It's Christmas, and James and Beth are preparing for Harrington's festive dinner and dance. This year, famous diva Olivia Dupre is singing; a wedding is taking place, and they're hosting a reunion of PALs - ex-army comrades from the Great War. When Olivia falls ill and claims she's been poisoned, James puts his sleuthing hat on. But things take a sinister turn when a further attack takes place.
What secret is Major Carlton hiding? Who is writing evil poison-pen letters? What relevance does the discarded diary have? Join James and the Cavendish regulars as he battles to solve the crime and bring a ruthless killer to justice.
This was another interesting and enjoyable read in the series, but with a darker underlying theme. It touches on the aftermath of war. A man is troubled by what he experiences at the hands of an inept officer, supported unwisely by a superior. The man's family - son, daughter in law and grand daughter all suffer the consequences of his behaviour leading to suicide and murder. The murderer is caught, but what of that inept officer and his supporter? They live on, remorseful yes, and one could say punished because of the death of a family member, but again, that punishment is spread over at least one innocent person again. This appears to be as much justice as the author could deal out under the circumstances. War is hell and there is no real justice. This is a cozy with depth and no cut and dried answers.
I love the historical information included in these books. The mysteries seem to be getting more complex. And who can say no to such a wonderful cast of characters.
I'm not a big fan of "cozy mysteries". They annoy me! But I really enjoyed this book. A perfect read for sitting on the couch with a cup of tea or hot chocolate. Gonna try and catch up on the first four books. I'm quite interested in these characters.
This was a nice cozy. The plot was fairly complex, and the characters appropriate. I would have liked to see more character development and less description of their clothes .
Another outing catching up with old friends and familiar places. Christmas and mystery, what more could any cosy mystery reader want? Perfect for curling up on the sofa with your favourite tipple and nibbles. More please...