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Darina Lisle #3
Hotel Morgue
Professional caterer, cook, and sometime amateur detective, Darina Lisle finds herself in a pickle when she sets out to try her hand at being a hotelier. Detective William Pigram soon realizes that by introducing Darina to the seedy Hotel Morgan, he may have cooked his own goose.
The statuesque and self-reliant Ms. Lisle has once again found a passionate interest other than his handsome self. Determined to save this West Country inn, Darina finds herself embroiled in the turbulent relations of the establishment's troubled owners, a bewildered blond widow and her grown stepson, whose icy blue eyes hold a compelling appeal.
And while Darina grows increasingly more intrigued with this enigmatic pair, William is busy investigating the murder of a beautiful employee of another, far more elegant local hotel, piecing together the dead woman's scandalous affairs with the help of his able assistant, Pat James, a pert young female detective constable. Darina and William are being pulled apart by their divergent interests until a shocking second murder brings the culinary artiste and the courtly cop into dramatic proximity.
As death stalks the "Hotel Morgue," Darina's sleuthing skills bubble to the surface, and she puts aside her hotel duties just long enough to help Pigram apprehend a double killer.
The statuesque and self-reliant Ms. Lisle has once again found a passionate interest other than his handsome self. Determined to save this West Country inn, Darina finds herself embroiled in the turbulent relations of the establishment's troubled owners, a bewildered blond widow and her grown stepson, whose icy blue eyes hold a compelling appeal.
And while Darina grows increasingly more intrigued with this enigmatic pair, William is busy investigating the murder of a beautiful employee of another, far more elegant local hotel, piecing together the dead woman's scandalous affairs with the help of his able assistant, Pat James, a pert young female detective constable. Darina and William are being pulled apart by their divergent interests until a shocking second murder brings the culinary artiste and the courtly cop into dramatic proximity.
As death stalks the "Hotel Morgue," Darina's sleuthing skills bubble to the surface, and she puts aside her hotel duties just long enough to help Pigram apprehend a double killer.
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First published January 1, 1991
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About the author
Janet Laurence
61 books16 followersJanet Laurence also writes cookery books and one of her creations in the detective genre is Darina Lisle, a cook and caterer.
She has written 10 novels featuring Darina Lisle between 1989 and 2001. The first was 'A Deepe Coffyn (1989) and the last to date was 'The Mermaid's Feast (2001).
She is also the creator of the Canaletto series of mysteries, set in 18th century London. There are three in the series, which began with 'Canaletto and the Case of Westminster Bridge' (1997).
Gerry Wolstenholme
September 2010
She has written 10 novels featuring Darina Lisle between 1989 and 2001. The first was 'A Deepe Coffyn (1989) and the last to date was 'The Mermaid's Feast (2001).
She is also the creator of the Canaletto series of mysteries, set in 18th century London. There are three in the series, which began with 'Canaletto and the Case of Westminster Bridge' (1997).
Gerry Wolstenholme
September 2010
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 17, 2020
This is not a good recipe at all! Fish in an inedible sauce and an attractive but chauvinistic man wanting Darina lisle to give up the career she loves, settle down and have babies! Dear oh dear! Darina has always wanted her own small but luxurious country hotel, but the dilapidated and ramshackle Hotel Morgan, with its dire food, tiny fires, awful decor and warring stepmother and stepson owners? But Darina's love for a challenge, her thirst to prove herself, and her feelings about her policeman boyfriend's new WPC partner are leading her inexorably towards this new venture, when death intervenes.
Janet Laurence, in her introduction to this book, says it is her favourite of the Darina Lisle mysteries. I like it a lot, but it isn't mine. Without spoiling things, there are two interconnected murder investigations here, which take the attention away somewhat from darina and her doings, which spoils the story for me. Janet laurence is up to her usual standard with her wonderful descriptions of people and places, but food takes a poor third place, and again, that disappointed me. Still, the story was well told, and it was cleverly done, I was sure I knew who the murderer was, only I had it wrong. It's a good book, but maybe not one I'll go back to as I will the others in this series I've read.
Janet Laurence, in her introduction to this book, says it is her favourite of the Darina Lisle mysteries. I like it a lot, but it isn't mine. Without spoiling things, there are two interconnected murder investigations here, which take the attention away somewhat from darina and her doings, which spoils the story for me. Janet laurence is up to her usual standard with her wonderful descriptions of people and places, but food takes a poor third place, and again, that disappointed me. Still, the story was well told, and it was cleverly done, I was sure I knew who the murderer was, only I had it wrong. It's a good book, but maybe not one I'll go back to as I will the others in this series I've read.
January 1, 2017
This is the third book in the Darina Lisle series which combine food and mystery. In this one, Darina has lunch with her friend and lover Detective Sergeant William Pigram at the dilapidated Hotel Morgan - known locally as the Hotel Morgue. He is called away because a body has been found and Darina talks to the owners of the hotel. Darina is looking for a new project and will have money to invest. Could the Hotel Morgan be just what she's looking for?
But the murder of a waitress - Sharon Fry - who is employed at a neighbouring and rival hotel, may be connected with the Hotel Morgan and its owners. Alex and Ulla Morgan jointly own the hotel and are at loggerheads because Alex wants to sell and Ulla wants to make a go of it.
I am enjoying this well written mystery series with its background of food and cookery. Darina is an interesting character as is William and the plot kept me guessing until almost the end when I was confident I had worked out who had done it only to find that the author had overturned all my assumptions with a neat twist. The clues were there - I misread them. The books in this series can be read in any order though they are probably best read in the order in which they were published so that the reader understands the background to Darina's current situation.
But the murder of a waitress - Sharon Fry - who is employed at a neighbouring and rival hotel, may be connected with the Hotel Morgan and its owners. Alex and Ulla Morgan jointly own the hotel and are at loggerheads because Alex wants to sell and Ulla wants to make a go of it.
I am enjoying this well written mystery series with its background of food and cookery. Darina is an interesting character as is William and the plot kept me guessing until almost the end when I was confident I had worked out who had done it only to find that the author had overturned all my assumptions with a neat twist. The clues were there - I misread them. The books in this series can be read in any order though they are probably best read in the order in which they were published so that the reader understands the background to Darina's current situation.
November 11, 2007
Satisfying murder story with lots of stuff about cooking and running a hotel. Poorly titled - makes it sound like a horror.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews