The Picture House Murders

Miss Clara Vale Mysteries #1

by Fiona Veitch Smith

Murder is no occupation for a lady... or is it?

1929: Miss Clara Vale is a woman ahead of her time. Rather than attending Oxford to bag an eligible Duke (as her mother, Lady Vale, so desperately hoped), she threw herself into a degree in chemistry, with aspirations to become a scientist in her own right.

But the world isn't ready for Clara. Unable to land a job in science because she's a woman, she is stuck behind the desk at a dingy London library.

Until her estranged Uncle dies suddenly, leaving her his private detective agency, and laboratory, in his will.

Clara couldn't become a detective, could she?

The decision is made for her when one of her uncle's old clients comes to her for help with a case surrounding the local picture house and invites Clara to see the latest show, before they discuss the details.

But during the film, a fire suddenly engulfs the picture house, with tragic consequences.

It seems at first an accident, but Clara soon begins to question if it was in fact a carefully orchestrated murder.

She's suddenly in the middle of a deadly mystery and will discover her scientific skills make her a sleuth to be reckoned with... Can she catch the killer before they strike again?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Fiction, Crime, Historical Mystery

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2023

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was 1929 London, and Clara Vale, a scientist after her studies, was working in a library in London. No one would employ a woman scientist, no matter the qualifications she had, and while the library was a mundane, boring job, at least she had work. When Clara suddenly discovered her Uncle Bob had died some weeks prior, and her mother, Lady Vale, had made excuses not to go to the funeral, not even telling Clara, she was livid. Travelling by train to Newcastle, she saw her uncle's solicitors and learned he'd left her his house, which included a laboratory, plus his detective agency from which he'd enjoyed great success and respect.

Clara had only been in Newcastle a day when she was approached by one of Uncle Bob's clients, and so it saw Clara helping Alice, following the work her uncle had been doing to determine whether her picture house fire was deliberate. The police had closed the case, which meant there was no insurance pay out. But Alice knew it was arson; proving it was another matter. When Clara accompanied Alice to a picture, intending to discuss where to go with the investigation after the viewing, the sudden fire inside the theatre, which saw disastrous consequences, made Clara's mind up. She was sure there was evil afoot and would do everything in her power to prove it. But in doing so, was she putting herself in danger?

The Picture House Murders is the 1st in the Miss Clara Vale Mysteries by Fiona Veitch Smith and it was fun and entertaining. Clara is a great character, far ahead of her time, and her obvious enjoyment in the science of her endeavours makes her a good detective. I had worked out the perpetrator well before the reveal, but getting to the conclusion was well done. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Not Quite A Bookshop · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the story of a young woman, Clara Vale, who comes into a house funds and detective agency courtesy of her uncle. Due to the time period things are very much against her and the story charts her attempts to overcome sexism and bias whilst finding her feet ‘up North’.

An easy listen on the whole, a little predictable but maybe that’s because I read so many in this genre? Slight criticism of the narration in that all male characters sounded identical so had to listen hard to know who was who. Additionally the parts pertaining to Clara’s sex life were cringeworthy, worse that the same ‘fumble’ was described numerous times. The aftermath of contraception options then read like a text book. Apart from that an enjoyable enough, easy listen.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for this audiobook in exchange for my personal, honest review. This review will also appear on my bookstagram account www.instagram.com/not_quite_a_bookshop

[Medollga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cozy and interesting, plus the writing was easy and engaging!👌⭐

I liked this mystery's setting and premise; the time period (late 1920s) and the corresponding events were why I bought the book. I expected the heroine to be more of Miss Phryne Fisher inspired lady-detective, yet she was much more reserved and studious.

I wished for the plot to be more of a mystery though...Pretty early on you get the idea of what's the crime actually about and who's done it, and as a reader you have to gradually see how the heroine comes to find the much-needed evidence. Sometimes evidence just falls in her lap😅

I'm interested in the continuation, so we'll see!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many things were wrong; didn’t finish. Characters in 1929 spoke like people in 2023, and the author has absolutely no understanding of chemistry- you can’t identify kerosene by looking at it under a microscope.

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fab start to a new series. Set in a time period where women needed a males signature to inherit or open a bank account and sexism was riffe. Clara has a science degree and is working as an independent librarian when her uncle dies and leaves her amongst thibgs his detective agency.
As clara fights to getvwhats her qnd aolve this case.
The narration on the whole was good. Sadly the male characters soubded isentical and lacked wmotion. Sone of the more scientific info like contraception was read like a txt book. This might have been deliberate due to Clara's degree . A great first liaten a bit predictable in places but kept me ibvested in the overall story.
I loved the fact tgat it tgen turned out the story was based on a teue event with a few details amended..
This was a great short listen hopefully the next in the series will look more at the male characters and how they sound

Thank you net gallery and publisher and author and narrator for a solid 4 star listen.

[Tierney Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging cozy mystery with a lead, Clara, who starts off well in the series opener and is likely to shine as it continues. The plot ticks along nicely, and the whodunnit is sustained really well all the way the through as you try to spot clues and seeds. The twist and climax work well :).

I got this thru Prime Reading, and I've TBR'd the audio of the next book since the narrator sounds really good.

[Inishowen Cailín · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Picture House Murders is an excellent start to a new series. Clara has inherited a business, a house and a good deal of wealth after the death of her uncle. Clara is an interesting character for the time period as she has a degree in science and an interest in continuing her uncle's enquiry agency.
The story reminds the modern reader of the limits society placed on women in the last century. Clara could not open a bank account without a letter of approval from her father or a male relative.
The mystery starts as a small task of providing enough evidence to cast doubt that a fire at the picture house was arson and not negligence. However, Clara finds herself embroiled in a much more complex case of murder. Allies cannot always be trusted and Clara must tread carefully as she fits the puzzle pieces together.
There is the beginning of a romance for Clara here but I'm hoping she remains independent of a husband for as long as possible and holds on to her freedom that financial independence brings.
I listened to the audio version of this book and found the narrator to be excellent and I will be happy to continue to enjoy the series in this format.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Cosy mystery

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know a book is good when you get up, realize you finished it last night and are really disappointed that you can't read it with your breakfast. This book reminds me of the best golden age of mystery writers, especially Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. It's got the Agatha Christie mystery, LGBTQ inclusion and sense of scenery and the character development of Dorothy Sayers. I also appreciated the accurate historical notes, although the treatment of women in the 1920s occasionally made me put the book down and, enraged, go rant to my long-suffering husband. We are also introduced to a whole cast of characters besides Miss Clara who I'm pretty sure will feature in future books. Can't wait for the next one!

[the_nerd_cafephile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bonnier UK Audio and the author for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The year is 1929 and women are finally allowed to go to university, hold their own wealth and vote. Ms. Clara Vale, a chemistry graduate from Oxford struggling to get employed in a job as per her qualification due to her gender finds out that her uncle has passed away and has left her his estate in Newcastle. On arrival in Newcastle, she finds out that her beloved but estranged uncle was a private investigator who has left her his practise if she would have it along with all of his estate and possessions.

Feeling completely out of place, confused and shocked at this news along with meeting one of his clients who is in desperate need for her help, Clara decides to prolong her stay and give herself some time to make this decision using this case as a tryout. The case involves a denied insurance claim on the burning down of a picture house that was ruled out as an accident due to negligence by the owners. Clara's uncle Bob suspected Arson and took on the case from Alice who also recently lost her husband in the midst of all this tragedy. When there is more and more scenarios that seems to support Alice and Bob's belief's Clara takes it upon herself to solve this case.

This was a gripping piece of fiction that masterfully dealt with a lot different factor's bringing it all together to a very satisfying conclusion. I was rooting for Clara from the very beginning and the author managed to keep me guessing till 85% mark which for me is a very successful crime thriller/ murder mystery. I absolutely loved the parts where Clara was using her knowledge as Scientist shine through in the detective work that she is trying her hand in. The narrator was brilliant with accents and character distinction and bringing Clara so much definition while keeping up the drama factor. Definitely a perfect book for Agatha Christie fans

[Lisa reads alot Hamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
really enjoyed this one, set in the 1920’s Clara Vale is an Oxford science graduate and at age 30 wants to live her own life, support herself and get a job she really wants.

Following the death of her uncle she finds he has left her an inheritance- a house, money and his detective agency 😃

[Chantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of Mrs Fisher’s Murder Mysteries this hit all the right notes for me.

My only complaint is that the possible future romantic interest was a bit dull for me. Happy for Clara as a third-party, but no steam on my end.

[Bridget Vollmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sara♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this mystery set in 1929.

[Michelle Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read. Historical cozy mystery. I learned a lot and it was good fun!

[Nancy Duhaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. I like that the main character Clara was determined to fight for what was hers, help out a woman in need, and stand up to her parents and brother.

[ghostly_bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

CAWPILE 7.00
4 STARS

Loved this- a feisty female main character, a detective agency and it's set in my local area?
win win win!
Really loved this and want to continue the series ASAP!

[Bobbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting premise, but the actual ‘mystery’ did not hold my attention for long. Not sure if I will continue with the series or not.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a cozy mystery that’s heavier on science than hunches, this is a good start. It wasn’t quite for me though.

[Alžběta · Rating 2 out of 5]

The one word to describe this book is "meh." It's not horrible, but also not good. Most annoyingly, however, the author doesn't even seem to try to create realistic characters for a story set in 1929 - there are plenty of various correct historical references, but the characters themselves are too obviously modern and speak and behave implausibly for their time.

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona Veitch Smith writes the first of a historical crime series set in London and Newcastle in 1929, which I listened to on audio, narrated reasonably well by the author and Hannah Genesius, including a Geordie accent where appropriate, and is approximately 9 hours and 35 minutes long. 30 year old Clara Vale feels like a fish out of water within her family, she has no desire to snag herself a rich husband, like her sister, as her mother wants, her feckless brother has gambling debts, and she refuses to accept her father's allowance, preferring to be independent and live on her meagre earnings as a librarian at a Bloomsbury library. This is not her chosen occupation, she had dreams of being a scientist after gaining a Chemistry degree at Oxford, but outdated attitudes ensured that she failed to secure a post as a scientist.

Clara first learns of the death of her beloved estranged Uncle Bob when she receives a solicitor's letter that she has been left something in his will, her mother having kept her in the dark. Mortified she had in recent years left their relationship drift apart, Clara travels to Newcastle, expecting a small amount of cash. So it comes as a shocking surprise to find herself the main beneficiary of Bob's estate, which included his house with its own laboratory, money and stocks, and his private inquiry firm. Bob leaves her a letter, telling her she would make a great investigator, something that will take her some time to believe. Initially planning to stay for a mere 5 days, Clara is to extend her stay as she finds herself drawn into a ongoing dark and murky case Bob had taken on, involving Alice, a desperate woman. There are break-ins, a bag snatching, the burning of a another picture house that ends in tragedy, and other murders.

Clara is using her scientific knowledge to build a dossier of evidence that she hopes will help Alice get the insurance payout she needs, having lost her husband in an accident. It still takes some time for Clara to believe she can be a PI. In the meantime, there a number of other obstacles in her path, such as the bank refusing her access to her money without her father's consent, her brother thinks he is entitled to Bob's inheritance, the housekeeper is lying, and the authorities are reluctant to listen to the evidence she is collating. This is an enjoyable and entertaining beginning to this series that outlines the position of women and the social norms and attitudes of the time, and Newcastle provides a wonderful location, but it is not without its flaws, the story takes some time to get going and there is a little too much repetition. Many thanks to the publisher for an ALC.

[S.C. Skillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Pacy, page-turning, consistently interesting and engaging it is a worthy successor to the author’s Poppy Denby murder mystery series.

Set in 1929, most of the action takes place in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and the story is full of knowledgeable detail and insight into that major moment of transition in cinema history when the industry moved from the silent films to talkies. The author opens up for us the implications of that for small cinema owners.

Miss Clara Vale herself is a main protagonist we can empathise with, every step of the way: enlightened, independent, smart, rebellious: I loved her. I also applaud the author’s depiction of the huge challenges faced by an intelligent, talented, academically accomplished woman in those times, when faced with the misogyny that stems directly from the patriarchal system.

Misogyny of course is still with us, but Fiona Veitch Smith skilfully conveys the particular attitude many people would have had in 1929. Things were changing. Lawmakers were becoming aware of how unacceptable it was to treat women as second class citizens. But those shifts in society’s leaders had not yet filtered down to all members of society. As we know, major shifts in attitude take several generations to work themselves out within a society. So in this story we still have older family members, many themselves female, trying to compel a younger intelligent woman to lower her expectations in life, and focus only on marriage and babies as her sole purpose.

We also have men unwilling to concede that women may in fact inherit in their own names; they may open a bank account in their own names; and that firstborn males should no longer take precedence by default, in questions of inheritance. I notice too that the professionals in the story, solicitors and bankers, have started to feel slightly uncomfortable and ashamed about the belief that women are inferior. BUT in their hearts they still believe it.

The plot is exciting and fast-moving; Clara had never intended to take over a detective agency, but her uncle had believed in her sufficiently to name her in her will as the major beneficiary of his business, his money and his estate.

Inevitably there are snares on the path, strong and powerful adversaries, and some very cunning and malicious forces ready to deprive her of her rights, and to defeat and betray her. Clara is not quite sure throughout most of the story whether she can or is willing to take this on this detective agency. Yet her excellent scientific training and special knowledge carry her through an ingenious series of twists and turns.

I did wonder though, how tolerant and understanding people would have been of homosexuality at this time and in this society, when it was still illegal. I found myself thinking, “Would they have been so enlightened and so accepting at that time?” But such is the author’s impeccable research I can trust her for this.

A brilliant read and I look forward to Clara Vale’s next case!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Picture House Murders by Fiona Leitch Smith is the first book in a new series and the author did a fabulous job of setting it all up and introducing this new sleuth without dragging it out. Clara is a librarian. She doesn’t want to be a librarian; she wants to be a scientist. That is what she got her degree in. But, no one wants a female scientist in 1929, or even a female science teacher. She is at loose ends. Her father has offered her an allowance but only if she lives as he wishes. She does not. The last thing she needs is a husband, which is what he thinks she needs. That is when she receives a letter for a solicitor telling her that her uncle Bob has died and left her something. He died six weeks ago! Her mother didn’t tell her and didn’t go to the funeral. Her mother was not amongst her favorite people. Enough said. Imagine her surprise when she arrived at the solicitor’s office to discover he had left her a house, ten thousand pounds, five thousand more in stock, and his business: he had been a private enquiry agent. How she wished she had known. How she wished she had kept in better touch.

As she was looking at his office, a young woman called Alice arrived and explained she had been a client of Bob’s and was simply checking to see if Clara was going to carry on. She quietly explained that Bob had been her last hope, every other agency in town had turned her down. She went on to explain that her husband and his brother had owned small movie theaters in adjoining towns; the brother’s had burned down and her husband had died in an accident. Clara hadn’t even decided what she was going to do about the agency, but this woman spoke to her heart. She promised to look into it and took the file back to the hotel with her. Then things started happening: the agency was broken in to; her hotel room had been ransacked; she met her uncle’s housekeeper who totally misrepresented her relationship with Bob. Things got odder and odder. And it didn’t stop. It was a compelling mystery, well-plotted and interesting, with lots of historical color woven through it. I loved it and look forward to more.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Picture House Murders by Embla Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #EmblaBooks #FionaLeitchSmith #ThePictureHouseMurder

[Jovdb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good start to a series. A well read audio book. Glad the Geordie accent wasn’t predominant! (I love the accent but other listeners would have found it difficult to understand, as I know from my husband’s experience; and he’s British!)

Clara is trying to live an independent life in 1920’s England. She refuses her father’s stipend and is trying to live off her earnings as a librarian. She has an Oxford education in the sciences but can not overcome the prejudice against women to find a job in that field. Her mother doesn’t support her in this endeavour and just wishes 30 year old Clara would find a wealthy man and get married!

Then Clara’s uncle Bob dies. She is upset that her mother didn’t tell her and so Clara missed the funeral. She learns of his death, not through her mother, his sister, but from a letter from Bob’s solicitor. To her surprise, she discovers that she has been left his house, his estate, and his thriving private investigator business!

While in Newcastle to settle estate matters, one of Bob’s clients finds Clara and asks her to continue investigating her case. This is a case involving a declined insurance pay out because the burned out cinema was deemed to be negligence on the part of the client, Alice, and her husband.

Moved by Alice’s situation, Clara decides to look at Bob’s files and see where he was at in his investigation. She discovers that Bob had doubts about the arson. Clara gets drawn into the situation and decides to try her hand at this investigation business.

The book is set in the UK during a time when women’s emancipation was in its infancy. Yes, women can vote but they still needed a male relative to undersign for many things, including having a bank account, or access to funds in a bank account left to them! (Even in Canada in 1980, the bank called my husband at work when I tried to pay the deposit on our house with money from our joint account! I had to fight to have a credit card in my own name, not Mrs “husband’s first and last name”! So, a female PI was almost an unheard of occupation. Clara found resistance to her investigation but also help from enlighten men in her circle.

I was impressed with the writing, the historical links to actual events similar to this situation, and Clara, while a bit easy to take offence, is an interesting character.

[Lizzie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiona Veitch Smith’s earlier Poppy Denby murder mysteries became some of my favourite reads of the year and I confess to being somewhat apprehensive when I discovered the author had abandoned Poppy and Oxford in favour of not only a new heroine but also what was for me an unknown northern city. Even with a much-loved author, reading the first in a new series is always a gambol. We grow to know and love the old characters we are familiar with and don't quite know what to expect. I confess I was hesitant at first but after a couple of chapters, I was hooked and couldn't put it down.

Set in 1929, Clara Vale is an emancipated young woman determined to make her own way in life without financial support from her father or a husband. Despite her top-class Oxford degree in chemistry, her hopes of finding a job in the science world are dashed when she is faces prejudice about employing a woman in what is perceived as a male environment. Much to the annoyance of her parents who want her to find a suitable husband, Clara takes a post as a librarian which provides little opportunity for her love of research.

On the unexpected death of her much-loved Uncle Bob, Clara discovers he has left her not only his house and a substantial legacy but also a detective agency and a laboratory. Clara is faced with a dilemma whether to sell the house and business or leave London for Newcastle and continue with the agency. Before she has the chance to decide, she is approached by one of Uncle Bob’s clients who pleads for Clara to continue the case he was working on concerning a fire in a local picture house. When a second picture house is destroyed in suspicious circumstances, Clara finds herself drawn into solving the mystery using all her scientific knowledge and her fast-developing detection skills.

Each of the large cast of characters are well-drawn, and as the complex plot unfolds with plenty of twists and turns, the tension mounts up lightened with hints of a romantic subplot. The reader is quickly drawn into this engaging, page-turning first novel in what will no doubt be a fascinating new series.
------
Reviewer: Judith Cranswick
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)

[Agatha Marplewood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came across this book on Kindle Unlimited and given its similarities to the likes of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and The Frankie Drake Mysteries, I gave it a go.

It is London 1929, and Miss Clara Vale is a 30-year-old woman attempting to live life on her own terms, which, given the times, is more difficult than she would like. Despite graduating from Cambridge with a degree in Chemistry, the best job she has found in the seven years since is in a library, as nobody will hire a woman.

She then discovers that her beloved uncle in Newcastle has passed away and has been included in his will. So off she heads up North only to find out that he has left her pretty much everything - money, house and a Private Detective Agency - in the hopes that she will carry on the business.

So now she has a decision to make: sell up and become a very wealthy woman or give the PI business a go. While trying to decide what to do, she decides to help one of her uncle's clients.

The client is the recently widowed Alice, who has had a pretty dire run of bad luck, beginning with one of her two picture houses burning down. The insurance won't pay out, her husband has since died and she is perilously close to losing everything.

Can Clara Vale help her get to the truth about the arson?

That's the gist of the book, and it makes for a good read. What I will say, though, is that while it started at a blistering pace, it seemed to slow down in the middle as Clara fumbled her way through the investigation before picking up the pace again towards the end.

There are plenty of red herrings and characters that may or may not be as they seem, which keeps things interesting.

However, for a woman who should really understand discretion, seeing as she wants to try her hand at being an investigator, Clara Vale is quite chatty when it comes to other people's business. Despite not knowing who she can trust, she seems to give the game away every time she talks to someone.

That said, it doesn't spoil the book, which is fun and quirky, but it also doesn't shy away from just how limiting life could be for women a hundred years ago.

I'll happily move on to book two to see where Clara's life takes her.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Embla Books for an advance copy of The Picture House Murders, the first novel to feature Clara Vale, set in Newcastle and its surroundings in 1929.

Clara is surprised to learn that her Uncle Bob has died and even more surprised to learn that he has left his home, business and savings to her. He thinks that her enquiring mind and scientific background will be ideal in taking over his detective agency in Newcastle, she’s not so sure, but decides to take on one of his open cases to see if she’s suited. She starts investigating a fire at a picture house and is soon caught up in a second fire, this one with deadly consequences.

I enjoyed The Picture House Murders to a point as it has a wide ranging plot with plenty of suspects and motives, but I thought that the execution made it a cluttered read.

The novel is told entirely from Clara Vale’s point of view, so the reader can get immersed in her world and thinking. She is a serious minded young woman of thirty and quite unlike her peers. She is unmarried and has no wish to go to the altar, she has a degree in science from Oxford and is determined to support herself, but with the prejudice against lady scientists she is currently working in a small library in London. Obviously her scientific skills and intelligence come in handy when detecting, but she may need to work on her social skills.

The plot is quite complicated as she’s coming to it late and there is little by way of hard, physical evidence. This is where the novel falls down a bit. There are too many variables to see events clearly and too much pondering of said variables to make the novel propulsive. It’s as if the author didn’t quite know what kind of novel she wanted to produce. There are some serious issues raised about women’s lack of rights at the time and some nice incidents of mansplaining, but there is no humour, something I’ve come to expect in period cosies. At the same time the novel has a genuinely well plotted mystery, something I’ve not come to expect in period cosies, but it gets cluttered by too much detail and going over the same points.

The Picture House Murders is a solid read. 3.5*

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Miss Clara Vale Mystery series and the first book that I've read by this author, so far.

This was a really enjoyable read, but definitely a much slower paced book than I'm used to reading.
It was actually quite nice for a change!

I wonder whether the pace was due to the introduction of the character and how she came about her inheritance as well as dealing with her first case - learning on the job so to speak.
Or maybe it was just due to the era where things were dealt with a little more sedately.

Don't get me wrong, there was a lot going on and a great mix of the the different storylines which flowed beautifully.

Clara comes to discover that her uncle had left his inheritance all to her - although friendly in the past and with a lot in common, she knew little of his life - so it came as a shock to her that he was a PI and had left her the business and his large house too.
There were lots of threads to the story from learning about the inheritance and then the business, getting entangled in a case that was ongoing and also dealing with 'the competition' who were trying to thwart her progress as well.

I loved how well these threads wove together and as they all started to connect and come together in conclusion.

Clara was a great character to explore and I spent the whole book willing her on a d hoping that she would solve the case and see how suited to the job she was - meaning that she'd stay and take on the business.
She really proved herself to those doubting her ability, including her own parents and brother!

I think that she'll make a great protagonist in future books in the series - I'd love to see her father and how he relates to her doing the job!

Set in the late 1920's, the writing style and narrator did a great job of transporting us to this era.
I enjoyed hearing about some of the history of the cinema - at a time when we were just starting out with 'talkies'.

A great start to this series - I'd be really keen to continue reading and to find out what happens next for Clara and the PI business and to hopefully see her take on her next case!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Picture House Murders is the first book in an engaging historical cozy series by Fiona Veitch Smith. Released 29th Aug 2023 by Bonnier on their Embla Books imprint, it's 289 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The second book in the series is also currently on KU, and there's a third book due out in June 2024.

This is a light cozy set interwar London and featuring Clara Vale, a clever young woman well situated in life and with a formidable scientific mind. Temporarily thwarted by being a woman unable to obtain work because of her gender, she's working a desk job when circumstance lands her in a murder investigation.

The language is clean and the plot is woven around actual historical events whimsically and mostly successfully. It's a cozy, and without graphic, on page violence. It's not at all derivative, but it will definitely appeal to fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Catriona McPherson's Dandy Gilver books.

Four stars. Light entertainment. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, or a short binge/buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.