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Eleanor Jones #1
Death and the Spanish Lady
Melbourne, 1919.Death upon death.Nurses returned from the Great War are once again risking their lives, this time putting themselves in the firing line of a deadly the Spanish ‘Flu. On the frontline is Sister Eleanor Jones. Her family torn by death and shell shock, Eleanor does what she can for the sick, among them the likeable Jimmy Cotton, in the temporary hospital hastily set up in the grand Melbourne Exhibition Building. But there is one death she cannot prevent.A death unlike all the others on the makeshift ward. Poison.Hiding behind the gauze masks designed to stop infection, someone is intent on adding to the death toll. When Jimmy Cotton disappears, Eleanor cannot help getting involved in the investigation. As she studies her fellow nurses, the orderlies, and the patients, she finds that the war has left people damaged in many ways.She is not the only one with an unbearable, secret grief. The War has taken so many things from Eleanor, including her dream of becoming a writer. But perhaps she can turn her talent for the dramatic, her wit and her imagination, towards creating a trap to reveal a killer...
- GenresMysteryHistoricalCrime
First published October 4, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 13, 2015
"Death and the Spanish Lady" by Carolyn Moorwood takes place in Australia after World War I. The central character, Sister Eleanor Jones, was a nurse during the war and is now working at a hospital during the Spanish flue epidemic. The mystery begins when a former soldier enters the hospital with the flu and is murdered. Sister Jones is drawn into solving the mystery. The play between Sister Jones and her mother and friends give dimension to the story as more than a mystery. I was forewarned by a Goodread's review that the beginning of the book was challenging. Therefore I paid strict attention. The author's writing style mirrors today's TV programs which jump from scene, to scene, to scene without warning. Once I got used to the style I did not have trouble following the action. I assume the author will write more Sister Jones mysteries. I will read them.
November 3, 2023
The chances of committing murder undetected during a Spanish Flu epidemic might seem good, but not if you use arsenic and not if you have incorrigible busybody Sister Eleanor Jones on the case.
In 1919, Melbourne is still reeling from World War I when influenza strikes. Hospitals are haemorrhaging patients and the Royal Exhibition Building is handling the overflow. Returned serviceman Brian Reddy is murdered in this makeshift hospital. His dubious war record means there is no lack of suspects.
Enter Sister Jones and her determination to solve a case that stumps police. Enter, too, a substantial cast of supporting characters – from Jones’s family and friends (one of the latter with romantic potential) to nurses, patients and police. Some of these characters are central to the plot; others are either thinly sketched or weighty with unnecessary detail. Extensive initial scene-setting means a hundred pages elapse before Reddy’s murder takes place.
Death and the Spanish Lady is Morwood’s fourth crime novel and her first Eleanor Jones Mystery. The next instalment promises to see Jones shedding her nurse’s veil and taking up her pen at Melbourne’s Argus newspaper alongside debonair journalist (and romantic interest) Professor Nicholas Bird. Expect more collaborative crime-solving to follow.
A version of this review first appeared in Good Reading Magazine in 2011.
In 1919, Melbourne is still reeling from World War I when influenza strikes. Hospitals are haemorrhaging patients and the Royal Exhibition Building is handling the overflow. Returned serviceman Brian Reddy is murdered in this makeshift hospital. His dubious war record means there is no lack of suspects.
Enter Sister Jones and her determination to solve a case that stumps police. Enter, too, a substantial cast of supporting characters – from Jones’s family and friends (one of the latter with romantic potential) to nurses, patients and police. Some of these characters are central to the plot; others are either thinly sketched or weighty with unnecessary detail. Extensive initial scene-setting means a hundred pages elapse before Reddy’s murder takes place.
Death and the Spanish Lady is Morwood’s fourth crime novel and her first Eleanor Jones Mystery. The next instalment promises to see Jones shedding her nurse’s veil and taking up her pen at Melbourne’s Argus newspaper alongside debonair journalist (and romantic interest) Professor Nicholas Bird. Expect more collaborative crime-solving to follow.
A version of this review first appeared in Good Reading Magazine in 2011.
August 20, 2023
This book was okay. A bit slow in places
February 6, 2012
DEATH AND THE SPANISH LADY is the first book from Carolyn Morwood for quite a while, and that, if for no other reason was enough to create some interest in these parts. Set in the period immediately following World War 1, in Melbourne, during the Spanish 'Flu epidemic of 1919, the book introduces Sister Eleanor Jones. Returned from nursing soldiers overseas, she has volunteered to work in the temporary hospital that is set up within the Melbourne Exhibition Buildings to treat the huge number of patients who succumb to the epidemic.
Given the number of people dying from the 'flu it seems somewhat incongruous that the death of one man, a soldier who has a less than impressive background before or during the war, should cause a stir, but murder is murder, and Jones, working late in the evening in the convalescent ward, has seen something out of place on the night that Reddy died - as it turns out - from arsenic poisoning. The subsequent disappearance of another recovering soldier, Jimmy Cotton seems to be an admission of guilt to the authorities, but Jones is not convinced. Asked to look into the entire matter by the Matron of the hospital, she commences her own investigation.
DEATH AND THE SPANISH LADY does a really convincing job at drawing a picture of Melbourne in that time, during that epidemic. The atmosphere of a city in lock-down and the hospital hastily put together within the confines of the Exhibition Building was particularly well drawn. There is an excellent feeling for how life was lived in Melbourne in that time - the unusualness of private cars; the farming family with a farm in Dimboola and a Collins Street residence; the affect of the Great War on so many families - now left mostly female, and frequently utterly bereft at the death or injury of so many men.
Unfortunately there are a few points at which the action drags, and you can't help feeling that the assistance of an editor would have helped Morwood create a tighter story. Certainly the denouement was too padded, which was a pity as it was not so much of a "who did it" by that point, but the "why did it" deserved clearer and more direct focus. Aside from the padding, Sister Eleanor Jones is a really interesting character, a female protagonist with a troubled background, a returned nurse from a war fighting her own demons as a result. It's rather pleasing to know that DEATH AND THE SPANISH LADY is the first of a trilogy, as more books will give us all a chance to get to know her, and the Victoria that she lives in better.
Given the number of people dying from the 'flu it seems somewhat incongruous that the death of one man, a soldier who has a less than impressive background before or during the war, should cause a stir, but murder is murder, and Jones, working late in the evening in the convalescent ward, has seen something out of place on the night that Reddy died - as it turns out - from arsenic poisoning. The subsequent disappearance of another recovering soldier, Jimmy Cotton seems to be an admission of guilt to the authorities, but Jones is not convinced. Asked to look into the entire matter by the Matron of the hospital, she commences her own investigation.
DEATH AND THE SPANISH LADY does a really convincing job at drawing a picture of Melbourne in that time, during that epidemic. The atmosphere of a city in lock-down and the hospital hastily put together within the confines of the Exhibition Building was particularly well drawn. There is an excellent feeling for how life was lived in Melbourne in that time - the unusualness of private cars; the farming family with a farm in Dimboola and a Collins Street residence; the affect of the Great War on so many families - now left mostly female, and frequently utterly bereft at the death or injury of so many men.
Unfortunately there are a few points at which the action drags, and you can't help feeling that the assistance of an editor would have helped Morwood create a tighter story. Certainly the denouement was too padded, which was a pity as it was not so much of a "who did it" by that point, but the "why did it" deserved clearer and more direct focus. Aside from the padding, Sister Eleanor Jones is a really interesting character, a female protagonist with a troubled background, a returned nurse from a war fighting her own demons as a result. It's rather pleasing to know that DEATH AND THE SPANISH LADY is the first of a trilogy, as more books will give us all a chance to get to know her, and the Victoria that she lives in better.
January 4, 2012
Given that I am only attempting the ‘Miles’ level of the 2012 Australian Women Writers Challenge which requires me to read six books written by Australian women in 2012 I might need to slow down a little. However, over New Year suffering with a cold how could I resist reading about the Spanish Flu that spread across the world in 1919 in the aftermath of the Great War? This is the second book (after Chris Womersley’s Bereft) that I’ve read that has as a background the experience of Australian soldiers returning from the war on another continent and the accompanying frenzy over the infection they may have brought with them. Here in Britain we have a fair amount of fiction set in the period but I was woefully unaware of the Australian experience until now.
The book has Eleanor Jones as its central character, a nurse who has experienced first hand the horrors of combat injuries and has returned to Melbourne to nurse the returning soldiers who are infected with the ‘Spanish Lady’ as the illness in known. Morwood has obviously done considerable research about the methods that were taken to stop the infection spreading and I thought these descriptions wonderful. Sitting by open windows, spacing seats further apart around a dinner table and wearing masks around the city seem a little inadequate by modern standards but show how fear of an epidemic infused everyday life. The mass hospitals that sprung up must have been a terrible place to work in, but of course an ideal setting for a murder.
The murder by arsenical poisoning of Brian Reddy a soldier with a cruel reputation both before and during war provides Eleanor with a means of distraction away from her haunted past. There are a number of people who may have had contact with Reddy in a previous context and as Eleanor investigates the murder, a few wrong turns are made until the culprit identified.
I liked the book a lot. It was well written and full of period detail. I would have preferred the investigation into the murder to have been a bit more complex as I guessed the culprit early on in the book which is unusual for me these days. There are multiple points of view in the narrative which was extremely confusing to begin with but as I settled down into the book grew to like. An excellent start to the 2012 AWW challenge. Maybe I need to move myself up a level if I carry on at this pace.
The book has Eleanor Jones as its central character, a nurse who has experienced first hand the horrors of combat injuries and has returned to Melbourne to nurse the returning soldiers who are infected with the ‘Spanish Lady’ as the illness in known. Morwood has obviously done considerable research about the methods that were taken to stop the infection spreading and I thought these descriptions wonderful. Sitting by open windows, spacing seats further apart around a dinner table and wearing masks around the city seem a little inadequate by modern standards but show how fear of an epidemic infused everyday life. The mass hospitals that sprung up must have been a terrible place to work in, but of course an ideal setting for a murder.
The murder by arsenical poisoning of Brian Reddy a soldier with a cruel reputation both before and during war provides Eleanor with a means of distraction away from her haunted past. There are a number of people who may have had contact with Reddy in a previous context and as Eleanor investigates the murder, a few wrong turns are made until the culprit identified.
I liked the book a lot. It was well written and full of period detail. I would have preferred the investigation into the murder to have been a bit more complex as I guessed the culprit early on in the book which is unusual for me these days. There are multiple points of view in the narrative which was extremely confusing to begin with but as I settled down into the book grew to like. An excellent start to the 2012 AWW challenge. Maybe I need to move myself up a level if I carry on at this pace.
October 16, 2011
I love historical fiction and murder mysteries so the combination of the two was irresistable. It's 1919 and Melbourne is plagued by the Spanish Flu. Sister Eleanor Jones has just returned from the Front Line of World War I and volunteers as a nurse in the makeshift hospital at the Exhibition Building when a murder occurs. The chief suspect is a returned soldier who she befriended on the voyage home and so she becomes involved in discovering the true murderer to clear his name.
This novel delivers in terms of the historical detail and sense of atmosphere. I loved reading about Melbourne at the beginning of the century and having this slice of history brought to life. Eleanor is a wonderful character and one I felt great sympathy for. She has suffered great tragedies and her spark has been dulled from her war experiences and this is the strength of the novel-delving into the aftermath of the war and the effect this had on individuals.
I found that the murder mystery aspect lacked suspense and Morwood early on set up the clues to the motivations of the true murderer and the unveiling was dragged out a bit and was delivered too neatly at the end. It's more of a cosy murder mystery without a true sense of jeopardy, so my disappointment is probably more about my personal expectations.
I also had problems with the changes in point of view-in one particular scene it batted back forth each paragraph which annoyed me greatly. However I was invested in the characters and had to read on until the end to see what happened. I also loved the cover and think it perfectly captured the atmosphere and symbolism of the novel. If you're looking for an atmospheric, cosy murder mystery then you'll enjoy Morwood's latest offering. This is the first in a trilogy so there's more of Sister Eleanor Jones to come.
This novel delivers in terms of the historical detail and sense of atmosphere. I loved reading about Melbourne at the beginning of the century and having this slice of history brought to life. Eleanor is a wonderful character and one I felt great sympathy for. She has suffered great tragedies and her spark has been dulled from her war experiences and this is the strength of the novel-delving into the aftermath of the war and the effect this had on individuals.
I found that the murder mystery aspect lacked suspense and Morwood early on set up the clues to the motivations of the true murderer and the unveiling was dragged out a bit and was delivered too neatly at the end. It's more of a cosy murder mystery without a true sense of jeopardy, so my disappointment is probably more about my personal expectations.
I also had problems with the changes in point of view-in one particular scene it batted back forth each paragraph which annoyed me greatly. However I was invested in the characters and had to read on until the end to see what happened. I also loved the cover and think it perfectly captured the atmosphere and symbolism of the novel. If you're looking for an atmospheric, cosy murder mystery then you'll enjoy Morwood's latest offering. This is the first in a trilogy so there's more of Sister Eleanor Jones to come.
October 10, 2011
Well researched and original, this Australian historical mystery is the first in a series to watch.
It is 1919 in Melbourne, Australia. Eleanor Jones is a nurse recently returned from the warfields of Europe where she suffered personal tragedies and witnessed pointless slaughter. But the suffering is not over because an epidemic of influenza, more virulent than any ever experienced, is sweeping the world. The Exhibition buildings in Melbourne have been turned into a giant hospital. Theatres are closed, social gatherings are discouraged, people wear masks in the street.
The disease was referred to as "Spanish 'flu", hence the name given to the disease - "Spanish Lady." One night, a murder is committed in the hospital. Eleanor becomes concerned when a returned soldier she has nursed is accused of the crime. She decides to take a personal interest in the case, but in doing so she reveals painful secrets of those around her as well as her own.
I liked the atmosphere created by this book - the author skilfully recreates a society where everyone is nursing wounds and regrets and women are struggling to find their way in the modern world. The masks worn by the population to avoid spreading the disease hide faces and emotions, but also the identity of a killer.
I did have some minor quibbles with the way the mystery unfolded and it dragged a bit at certain points, but the characters kept my interest until the end.
It has been a long time between books for Carolyn Morwood but I am pleased to hear that this is the first in a series, so we will hear more of Eleanor Jones.
It is 1919 in Melbourne, Australia. Eleanor Jones is a nurse recently returned from the warfields of Europe where she suffered personal tragedies and witnessed pointless slaughter. But the suffering is not over because an epidemic of influenza, more virulent than any ever experienced, is sweeping the world. The Exhibition buildings in Melbourne have been turned into a giant hospital. Theatres are closed, social gatherings are discouraged, people wear masks in the street.
The disease was referred to as "Spanish 'flu", hence the name given to the disease - "Spanish Lady." One night, a murder is committed in the hospital. Eleanor becomes concerned when a returned soldier she has nursed is accused of the crime. She decides to take a personal interest in the case, but in doing so she reveals painful secrets of those around her as well as her own.
I liked the atmosphere created by this book - the author skilfully recreates a society where everyone is nursing wounds and regrets and women are struggling to find their way in the modern world. The masks worn by the population to avoid spreading the disease hide faces and emotions, but also the identity of a killer.
I did have some minor quibbles with the way the mystery unfolded and it dragged a bit at certain points, but the characters kept my interest until the end.
It has been a long time between books for Carolyn Morwood but I am pleased to hear that this is the first in a series, so we will hear more of Eleanor Jones.
April 20, 2016
I had a tough time with the start of this book. There were too many characters introduced in too short a period of time, all with their own backstories, split across different households and the war. I had to put it down for a while, I was so lost in the exposition and setup. When I returned to the book it was still a while before I realised there was a primary protagonist, and once I settled into her story the book became much more enjoyable.
I haven't read many stories set in Australia at this time, and it was very interesting to have some insight into what it was like for ordinary Australians living through an era of war and disease, where even the return home was not an escape from death.
But I feel that the start of the story was split up too much between different people, and it would have been much better to stick with the main protagonist during the initial setup, before bringing in the many other characters. I think that if I went back now and read the beginning, now that I have read the book and know more about everyone, it would make a lost more sense. But reading it cold - I was very close to abandoning the book altogether I was so confused about what thread of the story I was supposed to be following.
Despite the rocky start, the book does settle into a decent mystery. It does follow familiar tropes (some a little too familiar). The ending also seems a bit abrupt, with some emotional tangles left as loose threads, but the interesting setting made up for the other areas it was lacking so I still found it an enjoyable read.
I haven't read many stories set in Australia at this time, and it was very interesting to have some insight into what it was like for ordinary Australians living through an era of war and disease, where even the return home was not an escape from death.
But I feel that the start of the story was split up too much between different people, and it would have been much better to stick with the main protagonist during the initial setup, before bringing in the many other characters. I think that if I went back now and read the beginning, now that I have read the book and know more about everyone, it would make a lost more sense. But reading it cold - I was very close to abandoning the book altogether I was so confused about what thread of the story I was supposed to be following.
Despite the rocky start, the book does settle into a decent mystery. It does follow familiar tropes (some a little too familiar). The ending also seems a bit abrupt, with some emotional tangles left as loose threads, but the interesting setting made up for the other areas it was lacking so I still found it an enjoyable read.
October 20, 2011
Carolyn Morwood’s Death and the Spanish Lady is a historical murder mystery set in post-WWI Melbourne. Through her protagonist, war nurse Eleanor Jones, the reader sees the trauma of a brutal war and the devastating flu epidemic that followed it. By the end, we also see the beginnings of recovery for both the characters and the city they live in.
In a situation where death on a massive scale looms over Melbourne (and the world) the unexpected death of one, very unpleasant man should not really cause much of a ripple. But murder is murder and Eleanor’s sense of justice, as well as her need for a purpose after losing so much, leads her to investigate.
Morwood evokes the Melbourne of 1919, with its closed down theatres and people wearing face masks when they dare to venture out in public, extremely well. It’s not a period of history I’m very familiar with, but I am familiar with the places of which she writes, including St Kilda, Collins Street and the Exhibition Building. Most importantly, she credibly paints an emotional picture of what it must have been like for Melburnians struggling to find hope in the shadow of a generation shattered on the fields of Europe and the sickbeds of home. Death and the Spanish Lady is also a fine and engaging murder mystery that culminates in a satisfying and sad denouement.
In a situation where death on a massive scale looms over Melbourne (and the world) the unexpected death of one, very unpleasant man should not really cause much of a ripple. But murder is murder and Eleanor’s sense of justice, as well as her need for a purpose after losing so much, leads her to investigate.
Morwood evokes the Melbourne of 1919, with its closed down theatres and people wearing face masks when they dare to venture out in public, extremely well. It’s not a period of history I’m very familiar with, but I am familiar with the places of which she writes, including St Kilda, Collins Street and the Exhibition Building. Most importantly, she credibly paints an emotional picture of what it must have been like for Melburnians struggling to find hope in the shadow of a generation shattered on the fields of Europe and the sickbeds of home. Death and the Spanish Lady is also a fine and engaging murder mystery that culminates in a satisfying and sad denouement.
May 12, 2015
If there was a 3 and a half star rating, that is how I would have rated this book based on the slow start. A lot of people would have given up. Every other paragraph it seemed another person in 1st person was talking about some other character. I was quite confused. I was losing track and becoming tired of flipping back to figure out who was talking to who! Character changes were sometimes 2-3 for every couple of pages. If the author had allowed a short paragraph mostly dedicated to one character at least at the start of the book I would have had a better chance to get everyone straight. Once all that fatigue was behind me, I rather enjoyed the mystery of the murder in a make-shift hospital. Reminded me very much of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries that take place in England right after WWI. Simple, clean, analytical sleuthing. This story takes place right around the same time in Melbourne, Australia during the Spanish Flu Epidemic.
May 6, 2014
I was attracted to this book by its setting in early 20th century Melbourne, just after the end of the first world war. The makeshift hospital in the Exhibition Building is described in graphic detail and serves as a focal point for the action. Initially I found the sheer number of characters overwhelming and distracting but after a while things settled down and I was intrigued enough to continue. The setting and the historical detail make up for the contrived denouement scene which concludes the mystery.
August 23, 2012
Melbourne between the Wars is a fascinating scene for crime fiction. In this first novel in a new series we encounter a cast of characters who are each coming to terms with the aftereffects of World War I. The Spanish influenza pandemic in particular lurks in the shadows of the city creating a very malevolent and claustrophobic environment for murder. Strong, likable characters and a volatile historic period will make this series a pleasure to follow.
July 5, 2015
An enjoyable, well-written mystery, spoiled by poor formatting and editing in the Kindle edition -- shifts in POV went unmarked until the last few chapters, and there were more typos than I like to see in something that I paid for. I'd like to read more, but I'm inclined to get the paperbacks from the library rather than buy them in future.
February 24, 2012
This is a really enjoyable read - for anyone. I don't normally like suspense or murder mysteries but this elegant novel set in Melbourne 1919 really engrossed me. It's categorised as historical/ mystery and got a good review from two of my friends who usually read modern mystery/suspense novels.
August 18, 2014
Very good read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews