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Patrick Grant #1
Dead in the Morning
Do you love a classic English whodunit? Then meet your favourite new gentleman sleuth: whip-smart Oxford don, Dr Patrick Grant.
He loves rhyming verse, witty banter, strong coffee and solving impossible mysteries from history. Now he must pit his wits against a true-life killer.
A sprawling country mansion. A tense family gathering. Someone under this roof won’t live to see morning . . .
When Dr Patrick Grant visits the quiet Hampshire village of Winterswick, he expects nothing more than a weekend of genteel conversation, good food and the odd glass of fine wine. But at Pantons, the Ludlow family’s imposing country house, tensions simmer beneath the polite smiles. Gerald Ludlow is back from his travels, with a stunning new American bride on his arm. And not everyone is delighted by the match — not least Gerald’s waspish mother.
Even the housekeeper, dear old Mrs Mackenzie, is less than welcoming. One look at Gerald’s wife and she almost drops the soufflé in shock. The poor woman turns deathly pale. Like she’s seen a ghost.
Next morning, the house wakes up to a terrible shock. Mrs Mackenzie lies dead in her bed!
The police say she died of natural causes. But Patrick’s not so sure. The Mrs Mack he knew was strong as an ox.
As gossip ripples through the village, Patrick’s sharp mind and love of a puzzle draw him into the investigation.
Everyone at Pantons has a secret to hide. It’s only a matter of which was worth killing for.
Can Patrick unravel the truth before the killer strikes again?
A masterclass in misdirection, brimming with village intrigue and sly humour
He loves rhyming verse, witty banter, strong coffee and solving impossible mysteries from history. Now he must pit his wits against a true-life killer.
A sprawling country mansion. A tense family gathering. Someone under this roof won’t live to see morning . . .
When Dr Patrick Grant visits the quiet Hampshire village of Winterswick, he expects nothing more than a weekend of genteel conversation, good food and the odd glass of fine wine. But at Pantons, the Ludlow family’s imposing country house, tensions simmer beneath the polite smiles. Gerald Ludlow is back from his travels, with a stunning new American bride on his arm. And not everyone is delighted by the match — not least Gerald’s waspish mother.
Even the housekeeper, dear old Mrs Mackenzie, is less than welcoming. One look at Gerald’s wife and she almost drops the soufflé in shock. The poor woman turns deathly pale. Like she’s seen a ghost.
Next morning, the house wakes up to a terrible shock. Mrs Mackenzie lies dead in her bed!
The police say she died of natural causes. But Patrick’s not so sure. The Mrs Mack he knew was strong as an ox.
As gossip ripples through the village, Patrick’s sharp mind and love of a puzzle draw him into the investigation.
Everyone at Pantons has a secret to hide. It’s only a matter of which was worth killing for.
Can Patrick unravel the truth before the killer strikes again?
A masterclass in misdirection, brimming with village intrigue and sly humour
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1970
873 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Yorke
86 books52 followersMargaret Yorke was an English crime fiction writer, real name Margaret Beda Nicholson (née Larminie).
Margaret Yorke was awarded the 1999 CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger.
Born in Surrey, England, to John and Alison Larminie in 1924, Margaret Yorke (Margaret Beda Nicholson) grew up in Dublin before moving back to England in 1937, where the family settled in Hampshire, although she later lived in a small village in Buckinghamshire.
During World War II she saw service in the Women’s Royal Naval Service as a driver. In 1945, she married, but it was only to last some ten years, although there were two children; a son and daughter. Her childhood interest in literature was re-enforced by five years living close to Stratford-upon-Avon and she also worked variously as a bookseller and as a librarian in two Oxford Colleges, being the first woman ever to work in that of Christ Church.
She was widely travelled and has a particular interest in both Greece and Russia.
Her first novel was published in 1957, but it was not until 1970 that she turned her hand to crime writing. There followed a series of five novels featuring Dr. Patrick Grant, an Oxford Don and amateur sleuth, who shares her own love of Shakespeare. More crime and mystery was to follow, and she wrote some forty three books in all, but the Grant novels were limited to five as, in her own words, ‘authors using a series detective are trapped by their series. It stops some of them from expanding as writers’.
She was proud of the fact that many of her novels were essentially about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations which may threatening, or simply horrific. It is this facet of her writing that ensures a loyal following amongst readers, who inevitably identify with some of the characters and recognise conflicts that may occur in everyday life. Indeed, Yorke stated that characters were far more important to her than intricate plots and that when writing ‘I don’t manipulate the characters, they manipulate me’.
Critics have noted that she has a ‘marvellous use of language’ and she has frequently been cited as an equal to P.D. James and Ruth Rendell. She was a past chairman of the Crime Writers' Association and in 1999 was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger, having already been honoured with the Martin Beck Award from the Swedish Academy of Detection.
Margaret Yorke died in 2012.
Margaret Yorke was awarded the 1999 CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger.
Born in Surrey, England, to John and Alison Larminie in 1924, Margaret Yorke (Margaret Beda Nicholson) grew up in Dublin before moving back to England in 1937, where the family settled in Hampshire, although she later lived in a small village in Buckinghamshire.
During World War II she saw service in the Women’s Royal Naval Service as a driver. In 1945, she married, but it was only to last some ten years, although there were two children; a son and daughter. Her childhood interest in literature was re-enforced by five years living close to Stratford-upon-Avon and she also worked variously as a bookseller and as a librarian in two Oxford Colleges, being the first woman ever to work in that of Christ Church.
She was widely travelled and has a particular interest in both Greece and Russia.
Her first novel was published in 1957, but it was not until 1970 that she turned her hand to crime writing. There followed a series of five novels featuring Dr. Patrick Grant, an Oxford Don and amateur sleuth, who shares her own love of Shakespeare. More crime and mystery was to follow, and she wrote some forty three books in all, but the Grant novels were limited to five as, in her own words, ‘authors using a series detective are trapped by their series. It stops some of them from expanding as writers’.
She was proud of the fact that many of her novels were essentially about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations which may threatening, or simply horrific. It is this facet of her writing that ensures a loyal following amongst readers, who inevitably identify with some of the characters and recognise conflicts that may occur in everyday life. Indeed, Yorke stated that characters were far more important to her than intricate plots and that when writing ‘I don’t manipulate the characters, they manipulate me’.
Critics have noted that she has a ‘marvellous use of language’ and she has frequently been cited as an equal to P.D. James and Ruth Rendell. She was a past chairman of the Crime Writers' Association and in 1999 was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger, having already been honoured with the Martin Beck Award from the Swedish Academy of Detection.
Margaret Yorke died in 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
September 29, 2025
I enjoyed this and though I figured out the culprit, I very much enjoyed getting to the end. The setting was well done and I liked Patrick Grant as the sleuth. As amateur sleuths go, he was fairly unobtrusive and I liked how he felt very much a background observer for a lot of the story. I will definitely read the next in the series.
March 19, 2021
Margaret Yorke wrote five Patrick Grant novels, this being the first. I have not sampled her writing before and quite enjoyed this story featuring a very strong female head of house ruling her family with a bell and commanding voice from her wheelchair. It happens that Grant is a nearby neighbor and very fond of solving murders. I may try more of her books. She wrote this one in 1970, but ebooks came out in 2018.
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December 27, 2025
An engaging mystery, but I found Patrick Grant to be annoying. I understand his tenacity resulted in solving this mystery before the authorities, but there must be a better way to portray him. Showing up uninvited time after time at the household where the crime occurred just got on my nerve despite his success. For anyone with a less subjective reaction to this behavior, I'm sure the rating would be at least four stars. One more point - it's hard for me to imagine that murder was the only viable solution to the perceived problem. Nonetheless, I will consider going on to the second installment in this series. Perhaps this was a one-off reaction on my part.
August 25, 2019
Margaret Yorke had her first novel published in 1957 but didnt start on crime fiction until 1970 , the year that this was published. She possibly drew on her experiences working in libraries at Oxford University for the hero of this short series as Dr Patrick Grant is an Oxford don and Dean of one of its colleges.
The writing is very much of its time - an educated 60's english with classical sentence construction and perfect grammar.
The story is almost quintessential Country House novel with its cast of family members and servants. Secrets and motives abound and the clues are there to be found in this very traditional who-done-it.
I really enjoyed this series opener and will certainly be reading the others.
The writing is very much of its time - an educated 60's english with classical sentence construction and perfect grammar.
The story is almost quintessential Country House novel with its cast of family members and servants. Secrets and motives abound and the clues are there to be found in this very traditional who-done-it.
I really enjoyed this series opener and will certainly be reading the others.
December 4, 2012
This book introduces Dr. Patrick Grant who is a dean of students at St. Mark's College, Oxford. He has come to visit his sister while her husband is out of town. While he is there there is a murder of an older woman who is the beloved housekeeper of the neighbors. Grant who is a very curious fellow gets involved in the investigation.
I enjoyed the story which moves at a good pace and is filled with interesting characters. This is one of those stories where a gifted amateur tries to keep one step ahead of the police to ensure that justice will be done. I am looking forward to reading the entire series which has been republished in nice volumes recently.
I enjoyed the story which moves at a good pace and is filled with interesting characters. This is one of those stories where a gifted amateur tries to keep one step ahead of the police to ensure that justice will be done. I am looking forward to reading the entire series which has been republished in nice volumes recently.
February 7, 2026
Not one of my favourite books, but still worth a read.
September 23, 2022
"The police would get there in the end," said Jane. "How do you suppose they manage when you aren’t around? And they’ve got all the equipment -- fingerprint kit and so on. You’re only equipped with curiosity."
"You forget my trained mind,” Patrick said. “This case is a question of character. Personalities are what matter."
I'd never heard the name Margaret Yorke before this little book caught my eye from the library shelf. As a mystery it's exactly what I thought it'd be -- brief, pleasant, diverting -- but I found myself more interested in it as a book from a transitional era in British crime fiction; one that feels like it has a foot in two rooms.
One is in the antiquated old-style, with its pastoral, upper-class setting and cast of stock characters straight out of the Agatha Christie prompt book (the tyrannical old matriarch, the eccentric everyman sleuth who solves murders as a hobby in between teas, ect.) But the other is with Yorke's contemporaries in the post-Golden Age scene like P. D. James and Ruth Rendell, with their focus on psychology and character as solutions to the mystery rather than fantastical deduction, as well as on the changing mores of 60s/70s Britain.
James herself once wrote that an old-fashioned whodunit is a great way for a new crime writer to work in an established structure while developing their own voice and approach to the formula, and that's just what I can pick up on Yorke doing here. It's not a hugely ambitious book, but if it has nothing more than a mission to tell a mysterious little story with style and intrigue, it does it well.
October 12, 2017
I'm always trying to find the perfect mystery series. On one hand we have books where the cover is pink with bits of blue and yellow, there are tea and snacks prominently displayed, a pet (or two), and a punning title like "Hello Murder, Hello Father," while on the other hand we have large sans-serif titles of two words or less called "COLD DEATH" where they shoot a baby in Chapter One, and I would really like something in the middle.
So this first Patrick Grant novel was very welcome, striking the perfect balance between too twee and too dreadful.
Will eagerly pursue Book 2!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
So this first Patrick Grant novel was very welcome, striking the perfect balance between too twee and too dreadful.
Will eagerly pursue Book 2!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
March 13, 2021
Mentre il precedente autore non mi ha ancora convinta, la Yorke, nata nel 1924, mi ha colpita sin da subito con una scrittura fresca e moderna, con uno stile fluido ed accattivante.
Perché solo tre stelle? Dal momento che sono l’unica italiana se non ad averlo letto almeno a recensirlo, farò dello spoiler. A pagina 21 mi era lampante un indizio e poche pagine dopo l’insistere di un personaggio su una determinata richiesta mi ha fornito un altro indizio. Ma l’uno era in contraddizione con l’altro, quindi ho aspettato: ed ecco che il primo indizio si rivela vero ma non corretto mentre il secondo, che nel frattempo avevo rimosso, finisce per essere quello giusto.
Insomma, troppo presto la rosa dei sospetti si è ristretta a due soli nomi ma sul finale le mie convinzioni hanno vacillato, segno che l’autrice ha saputo manipolare bene la trama, e mi sono divertita. Mi sono divertita e l’ho divorato.
Perché solo tre stelle? Dal momento che sono l’unica italiana se non ad averlo letto almeno a recensirlo, farò dello spoiler. A pagina 21 mi era lampante un indizio e poche pagine dopo l’insistere di un personaggio su una determinata richiesta mi ha fornito un altro indizio. Ma l’uno era in contraddizione con l’altro, quindi ho aspettato: ed ecco che il primo indizio si rivela vero ma non corretto mentre il secondo, che nel frattempo avevo rimosso, finisce per essere quello giusto.
Insomma, troppo presto la rosa dei sospetti si è ristretta a due soli nomi ma sul finale le mie convinzioni hanno vacillato, segno che l’autrice ha saputo manipolare bene la trama, e mi sono divertita. Mi sono divertita e l’ho divorato.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2020
This is a 1970 book by English crime mystery writer Margaret Nicholson (nee Larminie) writing using the pen name Margaret Yorke. It is the first book in the Oxford don Patrick Grant series. The writing is smooth and engaging. The story took place over a one week period and it is a very easy read. The amateur detective in this case is Dr. Patrick Grant, who is the Dean of St. Mark’s College in Oxford. Patrick’s hobby is in studying and solving historic mysteries (think 14th century type of historic mystery). In the story, Patrick went to a fictional town called Fennersham (in Hampshire) in September to stay with her sister Jane and her baby while her husband is travelling on business overseas. Shortly after Patrick arrived, Mrs. Joyce Mackenzie, the housekeeper of the local matriarch Mrs. Ludlow, died of an overdose of sleeping pills that were sprinkled on a lemon meringue pie intended for Mrs. Ludlow but eaten by Mrs. Mackenzie. Is Mrs. Ludlow the intended victim (as the police believes) or is Mrs. Mackenzie the real target (as Patrick believes)?
Spoiler Alert. It turns out what happened was years ago Mrs. Mackenzie, while living in Canada, committed a theft and was sent to jail there. While in jail, she met another inmate called Helen. They have not been in touch after their release but years later both met again in England. Helen ended up marrying Gerald Ludlow, the middle-aged widower son of Mrs. Ludlow whose house Mrs. Mackenzie is housekeeper for. The book starts with Gerald (who met Helen in Italy and married her in Europe) taking her back to England to meet the family. At that meeting, both Helen and Mrs. Mackenzie recognized each other but neither one acknowledged they knew each other. When Gerald told his mother Helen’s life history and that she had been wrongfully convicted of manslaughter years ago and served a jail sentence in Canada, Mrs. Ludlow was worried Mrs. Mackenzie would gossip about it and destroy Helen’s reputation. While Mrs. Ludlow, who is in her 70s, is a tyrant who is selfish and cruel to her adult financially dependent children Derek and Phyllis, she has a soft spot to her independent and successful youngest son Gerald. In order to protect Helen and the family from scandal, she devised a plot to murder Mrs. Mackenzie. She knew Mrs. Mackenzie has a sweet tooth and she always finish any dessert that are left untouched by her employer. Old Mrs. Ludlow therefore took the drugs out of many of her sleeping pill capsules and sprinkled them on top of the meringue of the lemon meringue pie that is served to her for dinner and deliberately left it untouched. Later that night, Mrs. Mackenzie did finish off that slice of lemon meringue pie and died. Since the slice of pie was intended for Mrs. Ludlow who is universally hated by everybody, the police, in the person of Inspector Forster, focused his attention on the Ludlow family members (it turns out everybody has something to hide). Ultimately, it was Patrick who saw through the ploy and saved Helen from being wrongfully accused. In the end, Mrs. Ludlow confessed but then died shortly thereafter from a heart attack.
Spoiler Alert. It turns out what happened was years ago Mrs. Mackenzie, while living in Canada, committed a theft and was sent to jail there. While in jail, she met another inmate called Helen. They have not been in touch after their release but years later both met again in England. Helen ended up marrying Gerald Ludlow, the middle-aged widower son of Mrs. Ludlow whose house Mrs. Mackenzie is housekeeper for. The book starts with Gerald (who met Helen in Italy and married her in Europe) taking her back to England to meet the family. At that meeting, both Helen and Mrs. Mackenzie recognized each other but neither one acknowledged they knew each other. When Gerald told his mother Helen’s life history and that she had been wrongfully convicted of manslaughter years ago and served a jail sentence in Canada, Mrs. Ludlow was worried Mrs. Mackenzie would gossip about it and destroy Helen’s reputation. While Mrs. Ludlow, who is in her 70s, is a tyrant who is selfish and cruel to her adult financially dependent children Derek and Phyllis, she has a soft spot to her independent and successful youngest son Gerald. In order to protect Helen and the family from scandal, she devised a plot to murder Mrs. Mackenzie. She knew Mrs. Mackenzie has a sweet tooth and she always finish any dessert that are left untouched by her employer. Old Mrs. Ludlow therefore took the drugs out of many of her sleeping pill capsules and sprinkled them on top of the meringue of the lemon meringue pie that is served to her for dinner and deliberately left it untouched. Later that night, Mrs. Mackenzie did finish off that slice of lemon meringue pie and died. Since the slice of pie was intended for Mrs. Ludlow who is universally hated by everybody, the police, in the person of Inspector Forster, focused his attention on the Ludlow family members (it turns out everybody has something to hide). Ultimately, it was Patrick who saw through the ploy and saved Helen from being wrongfully accused. In the end, Mrs. Ludlow confessed but then died shortly thereafter from a heart attack.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2025
The deadly ties of family love and family money.
Unless your Mom was an ax-murderer, she'll look good compared to old Mrs. Ludlow. Since her husband's death, she's ruled her family with an iron fist and a tight grip on his money. By the 1970's, her children are middle-aged and her grandchildren are grown, but all are expected to pay homage to the family matriarch and endure her foul disposition.
She treats her divorced daughter like an unpaid servant and despises her older son, his quiet wife, and his two grown sons. She loves her younger son and his teen-aged daughter, but even that love is tinged with her need to control. The family dynamic is changed by by a marriage, as it often is. Younger son Gerald meets an American widow and marries her.
Harriet Ludlow is quiet and charming and (surprisingly) her formidable mother-in-law takes a shine to her. But someone else DOESN'T. How much does Gerald know about his bride's past? When the inevitable murder occurs, the victim isn't the newcomer or the old lady whose death would profit so many. It's Mrs. Ludlow's cook, a pleasant woman liked by everyone. Her weakness is sugary desserts. One night she eats one piece of pie too many.
Dr. Patrick Grant, Oxford English professor and dean of his college is staying with his sister at a cottage near the Ludlow estate. Jane's husband is overseas and she's happy to have her brother for company, although she thinks he should mind his own business. Grant is hopelessly curious and his hobby is "investigating" centuries old crimes.
He doesn't mind getting involved in a modern one, either. Soon he's nosing around the Ludlows, trying to figure out if the death was suicide, accident, or murder. The fatal pie was intended for old Mrs. Ludlow. Was it poisoned and (if so) did the wrong person die?
The locals suspect Helen Ludlow, of course. She's a stranger and small communities are always suspicious of strangers. But some of the Ludlows want their freedom and all of them want their share of the family money. There was a steady stream of family visitors the night of the murder, all of them there to beg for money they didn't get. Mrs. Ludlow is happy to lecture her family on their short-comings, but she doesn't bail them out.
This is the first in a series of five books featuring amateur detective Patrick Grant and I think they're good reading. Grant is intelligent, kind, and humorous. Not yet old enough to be considered an "old bachelor", he's comfortable in his academic life and truly cares about the young people he oversees. And he can't resist a puzzle.
Yorke was an Englishwoman of the WWII generation, who (like Mrs. Ludlow) raised her children alone. But she was too wise to approve of Mrs. Ludlow's parenting. Her picture of the family is a sympathetic one of decent people caught in a bad situation. The stress builds and eventually the volcano must erupt. As Dr. Grant guesses, it was a crime of passion, but was love, revenge, or fear the motive?
This series was popular and Yorke's fans objected when she stopped it at only five books. She was a strong-willed woman and she wrote what she wanted to. While her Patrick Grant books are entertaining, I think she was correct not to drag out the series. Her psychological thrillers are some of the best I've ever read and uniquely her own. Still, the Grant books are fine mysteries with excellent characters and wonderful writing. Not to be missed if you like English mysteries.
Unless your Mom was an ax-murderer, she'll look good compared to old Mrs. Ludlow. Since her husband's death, she's ruled her family with an iron fist and a tight grip on his money. By the 1970's, her children are middle-aged and her grandchildren are grown, but all are expected to pay homage to the family matriarch and endure her foul disposition.
She treats her divorced daughter like an unpaid servant and despises her older son, his quiet wife, and his two grown sons. She loves her younger son and his teen-aged daughter, but even that love is tinged with her need to control. The family dynamic is changed by by a marriage, as it often is. Younger son Gerald meets an American widow and marries her.
Harriet Ludlow is quiet and charming and (surprisingly) her formidable mother-in-law takes a shine to her. But someone else DOESN'T. How much does Gerald know about his bride's past? When the inevitable murder occurs, the victim isn't the newcomer or the old lady whose death would profit so many. It's Mrs. Ludlow's cook, a pleasant woman liked by everyone. Her weakness is sugary desserts. One night she eats one piece of pie too many.
Dr. Patrick Grant, Oxford English professor and dean of his college is staying with his sister at a cottage near the Ludlow estate. Jane's husband is overseas and she's happy to have her brother for company, although she thinks he should mind his own business. Grant is hopelessly curious and his hobby is "investigating" centuries old crimes.
He doesn't mind getting involved in a modern one, either. Soon he's nosing around the Ludlows, trying to figure out if the death was suicide, accident, or murder. The fatal pie was intended for old Mrs. Ludlow. Was it poisoned and (if so) did the wrong person die?
The locals suspect Helen Ludlow, of course. She's a stranger and small communities are always suspicious of strangers. But some of the Ludlows want their freedom and all of them want their share of the family money. There was a steady stream of family visitors the night of the murder, all of them there to beg for money they didn't get. Mrs. Ludlow is happy to lecture her family on their short-comings, but she doesn't bail them out.
This is the first in a series of five books featuring amateur detective Patrick Grant and I think they're good reading. Grant is intelligent, kind, and humorous. Not yet old enough to be considered an "old bachelor", he's comfortable in his academic life and truly cares about the young people he oversees. And he can't resist a puzzle.
Yorke was an Englishwoman of the WWII generation, who (like Mrs. Ludlow) raised her children alone. But she was too wise to approve of Mrs. Ludlow's parenting. Her picture of the family is a sympathetic one of decent people caught in a bad situation. The stress builds and eventually the volcano must erupt. As Dr. Grant guesses, it was a crime of passion, but was love, revenge, or fear the motive?
This series was popular and Yorke's fans objected when she stopped it at only five books. She was a strong-willed woman and she wrote what she wanted to. While her Patrick Grant books are entertaining, I think she was correct not to drag out the series. Her psychological thrillers are some of the best I've ever read and uniquely her own. Still, the Grant books are fine mysteries with excellent characters and wonderful writing. Not to be missed if you like English mysteries.
September 17, 2007
Listened to this one as an audiobook and I really enjoyed it. About a grumpy old lady found dead one morning in her bed by her housekeeper. Her family are all suspects.
October 19, 2023
I haven't read any of this author's works. I was surprised to find this still in the library, a ten-year-old Penguin. It was written in 1970, and maybe I just didn't have enough time.
At only 160 pages paperback size it's a fairly short book, fine by me.
She introduces her hero, Patrick Grant, and I rapidly began to detest him. Self-important Paul Pry who decides to involve himself in investigating a murder. Because of his social position as Dean of an Oxford college, no-one dares to refuse his enquiries. One of his first acts is to find a letter left by a suspect at the scene, and pocket it, deciding not to inform the police for his own reasons. He's absolutely full of himself where women are concerned, too, teasing and condescending to all. Could he be interested in picking some "ripening fruit" as well? All the things he gets up to in the course of his enquiries are simply unbelievable for his position.
Then there is the mean old matriarch, Mrs. Ludlow, nasty and dismissive to all and sundry. Yet it was her housekeeper who was killed, apparently because of her greedy habit of finishing leftover desserts from dinner. This time she finished up Mrs. Ludlow's, and was herself "finished up". Mrs. L. doesn't have any redeeming features, unlike the matriarch who was murdered in Agatha Christie's first novel. The set-up is somewhat similar here, with various of her family members being hard up and trying to get money out of the old hag.
There's really no-one to like, and they are all the stock red herrings needed in a story like this.
I can't help comparing with Agatha's works, and where Yorke misses out is in the lack of humour. She writes well, no doubt about that, but Agatha had a much lighter style.
Good luck to whodunnit lovers. There are plenty of clues, but which are real and which are just there to mislead?
Towards the end, Patrick Grant redeems himself just a little in my opinion, so does that mean I'll look for #2 in the series? I'm such a pathetic sucker for the mystery.
Anyway, this is a firm rating 3.1.
At only 160 pages paperback size it's a fairly short book, fine by me.
She introduces her hero, Patrick Grant, and I rapidly began to detest him. Self-important Paul Pry who decides to involve himself in investigating a murder. Because of his social position as Dean of an Oxford college, no-one dares to refuse his enquiries. One of his first acts is to find a letter left by a suspect at the scene, and pocket it, deciding not to inform the police for his own reasons. He's absolutely full of himself where women are concerned, too, teasing and condescending to all. Could he be interested in picking some "ripening fruit" as well? All the things he gets up to in the course of his enquiries are simply unbelievable for his position.
Then there is the mean old matriarch, Mrs. Ludlow, nasty and dismissive to all and sundry. Yet it was her housekeeper who was killed, apparently because of her greedy habit of finishing leftover desserts from dinner. This time she finished up Mrs. Ludlow's, and was herself "finished up". Mrs. L. doesn't have any redeeming features, unlike the matriarch who was murdered in Agatha Christie's first novel. The set-up is somewhat similar here, with various of her family members being hard up and trying to get money out of the old hag.
There's really no-one to like, and they are all the stock red herrings needed in a story like this.
I can't help comparing with Agatha's works, and where Yorke misses out is in the lack of humour. She writes well, no doubt about that, but Agatha had a much lighter style.
Good luck to whodunnit lovers. There are plenty of clues, but which are real and which are just there to mislead?
Towards the end, Patrick Grant redeems himself just a little in my opinion, so does that mean I'll look for #2 in the series? I'm such a pathetic sucker for the mystery.
Anyway, this is a firm rating 3.1.
September 4, 2023
What interests me most in these mystery novels from the 1960s and 1970s is how the reader can discern, among the red herrings and clues and alibis, hints of the social climate of those days. Specifically, in this book, we find a disagreeable matriarch who rules her children and grandchildren with an iron will (and the purse strings). That includes, specifically, the wish that her academically gifted granddaughter Kathy should stay at home and take care of her father, rather than apply to Oxford University. At the same time, it is considered normal that there cousin Tim, an indifferent student and weak character (with long hair! wearing corduroy pants!) , should be given every opportunity to continue his studies at the same prestigious university.
Our amateur detective, Patrick Grant, is sensitive to these shades because he is the Dean of one of the Oxford colleges. Right now, though, he is keeping his married sister and infant nephew company in a small village. He takes a lively interest in the goings on at the big Ludlow house down the road, and when the housekeeper McKenzie is found dead of an overdose of barbiturates, administered via a piece of meringue pie, he is not at all convinced that the poison was actually intended for her disagreeable employer. The suspects include Mrs. Ludlow's daughter, the downtrodden Phyllis (who has a secret of her own), her oldest son Derek and his two sons (the aforementioned Tim and Martin, who is experiencing matrimonial troubles). And what about the younger son, Gerald, who has just brought his American bride to meet his family?
An uncomplicated mystery, enjoyable in its genre.
Our amateur detective, Patrick Grant, is sensitive to these shades because he is the Dean of one of the Oxford colleges. Right now, though, he is keeping his married sister and infant nephew company in a small village. He takes a lively interest in the goings on at the big Ludlow house down the road, and when the housekeeper McKenzie is found dead of an overdose of barbiturates, administered via a piece of meringue pie, he is not at all convinced that the poison was actually intended for her disagreeable employer. The suspects include Mrs. Ludlow's daughter, the downtrodden Phyllis (who has a secret of her own), her oldest son Derek and his two sons (the aforementioned Tim and Martin, who is experiencing matrimonial troubles). And what about the younger son, Gerald, who has just brought his American bride to meet his family?
An uncomplicated mystery, enjoyable in its genre.
October 27, 2025
I quite liked this cozy murder book! Dr Patrick Grant is an Oxford professor and has gone to spend some time with his sister and her family in a small village somewhere in Hampshire, I forget where now, and he enjoys meeting people and wanders around meeting the people living in the big house, where the man who will inherit it has just turned up from his european travels with a new wife on his arm (the old one died leaving him to look after a small daughter who is now a bigger daughter). The new wife is a Canadian. When the housekeeper sees his new wife she freezes and goes back to her place in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. The next morning the housekeeper is found dead on the floor. The police arrive and Dr Grant gets a little in their way but he is good at sounding people out and is moving along to find the murderer of the housekeeper faster than the police are!
I rather liked Patrick and his sister and am wondering if this is a standalone or one of a series, must check!
I rather liked Patrick and his sister and am wondering if this is a standalone or one of a series, must check!
January 22, 2017
A light, if not very original, entertaining formulaic little whodunit. I was able to guess who did it and how it was done, although the why given was somewhat unsatisfactory.
If you are looking for a typical Female written English mystery, you will find all the elements expected; the wealthy old mean-spirited matriarch, the shiftless children, the plucky young girl, the romantic angle and so on. As this is my first exposure to this series, I felt Patrick Grant had the potential to be an interesting amateur sleuth, but neither his personality nor his detecting style were well developed. Maybe we see these in later stories.
I felt it was a little slow at the beginning, but I might be interested in following this series to see how M. York developed as a writer. This one appears to be written by a talented author making sure she followed all the prescriptions of this particular genre but had not yet fully developed her own voice or style.
If you are looking for a typical Female written English mystery, you will find all the elements expected; the wealthy old mean-spirited matriarch, the shiftless children, the plucky young girl, the romantic angle and so on. As this is my first exposure to this series, I felt Patrick Grant had the potential to be an interesting amateur sleuth, but neither his personality nor his detecting style were well developed. Maybe we see these in later stories.
I felt it was a little slow at the beginning, but I might be interested in following this series to see how M. York developed as a writer. This one appears to be written by a talented author making sure she followed all the prescriptions of this particular genre but had not yet fully developed her own voice or style.
January 5, 2026
I don't do book reviews
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
January 13, 2026
Dead in the Morning is a fun English mystery that surrounds the Ludlow family. Elderly matriarch Mrs. Ludlow, rules her children and grandchildren at the family's country estate-Pantons, from her wheelchair. She is excited to welcome her favorite son, Gerald Ludlow, home with his bride. But there seem to be several secrets being hidden from Mrs. Ludlow and Dr. Patrick Grant finds himself very interested in what's going on. Patrick is staying with his sister, who lives nearby, while her husband is away. When the family's housekeeper, Mrs. Mackenzie, is discovered dead, police wonder if Mrs. Ludlow had been the intended victim. Can Patrick solve the mystery? This mystery has a lot of twists and turns as it winds its way to the conclusion. I appreciated the glossary of English translations included at the end of the book.
February 1, 2025
No real mystery or puzzle to solve here; this novel is a story of disintegrating lives as they spiral out of control at the hand of an apparently unassuming rapist and murderer. Margaret Yorke uses very matter-of-fact prose, which borders on the unemotional, and the reader assumes the omnipresent observer, privy to each character's inner perspective as well as their actions. The quiet, quintessentially southern English villages and towns of the story must have seemed somewhat dated even when the book was published over 40 years ago. However, it's an engaging and absorbing read by an author who, although now largely forgotten, was clearly an expert at crafting complex, multi-perspective crime novels.
© Koplowitz 2025
© Koplowitz 2025
September 15, 2025
There was never a dull moment from the beginning of this story to the end. I was not happy with Patrick, the Dean of Oxford English, because it seemed he was muddying the waters. The characters, main and supporting, are fleshed out well and most act intelligently. The plot is easily followed, and the premise is finding out what killed their excellent cook, and if it was murder. The answers were found, but not enough information was given because it sure seemed Patrick was being a nosy Parker. I was floored by many of the points made, but that just goes to show us that we don't know everything about the individuals around us. I definitely highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to the next one ordered.
November 7, 2025
A Twisty-Turny Intriguing Mystery!
This is a new author for me, discovered while browsing my Kindle Unlimited. I found it to be quite intriguing while holding my interest throughout. A family with secrets, hidden agendas, and a slew of problems, headed by their mother and grandmother who rule them all with an iron fist. When a member of the household is found dead, the investigation leads to suspected foul play. Along with the police and a nearby visiting university professor, the truth slowly starts to emerge and numerous startling facts come to light. A surprise ending with a huge twist I didn't see coming—I found it very enjoyable. There are other books in the series, and I am looking forward to reading them.
This is a new author for me, discovered while browsing my Kindle Unlimited. I found it to be quite intriguing while holding my interest throughout. A family with secrets, hidden agendas, and a slew of problems, headed by their mother and grandmother who rule them all with an iron fist. When a member of the household is found dead, the investigation leads to suspected foul play. Along with the police and a nearby visiting university professor, the truth slowly starts to emerge and numerous startling facts come to light. A surprise ending with a huge twist I didn't see coming—I found it very enjoyable. There are other books in the series, and I am looking forward to reading them.
January 18, 2026
Jeg synes dette var en veldig bra skrevet bok med tanke på språket, det ga det hele en veldig koselig lese bok i regnvær type stemning. Skrivestilen ga innblikk i tankene til flere av karakterene som var involvert i handlingen, men jeg savnet likevel å følge detektiven i hans oppdagelser rundt saken. For meg manglet det litt spennings faktor.
Bestemoren i boka skulle også være fremstilt som en unlikable karakter, noe jeg kan se i noen tilfeller, men sitter likevel ikke igjen med et slags hat for kvinnen. Dette i kombinasjon med avsløringen av problemene de andre karakterene sitter med, gjør det vanskelig for meg å tro at noen av dem er ansvarlige for mordet de blir anklaget for.
Kunne sikkert lest en til bok i serien som tidsfordriv men lengter ikke etter mer.
Bestemoren i boka skulle også være fremstilt som en unlikable karakter, noe jeg kan se i noen tilfeller, men sitter likevel ikke igjen med et slags hat for kvinnen. Dette i kombinasjon med avsløringen av problemene de andre karakterene sitter med, gjør det vanskelig for meg å tro at noen av dem er ansvarlige for mordet de blir anklaget for.
Kunne sikkert lest en til bok i serien som tidsfordriv men lengter ikke etter mer.
April 17, 2022
I don't know why I bogged down in reading this book. I moved sluggishly through it, though the plot itself was not sluggish and it read smoothly. Brain fog, perhaps, on my part.
There were a lot of characters surrounding one family ruled by a rich, domineering matriarch. Given her behavior, she is judged to be the intended victim when the housekeeper is murdered. I missed a major clue when characters were introduced.
Yorke wrote only one series character, this being the first book featuring Oxford don Patrick Grant. It was also her first detective novel. Overall, I like her focus on small town life and murder for personal reasons and will definitely read more by Yorke.
There were a lot of characters surrounding one family ruled by a rich, domineering matriarch. Given her behavior, she is judged to be the intended victim when the housekeeper is murdered. I missed a major clue when characters were introduced.
Yorke wrote only one series character, this being the first book featuring Oxford don Patrick Grant. It was also her first detective novel. Overall, I like her focus on small town life and murder for personal reasons and will definitely read more by Yorke.
November 16, 2025
Good cozy
I found it slow moving but a nice tip of the hat to Agatha Christie. The story has all of the elements of one of her books: unhappy family in a manor house, imperious old lady, badgered adult children, a strange new wife arrives and there’s a death. Actually, the novel starts more like Rebecca with the new wife, companion to an older woman, meeting her husband at a resort. But, no, there’s no other resemblance to Rebecca in the novel, it’s definitely more of the Christie genre.
If you like Agatha Christies and miss that era of writing, you’ll like this one. If you find Christies dull, this one wouldn’t be for you.
I found it slow moving but a nice tip of the hat to Agatha Christie. The story has all of the elements of one of her books: unhappy family in a manor house, imperious old lady, badgered adult children, a strange new wife arrives and there’s a death. Actually, the novel starts more like Rebecca with the new wife, companion to an older woman, meeting her husband at a resort. But, no, there’s no other resemblance to Rebecca in the novel, it’s definitely more of the Christie genre.
If you like Agatha Christies and miss that era of writing, you’ll like this one. If you find Christies dull, this one wouldn’t be for you.
December 21, 2025
Dr. Patrick Grant is an Oxford English professor who loves to explore historical mysteries in his spare time. While visiting his sister Jane in Winterswick during a vacation, he becomes curious about a local mystery involving the extended family of Timothy Ludlow, one of the students at his college. When a suspicious death occurs in the Ludlow household, he can't resist trying to assist the police in their investigation of the case. HIs assistance turns out to be instrumental in the case's solution.
This is a classic mystery from 1970. I can see why this series is being re-released in electronic form.
This is a classic mystery from 1970. I can see why this series is being re-released in electronic form.
December 19, 2025
Light hearted murder mystery
The story gives an insight into all the family members as they try to live peacefully whilst governed by the iron fist of their mother/ grandmother. When the murder happens, it's immediate to think the matriarch was the intended one. A few of the family members had reason to attempt the murder but in consideration their motives weren't strong enough. I realised the line of Patrick Grant's thinking before the end so was pleased to be correct. It's an easy read which fills an afternoon pleasantly
The story gives an insight into all the family members as they try to live peacefully whilst governed by the iron fist of their mother/ grandmother. When the murder happens, it's immediate to think the matriarch was the intended one. A few of the family members had reason to attempt the murder but in consideration their motives weren't strong enough. I realised the line of Patrick Grant's thinking before the end so was pleased to be correct. It's an easy read which fills an afternoon pleasantly
January 12, 2026
A very British mystery.
When the ruling matriarch in the family seems to be the target when her nurse companion dies after eating her dessert, the entire family tries to protect her from the murder investigation going on. Unfortunately, nearly every member of the family has secrets and a reason for wanting the matriarch dead. As the secrets come out, it takes a very inquisitive Oxford professor staying in the neighborhood to put things aright. Yes, the reader will be sure at least half of the family could be a murderer before finishing the book.
When the ruling matriarch in the family seems to be the target when her nurse companion dies after eating her dessert, the entire family tries to protect her from the murder investigation going on. Unfortunately, nearly every member of the family has secrets and a reason for wanting the matriarch dead. As the secrets come out, it takes a very inquisitive Oxford professor staying in the neighborhood to put things aright. Yes, the reader will be sure at least half of the family could be a murderer before finishing the book.
November 16, 2025
Dead in the Morning
I very much like the way this book was written. The English language was a plus. I enjoyed getting to know each character in this book. But, I must say with the amount of characters sometimes I had to stop and think about who was who. I would have given this book a better rating if I wouldn't have figured out who done it right away. It still was a good read.
I very much like the way this book was written. The English language was a plus. I enjoyed getting to know each character in this book. But, I must say with the amount of characters sometimes I had to stop and think about who was who. I would have given this book a better rating if I wouldn't have figured out who done it right away. It still was a good read.
December 10, 2025
At Pantons, old Mrs. Ludlows is holding the purse strings and the family on their toes. When her favourite son arrives home with a new wife, things get unsettled. The housekeeper is found dead and suspicion of a non natural death comes up.
Dr. Patrick Grant is a dean at Oxford and while visiting his sister who is a neighbour he digs deep into Mrs. Mackenzies death and the families affairs and finds more than he bargains for.
Dr. Patrick Grant is a dean at Oxford and while visiting his sister who is a neighbour he digs deep into Mrs. Mackenzies death and the families affairs and finds more than he bargains for.
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