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Kate Shackleton #4
A Woman Unknown
A Library Journal Best Book of 2014
A winning combination of both intricate plotting and nostalgic post-WWI English country setting, Frances Brody's A Woman Unknown will appeal to fans of both classic murder mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie as well as readers of historical mystery series set in 1920s England, two popular subgenres.
The Woman Unknown: Deirdre Fitzpatrick is married to a man who wants to know where she really goes when supposedly taking care of her sick mother and calls on the expertise of Kate Shackleton, amateur sleuth extraordinaire to investigate.
The Gentleman: Everett Runcie is a banker facing ruin and disgrace. His American heiress wife will no longer pay for his mistakes, or tolerate his infidelity, and is seeking a divorce.
The Murder: When a chambermaid enters Runcie's hotel room, she is shocked to find that he is alone - and dead! Suddenly Kate is thrown into the depths of an altogether more sinister investigation. Can she uncover the truth of her most complex, and personal, case to date?
A winning combination of both intricate plotting and nostalgic post-WWI English country setting, Frances Brody's A Woman Unknown will appeal to fans of both classic murder mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie as well as readers of historical mystery series set in 1920s England, two popular subgenres.
The Woman Unknown: Deirdre Fitzpatrick is married to a man who wants to know where she really goes when supposedly taking care of her sick mother and calls on the expertise of Kate Shackleton, amateur sleuth extraordinaire to investigate.
The Gentleman: Everett Runcie is a banker facing ruin and disgrace. His American heiress wife will no longer pay for his mistakes, or tolerate his infidelity, and is seeking a divorce.
The Murder: When a chambermaid enters Runcie's hotel room, she is shocked to find that he is alone - and dead! Suddenly Kate is thrown into the depths of an altogether more sinister investigation. Can she uncover the truth of her most complex, and personal, case to date?
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2012
127 people are currently reading
1364 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 218 reviews
November 6, 2016
A good historical mystery, not gory, well detailed, no mystic muppetry. It doesn't bring anything earth shattering to the genre but if you want a straight forward mystery that plays fair with the reader and has competent writing and research I'd recommend it
November 17, 2012
Kate Shackleton has accidentally become a private investigator. Receiving a telegram at the end of the Great War, informing her that her husband Gerald was ‘missing presumed dead’, Kate decided to try and discover exactly what happened to Gerald. In the course of her investigations she helped others by locating missing loved ones, and so has by reputation, become a private investigator.
Approached by Mr Cyril Fitzpatrick who is concerned about his wife Deirdre, and wants to know just where his wife goes when she is supposedly caring for her sick mother, Kate is wary of the job. She has come across Deirdre Fitzpatrick before.
Chief Inspector Marcus Charles of Scotland Yard asks Kate to meet him at the Hotel Metropole where a man known to Kate has been found by a chambermaid, dead in bed and not from natural causes. The man Everett Runcie is a banker facing ruin and disgrace by some devious dealing. His American heiress wife tired of his infidelities is now seeking a divorce. But Everett Runcie had not been alone when he checked into the hotel, so where, and who, was his companion?
Cleverly plotted, could seemingly unrelated events be connected? As Kate investigates she recalls what was put down to an accidental shooting at the start of the grouse season a few weeks back, and begins to wonder if there could be a tie up. The more she delves, the more convoluted and sinister do matters appear. Can Kate untangle the complex threads and get to the truth?
The story is told by Kate in the first person, and by third person narratives from Kate’s assistant Sykes and Deirdre Fitzpatrick. Whilst Frances Brody has weaved an intriguing set of events for the reader to unravel, much of the pleasure in the book is in the period in which it is set, and which the author portrays brilliantly. The story also highlights the difficulty of the divorce laws of the time.
A marvellous instalment, in this excellent series, this book is highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
Earlier books in the series are, Dying in the Wool, A Medal for Murder and Murder in the afternoon.
Approached by Mr Cyril Fitzpatrick who is concerned about his wife Deirdre, and wants to know just where his wife goes when she is supposedly caring for her sick mother, Kate is wary of the job. She has come across Deirdre Fitzpatrick before.
Chief Inspector Marcus Charles of Scotland Yard asks Kate to meet him at the Hotel Metropole where a man known to Kate has been found by a chambermaid, dead in bed and not from natural causes. The man Everett Runcie is a banker facing ruin and disgrace by some devious dealing. His American heiress wife tired of his infidelities is now seeking a divorce. But Everett Runcie had not been alone when he checked into the hotel, so where, and who, was his companion?
Cleverly plotted, could seemingly unrelated events be connected? As Kate investigates she recalls what was put down to an accidental shooting at the start of the grouse season a few weeks back, and begins to wonder if there could be a tie up. The more she delves, the more convoluted and sinister do matters appear. Can Kate untangle the complex threads and get to the truth?
The story is told by Kate in the first person, and by third person narratives from Kate’s assistant Sykes and Deirdre Fitzpatrick. Whilst Frances Brody has weaved an intriguing set of events for the reader to unravel, much of the pleasure in the book is in the period in which it is set, and which the author portrays brilliantly. The story also highlights the difficulty of the divorce laws of the time.
A marvellous instalment, in this excellent series, this book is highly recommended.
------
Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
Earlier books in the series are, Dying in the Wool, A Medal for Murder and Murder in the afternoon.
October 18, 2014
A man is found dead in the Metropole hotel in Leeds and Kate Shackleton’s friend and erstwhile lover, Marcus Charles is sent from Scotland Yard to investigate. The dead man is someone with whom Kate is acquainted and his widow asks her to investigate his death for her.
Marcus does not seem keen to have Kate involved in the investigation even though she can ask questions and get answers where he might not be able to. Kate also has a case of her own to investigate – Deirdre Fitzpatrick – a young married woman who is causing her husband concern by disappearing for days at a time.
This is the fourth book in this intriguing mystery series set in nineteen twenties West Yorkshire. It is well written with an interesting heroine and the era is brought vividly to life. I like Kate’s employee, Sykes the ex-policeman and he plays quite a big part in this episode.
The period details are well done and I enjoy the background because I used to live in the area myself and have stayed more recently in the Metropole. I like the way the author demonstrates the problems Kate faces as a single woman though her status as a widow gives her more options than she would have as a spinster. If you want a mystery series which is not set in London or the Home Counties then try this one – it is something a bit different.
Marcus does not seem keen to have Kate involved in the investigation even though she can ask questions and get answers where he might not be able to. Kate also has a case of her own to investigate – Deirdre Fitzpatrick – a young married woman who is causing her husband concern by disappearing for days at a time.
This is the fourth book in this intriguing mystery series set in nineteen twenties West Yorkshire. It is well written with an interesting heroine and the era is brought vividly to life. I like Kate’s employee, Sykes the ex-policeman and he plays quite a big part in this episode.
The period details are well done and I enjoy the background because I used to live in the area myself and have stayed more recently in the Metropole. I like the way the author demonstrates the problems Kate faces as a single woman though her status as a widow gives her more options than she would have as a spinster. If you want a mystery series which is not set in London or the Home Counties then try this one – it is something a bit different.
January 13, 2017
I am rapidly becoming a fan of the author. This outing is set mainly in 1920,s Leeds, all the descriptions are very accurate. Kate Shackleton PI is is investigating a murder at the Hotel Metropole and a disappearing women, plenty of twists and the culprit is not known until the last chapters. Her sidekick Sykes is playing his part in full. Plenty of historical detail, the Jowett motor car manufactured in Bradford and others facts that are correct. I look forward to her next book.
March 2, 2022
This was a delightful cozy mystery. Set in the 1920s and featuring a female private investigator it had just enough twists and turns to keep me guessing as to who committed the murders. Kate Shackleton started investigating a missing person and, in the process, finds herself also helping out in the murder investigations. I liked the time period, the setting and the pluckiness of Ms. Shackleton.
July 17, 2023
I had read the author's first in this series, Dying in the Wool, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... which basically gave us background about our main protagonist, Kate Shackleton.
In this book, Kate Shackleton has accidentally become a private investigator.
Premise: Receiving a telegram at the end of the Great War, Kate is informed that her husband Gerald was ‘missing presumed dead.’ Kate decided to try and discover exactly what happened to Gerald. In the course of her investigations she begins helping others by locating missing loved ones, and so has by reputation, become a private investigator.
This one (as the 4th in the series...no I did not read #2 or #3) is a good historical mystery.
It is not gory.
It is well-detailed.
It doesn't bring anything earth shattering to the genre.
But...
If you want a straight forward mystery that plays fair with the reader and has competent writing and research I'd recommend it.
In this book, Kate Shackleton has accidentally become a private investigator.
Premise: Receiving a telegram at the end of the Great War, Kate is informed that her husband Gerald was ‘missing presumed dead.’ Kate decided to try and discover exactly what happened to Gerald. In the course of her investigations she begins helping others by locating missing loved ones, and so has by reputation, become a private investigator.
This one (as the 4th in the series...no I did not read #2 or #3) is a good historical mystery.
It is not gory.
It is well-detailed.
It doesn't bring anything earth shattering to the genre.
But...
If you want a straight forward mystery that plays fair with the reader and has competent writing and research I'd recommend it.
June 9, 2017
Still so glad my grandma lent me these books. Although she didn't have the third I moved onto the fourth and I have to say it was the best yet. I still think we need to see less of Marcus, he is definitely not as nice as the first time we met him, but see more of Mr Sykes and Mrs sugden. These books are really well written and I often find myself feeling as though I am there following Kate around. I like the things that you find out about her past and I think it might not be as clear cut as the writer leads you to believe. All in all super excited by the series and looking forward to the next one!
November 3, 2020
I did enjoy the 11th book of this series as my first book from this author. This 4th book was available from my library and I expected to like it but did not. The characters, plot and action did not satisfy my requirements for reading enjoyment. Crossing off this series from my list of those to pursue. Then...I have to take train to library and return, adding to my disappointment. Oh well.
[improbable, illogical events, exaggerated characters]
Library Loan
[improbable, illogical events, exaggerated characters]
Library Loan
September 28, 2019
Hackleton is an appealing protagonist and the 1920s time period is evoked well, but there are far too many characters here with far too many intertwining stories. The resolution lands with a thud, and then the tale takes another forty pages or so before it sputters out. Disappointing.
August 12, 2018
A Woman Unknown is book 4 in the Kate Shackleton series. I just happened upon this Brody book in a very interesting bookstore on Sanibel Island and always curious about female protagonists in this genre, I picked it up. I wanted to like it but I was never really taken with the characters and the story seemed a bit long, convoluted and very slow at times. I might pick up another of this series just to see if my opinion changes. It was an okay read for a lazy summer day.
April 22, 2019
This is the fourth in the Kate Shackleton series but the first that I have read. Fortunately I didn't feel that I was missing anything while reading as it was pretty easy to pick up the main characters. Set in 1920's England, Kate is a war widow who has taken up investigating as a way to stay busy. Her task this time is to find a missing wife. When it appears that the wife might be implicated in a murder her investigation takes a turn. Solid mystery with interesting characters.
August 5, 2020
A fun and entertaining romp, with a bit of a letdown in the end.
November 19, 2025
Another wonderful read with many twists and turns. Cozy crime at its finest. Great characters.
October 11, 2021
When a minor aristocrat is found dead in a hotel room, rumours start to fly: he was known to be in the process of divorcing his rich American wife, had a very high-profile lifelong love affair with another young woman, and had been seen at the hotel in the company of both yet a third young woman and a known American mobster. Thus, the possibilities of murder are endless, and when the woman seen with him at the hotel goes missing, the mystery only deepens. Kate Shackleton is asked to find the young woman, while her former lover, Scotland Yard’s Chief Inspector Charles, wants her to help him sort out the murder - without, of course, stepping on his toes while doing so….This is the fourth Kate Shackleton mystery, and as with the previous books, it’s replete with details of 1920s English life. For example, divorce laws were loosened (somewhat) at that time such that a woman could divorce her husband if he’s been unfaithful, and there sprang up a sort of cottage industry of “unknown” women who acted as the “co-respondent” with the honourable man so that the divorce could be relatively quiet, with less stigma attached to the wronged wife. The characters here are all quite believable, and I especially liked the various tossed off attitudes of the largely Protestant aristocrats toward the Catholic population, particularly the Irish Catholic; those tensions are still somewhat in evidence today, let alone 100 years ago! I don’t think it’s necessary to have read the previous novels in this series to enjoy this one, although I always prefer to read any series in order from the beginning because the tales are that much richer when the reader knows the relationships involved; recommended.
April 26, 2018
This book felt a little contrived. There wasn’t a big connection from the missing persons case to the murder until after Kate was already involved in both. Kate came off as a snob in this one, constantly judging people based on their appearance and social status. She overlooked a murder suspect because he was a famous artist whose work she enjoyed. I had him pegged as a major suspect from the first time she went to his home. She could have helped poor Fitz more if she weren’t so perturbed by his personality and appearance. She didn’t even want to find Mrs. Fitz because she had been caught stealing a year before.
Her main motivation for solving either case was to show up Marcus. She didn’t actually care for anyone involved, including her supposed friend Philipa. Instead of accepting that she wasn’t going to be involved in the investigation and doing what she could with her resources, she had to lie and abuse her partner in order to do things how she wanted to. He missed dinners, time with his family, and was forced to go behind the police’s back and do snooping that could have gotten him in real trouble. Oh, but she gave him her used car that gave her problems the whole time at the end, so that made it okay.
It’s difficult to continue reading a series when the main protagonist is so unlike able.
Her main motivation for solving either case was to show up Marcus. She didn’t actually care for anyone involved, including her supposed friend Philipa. Instead of accepting that she wasn’t going to be involved in the investigation and doing what she could with her resources, she had to lie and abuse her partner in order to do things how she wanted to. He missed dinners, time with his family, and was forced to go behind the police’s back and do snooping that could have gotten him in real trouble. Oh, but she gave him her used car that gave her problems the whole time at the end, so that made it okay.
It’s difficult to continue reading a series when the main protagonist is so unlike able.
December 12, 2016
Kate Shackleton & Sykes are hired to keep an eye on a previous "client"....
Although she is no longer shoplifting Deidre Fitzwilliam is exhibiting suspicious behavior, disappearing off & on and being seen in the company of other men, all seeking incontestable divorces from their wives....
The last man she was seen with, was found dead in the hotel room they shared, but as she had been passed out, she remembered nothing.
The mistress of the dead man was shot in the arm, the photographer helping Kate is found hanged, and Deidre goes missing after her mother dies....
Kate is also at odds with the Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard she once dated as he attempts to shut her out of the case...
Very satisfying and tied up nicely at the end.
Although she is no longer shoplifting Deidre Fitzwilliam is exhibiting suspicious behavior, disappearing off & on and being seen in the company of other men, all seeking incontestable divorces from their wives....
The last man she was seen with, was found dead in the hotel room they shared, but as she had been passed out, she remembered nothing.
The mistress of the dead man was shot in the arm, the photographer helping Kate is found hanged, and Deidre goes missing after her mother dies....
Kate is also at odds with the Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard she once dated as he attempts to shut her out of the case...
Very satisfying and tied up nicely at the end.
May 1, 2015
I totally enjoyed this latest in the Kate Shackleton mysteries. My biggest complaint: Since I came to the series as it was being started, I've had to wait patiently (or NOT so patiently) between each book. And now that I've finished the latest, I will have to once again wait, like everyone else, for the newest book to be released. Woe is me. But all that aside, I enjoyed that Kate was able to show Marcus up and get to solve the mystery before Scotland Yard. Way to go, Kate. I love the period setting, and the location, and keeping track of all the suspects or characters of the story. Great story. Thanks Ms. Brody!!!!
July 8, 2017
How could I not love Kate more and more. This book is about a mystery woman who worked to free herself and another aristocratic woman who lost a husband to another woman. There were few murders and Kate was in action with Marcus Charles.
I noticed the ups and downs in Kate and Marcus relationship. Honestly, I don't think she was ready for a commitment other than works. Marcus could be a pompous police officer at times; and Kate hates it when he did. Who was better from the other? It would definitely be Kate, always! Thankfully Mrs Sugden and Mr Sykes were always there in cahoot with her :-)
I noticed the ups and downs in Kate and Marcus relationship. Honestly, I don't think she was ready for a commitment other than works. Marcus could be a pompous police officer at times; and Kate hates it when he did. Who was better from the other? It would definitely be Kate, always! Thankfully Mrs Sugden and Mr Sykes were always there in cahoot with her :-)
October 24, 2013
So far very disappointed as was expecting the early 20th century speech clothing atmosphere to be captured better. Will finish as I started and to give author fair chance. Picked up as I needed something light for a journey. To be fair I do enjoy period fiction (Conan Doyle, Somerset Maughm) so my expectations of period authenticity are demanding perhaps . I do think more effort could go into such research of this era. Post WW1 etc. The concept of a woman detective in this period being so original, the treatment seems vague and disinterested.
May 30, 2013
I love this series, set in Yorkshire in the 20s, it features private detective Kate Shackleton and her sidekick, Sykes. The story telling, the mystery, the characters are spot on, but what really adds the cherry to the cake for me is the excellent world building. This is built up of little details that never interfere with the story but only add to it; superb.
I have already pre-ordered the next in the series which comes out in October and look forward to it keenly.
I have already pre-ordered the next in the series which comes out in October and look forward to it keenly.
March 11, 2015
Kate Shakleton mysteries are always fun---and this one is no exception. The author's plotting skills are improving with each book. We had several "murders" for Kate to investigate, and some intricate relationships to untangle!
I think the libraries in the US are way behind in this series so will have to wait to read the next books!
I think the libraries in the US are way behind in this series so will have to wait to read the next books!
June 15, 2015
Always a good read. I'm enjoying the series which are well written and have complicated plots. Having Kate become a detective in the period just after W.W1 was an inspired idea and throughout the series she shows the many aspects of women's' lives at that period in time. I'm looking forward to the next one.
October 7, 2024
While I generally like Frances Brody's mysteries, this one contains too many coincidences, too many plot lines intermingled to feel in any way real. Many of the characters fell short of being people with whom I could empathize. I'm hoping the next book in the series doesn't try to do so much, but does it better.
June 3, 2015
Fans of the 1920s English countryside, manners and class, strong, smart women will enjoy this series featuring Kate Shackleton, an enterprising sleuth who solves mysteries in spite of cultural strictures that might keep another woman "in her place."
August 27, 2022
A Woman Unknown by Frances Brody is the fourth book of the Kate Shackleton mystery series set in 1920s Yorkshire. Kate Shackleton's husband Gerald was a 'missing, presumed dead' casualty of WWI. Five years later, Kate is a private investigator. Kate has had considerable success post-war tracing soldiers and reuniting families, but has never found Gerald. She's helped police to solve murder cases, with the help of her trusted assistant, ex-policeman Jim Sykes.
Key to the plot is the Matrimonial Causes Act of July 18, 1923, which allowed "uncontested divorce on the grounds of a husband's adultery without the additional cause of cruelty or desertion". It removed the previous double standard with respect to grounds for divorce. The story's opening quote is from The Long Weekend by Robert Graves and Alan Hodge: "Most men were gentlemen enough to go through the farce of adultery with 'a woman unknown' and thus give their wives grounds for divorcing them".
Deirdre lived in poverty in a disreputable part of Leeds, until she met and married Cyril Fitzpatrick, a compositor for the newspaper. The attractive young woman covertly works for a solicitor, who sets her up on 'trysts' as co-respondent. "What you do in a situation requiring a certain sort of proof is not as important as what you are seen to do. What is seen, what can be used as evidence, that is what counts". Register as man and wife at a hotel; no need for intimacy; just be seen together in bed by a chambermaid bringing morning tea.
Deidre's husband becomes suspicious of Deidre's overnight visits to her mother. He hires Kate to follow Deirdre. But Kate's routine surveillance is pre-empted by Scotland Yard's request for help with a murder. Everett Runcie was discovered dead in his hotel bed, the morning after he was observed checking in with 'a unknown woman'. [Deidre had awakened, found him dead beside her, and fled.]
Kate knows Everett Runcie and his wife Philippa, an American heiress; knows they were in the process of divorcing; knows of his mistress Caroline. When Chief Inspector Marcus Charles assigns Kate a strictly sideline role, preferring to deputize Sykes instead, she vows to solve the case herself.
Kate notices details, as does Len Diamond, photographer for the newspaper. At the Ebor [horse race] a week prior, Kate watched as Len tried to photograph Everett with Caroline and Philippa. Len was manhandled aside by Philippa's secretary Gideon King. Kate thinks a photo taken by Len at a recent grouse shooting party is significant: Caroline was wounded by a stray shot, while standing near Everett.
Marcus is interested only in Anthony Hartigan, here in England (from NY) presumably to visit family. Marcus suspects he came to set up a huge deal to illegally import whisky into the US (this is during Prohibition). As Kate and Marcus independently pursue different clues, Kate makes better progress. "By seeking snippets of detail from different people, one keeps the whole package of information discreet".
Kate fondly describes her 'motor': "My sturdy Jowett, 'the little engine with the big pull', bounced along the bumpy track...". On one such independent expedition, the car breaks down. A fellow 'Jowetteer' tows her to her father's house. She's in luck: Arthur, the neighbor, is a Jowett fanatic. He says of her 1913 Jowett, "Only 48 of these motors made up to 1916, and you have this beauty. It's a sacred trust".
Deirdre successfully eludes discovery by Scotland Yard, Cyril or Kate, until Kate remembers a detail she spotted at a cemetery, and runs Deirdre to ground. Waiting for Len, who is unaccountably missing, ever resourceful Kate befriends Mr. Duffield, in charge of the newspaper archives. The clues they uncover enable her to eventually solve all the crimes.
Key to the plot is the Matrimonial Causes Act of July 18, 1923, which allowed "uncontested divorce on the grounds of a husband's adultery without the additional cause of cruelty or desertion". It removed the previous double standard with respect to grounds for divorce. The story's opening quote is from The Long Weekend by Robert Graves and Alan Hodge: "Most men were gentlemen enough to go through the farce of adultery with 'a woman unknown' and thus give their wives grounds for divorcing them".
Deirdre lived in poverty in a disreputable part of Leeds, until she met and married Cyril Fitzpatrick, a compositor for the newspaper. The attractive young woman covertly works for a solicitor, who sets her up on 'trysts' as co-respondent. "What you do in a situation requiring a certain sort of proof is not as important as what you are seen to do. What is seen, what can be used as evidence, that is what counts". Register as man and wife at a hotel; no need for intimacy; just be seen together in bed by a chambermaid bringing morning tea.
Deidre's husband becomes suspicious of Deidre's overnight visits to her mother. He hires Kate to follow Deirdre. But Kate's routine surveillance is pre-empted by Scotland Yard's request for help with a murder. Everett Runcie was discovered dead in his hotel bed, the morning after he was observed checking in with 'a unknown woman'. [Deidre had awakened, found him dead beside her, and fled.]
Kate knows Everett Runcie and his wife Philippa, an American heiress; knows they were in the process of divorcing; knows of his mistress Caroline. When Chief Inspector Marcus Charles assigns Kate a strictly sideline role, preferring to deputize Sykes instead, she vows to solve the case herself.
Kate notices details, as does Len Diamond, photographer for the newspaper. At the Ebor [horse race] a week prior, Kate watched as Len tried to photograph Everett with Caroline and Philippa. Len was manhandled aside by Philippa's secretary Gideon King. Kate thinks a photo taken by Len at a recent grouse shooting party is significant: Caroline was wounded by a stray shot, while standing near Everett.
Marcus is interested only in Anthony Hartigan, here in England (from NY) presumably to visit family. Marcus suspects he came to set up a huge deal to illegally import whisky into the US (this is during Prohibition). As Kate and Marcus independently pursue different clues, Kate makes better progress. "By seeking snippets of detail from different people, one keeps the whole package of information discreet".
Kate fondly describes her 'motor': "My sturdy Jowett, 'the little engine with the big pull', bounced along the bumpy track...". On one such independent expedition, the car breaks down. A fellow 'Jowetteer' tows her to her father's house. She's in luck: Arthur, the neighbor, is a Jowett fanatic. He says of her 1913 Jowett, "Only 48 of these motors made up to 1916, and you have this beauty. It's a sacred trust".
Deirdre successfully eludes discovery by Scotland Yard, Cyril or Kate, until Kate remembers a detail she spotted at a cemetery, and runs Deirdre to ground. Waiting for Len, who is unaccountably missing, ever resourceful Kate befriends Mr. Duffield, in charge of the newspaper archives. The clues they uncover enable her to eventually solve all the crimes.
April 25, 2025
If you enjoy those well-acted, beautifully filmed British television series with episodes where everyone and everything seems lovely until there is a murder in the village, then this is the book series for you. Private investigator Kate Shackleton has an impeccable background, a excellent education, many friends and good connections where it counts, mainly in the police department, a certain chief inspector Marcus Charles of Scotland Yard. Their relationship is currently off in this book and there is a lot of ‘tension’ between the couple. My favourite is Kate’s investigative assistant Jim Sykes, a man of few words but more down to earth than the lords and ladies they meet during investigations, and who wouldn’t love someone like Kate’s stoic housekeeper Mrs Sugden. The characters in this book are many and varied and sometimes I had to check who was whom, but they were either goodies or baddies to me and in most cases the rest is an interesting diversion, including writing on notepaper and egg and chips for dinner.
Favourite quote “We sat on a bench in a room deserted except for a man in a mac huddled in the far corner smoking a pipe.” I also liked the quick portrayal of huffy Madam Estelle and her hat shop. The major theme in this case is that someone takes a pot-shot at the impressive Caroline Windham during an estate grouse shoot and everything spins off from there to work out whodunnit and investigate why they dunnit, especially as there are more deaths. My likes are the side stories about friends, families and funerals which I find make this book more human than many crime novels. Kate whizzes around in her 1930s Jowett motor car solving crimes, she’s not short of money but not arrogant with it. She misses her husband Gerald who disappeared presumed dead during the first world war. There are enticing layers to this investigation and the ending ties up nicely. Twelve crime novels, one a month with Goodreads Aussie Lovers of Crime/Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Annual Series Challenge 2025. Eight books to go!
Favourite quote “We sat on a bench in a room deserted except for a man in a mac huddled in the far corner smoking a pipe.” I also liked the quick portrayal of huffy Madam Estelle and her hat shop. The major theme in this case is that someone takes a pot-shot at the impressive Caroline Windham during an estate grouse shoot and everything spins off from there to work out whodunnit and investigate why they dunnit, especially as there are more deaths. My likes are the side stories about friends, families and funerals which I find make this book more human than many crime novels. Kate whizzes around in her 1930s Jowett motor car solving crimes, she’s not short of money but not arrogant with it. She misses her husband Gerald who disappeared presumed dead during the first world war. There are enticing layers to this investigation and the ending ties up nicely. Twelve crime novels, one a month with Goodreads Aussie Lovers of Crime/Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Annual Series Challenge 2025. Eight books to go!
April 1, 2024
**MINOR SPOILERS**
This is book is part of the Kate Shackleton series. It is the first book I have read by this author. This book can be read as a standalone but there are a few references to events in the first few books. They are explained.
Kate is hired by a man who wants to know where his wife goes. Sometimes she stays away overnight. She also has money and he does not know where she gets it from. In the past, she was almost caught for shoplifting.
A Woman Unknown refers to term in a divorce where a man has an affair with a woman unknown. It also refers to Deidre’s character. Deirdre earns money, in part, by being the woman unknown in divorces where the man wants out of a marriage. She stays overnight in hotels with the man to help him provide proof of his infidelity and thereby giving grounds for divorce.
There were times when I felt the author’s writing was a little unclear. That could be because it reflected a historical time period or because it includes slang that I do not know.
Kate also is asked by a former boyfriend/current policeman, Marcus, to go with him to a few events. She is providing cover for him but she watches what goes on and, eventually, participates in his case, and then when he thinks diminishingly about her involvement, she decides to solve the case on her own in order to show him her value.
As the story progresses, the author develops layers and different possibilities for what might have happened. The story has a variety of characters in it and they are developed as needed. There are a few surprises. The book was told mostly from Kate’s point of view but includes scenes from Sykes’ point of view. Sykes is Kate’s assistant.
The book was a good but not great read.
April 25, 2018
This is one of my favorites of this series so far. I enjoyed the mysteries a lot.
I was also glad of several other things. I liked the way Kate reacted to working with Marcus (and I am so incredibly relieved she never married him and that she is glad she never did - it's refreshing to see a protagonist react that way), though I'm not a big fan of Marcus (he's all right as a side character who isn't glammed up to be anything but what he is - a pretty good cop and a misogynist).
I like how Kate is a smart, accomplished character who is also not that fond of very many people. She's a little cranky and I think it suits her really well. Usually women protagonists are either 'shrews' or they're stoic yet fainting damsels (it sounds contradictory but I've seen it several times).
Also, the sole LGBT character wasn't a villain, which was excellent. Casting LGBT characters as villains isn't bad, and can be important for good representation. However, an LGBT character shouldn't be a villain BECAUSE they're LGBT (which happens a lot), they shouldn't be LGBT because they're a villain (also very common), and they shouldn't be a villain if they're the ONLY LGBT character (it implies one of the first two things is true). When we as humans are at the point where LGBT characters aren't treated so badly in entertainment media, then this may not be an issue any more. Until then, people have to be careful that they don't use negative anti-LGBT entertainment media stereotypes even by accident.
All in all, very fun mysteries and I look forward to reading more of the series.
I was also glad of several other things. I liked the way Kate reacted to working with Marcus (and I am so incredibly relieved she never married him and that she is glad she never did - it's refreshing to see a protagonist react that way), though I'm not a big fan of Marcus (he's all right as a side character who isn't glammed up to be anything but what he is - a pretty good cop and a misogynist).
I like how Kate is a smart, accomplished character who is also not that fond of very many people. She's a little cranky and I think it suits her really well. Usually women protagonists are either 'shrews' or they're stoic yet fainting damsels (it sounds contradictory but I've seen it several times).
Also, the sole LGBT character wasn't a villain, which was excellent. Casting LGBT characters as villains isn't bad, and can be important for good representation. However, an LGBT character shouldn't be a villain BECAUSE they're LGBT (which happens a lot), they shouldn't be LGBT because they're a villain (also very common), and they shouldn't be a villain if they're the ONLY LGBT character (it implies one of the first two things is true). When we as humans are at the point where LGBT characters aren't treated so badly in entertainment media, then this may not be an issue any more. Until then, people have to be careful that they don't use negative anti-LGBT entertainment media stereotypes even by accident.
All in all, very fun mysteries and I look forward to reading more of the series.
May 16, 2020
Set in England during the 1920s this is another in the “lady detective” genre. This is the 4th in the series. Kate Shackleton is a private investigator with an ex-policeman assistant… but she is definitely the boss. He brings her a new case. Mr. Fitzpatrick, a rather timid man who works as a typesetter on a local paper. He is worried about his wife, Deirdre, who is much younger than he. She disappears for a couple of days at a time and seems to have some money of her own. The previous year she was caught shoplifting but was released without charges. He is concerned she may be getting into something again. –Deirdre is into something, but nothing technically illegal, but not exactly something to be proud of either. She is working for a divorce lawyer – helping to provide evidence of adultery for men and women who want a fairly easy divorce. At that time in England, adultery was the only way to get a divorce for many people. In the cases with Deirdre, normally both the wife and husband agree to the false adultery set-up so that they can get the divorce. She does not have sex with the customer, but they make sure the two of them are seen together at dinner and she does stay overnight in the same hotel room with him. This time, however, when Deirdre wakes up, the customer is dead. ……Now what??
------This was a fun read with several twists and turns. It could easily be listed as young adult reading.
------This was a fun read with several twists and turns. It could easily be listed as young adult reading.
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