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Kate Shackleton #3
Murder in the Afternoon
An intricate plot in the post-WWI English countryside and Frances Brody's "refreshingly complex heroine" (Kirkus) combine in Murder in the Afternoon, an absorbing mystery.
Dead one minute…
Young Harriet and her brother Austin have always been scared of the quarry where their stone mason father works. So when they find him dead on the cold ground, they rush off quickly to look for some help.
Alive the next?
When help arrives, however, the quarry is deserted and there is no sign of the body. Were the children mistaken? Is their father not dead? Did he simply get up and run away?
A sinister disappearing act
It seems like another unusual case requiring the expertise of Kate Shackleton--and Mary Jane, the children's mother, is adamant that only she can help. But Mary Jane is hiding something--a secret from Kate's past that raises the stakes and puts both Kate and her family at risk.
Dead one minute…
Young Harriet and her brother Austin have always been scared of the quarry where their stone mason father works. So when they find him dead on the cold ground, they rush off quickly to look for some help.
Alive the next?
When help arrives, however, the quarry is deserted and there is no sign of the body. Were the children mistaken? Is their father not dead? Did he simply get up and run away?
A sinister disappearing act
It seems like another unusual case requiring the expertise of Kate Shackleton--and Mary Jane, the children's mother, is adamant that only she can help. But Mary Jane is hiding something--a secret from Kate's past that raises the stakes and puts both Kate and her family at risk.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2011
113 people are currently reading
1528 people want to read
About the author
Frances Brody
48 books670 followersFrances Brody's highly-praised 1920s mysteries feature clever and elegant Kate Shackleton, First World War widow turned sleuth. Missing person? Foul play suspected? Kate's your woman. For good measure, she may bring along ex-policeman, Jim Sykes.
Before turning to crime, Frances wrote for radio, television and theatre, and was nominated for a Time Out Award. She published four sagas, winning the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin Award in 2006.
www.frances-brody.com
Before turning to crime, Frances wrote for radio, television and theatre, and was nominated for a Time Out Award. She published four sagas, winning the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin Award in 2006.
www.frances-brody.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
October 26, 2021
In this third book in the 'Kate Shackleton' series, private detective Kate Shackleton investigates the death of a stone mason. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
It's the early 1920's in England and youngsters Harriet and Austin Armstrong take lunch to their dad, stone mason Ethan, at the quarry where he works.
Shockingly, they find him on the ground, apparently dead.
The kids run off to get help but when they return the body is gone. Dissatisfied with the police response Ethan's wife, Mary Jane, asks private detective Kate Shackleton for help.
As it happens Kate was adopted as a baby and Mary Jane reveals she's Kate's biological sister. Thus, in this third book in the series, Kate gets to meet some of her biological relatives.
Ethan's body is subsequently found and Mary Jane becomes a prime suspect. However, Kate - feeling her blood ties - is determined to demonstrate Mary Jane's innocence. Kate learns that, on the day he died, Ethan was working on a sundial for the wife of local bigwig Colonel Ledger - a sundial that's since been vandalized and destroyed.
Kate also discovers that Mary Jane once had a close association with the Ledger household and was well-acquainted with other people that had conflicts with Ethan. Adding to Kate's problem, her beau - Scotland Yard Detective Marcus Charles - seems to think Mary Jane is guilty.
Kate continues to investigate with the help of her assistant, former policeman Jim Sykes. This provides a few smiles as Sykes pretends to be a hosiery salesman to do his sleuthing.
Some humor is also provided by Kate's scheme to unmask an apparent gold-digger who advertises for a wealthy husband in the newspaper.
There are plenty of potential suspects in this cozy, and an interesting peek into the lives of some of the British 'upper-crust' and 'lower-crust'. I enjoyed the story, which is well-written and contains an interesting array of characters.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
May 8, 2020
Three and a half stars.
Harriet and her young brother have always been scared of the quarry where their father who is a stone mason works. But Hannah and Austin brave the quarry to take their father some food when he has not come home. When they arrive their father is on the ground. Harriet is convinced he is dead but still they dart off to the nearest farm for help, just in case. When they return with help the body is gone. Was Hannah mistaken? As He just injured? Or is she making it up to get attention as the police think? What happened to Ethan Armstrong? Is he still alive? If he is, where is he?
Then his wife, Mary Jane comes urgently to Kate Shackleton pleading for her help in finding out what has happened to Ethan. Since Kate was adopted as a baby, this is the first time Kate has met her sister, Mary Jane She feels an obligation to help. Yet Kate feels Mary Jane is not being completely honest with her. As she starts to investigate a number of things don’t seem to add up and when another person dies, Kate is convinced it is also murder. Can she find the culprit before they kill again?
The setting is 1920s England. I had read the first book in this series featuring investigator Kate Shackleton and wasn’t overly impressed but desperation, with libraries closed, makes strange bedfellows. I decided to give it a go as I had been assured it was a better read than book 1. I was glad I did. I liked Kate and also her associate Jim Sykes. The plot while not riveting, moved mostly at a steady pace, with a few twists and turns and red herrings thrown in. As I read, it became apparent there was a lot more going on and secrets of the past that would come to light. I liked the added sub plot of Kate connecting with her birth family.
All in all an enjoyable read. Not gripping but interesting enough to keep me reading. If you like cosy mysteries why not give this one a go?
Harriet and her young brother have always been scared of the quarry where their father who is a stone mason works. But Hannah and Austin brave the quarry to take their father some food when he has not come home. When they arrive their father is on the ground. Harriet is convinced he is dead but still they dart off to the nearest farm for help, just in case. When they return with help the body is gone. Was Hannah mistaken? As He just injured? Or is she making it up to get attention as the police think? What happened to Ethan Armstrong? Is he still alive? If he is, where is he?
Then his wife, Mary Jane comes urgently to Kate Shackleton pleading for her help in finding out what has happened to Ethan. Since Kate was adopted as a baby, this is the first time Kate has met her sister, Mary Jane She feels an obligation to help. Yet Kate feels Mary Jane is not being completely honest with her. As she starts to investigate a number of things don’t seem to add up and when another person dies, Kate is convinced it is also murder. Can she find the culprit before they kill again?
The setting is 1920s England. I had read the first book in this series featuring investigator Kate Shackleton and wasn’t overly impressed but desperation, with libraries closed, makes strange bedfellows. I decided to give it a go as I had been assured it was a better read than book 1. I was glad I did. I liked Kate and also her associate Jim Sykes. The plot while not riveting, moved mostly at a steady pace, with a few twists and turns and red herrings thrown in. As I read, it became apparent there was a lot more going on and secrets of the past that would come to light. I liked the added sub plot of Kate connecting with her birth family.
All in all an enjoyable read. Not gripping but interesting enough to keep me reading. If you like cosy mysteries why not give this one a go?
March 28, 2020
This was a second book in this series that I’ve read, and I enjoyed it more than the first one. Maybe it’s because it was written in the era of slower times and now we are experiencing the same, less cars very quiet and a slower pace of life.
It was easy to read and kept you guessing about who murdered whom and why so that made it more of an interesting read. This author has written lots of these books so eventually I will read more of them.
It was easy to read and kept you guessing about who murdered whom and why so that made it more of an interesting read. This author has written lots of these books so eventually I will read more of them.
May 16, 2017
"Murder in the Afternoon" is historical crime mystery set after the first WW. Readers of "Murder in the Afternoon" will follow Mrs Catherine Shackleton investigation into the disappearings of Ethan Armstrong. However, the investigation into Ethan Armstrong disappearances will change Catherine Shackleton life forever.
Readers of Murder in the Afternoon will enjoy the twist and turns in the story intertwine with two personnel issues of Catherine Shackleton. Also, readers of Murder in the Afternoon will be surprised with the conclusion of this book.
Reading Murder in the Afternoon, I learnt about the living conditions in England in the 1920's. Also, the consequences for families when loved ones have not come home after the war ended and no one knows where they are.
"Murder in the Afternoon" is the first book by Frances Brody I have read and I did enjoy it, however in parts, it was a little bit slow for me. I enjoyed Frances Brody portrayal of her characters especially providing a strong female lead. Readers of Murder in the Afternoon will learn about country living during the 1920's.
I recommend this book.
Readers of Murder in the Afternoon will enjoy the twist and turns in the story intertwine with two personnel issues of Catherine Shackleton. Also, readers of Murder in the Afternoon will be surprised with the conclusion of this book.
Reading Murder in the Afternoon, I learnt about the living conditions in England in the 1920's. Also, the consequences for families when loved ones have not come home after the war ended and no one knows where they are.
"Murder in the Afternoon" is the first book by Frances Brody I have read and I did enjoy it, however in parts, it was a little bit slow for me. I enjoyed Frances Brody portrayal of her characters especially providing a strong female lead. Readers of Murder in the Afternoon will learn about country living during the 1920's.
I recommend this book.
April 3, 2014
Given the comparative improvement in this volume, I guess I have to push this to a 3.5 in its genre.
More focused than the other books, other POVs balanced and did not interfere with the story, fewer plot digressions. There are still 3 main issues (including the murder) that Kate is dealing with but they fit together and did not distract. Maybe a bit swiftly wrapped up/solved at the end, but all-in-all a decent read. I will say that Marcus is not growing on me, his characterization is either weak or he is not the man for Kate, to my mind.
More focused than the other books, other POVs balanced and did not interfere with the story, fewer plot digressions. There are still 3 main issues (including the murder) that Kate is dealing with but they fit together and did not distract. Maybe a bit swiftly wrapped up/solved at the end, but all-in-all a decent read. I will say that Marcus is not growing on me, his characterization is either weak or he is not the man for Kate, to my mind.
March 1, 2017
This is book 3 of the Kate Schackleton Mystery series by Frances Brody. I put it in the category of serious cozy mysteries. It had my interest right from the beginning. I plan to go back and read book 1 to learn how a strong, smart woman like Kate got started on her journey.
It is 1923 in England. A child finds the body of her father lying dead in a quarry shed. Before help arrives, the body disappears. Was he really dead or did the girl make a mistake or did she make it up? Did he decide to leave his wife and family and look for work elsewhere? Where are his quarry tools? The missing man is Ethan Armstrong. Kate became involved when an early morning knock on her door brought a sister she did not know she had, Mary Jane, Ethan's wife, asking for her help in finding Ethan. Half of the story involves the hunt for Ethan. But after his body is found in the back of the quarry, the village police and Scotland Yard become involved.
Ethan had some friends, but he had more enemies - people who didn't like him stirring up the quarry workers with talk of forming a union. It appears that any of his enemies OR his friends could have killed him, for they all had motive. When the vicar's nosy sister, Miss Trimble, dies, Kate is convinced she was poisoned, but what was her connection to Ethan? Did she die of heart failure as the village doctor surmises? Miss Trimble had told the policeman that she had seen a woman wearing a plaid cap like the one Mary Jane has at the quarry the day of the disappearance/murder although Mary Jane says she was not there. Several side issues were: a fire in the barn of Ethan's best friend, Bob...who set it? An intriguing personal ad found in Ethan's jacket...why did Ethan have it? Who hid Ethan's tools in the coal shed behind his house? Is there a connection to issues concerning the occupants of Ethan's house and the sale of Bob's farm to the quarry owner?
In this book, we learn more about Kate's family relationships and her new relationship with Inspector Marcus Charles from the last book. Although we are seeing some cracks in that one - Kate is an independent woman who likes her work, and Marcus is an old fashioned guy who wants a wife and children at home. I don't see that working out.
It is 1923 in England. A child finds the body of her father lying dead in a quarry shed. Before help arrives, the body disappears. Was he really dead or did the girl make a mistake or did she make it up? Did he decide to leave his wife and family and look for work elsewhere? Where are his quarry tools? The missing man is Ethan Armstrong. Kate became involved when an early morning knock on her door brought a sister she did not know she had, Mary Jane, Ethan's wife, asking for her help in finding Ethan. Half of the story involves the hunt for Ethan. But after his body is found in the back of the quarry, the village police and Scotland Yard become involved.
Ethan had some friends, but he had more enemies - people who didn't like him stirring up the quarry workers with talk of forming a union. It appears that any of his enemies OR his friends could have killed him, for they all had motive. When the vicar's nosy sister, Miss Trimble, dies, Kate is convinced she was poisoned, but what was her connection to Ethan? Did she die of heart failure as the village doctor surmises? Miss Trimble had told the policeman that she had seen a woman wearing a plaid cap like the one Mary Jane has at the quarry the day of the disappearance/murder although Mary Jane says she was not there. Several side issues were: a fire in the barn of Ethan's best friend, Bob...who set it? An intriguing personal ad found in Ethan's jacket...why did Ethan have it? Who hid Ethan's tools in the coal shed behind his house? Is there a connection to issues concerning the occupants of Ethan's house and the sale of Bob's farm to the quarry owner?
In this book, we learn more about Kate's family relationships and her new relationship with Inspector Marcus Charles from the last book. Although we are seeing some cracks in that one - Kate is an independent woman who likes her work, and Marcus is an old fashioned guy who wants a wife and children at home. I don't see that working out.
February 5, 2017
A really attractive cosy mystery set in the north of England in the 1920s. Kate Shackleton, adoptive daughter of a superintendent in West Riding’s constabulary and his landed-gentry wife, has set herself up as a private detective. Her husband went missing-in-action during the war, but she’s a modern woman who is moving on with her life: she now has brand new suitor. In a neat twist on the usual will she/won’t she? question, I think most readers would be aghast if she did! Don’t do it, Kate! You may be a good judge of character, but he’s a chauvinist! I hesitate to mention anything of the plot, lest I spoil it for anyone, but there’s a great cast of supporting characters and Brody has a nice turn of phrase. Here, for instance, Kate listens through the keyhole to a mystery visitor:
The voice was cultured, with rounded vowels and carefully enunciated word endings; too careful, perhaps. It was the voice of someone who has just filed her nails.
Fantastic! Read for the Crime & Thrillers reading group that I attend at Canada Water Library, and also for my 2015 Goodreads reading challenge. Very much enjoyed.
The voice was cultured, with rounded vowels and carefully enunciated word endings; too careful, perhaps. It was the voice of someone who has just filed her nails.
Fantastic! Read for the Crime & Thrillers reading group that I attend at Canada Water Library, and also for my 2015 Goodreads reading challenge. Very much enjoyed.
July 8, 2017
The charm in this third book is Harriet and Austin. I cannot stop imagining how Harriet must have look exactly like Kate. She admitted so herself in the book. It just quite sad knowing that Kate would never have a chance to meet her fierce working class-brother in law. They would make a good friend.
Most poignant was when Kate met Walter Barker by the end of the book. He met Gerald twice as Gerald was his MO during the war. He told Kate about a day when he and Gerald watched for a bird called golden oriole. It put tears to my eyes..
Most poignant was when Kate met Walter Barker by the end of the book. He met Gerald twice as Gerald was his MO during the war. He told Kate about a day when he and Gerald watched for a bird called golden oriole. It put tears to my eyes..
April 11, 2021
Murder in the Afternoon by Frances Brody is the third book in the Kate Shackleton mystery series set in post-WWI England. Kate has established herself as a private enquiry agent. Her assistant Mr. Sykes is a retired policeman. Together they make an effective investigating team. (It's refreshing that this historical cozy mystery series does not follow the stereotypical pattern of sleuthing together, then romance.)
In the north of England at a stone quarry, two children take their father's lunch to him. The oldest, Harriet, finds him dead. She quickly rushes with her younger brother Austin to the nearest farm for help, hoping against hope. When adults return to the scene, the body is gone. The statue Ethan had been working on is smashed to bits.
Kate is awakened in the wee hours by the man's distraught wife Mary Jane. Kate's customers and friends have never before come at such an hour to ask her to find a missing person. But she soon finds out that Mary Jane remembers her - from childhood. Of course Kate is obligated to help.
The evidence suggests Ethan ran off. Kate doesn't believe it. A witness saw Mary Jane walking at the quarry, wearing her distinctive cape. Mary Jane is arrested, charged and jailed. All circumstantial evidence points to her guilt.
Kate reaches out far and wide to investigate the neighbors and their past history. Kate must investigate her own past to be completely thorough. The witness who saw Mary Jane dies in front of Kate, who becomes even more convinced Ethan was murdered.
Kate sets a trap for the killer. She alerts an inspector from Scotland Yard of her suspicions. Marcus is a friend, but traditional; he and his officers independently gather evidence. Kate was right: Ethan and the eyewitness were just the latest victims in a series of murders spanning years.
In the north of England at a stone quarry, two children take their father's lunch to him. The oldest, Harriet, finds him dead. She quickly rushes with her younger brother Austin to the nearest farm for help, hoping against hope. When adults return to the scene, the body is gone. The statue Ethan had been working on is smashed to bits.
Kate is awakened in the wee hours by the man's distraught wife Mary Jane. Kate's customers and friends have never before come at such an hour to ask her to find a missing person. But she soon finds out that Mary Jane remembers her - from childhood. Of course Kate is obligated to help.
The evidence suggests Ethan ran off. Kate doesn't believe it. A witness saw Mary Jane walking at the quarry, wearing her distinctive cape. Mary Jane is arrested, charged and jailed. All circumstantial evidence points to her guilt.
Kate reaches out far and wide to investigate the neighbors and their past history. Kate must investigate her own past to be completely thorough. The witness who saw Mary Jane dies in front of Kate, who becomes even more convinced Ethan was murdered.
Kate sets a trap for the killer. She alerts an inspector from Scotland Yard of her suspicions. Marcus is a friend, but traditional; he and his officers independently gather evidence. Kate was right: Ethan and the eyewitness were just the latest victims in a series of murders spanning years.
September 28, 2015
Couldn't resist another English post-WWI mystery series with female detective (this one a widow, daughter of a police superintendent). Reminds me of Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series and of course, Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs. But the setting and story worked well (although ending was a bit too easily wrapped up) so no complaints. I'll probably try another in the series.
April 10, 2023
Great read Francis Verde does not disappoint
January 30, 2018
Kate Shackleton is starting to make a name for herself as a private detective. Her latest case is to investigate the disappearance of a quarry worker, Ethan Armstrong, after his young daughter reports seeing him lying on the floor of his work hut probably dead. When the adults finally went to investigate, Ethan was missing and so were his tools. The local police think Harriet Armstrong made up the story and Ethan just up and left his family. His wife Mary Jane is adamant that her husband did nothing of the sort. They may have quarreled here and there and had bigger dreams than they could realize, but Ethan would never just take off. Kate agrees to take the case but when Mary Jane reveals a surprising secret from Kate's past, Kate isn't so sure she wants to get involved. The more she learns about Ethan, the more the police become interested in finding his whereabouts due to his revolutionary activities (trade unions, communism). The all-male police force tend to dismiss the thoughts, opinions and feelings of women which makes Kate want to fight back! Meanwhile, Marcus Charles indicates he wants to move the relationship forward and Kate isn't sure that's what she wants. With her mother and aunt desperately trying to play matchmaker, Kate is ready to disappear herself!
I thought I would be able to put this book down, having met Mary Jane and Harriet in a later novel. Since I knew the secret, no big deal to stop reading. I could not have been more mistaken. That secret is revealed early on. The rest of the plot becomes more and more complicated and difficult to finish reading. I did begin to suspect the murderer before Kate did but the extent of that person's perfidy shocked me! There were a few other surprises that shocked me a bit though didn't exactly surprise me. I suspected something along those lines. I loved the epilogue where the reader learns more about Gerald.
Kate is still rather unemotional here. Despite having had an affair with Marcus, she's still in love with Gerald. He sounds like a lovely, fun person and it's no wonder she loves him but will she ever stop hoping? The surprise Mary Jane springs on Kate also makes her feel a little confused so she attempts to focus on the murder investigation and set her feelings aside. I prefer my sleuths a little more warm and emotional. I know Kate will get there sooner or later. I admire her persistence and dedication in her career and consider her a role model.
Mary Jane is a complicated character. She's had a tough life and what she went through made me really sad and mad. Mary Jane doesn't seem that perceptive when it comes to people. She should have known better though. I'm not sure I entirely like her but I had sympathy for her. She's doing the best she can under the circumstances. Ethan was a firebrand but at least he was passionate about something and I agree with his sentiments about rights for the working man (how about WOman too?). His personality was passionate, fun and quirky. He didn't deserve to die. I liked the sound of him but perhaps it would be difficult to be married to him. The children, Harriet and Austin, are sweet. Harriet is bright and precocious. She has more common sense than her mother sometimes. At least Harriet lives in the real world while Mary Jane sometimes lives in a fantasy world. Little Austin is too young to be left without a father. His reaction to losing his father broke my heart.
The locals are rather an unappealing lot. They range from quarry workers to gentry and none of them seemed to have much good to say about Ethan. Bob Conroy, a farmer, was Ethan's best friend but there was something about him I didn't care for. His inability to go investigate when Harriet first reported her father's death made me suspicious. His wife seems practical and sensible yet they don't see eye to eye when it comes to the farm. This does not seem like a happy marriage. Mr. Turnbull is a very nasty, horrible bully of a man. I would have been tempted to murder HIM. His son Raymond seems kinder and more mild mannered but I still found him suspcicious. Miss Trimble, the vicar's sister is a nosy busybody who should have minded her own business. She's a stereotypical self-righteous spinster type. I hate that stereotype.
Jim Sykes and Kate's parents round out the cast of main secondary characters. I still don't care for Jim much. He has more personality in this novel than any of the others I've read but I still think he doesn't treat his wife very well. Kate's parents are kind. Her father thinks like a policeman first though and sometimes his thought processes are a bit old-fashioned. That makes him not so appealing in my opinion. Kate's mother is lovely, lively and intelligent. I liked her a lot despite her attempts at matchmaking. She knows what she wants and goes after it. I think Kate takes after her mother.
This is a good series for fans of classic crime novels featuring female sleuths.
I thought I would be able to put this book down, having met Mary Jane and Harriet in a later novel. Since I knew the secret, no big deal to stop reading. I could not have been more mistaken. That secret is revealed early on. The rest of the plot becomes more and more complicated and difficult to finish reading. I did begin to suspect the murderer before Kate did but the extent of that person's perfidy shocked me! There were a few other surprises that shocked me a bit though didn't exactly surprise me. I suspected something along those lines. I loved the epilogue where the reader learns more about Gerald.
Kate is still rather unemotional here. Despite having had an affair with Marcus, she's still in love with Gerald. He sounds like a lovely, fun person and it's no wonder she loves him but will she ever stop hoping? The surprise Mary Jane springs on Kate also makes her feel a little confused so she attempts to focus on the murder investigation and set her feelings aside. I prefer my sleuths a little more warm and emotional. I know Kate will get there sooner or later. I admire her persistence and dedication in her career and consider her a role model.
Mary Jane is a complicated character. She's had a tough life and what she went through made me really sad and mad. Mary Jane doesn't seem that perceptive when it comes to people. She should have known better though. I'm not sure I entirely like her but I had sympathy for her. She's doing the best she can under the circumstances. Ethan was a firebrand but at least he was passionate about something and I agree with his sentiments about rights for the working man (how about WOman too?). His personality was passionate, fun and quirky. He didn't deserve to die. I liked the sound of him but perhaps it would be difficult to be married to him. The children, Harriet and Austin, are sweet. Harriet is bright and precocious. She has more common sense than her mother sometimes. At least Harriet lives in the real world while Mary Jane sometimes lives in a fantasy world. Little Austin is too young to be left without a father. His reaction to losing his father broke my heart.
The locals are rather an unappealing lot. They range from quarry workers to gentry and none of them seemed to have much good to say about Ethan. Bob Conroy, a farmer, was Ethan's best friend but there was something about him I didn't care for. His inability to go investigate when Harriet first reported her father's death made me suspicious. His wife seems practical and sensible yet they don't see eye to eye when it comes to the farm. This does not seem like a happy marriage. Mr. Turnbull is a very nasty, horrible bully of a man. I would have been tempted to murder HIM. His son Raymond seems kinder and more mild mannered but I still found him suspcicious. Miss Trimble, the vicar's sister is a nosy busybody who should have minded her own business. She's a stereotypical self-righteous spinster type. I hate that stereotype.
Jim Sykes and Kate's parents round out the cast of main secondary characters. I still don't care for Jim much. He has more personality in this novel than any of the others I've read but I still think he doesn't treat his wife very well. Kate's parents are kind. Her father thinks like a policeman first though and sometimes his thought processes are a bit old-fashioned. That makes him not so appealing in my opinion. Kate's mother is lovely, lively and intelligent. I liked her a lot despite her attempts at matchmaking. She knows what she wants and goes after it. I think Kate takes after her mother.
This is a good series for fans of classic crime novels featuring female sleuths.
April 18, 2018
Best book I've read in ages. It was an audiobook and the reader was masterful. The kind of reader so good, you forget you're being read to and just immerse yourself in the story. All of her voices--men, women, rich, poor--were unique and well-done. She read men's parts well, with none of the usual wincing I do when women try to make their voices too low (conversely, I do the same wincing when men reading women's characters make their voices too high and unnatural).
The setting was rich, located in the north of England, in and around a stone quarry, and the characters are quarry workers and owners and their families. The era is post WWI--the early days motoring, the rise of labor unions and the Communist party, and soldiers having returned from Europe broken, or not returned at all.
I liked the main character, Kate Shackleton, very much. I was a little worried I wouldn't, because about 3/4 of the way through, it suddenly seemed like male characters were taking over the book and the solving of the mystery. But I thought Kate totally redeemed herself, both in the mystery's conclusion and at the very end of the novel, in more personal matters.
I absolutely recommend this novel, and I intend to go back and read the earlier books.
The setting was rich, located in the north of England, in and around a stone quarry, and the characters are quarry workers and owners and their families. The era is post WWI--the early days motoring, the rise of labor unions and the Communist party, and soldiers having returned from Europe broken, or not returned at all.
I liked the main character, Kate Shackleton, very much. I was a little worried I wouldn't, because about 3/4 of the way through, it suddenly seemed like male characters were taking over the book and the solving of the mystery. But I thought Kate totally redeemed herself, both in the mystery's conclusion and at the very end of the novel, in more personal matters.
I absolutely recommend this novel, and I intend to go back and read the earlier books.
April 19, 2019
Jo, jag gillar cozy crime Kate Shackleton-serien, men just den här tredje delen var inte den bästa, utan känns forcerad och spretig. Det mest intressanta för mig är tjugotalets tidsanda. Det vilar inte så mycket desillusionerad och dekadent "lost generation" över Yorkshires invånare, men det finns ständiga åminnelser om första världskiget och kanske också att den krassa och osentimentala tonen är en direkt prägling. Här får Kate också börja fundera på om hon vill gifta sig - och därmed ge upp sin karriär; kombinationen är otänkbar, vilket ger insikter om kvinnors villkor under perioden.
October 14, 2023
This book was an interesting book starting straight away with a mysterious person appearing on Kate Shackleton door step straight after she had finished a case. In this book we get to learn more about Kate Shackleton and her parents, I did enjoy learning more about Mr mason, the trustee librarian which uncovered something shocking! In this books Kate learns about her true family which she helps to uncover this case, in this book there was a lot of drama and excitement with the mysterious Mr and Mrs conroid. This book touched my heart at the end when Mrs Shackleton talked to a person in the hospital about her husband which was heart warming as we learn a bit about Gerald and remember how this series started.
October 13, 2024
Murder in the Afternoon by Frances Brody - Good
Kate Shackleton is woken early one morning by a distraught woman. Her husband is missing, maybe dead. Her children had gone to the quarry to take him his lunch and found him lying dead...but by the time help arrives, the body has disappeared. Did the children imagine it? Are they lying? Has her husband deserted her? He's a known union activist, has he run from trouble ahead? The police have decided that he's run and now Kate is her only hope.
This is the third in the series and we are starting to get to know our characters: Kate, her family, her assistant Jim Sykes and her love interest and Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Marcus Charles, but we find out much more about her childhood and background in this book.
Enjoyable read.
#review
Kate Shackleton is woken early one morning by a distraught woman. Her husband is missing, maybe dead. Her children had gone to the quarry to take him his lunch and found him lying dead...but by the time help arrives, the body has disappeared. Did the children imagine it? Are they lying? Has her husband deserted her? He's a known union activist, has he run from trouble ahead? The police have decided that he's run and now Kate is her only hope.
This is the third in the series and we are starting to get to know our characters: Kate, her family, her assistant Jim Sykes and her love interest and Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Marcus Charles, but we find out much more about her childhood and background in this book.
Enjoyable read.
#review
May 9, 2020
I enjoy this series, but this one is my least favorite so far. The plot could have been tighter. There could be a little more explanation at the end. I got the feeling the author was more interested in the secondary story line and didn't pay close enough attention to her main plot line.
February 19, 2023
I read this book and I could not tell you who did it, why they did it, who Kate is, who half of the characters are and what the ending even means. That is mostly my own fault I'm sure but I really have absolutely no clue what I've just read, and it took me two months
April 18, 2024
I usually love mysteries, but this one was so boring. I don't have any desire to read more of the books in the series.
The plot took a long time to get to, and then all the info came right at the end. I really don't know what else to say. Maybe someone who has read it can explain to me
2.5 stars
The plot took a long time to get to, and then all the info came right at the end. I really don't know what else to say. Maybe someone who has read it can explain to me
2.5 stars
May 11, 2020
An entertaining-enough mystery set in Yorkshire; nothing earth-shattering but as the earth is currently in a pretty shattered state, that's just fine by me. I listened to the audiobook which was capably read and it allowed me to continue my examination of Yorkshire accents (and a brief dip into the Lancashire accent! Thrills!)
July 30, 2020
I'm enjoying the different structures Brody is using to tell the story for the books 2 and 3. I also appreciate that even when the plot has darker elements, the story isn't told in a dark way.
June 11, 2021
Fab book, got me hooked and I love Kate Shakleton's character. The is the first I've read I will definitely read the rest and go back and find the first two.
March 10, 2023
The actual mystery is quite cool although the characters become pretty hard to differentiate once in a while, just not a lot of time given to fleshing them out or defining them. But still, decent mystery
November 18, 2025
Brilliant writing. A great twist. It kept you guessing. Plenty going on. Just my kind of book.
June 2, 2024
Ich mag unheimlich den Schreibstil der Autorin, aber leider finde ich den Krimi nicht so spannend. Häufig gibt es mir zu viele Ungereimtheiten in der Ermittlung und plötzliche Ereignisse, die ich komisch finde.
Daher nur 3 Sterne - obwohl ich es relativ gut weglesen konnte.
Daher nur 3 Sterne - obwohl ich es relativ gut weglesen konnte.
March 10, 2019
Despite giving this three stars, I’d read the next Kate Shackleton books. As others have said they are a bit slow moving but the characters are likeable and it builds to a decent climax at the end.
A young girl and her brother walk to the local quarry to deliver lunch to their father. The girl finds him lying in a workers hut. She knows he is dead. She takes her brother and rushes for help to the nearest farm. By the time they all get back to the quarry the body has gone. As days go by the feeling is he was not dead, maybe drunk and when he came too he up and left the area. After all he was a good stone mason, could get a job anywhere and wasn’t he always arguing with his wife anyway.
If he is dead they will look to his wife who was seen heading to the quarry earlier in the day.
His wife, Mary Jane has a secret weapon in her defence, Kate Shackleton. She goes to Kate to tell her she must find Ethan, her husband and she will do this because she is Kate’s sister.
From this you know Kate was adopted (mentioned in other books). She does not know her birth family and had not really been curious. But she is now!
Most of the book concerns Kate’s feelings about this new family and getting to know the children and the locals in her investigation. Her partner in crime Jim Sykes gives a more determined effort to uncover clues, I like him. As the dead man was a ‘trouble making’ trade unionist Scotland Yard is involved and this brings Marcus Charles (Kate’s erstwhile lover) into the fray. Another layer in the story is how committed is Kate to the affair. She still looks in hospitals for her husband, missing presumed dead at the end of the war, and she is worried Marcus will ask her to marry him and she really doesn’t want to settle into being a wife, with all the connotations that brings for women at that time.
The stories have potential but need to build up a bit more tension. Kate is likeable and can be quite funnily sarcastic (in her own thoughts), Sykes is a good character and her adoptive parents are quite strongly drawn.
A young girl and her brother walk to the local quarry to deliver lunch to their father. The girl finds him lying in a workers hut. She knows he is dead. She takes her brother and rushes for help to the nearest farm. By the time they all get back to the quarry the body has gone. As days go by the feeling is he was not dead, maybe drunk and when he came too he up and left the area. After all he was a good stone mason, could get a job anywhere and wasn’t he always arguing with his wife anyway.
If he is dead they will look to his wife who was seen heading to the quarry earlier in the day.
His wife, Mary Jane has a secret weapon in her defence, Kate Shackleton. She goes to Kate to tell her she must find Ethan, her husband and she will do this because she is Kate’s sister.
From this you know Kate was adopted (mentioned in other books). She does not know her birth family and had not really been curious. But she is now!
Most of the book concerns Kate’s feelings about this new family and getting to know the children and the locals in her investigation. Her partner in crime Jim Sykes gives a more determined effort to uncover clues, I like him. As the dead man was a ‘trouble making’ trade unionist Scotland Yard is involved and this brings Marcus Charles (Kate’s erstwhile lover) into the fray. Another layer in the story is how committed is Kate to the affair. She still looks in hospitals for her husband, missing presumed dead at the end of the war, and she is worried Marcus will ask her to marry him and she really doesn’t want to settle into being a wife, with all the connotations that brings for women at that time.
The stories have potential but need to build up a bit more tension. Kate is likeable and can be quite funnily sarcastic (in her own thoughts), Sykes is a good character and her adoptive parents are quite strongly drawn.
April 26, 2012
‘Murder in the Afternoon’ by Frances Brody
Published by Piatkus, 1st March 2012: ISBN: 978-0-7499-5487-1
Kate Shackleton is called to help locate a missing stone mason. His wife Mary Jane Armstrong is adamant that Kate can help her, and in the face of such belief Kate agrees to accompany the woman back to her home in Great Applewick.
The story Kate pieces together is, that Mary Jane’s children Harriet and Austin had gone to the quarry where their father worked to bring him lunch, and that the daughter Harriet had found him dead. Walking to the next farm for help, when she returned with the farmer, there was no one to be found, neither her father, nor a body.
As Kate investigates she encounters hostility from the quarry foreman, and discovers that Ethan Armstrong had active strong political views. The more she investigates the more it becomes apparent that there could be more than one reason for the absence of Ethan Armstrong, or his body.
But for Kate this is more than the mystery of a missing man, for she becomes embroiled in a family situation – her family, or rather the family that she was unaware existed, but nevertheless her family, raises for her many questions.
A good mystery that had me perplexed, but also a moving episode in the life of Kate Shackleton who still believes that even though the war has been over a couple of years that she may still find her husband, posted missing presumed dead, but maybe just with a missing memory – it happens why not to Kate.
Highly recommended.
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Lizzie Hayes
Published by Piatkus, 1st March 2012: ISBN: 978-0-7499-5487-1
Kate Shackleton is called to help locate a missing stone mason. His wife Mary Jane Armstrong is adamant that Kate can help her, and in the face of such belief Kate agrees to accompany the woman back to her home in Great Applewick.
The story Kate pieces together is, that Mary Jane’s children Harriet and Austin had gone to the quarry where their father worked to bring him lunch, and that the daughter Harriet had found him dead. Walking to the next farm for help, when she returned with the farmer, there was no one to be found, neither her father, nor a body.
As Kate investigates she encounters hostility from the quarry foreman, and discovers that Ethan Armstrong had active strong political views. The more she investigates the more it becomes apparent that there could be more than one reason for the absence of Ethan Armstrong, or his body.
But for Kate this is more than the mystery of a missing man, for she becomes embroiled in a family situation – her family, or rather the family that she was unaware existed, but nevertheless her family, raises for her many questions.
A good mystery that had me perplexed, but also a moving episode in the life of Kate Shackleton who still believes that even though the war has been over a couple of years that she may still find her husband, posted missing presumed dead, but maybe just with a missing memory – it happens why not to Kate.
Highly recommended.
-----
Lizzie Hayes
June 22, 2017
(3.5 stars) This is the third book in the Kate Shackleton series. Kate is presented a puzzling case of a stone mason who is found dead by his daughter at the quarry when she goes to bring him food while he is working on a special project of a sundial for the owner over the weekend. When she and her brother go for help, they are shocked on their return to find the body gone. Kate is brought the case by the mother who has a family connection to Kate that she was unaware of until that moment. Mary Jane, is unfortunately, also a suspect in the case. Kate must untangle a complicated web of clues to figure out if he is really dead, and if so, what happened to the body, and who was the killer. Her assistant goes undercover as a door to door hosiery salesman, and Kate follows up on a curious clue from a newspaper clipping that may implicate a woman in the proceedings. This was a clever mystery and a nice addition to the series.
January 21, 2018
I had previously liked this series but for some reason (probably my germ ridden state) I was irritated by ridiculous mistakes that made it seem more like dodgy, barely edited self-published stuff (not that it isn't possible to self publish well but it is exceptionally rare). The basic plot / premise was ok but it was riddled with anachronisms; we had some one being put into the recovery position ( in 1924 ?), carrier bags (ditto), use of the term "press" when "papers" would have been more in keeping. Then there were the cliches; "polished off", "foaming pint" isn't there an authors ABC about avoiding those? Finally just clunky phrasing e.g. a reference to "maritricide" - which whilst accurate in plot terms- is hardly a phrase in common use ( less common than the other "cides" - parricide, fratricide, matricide etc.). Weak, very weak, mindlessly entertaining if you can bear the faux research approach to historical novels.
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