D is for Death

by Harriet F. Townson

1935. Dora's on the first train to London, having smuggled herself out of the house in the middle of the night to escape her impending marriage. But unluckily for her, Dora's fiancé is more persistent than most and follows.

As Dora alights at Paddington station, she is immediately forced to run from the loathsome Charles Silk-Butters. She ducks into the London Library to hide and it is there, surrounded by books, where she should feel most safe, that Dora Wildwood stumbles across her first dead body.

Having been thrown into the middle of a murder scene, it's now impossible to walk away. Indeed, Dora's certain she will prove an invaluable help to the gruff Detective Inspector Fox who swiftly arrives on the scene. For as everyone knows, it's the woman in the room who always sees more than anyone else: and no one more so than Dora herself...

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally charming story with a thoroughly lovable main character. Dora Wildwood is tall, awkward, unconventional, bookish, and outspoken - not ideal for a woman in 1935. When she breaks off her engagement with the ghastly Charles, Dora decides to flee from rural Somerset to London and stumbles across the London Library. The quiet atmosphere and the friendly workers at the library bring Dora comfort, but when she stumbles across a dead body there, she feels constrained to help solve the murder however dangerous this could be.

I loved everything about this story, from the vivid descriptions of the library and 1930s London to the sensitive way the author handles the dynamics between the characters. It is funny and sad by turns, with a neat plot that kept me guessing - like the best mysteries, the details served to both reveal and conceal the truth - and Dora is the perfect protagonist with her mix of independence, enthusiasm and intelligence.

I really hope this is the start of a series as I’m eager to see what happens to Dora next and hope that some of the other characters from the library will make further appearances.

[Amanda Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an entertaining mystery. I'm so anxious for the next book to be published.

[Millicent · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun! I hope she writes more in this series.

[Anneke W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining, I hope there will be a follow up!