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Posie Parker Mystery #16
Murder and the Scent of Nutmeg
The bleakly beautiful Norfolk coast, the murder of a local businessman, a suffragette on trial... Sounds like a case for Posie Parker!
Valentine’s Day, 1926.
When Posie Parker, Private Detective, accidentally runs into an old family acquaintance in the Temple Church, London, she is persuaded to leave town immediately and return to the place of her childhood roots - the beautiful Norfolk coast - to investigate a closed-room murder mystery which local police believe has a foregone conclusion.
But have the police got the suspect right? Posie must race against the clock as a Murder Trial is scheduled to begin in just two days’ time.
A women’s right’s activist, the courageous Girvan Briskow, will almost certainly face the gallows if she is convicted of her wealthy father-in-law’s murder. Both the murder victim and the chief suspect are already known to Posie from years before, but Posie needs to push aside old hostilities in order to get at the truth. But is the truth too much, and too dark, for her to bear?
And is she just imagining it, or is Posie’s presence resented in Norfolk? Is she in danger, here? And why has Richard Lovelace, Posie’s husband and the Chief Commissioner of New Scotland Yard, started acting strangely?
A darkly gripping historical murder mystery, which fans of Agatha Christie, T. E. Kinsey, Nicola Upson, Lee Strauss and Verity Bright will adore!
To be the first to hear about L.B. Hathaway's new releases sign up for the newsletter lbhathaway.com
Valentine’s Day, 1926.
When Posie Parker, Private Detective, accidentally runs into an old family acquaintance in the Temple Church, London, she is persuaded to leave town immediately and return to the place of her childhood roots - the beautiful Norfolk coast - to investigate a closed-room murder mystery which local police believe has a foregone conclusion.
But have the police got the suspect right? Posie must race against the clock as a Murder Trial is scheduled to begin in just two days’ time.
A women’s right’s activist, the courageous Girvan Briskow, will almost certainly face the gallows if she is convicted of her wealthy father-in-law’s murder. Both the murder victim and the chief suspect are already known to Posie from years before, but Posie needs to push aside old hostilities in order to get at the truth. But is the truth too much, and too dark, for her to bear?
And is she just imagining it, or is Posie’s presence resented in Norfolk? Is she in danger, here? And why has Richard Lovelace, Posie’s husband and the Chief Commissioner of New Scotland Yard, started acting strangely?
A darkly gripping historical murder mystery, which fans of Agatha Christie, T. E. Kinsey, Nicola Upson, Lee Strauss and Verity Bright will adore!
To be the first to hear about L.B. Hathaway's new releases sign up for the newsletter lbhathaway.com
182 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 4, 2024
62 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
L.B. Hathaway
29 books337 followersCambridge-educated, British-born L.B. Hathaway writes historical fiction. She worked as a lawyer at Lincoln’s Inn in London for almost a decade before becoming a full-time writer. She brings her love of detective novels set in the Golden Age of Crime and an obsession with English history to her own writing.
The Posie Parker series of cosy crime novels span the 1920s. They each combine a core central mystery, an exploration of the reckless glamour of the age and a feisty protagonist who you would love to have as your best friend.
Her other interests, in no particular order, are: very fast downhill skiing, theatre-going, drinking strong tea, Tudor history, exploring castles and generally trying to cram as much into life as possible.
The Posie Parker series of cosy crime novels span the 1920s. They each combine a core central mystery, an exploration of the reckless glamour of the age and a feisty protagonist who you would love to have as your best friend.
Her other interests, in no particular order, are: very fast downhill skiing, theatre-going, drinking strong tea, Tudor history, exploring castles and generally trying to cram as much into life as possible.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 8, 2024
not my favorite
This was an odd one. Not my favorite Posey Parker book. Too much background in the beginning. And very dark. Not the usual mystery from this series.
This was an odd one. Not my favorite Posey Parker book. Too much background in the beginning. And very dark. Not the usual mystery from this series.
May 2, 2025
This one I like. the history of how Posie got to where she is. even her short engagement to the serial killer. One minute there, I thought she is communion with the ghost but the author nicely round it out to show that these are all coincidences.
very good. the superior voice is not there or I didn't detect it.
very good. the superior voice is not there or I didn't detect it.
April 5, 2024
Ignore the naysayers
I don’t understand the criticism for this book. It is a refreshing an adult peek into Posie’s background. I suppose they were looking for a completely mild spoonfed mystery or something. I found this to be a great progression in poise‘s character development,. This book is a sometimes complex narrative about pre-war Posie and her life. At times yes, it is a little dark, but not alarming so. But talking about war, and its effects on people cannot ever be completely light. I felt like it tied together breadcrumbs that we got about her past in prior books, and added context to some of her behavior and quirks (like her silver notebooks)
I don’t understand the criticism for this book. It is a refreshing an adult peek into Posie’s background. I suppose they were looking for a completely mild spoonfed mystery or something. I found this to be a great progression in poise‘s character development,. This book is a sometimes complex narrative about pre-war Posie and her life. At times yes, it is a little dark, but not alarming so. But talking about war, and its effects on people cannot ever be completely light. I felt like it tied together breadcrumbs that we got about her past in prior books, and added context to some of her behavior and quirks (like her silver notebooks)
March 11, 2024
A different kind of Posie
It's a very reflective time for Posie. Initially her thoughts take her back and we learn much more of Posie's early life. Then very quickly she's back there in reality, solving a crime, though not necessarily the one she's gone to solve! And at the end there is much to look forward to.
It's a very reflective time for Posie. Initially her thoughts take her back and we learn much more of Posie's early life. Then very quickly she's back there in reality, solving a crime, though not necessarily the one she's gone to solve! And at the end there is much to look forward to.
March 23, 2024
I seem to have liked this for the same reasons others were dissatisfied with it. Love a good back story and the shocking plot twists. Posie is remarkable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2025
From the Posie Parker Mystery Series, I have read, rated, and reviewed the 1st (***), the 2nd (****), the 3rd (***), the 12th (****), the 13th (****), the 14th (****), the 15th (*****), and now the 16th. I also own the other ones, and I'll read them. But I won't read the 17th and the 18th (whose titles have been announced), nor any future titles. Or maybe I'll change my mind, but right now I am furious. Maybe I'm bat crazy and I'm overreacting.
So far, I thought the 15th was her best installment. Some people believe this 16th one to be equally great. I beg to disagree.
Regardless of how pleasant I found such cozy mysteries, I usually had minor objections, usually related to aspects that couldn't have been that way back then. Despite the author's historical notes, she wasn't that thorough in her documentation.
This time, I have more severe complaints.
First, this is not the first time that Posie has a lazy and thick-skinned secretary, but this time, it's like the author (which is a woman!) really wanted to make it clear that Posie is hopelessly stupid. Her inaction is incompatible with the idea of having a business that didn't fail yet. Her inability to ask her husband if there's anything wrong also plays the “look, Ma, I'm stupid!” tune. The book starts on the wrong foot completely.
Then, the reader feels that the first 40% of the book, or almost the entire PART ONE, is wasted on unwarranted stories about the past. The faithful readers of the series already knew some aspects of Posie's past, but not to such an extent. We eventually learn that this is not padding, but a pretext to introduce an unexpected case.
This alone is a black mark, but let's ignore it.
What turned me off was to find out, at the end, that one of the characters was a ghost. LITERALLY. This is completely unacceptable. I will not tolerate being treated as a retard.
Farewell, Lily B. Hathaway!
So far, I thought the 15th was her best installment. Some people believe this 16th one to be equally great. I beg to disagree.
Regardless of how pleasant I found such cozy mysteries, I usually had minor objections, usually related to aspects that couldn't have been that way back then. Despite the author's historical notes, she wasn't that thorough in her documentation.
This time, I have more severe complaints.
First, this is not the first time that Posie has a lazy and thick-skinned secretary, but this time, it's like the author (which is a woman!) really wanted to make it clear that Posie is hopelessly stupid. Her inaction is incompatible with the idea of having a business that didn't fail yet. Her inability to ask her husband if there's anything wrong also plays the “look, Ma, I'm stupid!” tune. The book starts on the wrong foot completely.
Then, the reader feels that the first 40% of the book, or almost the entire PART ONE, is wasted on unwarranted stories about the past. The faithful readers of the series already knew some aspects of Posie's past, but not to such an extent. We eventually learn that this is not padding, but a pretext to introduce an unexpected case.
This alone is a black mark, but let's ignore it.
What turned me off was to find out, at the end, that one of the characters was a ghost. LITERALLY. This is completely unacceptable. I will not tolerate being treated as a retard.
Farewell, Lily B. Hathaway!
June 5, 2025
Love this series in general. I have read and/or listened to a lot of “cozy” 1920-ish era mystery series and this one has my favorite overall plots, character development, and twists without being to much like every other “cozy” 1920-ish era mystery series. (I love a good trope like the rest of em, but sometimes it’s a little copy paste for me) I love Posie and how the author builds on the story and makes connections to previous details in other books. It’s very subtle but creative which I feel is rare with this genre.
Now for this one - 5/5 stars no notes. I feel like I liked it even more for all of the reasons other people disliked it. I agree that this book was a little darker than the others, but I still felt like it was cozy and still on the lighter side. I loved hearing more detail of Posie’s history, and this time we went even deeper. Honestly would’ve never expected the author to go in the direction the twist did reading up until now and I’m really interested to see where it goes with the next one.
Plus the little spooky storyline… “is it coincidence or is it something else?” Loved it!
Now for this one - 5/5 stars no notes. I feel like I liked it even more for all of the reasons other people disliked it. I agree that this book was a little darker than the others, but I still felt like it was cozy and still on the lighter side. I loved hearing more detail of Posie’s history, and this time we went even deeper. Honestly would’ve never expected the author to go in the direction the twist did reading up until now and I’m really interested to see where it goes with the next one.
Plus the little spooky storyline… “is it coincidence or is it something else?” Loved it!
March 10, 2024
This Posie Parker mystery provides back story for Posie's young adulthood before the Greaat War and closure for the family of her one time fiancee. The apparent murder of the man who might have become her father-in-law brings Posie back to Norfolk, where she has not been since the death of her father in 1920. Now it is 1926 and many things have chnged, including her partnership in a detective agency, her marriage to Richard Lovelace and her children. Nevertheless, she is drawn north to prove that the victim's widowed daughter-in-law did not kill him. Hathaway sets an ominous tone for this one, with a menacing mansion, a series of family deaths, a changed will and a botched crime investigation. The challenge for Posie is to solve the crime while controlling her own grim memories.
March 19, 2024
Dark and worrying
I cannot in good conscience recommend this book.
While I have enjoyed all the Poise Parker books and novella to this point, this
work is like nothing else Hathaway has written to date.
The first half of the book seems to be a long, very, very long review that Posie
undertakes of her life, and the joyless manner in which she places it
on the page should have been a clear indication that “… The scent of Nutmeg…”
is not a typical Hathaway book.
I'm not going to write anything about the second half of the book, except to say
it took a strong stomach to get through it.
I am assuming this is the last Posie Parker book, and, I for one, will treasure the ones that come before it.
But not this one.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this book.
While I have enjoyed all the Poise Parker books and novella to this point, this
work is like nothing else Hathaway has written to date.
The first half of the book seems to be a long, very, very long review that Posie
undertakes of her life, and the joyless manner in which she places it
on the page should have been a clear indication that “… The scent of Nutmeg…”
is not a typical Hathaway book.
I'm not going to write anything about the second half of the book, except to say
it took a strong stomach to get through it.
I am assuming this is the last Posie Parker book, and, I for one, will treasure the ones that come before it.
But not this one.
March 9, 2024
I relished this book enormously and read it in one day! This was one of the best Posie Parker's so far- and I dearly hope there will be more coming soon. There was good suspense right trough the story and also an insight of Posies past (that is always intriguing and makes her as a person even more interesting) So it never gets boring. Sometimes I feel her office should be also revived and have some order too. Maybe a story involving Len?!
The o n l y complaint I have is, that the stories are short!
Onwards!
The o n l y complaint I have is, that the stories are short!
Onwards!
March 7, 2024
Best Book Yet
This book is a surprisingly complicated telling of the past life of Posie Parker. I could not put it down. There are murders, romance and all the things that make the series enjoyable but the detail, the mysteries, the players, the facts and the carefully told tales unwind slowly deftly, carefully with a few tangles as a skein of yarn would do. Move over A. Christie, LB Hathaway has a masterpiece here! Well done indeed! M. Shew
This book is a surprisingly complicated telling of the past life of Posie Parker. I could not put it down. There are murders, romance and all the things that make the series enjoyable but the detail, the mysteries, the players, the facts and the carefully told tales unwind slowly deftly, carefully with a few tangles as a skein of yarn would do. Move over A. Christie, LB Hathaway has a masterpiece here! Well done indeed! M. Shew
June 5, 2024
Interesting backstory
Interesting that we finally hear more about Pose's early life, her back story, although I might not call it cozy. The story was compelling and hard to put down. The ending wasn't completely surprising. I've loved most of the books in the series and hope they keep going, but something about the story filled in many holes. Could it be the end of the series?
Interesting that we finally hear more about Pose's early life, her back story, although I might not call it cozy. The story was compelling and hard to put down. The ending wasn't completely surprising. I've loved most of the books in the series and hope they keep going, but something about the story filled in many holes. Could it be the end of the series?
March 14, 2024
Very different then usual
I'm not sure what to make of this book. It wasn't the usual. It felt like the writer was tired & depressed and got those feelings out in this book? It was horribly dark in nature too.
If there are more books in this series, I hope they aren't like this one. Because I have loved this series until now. Please return with new great books!!
I'm not sure what to make of this book. It wasn't the usual. It felt like the writer was tired & depressed and got those feelings out in this book? It was horribly dark in nature too.
If there are more books in this series, I hope they aren't like this one. Because I have loved this series until now. Please return with new great books!!
April 5, 2024
Just wonderful
In this story Posie goes back to her roots through memories and confronting the current tragedy taking place. We learn more about the young Posie and the people she interacted and how it has come to now where she tries to prove a person from her past is not guilt of murder. Interesting characters drives this story to a satisfying conclusion.
In this story Posie goes back to her roots through memories and confronting the current tragedy taking place. We learn more about the young Posie and the people she interacted and how it has come to now where she tries to prove a person from her past is not guilt of murder. Interesting characters drives this story to a satisfying conclusion.
August 27, 2024
Another winsome tale
I have been reading the Posie Parker series for some time and am glad I switched to Kindle. This is another terrific mystery with many surprises from the past. There was only one piece that I found kind of incredulous, but I can't share it because... Spoilers. I really thought this story filled out part of Posie's past, and for that I am glad.
I have been reading the Posie Parker series for some time and am glad I switched to Kindle. This is another terrific mystery with many surprises from the past. There was only one piece that I found kind of incredulous, but I can't share it because... Spoilers. I really thought this story filled out part of Posie's past, and for that I am glad.
March 31, 2024
I enjoy this series, though it is light - its gotten better and more interesting as it progresses. This one is filled with descriptions of smells and the haunting of the past - and learning that the past wasn't quite as you thought it was when it was lived ....
April 14, 2024
A new Parker Posey mystery is always exciting!
This one packs a lot in - family loyalties and feuds, and what happens when they conflict - history and present - real and supernatural. Fortunately, love (and sleuthing) conquer.
This one packs a lot in - family loyalties and feuds, and what happens when they conflict - history and present - real and supernatural. Fortunately, love (and sleuthing) conquer.
June 5, 2024
A Little Confusing
Going back and forth in time is a little tough in books and movies. This book was no exception. But, once I got my bearings, I enjoyed it. I've read all the Posie Parker books and loved the entire series.
Going back and forth in time is a little tough in books and movies. This book was no exception. But, once I got my bearings, I enjoyed it. I've read all the Posie Parker books and loved the entire series.
December 21, 2025
Brilliant Holt
You did it again L B Hathaway I do hope you keep writing these novels of the 1920s with Posie and her dashing chief inspector husband Richard because you really are Bally good at them thank you
You did it again L B Hathaway I do hope you keep writing these novels of the 1920s with Posie and her dashing chief inspector husband Richard because you really are Bally good at them thank you
January 2, 2026
What happened?!!?
Just wasn't focused! The mystery was solved overnight and not thought out with details of how it came to Posie. A ghost, REALLY! It was a hodgepodge of ideas . What happened? I've read all of them and just bought #17 as I love cozy series.
Just wasn't focused! The mystery was solved overnight and not thought out with details of how it came to Posie. A ghost, REALLY! It was a hodgepodge of ideas . What happened? I've read all of them and just bought #17 as I love cozy series.
March 6, 2024
3 1/2 stars. Not my favorite of the series but still good. Nice to learn more of Posie’s backstory.
March 10, 2024
Always a good reading experience from this author
March 18, 2024
Not for me
This was a depressing and disappointing read.
Rosie seemed to have changed character and to be cold and calculating. Oh for the days of Aleric Boynton Dale.
This was a depressing and disappointing read.
Rosie seemed to have changed character and to be cold and calculating. Oh for the days of Aleric Boynton Dale.
April 13, 2024
loved series
I just finished the series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Many thanks to the author for many enjoyable hours spent with her books
I just finished the series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Many thanks to the author for many enjoyable hours spent with her books
April 30, 2024
Audible Review
Complicated
The author is amazing with her imagination. So complicated and intriguing. Brilliant story and narration
Complicated
The author is amazing with her imagination. So complicated and intriguing. Brilliant story and narration
December 12, 2024
I liked that this one was a little darker and that we learned more about Posie’s past!
August 7, 2025
Oh this book, it gave chills and ended with happy tears. The BEST of the series!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews