am not sure the motive for the murder is particularly realistic, but then I considered the perp to be pretty loopy anyway, given that person's usual behavior. I like the situation, the set-up, the complexity of the working relationship between the secretary and the boss, the way the household was run, the shirt-tail relative's joie de vivre, and many of the personalities of the characters You can't like everyone in a murder mystery, can you? Then you'd feel really badly no matter who the perp was. And I always like reading about Daisy and Alex.
Coincidentally, it turns out, the author and I share a friend in common on Facebook. This friend is fond of posting each day a really arcane or little-used word, and then letting her friends guess (no fair looking it up) the meaning. I am so impressed with the immense vocabulary of Carola Dunn. I don't suppose I would have noticed before I began to think about what on earth that word-a-day could mean, or even who the friends were that responded. But then I began to have an inkling that this one friend might be a bit beyond ordinary. If I hadn't already figured out the connection, I certainly would have when I came across these words (which I had to look up) in this book: mauresque, persiflage, percipient, and panegyric (and didn't the author have fun with this last one!).
Highly recommended. For many reasons.
Coincidentally, it turns out, the author and I share a friend in common on Facebook. This friend is fond of posting each day a really arcane or little-used word, and then letting her friends guess (no fair looking it up) the meaning. I am so impressed with the immense vocabulary of Carola Dunn. I don't suppose I would have noticed before I began to think about what on earth that word-a-day could mean, or even who the friends were that responded. But then I began to have an inkling that this one friend might be a bit beyond ordinary. If I hadn't already figured out the connection, I certainly would have when I came across these words (which I had to look up) in this book: mauresque, persiflage, percipient, and panegyric (and didn't the author have fun with this last one!).
Highly recommended. For many reasons.
January 27, 2024
While I suspected the final evil-doer from the get-go in this one, a writer's style and approach is always the main entertainment for me. But Dunn demands a lot. She insists on including so many characters! But now I geddit. Slow on the uptake, me.
I have been unfairly feeling the sense of overwhelming names and relationships in Dunn's works as I picked them up over the past year and then had to stop and simply face the obvious: Dunn enjoys and clearly feels very comfortable with the complexities of shifting 1920's social class structures (well, DUH! that is her setting and time line). She does it very well. But it can be a demanding 'ask' as they say today for those whose genealogy skills are simply not up to the mark.
However, if Dunn demands more concentration from the reader than that reader has sufficient energy to provide, then perhaps "that reader" should turn to an author who prefers to use a simpler cast like Frances Brody's Kate Shackleton series. An excellent alternate option in equally capable and stylish hands.
Even so...Dunn's work is elegant, companionable, entertaining, enlightening and consistently delivers a curious puzzle without threatened female violence which is a monstrous relief these days. If you can handle the cast-of-thousands and multitude first and second cousins twice removed...then read on!
I have been unfairly feeling the sense of overwhelming names and relationships in Dunn's works as I picked them up over the past year and then had to stop and simply face the obvious: Dunn enjoys and clearly feels very comfortable with the complexities of shifting 1920's social class structures (well, DUH! that is her setting and time line). She does it very well. But it can be a demanding 'ask' as they say today for those whose genealogy skills are simply not up to the mark.
However, if Dunn demands more concentration from the reader than that reader has sufficient energy to provide, then perhaps "that reader" should turn to an author who prefers to use a simpler cast like Frances Brody's Kate Shackleton series. An excellent alternate option in equally capable and stylish hands.
Even so...Dunn's work is elegant, companionable, entertaining, enlightening and consistently delivers a curious puzzle without threatened female violence which is a monstrous relief these days. If you can handle the cast-of-thousands and multitude first and second cousins twice removed...then read on!
June 25, 2019
It took me forever to finish this book.... I was utterly bored up until Chapter 14, when things became interesting.
A long-past school friend calls upon Daisy & asks her to come visit (investigate) the house where she is working as a secretary for a famous Wester author. The author has not been well & she believes he is being drugged.
As it turn out, because of the author's illness, the secretary has been helping to write his books, which have become even more popular & are earning more money; money which is used to keep the family farm afloat.
Although the Author's brother & sister are begrudging, they readily accept the extra income brought in by the increased popularity of the books.
Upon Daisy's arrival the Author begins to join the family before & during dinner, sipping his favorite Pink Gin cocktail... Unfortunately, one night after dinner he becomes more tired than usual, goes to bed early & ceases breathing... Dead from an overdose of Chloral Hydrate.
The characters were not really likable, being selfish & self-absorbed ungrateful leeches.... But I figured out, again, "who done it".
A long-past school friend calls upon Daisy & asks her to come visit (investigate) the house where she is working as a secretary for a famous Wester author. The author has not been well & she believes he is being drugged.
As it turn out, because of the author's illness, the secretary has been helping to write his books, which have become even more popular & are earning more money; money which is used to keep the family farm afloat.
Although the Author's brother & sister are begrudging, they readily accept the extra income brought in by the increased popularity of the books.
Upon Daisy's arrival the Author begins to join the family before & during dinner, sipping his favorite Pink Gin cocktail... Unfortunately, one night after dinner he becomes more tired than usual, goes to bed early & ceases breathing... Dead from an overdose of Chloral Hydrate.
The characters were not really likable, being selfish & self-absorbed ungrateful leeches.... But I figured out, again, "who done it".
January 24, 2018
#20 in the Honorable Daisy Dalrymple (and her husband Scotland Yard Detective chief Inspector Alec Fletcher), magazine writer and heiress (no inheritance due to British entailed system) mystery series. It is late September, 1926 and Daisy is visiting a school friend in Devonshire who is a confidential secretary to a novelist. She feels something is not as it shoud be and asks Daisy to discreetly invesitgate. Daisy finds a novelist in declining health with a family living on him along with a disgruntled brother and sister who aren’t happy he inherited the estate even though 30 years have passed; a wastrel appearing 20 year old son, an attractive 18 year old daughter acting like she has fluff for brains with an expensive fashion life style and 2 suitors she’s stringingly along because she likes the attention. Soon there is a murder and not long after that Alec is called in.
Again, a good cast of supporting characters who Dunn developes very well and snappy dialog.
Again, a good cast of supporting characters who Dunn developes very well and snappy dialog.
August 21, 2017
Daisy is adorable!!! (I was surprised that I had missed this book.) Everywhere she goes, of course, someone is murdered. Since her husband works for Scotland Yard, he ends up having to investigate. No matter how much he insists that Daisy stay out of the investigation, it never works that way!! England in the 1920's was a mix of cocktails, fast cars, and women becoming more and more independent. Daisy having been born into an elite family, shocked family and friends by marrying a policeman! With her father's death from influenza, her home and the family's money went to a distant relative, so Daisy had been earning her own way before then. Her brother and first fiance were killed in World War I. Sadly, all of this would have been a common enough story for the time period of this book. The dialogue is excellent and Daisy is such a likable character.
February 21, 2022
Daisy Dalrymple visits her old school friend Sybil Sutherby on a Derbyshire farm. Sybil is employed as secretary to a novelist and has been worried that someone in the household may be responsible for her employer’s mysterious lethargy and spells of illness. She asks Daisy to investigate but Daisy has only just started to get to know Humphrey Birtwhistle and his family when there is a suspicious death…
These books are good fun, and I enjoyed Daisy’s visit to the countryside and the descriptions of Matlock. The investigation of the murder was a bit slow and repetitive, but there were some nice moments as Daisy ‘interferes’ with affairs. The characters were quite varied and interesting, and the book sped by very pleasantly to a quite surprising (to me) conclusion. 3.5*
These books are good fun, and I enjoyed Daisy’s visit to the countryside and the descriptions of Matlock. The investigation of the murder was a bit slow and repetitive, but there were some nice moments as Daisy ‘interferes’ with affairs. The characters were quite varied and interesting, and the book sped by very pleasantly to a quite surprising (to me) conclusion. 3.5*
August 18, 2022
I almost lost interest while all the characters in the Derbyshire farmhouse, nicer than your typical farmhouse, with wings and lots of bedrooms, were introduced. Daisy has been invited by her school friend, Sybil, to see if there's any skullduggery going on against Sybil's lethargic writer-employer.
It takes awhile before Yes, some bad thing happened. Daisy's husband, Alec, arrives on the scene, and both Daisy and Alec are dismayed to find each other there. At any rate, the culprit is uncovered.
By the way, Daisy's friend in London is insufferably snooty and obnoxious, but I guess that's how someone with the title "Lady" behaved then.
This book is 20th in the Daisy Dalrymple series. I'll have to try another to see whether it moves along at at a more attention-keeping pace.
It takes awhile before Yes, some bad thing happened. Daisy's husband, Alec, arrives on the scene, and both Daisy and Alec are dismayed to find each other there. At any rate, the culprit is uncovered.
By the way, Daisy's friend in London is insufferably snooty and obnoxious, but I guess that's how someone with the title "Lady" behaved then.
This book is 20th in the Daisy Dalrymple series. I'll have to try another to see whether it moves along at at a more attention-keeping pace.
July 3, 2023
Daisy is an engaging sleuth who can always be relied upon to help a friend, even someone whom she has not seen for years. So when asked to visit the secretary of a famous author who just might be being poisoned, she gives an edited version to her police Inspector husband and drives away. Unfortunately... well, you can guess. What I like about this book are the contrasts and inventiveness around this rather different and piquant country house mystery. This is not so much high society as falling down the social scale society with snobbishness from outsiders. Derbyshire is evoked deftly and the decades of dysfunction in the household make the tight plot every more effective. Hurrah for daisy, I say.
August 3, 2025
Another undemanding 'cosy' mystery, but this one is much poorer than the earlier ones I have read. The general plot and setting are ok, but the whole thing is far too wordy and rapidly became boring to read. I also felt that the murderer's motive was incredibly weak. Strong 'I really can't be bothered but I have a publishing deadline to meet' vibes from this one.
June 16, 2017
A classic country house murder set in 1926. Of the suspects, four are either gentry or aristocracy and rather useless. Two of the family actually run the farm; so are doing something useful but are dull as dirt. Sybil is a secretary to a successful author. Since they went to the same school, Daisy feels obligated to leave husband and children behind to go to her employer’s country house Derbyshire when Sybil asks for help. She and the local doctor are more interesting and actually make the reader care about who done it.
November 25, 2019
I'd say you have to already be a Daisy Dalrymple fan to enjoy this. It's a whodunnit, but the murder doesn't happen till almost halfway through the book. I assumed Daisy was the Miss Marple character - but in fact, once the murder did occur, her policeman husband arrived with his team, and Daisy was reduced to note-taker and inquisitive bystander. Eventually, she recalled something a character had said and bingo! the murder was solved, just like that.
I liked the 1920's setting and that atmosphere kept me reading, but the plot didn't engage.
I liked the 1920's setting and that atmosphere kept me reading, but the plot didn't engage.
August 1, 2020
Wherever Daisy goes, a body is sure to turn up!!! A former school hears about Daisy’s amateur sleuthing skills and asks her to view/assess the situation at her place of employment/home. Once again, when a victim is discovered, Daisy’s husband Alec must be dispatched by Scotland Yard to investigate. And it again finally falls on Daisy to remember the forgotten clue that had previously eluded her to help solve the case after Alec and his team go through the regular police procedures trying to get clues and evidence.
July 8, 2022
Daisy goes to Derbyshire to visit an old school friend who is suspicious that her employer may be in danger. She’s only been there a day when the employer is murdered - enter Alec and team to solve it, accepting more help than usual from his wife. A relaxing read with the normal stereotypical characters and a touch of humour here and there. In the end the mystery really solves itself which is a bit flat. (The last of my Daisy stock of mysteries, bought as a set from the much missed Book People - I will only read anymore if I find them in a charity shop)
April 25, 2023
Ще один детектив з серії про Дейзі Делрімпл і трохи буремні двадцяті. Тут до неї звертається колишня однокласниця, яка працює секретаркою у відомого романіста. В того в маєтку гостює купа дорогих родичів і друзів, а однокласниця підозрює, що начальника хочуть вбити. Правильно підозрює, а Дейзі розплутувати, незважаючи на хвилювання чоловіка-інспектора і місцевої поліції.
Знову багато life and times, а от виглядає, що вбивцю вибрали за принципом "та треба ж комусь ним бути". Наче й нічого, але якось схематично.
Знову багато life and times, а от виглядає, що вбивцю вибрали за принципом "та треба ж комусь ним бути". Наче й нічого, але якось схематично.
April 26, 2023
Daisy is asked by an old friend, Sybil, to visit and investigate her employer's home. Sybil is the live in secretary of a writer and vaguely feels like something malevolent is going on. It takes quite awhile for the murder to take place, so Daisy has a good sense for all the potential suspects. I did feel once Alec is called on the scene to officially investigate, the story started to drag. They kept questioning everyone without learning anything. Not the most engaging story, though Daisy is always a likeable character.
April 27, 2023
This is book 20 in a series, so of course I would not recommend it to anyone as a starting point for this series. But like the rest of the series, this is a delightful book.
One of the things I really admire about Carola Dunn is that she wrote this long series and very successfully had her protagonist mature and grow in a believable way and still remain an interesting character. And beyond that, she continues to put together complex plots that are really enjoyable and challenging.
If you like light, charming but also well-written murder mysteries, this series might be for you.
One of the things I really admire about Carola Dunn is that she wrote this long series and very successfully had her protagonist mature and grow in a believable way and still remain an interesting character. And beyond that, she continues to put together complex plots that are really enjoyable and challenging.
If you like light, charming but also well-written murder mysteries, this series might be for you.
July 23, 2018
Another entertaining Daisy & Alec adventure. This one was less enthralling than previous ones simply because it seemed too long for the story it was telling. Perhaps a bit more editing would have been appropriate. Perhaps too it was the heavy atmosphere of the country estate which was the setting that dragged it down some. Still on my enjoyable books list though, & as usual I'm looking forward to the next one.
March 9, 2019
An old school friend of Daisy's approaches her for help. She believes something is wrong in the house where she works. Daisy arrives with very little information to find a unique family situation and soon her friend's boss dies. Daisy and soon Alec investigate.
I love this series, but this was exceptionally slow. I didn't enjoy the setting or the characters. The mystery didn't feel very mysterious and I found it exceptionally hard to finish reading this book.
I love this series, but this was exceptionally slow. I didn't enjoy the setting or the characters. The mystery didn't feel very mysterious and I found it exceptionally hard to finish reading this book.
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