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Daisy Dalrymple #22
Superfluous Women
In England in the late 1920s, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher, on a convalescent trip to the countryside, goes to visit three old school friends in the area. The three, all unmarried, have recently bought a house together. They are a part of the generation of "superfluous women"-brought up expecting marriage and a family, but left without any prospects after more than 700,000 British men were killed in the Great War.Daisy and her husband Alec-Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher, of Scotland Yard -go for a Sunday lunch with Daisy's friends, where one of the women mentions a wine cellar below their house, which remains curiously locked, no key to be found. Alec offers to pick the lock, but when he opens the door, what greets them is not a cache of wine but the stench of a long-dead body.And with that, what was a pleasant Sunday lunch has taken an unexpected turn. Now Daisy's three friends are the most obvious suspects in a murder and her husband Alec is a witness, so he can't officially take over the investigation. So before the local detective, Inspector Underwood, can officially bring charges against her friends, Daisy is determined to use all her resources (Alec) and skills to solve the mystery behind this perplexing locked-room crime.
Audio CD
First published June 9, 2015
125 people are currently reading
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About the author
Carola Dunn
91 books886 followersCarola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
August 3, 2015
An enjoyable cozy. After reading this series for 20+ books, it’s hard for me to add something new to a review. All the novels of the series have the same qualities: a charming protagonist, a low-key investigation, a small town atmosphere, and a scrupulous attention to details of day-to-day life. Maybe even too much of that, but I forgive this flaw because I like reading about Daisy and her particular approach to sleuthing. She feels like a friend I’ve known forever, comfortable and fluffy like a beloved re-read. Even the fact that I guessed the murderer faster than the police didn’t detract from the simple pleasure of reading this novel. This quirk also happened in many novels of the series, and I don’t hold it against the writer.
I liked the book.
I liked the book.
July 5, 2015
This is number twenty two in the Daisy Dalrymple series and I think the series is getting even better with each book. In this one Daisy is recovering from a bad attack of bronchitis at a hotel in Beaconsfield where she intends to visit an old school friend who has recently moved to the area. Her friend is one of the so-called 'superfluous women', who were unlikely to ever marry because there were almost two million more women than men in the country following the huge losses of the Great War.
Wilhelmina (Willie) has set up house with two friends - Vera and Isabel. She herself is an accountant and Vera is an infant teacher and Isabel runs the house and garden and does all the cooking. The arrangement seems to work well and Daisy enjoys visiting the trio for tea. So far so peaceful but then Daisy and her husband Alec, a Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard visit the friends for Sunday lunch they discover a body in the cellar.
I thought the resulting story was well plotted and interesting and it does show the problems and prejudices which women faced in the nineteen twenties, many of which women still face today. Daisy is at her nosy best and Alec finds himself walking the perennial tightrope of helping the local force while trying not to antagonise them.
The series can be read in any order but it is best to read them in the order in which they were published as then you can follow the development of the series characters.
Wilhelmina (Willie) has set up house with two friends - Vera and Isabel. She herself is an accountant and Vera is an infant teacher and Isabel runs the house and garden and does all the cooking. The arrangement seems to work well and Daisy enjoys visiting the trio for tea. So far so peaceful but then Daisy and her husband Alec, a Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard visit the friends for Sunday lunch they discover a body in the cellar.
I thought the resulting story was well plotted and interesting and it does show the problems and prejudices which women faced in the nineteen twenties, many of which women still face today. Daisy is at her nosy best and Alec finds himself walking the perennial tightrope of helping the local force while trying not to antagonise them.
The series can be read in any order but it is best to read them in the order in which they were published as then you can follow the development of the series characters.
July 18, 2015
I have long enjoyed this series, and this one is no exception. Daisy is a sprig of the aristocracy, yet not at all an elitist, married to Alec, a Scotland Yard detective. This time she is recovering from a serious case of bronchitis in a small town out of the nasty London air. She manages to once more get involved in a murder mystery, through absolutely no fault of own while reuniting with an old school friend
One of Dunn's strong points is her meticulous presentation of the times. It is almost painful to read of the attitudes toward women in general and single women in particular. Hard to imagine a women getting fired for the mere discovery of a body in her home.
This is not really a "cosy" although there are some elements: small town England, oddball residents of same, etc., but is really more of a straightforward mystery. Thoroughly enjoyable.
One of Dunn's strong points is her meticulous presentation of the times. It is almost painful to read of the attitudes toward women in general and single women in particular. Hard to imagine a women getting fired for the mere discovery of a body in her home.
This is not really a "cosy" although there are some elements: small town England, oddball residents of same, etc., but is really more of a straightforward mystery. Thoroughly enjoyable.
August 31, 2022
Really enjoyed this mystery. Daisy is convalescing in the country and visits an old school friend and meets her two housemates. When they find a body in the cellar Alex is roped in to help solve the mystery.
December 19, 2015
This series and book are most definitely cozy, but the author does a creditable job infusing the changes and challenges of the time into the narration.
The murder plotting was great - I should have seen who it was, but I didn't and I had fun watching it all come together.
More wordy review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/120825...
The murder plotting was great - I should have seen who it was, but I didn't and I had fun watching it all come together.
More wordy review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/120825...
March 20, 2018
Daisy Fletcher goes to Beckensfield to recuperate from a bad case of bronchitis and finds herself involved in another murder in Superfluous Women by Carola Dunn. Learning that an old school chum is living at Cherry Trees House nearby, Daisy visits Willi, along with Isabel and Vera, three “spinsters” in their late 20s called “superfluous women” because with so many men killed in World War I, women suddenly outnumbered men by more than a million people who had no one to marry. When Daisy’s husband, Alec, a chief detective inspector from Scotland Yard, visits for the weekend, the young women, who have lived at Cherry Trees House for only two weeks, mention that they can’t get into the locked cellar. So Alec picks the lock for the women and unleashes the most foul odor as he finds a body that has lain in the cellar between two and four weeks.
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
June 12, 2015
Another winner. I had never heard of superfluous women before, but it makes sense that there would be a surplus of unmarried women after World War I took so many soldiers' lives. Dunn does a great job of showing the prejudices they faced as well as portraying the warm-heartedness of other denizens of a small English village. The mystery held my interest and although I caught a vital clue early on, I discarded it when so many more likely suspects appeared on the scene. A quick, upbeat read that was thoroughly enjoyable.
March 17, 2020
This was fun. I thought I had read a Daisy Dalrymple before, but now I don't think so. One can easily pick up here at book 22 and not feel that you are missing anything terribly. Our detectives were a little slow to come round to the guilty party; I had sussed that person out long before. But, with witty dialogue, delightful characters and suspects hiding a multitude of other secrets large and small there was enough to keep my attention.
October 23, 2015
This is a very enjoyable book and may well be the best one yet. So many authors tend to dwindle away in creativity, oversight and interest as their series progress. However, with this latest book, being No. 22, this series is hanging steady and even coming up. I've noticed that with the last several editions. It is exceptional for that and other things. One baseline element is the rarity in this day and time of a current author managing interest, appeal and ability without the detraction of lower order talk and behavior.
This particular edition may be the tightest one yet. Her descriptions of food, clothes, buildings, terrain and the like are incorporated well and thus most welcome, along with personality nuances and variances. There is a pleasant and personable flow with an interesting storyline. It helps when you like the focus characters, which I did here, being the housemates. Some of the old regulars were well woven in. The supporting characters also had their varying shades of interest, like the rector, his wife and the doctor's wife, certainly the maid at the inn and others. Even the bit parts had interest, when they could easily have been just black and white outlines. The boot boy, the inn manager, even the station master all had some shading given them. I would deem that an element of good writing.
For me, there were no annoyances or negatives. I have had an issue in the past with a particular handling or two, but not with this book. I find it balanced and well done. Another competent feature is the author keeping track of who her main characters are, where they've been and bringing them along with consistency. Somehow, many other current authors seem to have trouble in that area as they go along - perhaps too many series going. There was no trouble recognizing Daisy, yet she is maturing and changing in her life. The "meddling" designation given her detecting was there, but not so rampant as before. And husband Alec's reactions to it are less jarring from what they have been in the past. It is set in the 1920's after all, and the world that was then was not exactly ready for a female with Daisy's particular penchant.
This is a very good edition in what is now a remarkably solid series. Thank you, Ms. Dunn.
This particular edition may be the tightest one yet. Her descriptions of food, clothes, buildings, terrain and the like are incorporated well and thus most welcome, along with personality nuances and variances. There is a pleasant and personable flow with an interesting storyline. It helps when you like the focus characters, which I did here, being the housemates. Some of the old regulars were well woven in. The supporting characters also had their varying shades of interest, like the rector, his wife and the doctor's wife, certainly the maid at the inn and others. Even the bit parts had interest, when they could easily have been just black and white outlines. The boot boy, the inn manager, even the station master all had some shading given them. I would deem that an element of good writing.
For me, there were no annoyances or negatives. I have had an issue in the past with a particular handling or two, but not with this book. I find it balanced and well done. Another competent feature is the author keeping track of who her main characters are, where they've been and bringing them along with consistency. Somehow, many other current authors seem to have trouble in that area as they go along - perhaps too many series going. There was no trouble recognizing Daisy, yet she is maturing and changing in her life. The "meddling" designation given her detecting was there, but not so rampant as before. And husband Alec's reactions to it are less jarring from what they have been in the past. It is set in the 1920's after all, and the world that was then was not exactly ready for a female with Daisy's particular penchant.
This is a very good edition in what is now a remarkably solid series. Thank you, Ms. Dunn.
June 29, 2015
It's England in the 1920, right after the great war. London's air quality is horrible and Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher has a serious case of bronchitis. She goes on a trip to the countryside to recover. There also happens to be an old school chum recently moved to the area. Her friend lives with two other single women, all referred to as "superfluous women". During this time in England there aren't enough men to go round since so many were killed in the war. The prospects of any of the three marrying or having children is quite limited. There's a lot of prejudice against them in the village. They're considered suspect because they live outside the "norm".
When Daisy feels well enough, she does visit her friend and meets the housemates. When her husband, Detective Inspector Alec Fletcher, comes down to bring her home, they're invited by the friend to Sunday lunch before leaving. While there, one of the ladies asks Alec about trying to open the locked wine cellar. They never got a key when they bought the house. When he does, they find a decomposed body. The stink permeates everything, as does the suspicion against the women from that point on. It's up to Daisy and Alec to find the real killer.
As usual the book is more about the characters than the actual mystery. Dunn is a master of creating characters, people you come to care about because Daisy does. This is another good, solid addition to the series.
When Daisy feels well enough, she does visit her friend and meets the housemates. When her husband, Detective Inspector Alec Fletcher, comes down to bring her home, they're invited by the friend to Sunday lunch before leaving. While there, one of the ladies asks Alec about trying to open the locked wine cellar. They never got a key when they bought the house. When he does, they find a decomposed body. The stink permeates everything, as does the suspicion against the women from that point on. It's up to Daisy and Alec to find the real killer.
As usual the book is more about the characters than the actual mystery. Dunn is a master of creating characters, people you come to care about because Daisy does. This is another good, solid addition to the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2017
This book was incredibly repetitive and meandering. The body wasn't officially identified until more than halfway through the book, and I thought I would screech if I heard the characters talk one more time about the reasons why they were waiting, who they should get to identify the body, and how it would shake up the case if the body was someone other than whom they expected. Other conversations were also woefully repetitive, and since it felt like I was reading the same chapters over and over again, I eventually gave up and skimmed to the end. What a frustration. I know there's only one Agatha Christie, but can't these other mystery authors at least try to write a compelling novel?
August 9, 2015
One of my very favorite series with 22 books and still going strong. The writing, the history, the story, the well developed characters, and the descriptive techniques of people, places, and things are top notch. Looking forward to #23
December 18, 2019
Sigh -- I've read the whole series now and I will miss Daisy and Alec and the gang. Might have to re-listen from the beginning.
Superfluous Women is all that I love about this series. The mystery starts off early on -- Daisy and Alec are together most of the story -- Tom and Ernie arrive in a timely manner -- ton's of red herrings -- engaging secondary characters -- the twenties time period. In fact, this notion of superfluous women was so interesting and a great angle to add to the mix. Something I never gave a lot of thought to after the first World War. So many young women left without potential husbands in an era where a female left her father's home for her husbands.
All in all a wonderful series -- just two books out of twenty-three that I wasn't over-the-moon with. And the audible version is sublimely narrated.
Superfluous Women is all that I love about this series. The mystery starts off early on -- Daisy and Alec are together most of the story -- Tom and Ernie arrive in a timely manner -- ton's of red herrings -- engaging secondary characters -- the twenties time period. In fact, this notion of superfluous women was so interesting and a great angle to add to the mix. Something I never gave a lot of thought to after the first World War. So many young women left without potential husbands in an era where a female left her father's home for her husbands.
All in all a wonderful series -- just two books out of twenty-three that I wasn't over-the-moon with. And the audible version is sublimely narrated.
May 18, 2019
Having done a couple of papers in College on this topic I found this particular book extremely interesting. Ms. Dunn did an excellent job of trying to make the modern reader understand what the young women of those years between the war faced with many of the men that they would have married dead or suffering from the serious after effects of what was, until that time, the nastiest and largest war experienced by the human species.
Not only had they lost brothers, husbands and lovers, but they were now looked down upon because they could not marry.
This book is about a group of those young women and their effort to, "Keep their chins up and get on with it." Where "it" is their lives. Perhaps because of my knowledge of this time, this is one of my favourite of the Daisy books.
Not only had they lost brothers, husbands and lovers, but they were now looked down upon because they could not marry.
This book is about a group of those young women and their effort to, "Keep their chins up and get on with it." Where "it" is their lives. Perhaps because of my knowledge of this time, this is one of my favourite of the Daisy books.
March 31, 2021
Wow! I didn't know about this term - or about the book Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived after the First World War by Virginia Nicholson. Ms. Dunn doesn't overdo it, but part of the plot touches on how isolated these women could feel and how others were suspicious of them. As always, I loved Daisy, Alec, and the cast of new characters as well as some other favs. The plot unfolded at a good pace, and I enjoyed the setting. Another good mystery!
My only sadness is there's just one more book in the series. Dare I hope for a new one? That would be awesome!!
My only sadness is there's just one more book in the series. Dare I hope for a new one? That would be awesome!!
January 29, 2023
I really enjoyed this one with its insight into the lives of women of a certain age in post WW1 Britain. (And the World, I suppose.) It was perfectly cozy and comfortable with all of the favorite characters on display but held my interest nicely.
August 18, 2017
3.5 stars. Entertaining but took an age to get to the end.
March 8, 2021
Another very enjoyable Daisy Dalyrmple book! Terrific reader!
October 27, 2021
I did not know what a “Cozy” was. This is it. Very enjoyable if light. Perfect Audible. Like Conan O’Brien says audiobooks might make you get only 3/4 of a book, with this one it was fine.
July 8, 2022
I really love this series and I am sad there is only one left.
August 4, 2022
One of the better ones in the series.
May 11, 2017
This review can also be found on my blog
This is book number 22 in this series. I’ve read the previous 21 books in the series and intend to read number 23 once it comes out.
I could simply stop here. After all, I can’t say that about many series. And even fewer if you ask which of those I genuinely enjoy and don’t only continue reading because I’ve grown so fond of the characters, that I’ll follow them through the shittiest plots. Carola Dunn has managed to keep the quality of this series steady for a long time and that deserves applause.
It also means I have run out of things to say. Daisy and Alec’s relationship is still refreshingly drama-free. The new characters are still charming. (I really wouldn’t mind ifWillie and the others they turned into recurring characters as some others have done). Now some of the ‘evil’ characters had less depth than those in previous books but they still didn’t turn into caricatures.
That leaves me with the mystery plot. Which was great. Now I’ve read a lot of mystery novels. I often figure out the killer long before the characters do and not necessarily because the book is badly written. I just know what I have to look for and what hints disguise themselves as unimportant. Only, this time, I figured the killer out only a few pages before Daisy did it. I was distracted by some very well done red herrings and something stopped me from suspecting that character earlier. The exact same thing that stopped Daisy and the others from suspecting them. Saying more would be a spoiler but It was very well done.
On to the next 22 books 😉
“Sorry but one simply can’t turn off one’s brain!” Underwood heaved a deep sigh. “No, I suppose it’s too much to expect of the modern woman.”
This is book number 22 in this series. I’ve read the previous 21 books in the series and intend to read number 23 once it comes out.
I could simply stop here. After all, I can’t say that about many series. And even fewer if you ask which of those I genuinely enjoy and don’t only continue reading because I’ve grown so fond of the characters, that I’ll follow them through the shittiest plots. Carola Dunn has managed to keep the quality of this series steady for a long time and that deserves applause.
It also means I have run out of things to say. Daisy and Alec’s relationship is still refreshingly drama-free. The new characters are still charming. (I really wouldn’t mind ifWillie and the others they turned into recurring characters as some others have done). Now some of the ‘evil’ characters had less depth than those in previous books but they still didn’t turn into caricatures.
That leaves me with the mystery plot. Which was great. Now I’ve read a lot of mystery novels. I often figure out the killer long before the characters do and not necessarily because the book is badly written. I just know what I have to look for and what hints disguise themselves as unimportant. Only, this time, I figured the killer out only a few pages before Daisy did it. I was distracted by some very well done red herrings and something stopped me from suspecting that character earlier. The exact same thing that stopped Daisy and the others from suspecting them. Saying more would be a spoiler but It was very well done.
On to the next 22 books 😉
March 29, 2020
I like nearly all of the books in this series, and *Superfluous Women* is one of the best.
Something like 2 million British men were killed or very seriously wounded/maimed in WWI. Accordingly, a million or more British women had no hope of marriage, and the press, politicians, etc., labeled them "superfluous women". Women who had taken on men's jobs during the war, women who were still working in jobs that wouldn't have been available to them before the war, all of them still being disregarded, sneered at, by the men who had to make themselves feel superior. (Any of this sound familiar in 2019???)
OK, off the soapbox. Daisy and Alec have some great interactions in this story, Alec meets and works with a really competent Inspector, and of course they solve a truly puzzling mystery. As a side note, one of the characters is the first female chartered accountant (CPA, for the USians; my former occupation), who helps to uncover fraud and embezzlement.
Something like 2 million British men were killed or very seriously wounded/maimed in WWI. Accordingly, a million or more British women had no hope of marriage, and the press, politicians, etc., labeled them "superfluous women". Women who had taken on men's jobs during the war, women who were still working in jobs that wouldn't have been available to them before the war, all of them still being disregarded, sneered at, by the men who had to make themselves feel superior. (Any of this sound familiar in 2019???)
OK, off the soapbox. Daisy and Alec have some great interactions in this story, Alec meets and works with a really competent Inspector, and of course they solve a truly puzzling mystery. As a side note, one of the characters is the first female chartered accountant (CPA, for the USians; my former occupation), who helps to uncover fraud and embezzlement.
March 5, 2021
This one was okay. The book was about a lady named Daisy who was visiting her 3 friends. They were considered Superfluous Women, because they were widows from the death of their husbands in war. During this period there were many women in this status due to the many deaths due to the war. The ladies had recently purchased a home together. During Daisy's visit they found a dead body in the cellar.
The character development was long, and because I listened to the Audible version the English accents were pitchy. Eventually the story started to develop, but it took a long time. Eventually it got interesting, and I started to wonder who from the various characters was the murderer.
It ended with no great flair. The build up was good, but the end was "meh".
If you just want something to play in the background with no thought, but easy to catch up. This is your book.
The character development was long, and because I listened to the Audible version the English accents were pitchy. Eventually the story started to develop, but it took a long time. Eventually it got interesting, and I started to wonder who from the various characters was the murderer.
It ended with no great flair. The build up was good, but the end was "meh".
If you just want something to play in the background with no thought, but easy to catch up. This is your book.
June 23, 2015
A very strong entry in the series. While recovering from Bronchitis in a small town north of London, Daisy and Alec stumble across a body locked in the cellar of the house three of Daisy's friends have just bought. Who is the dead woman, how did she die, and how did she end up in this cellar? Could one of the "superfluous women" actually be a killer, unlikely as that seems?
As usual with Dunn, the story is gracefully told and the characters are sympathetic. Highly recommended to all lovers of classic cozy English mysteries.
As usual with Dunn, the story is gracefully told and the characters are sympathetic. Highly recommended to all lovers of classic cozy English mysteries.
July 28, 2015
The most recently released "Daisy" book. I loved it. I had been reading all the books one right after the other, but had to WAIT for this one to get published. I hated having to wait - but LOVED the chance to have another fun read with Daisy and Alec. It was another fun and interesting story. Number 22 - and now... ... I'll have to wait AGAIN. But I am sure it will be worth the wait. Daisy is just as wonderful as ever in Superfluous Women.
October 14, 2015
I love the time line of these mysteries and enjoy the English characters in the story. English village life at that time moved with a slower and more gentle pace and people had manners. The murders were just as gruesome as today's are but methods of detecting slowed the pace of the investigation unlike with today's forensics where answers appear sooner. Reading about how the police go about sleuthing is entertaining and makes for a nice read.
April 5, 2016
I've been saving this for when I needed a treat - and this was great. Daisy is so engaging and I love the dynamic between her and Alec. I like the premise of this book - the Superfluous Women issue was a big one at the time - and at the start of the series Daisy faced being one herself and has more empathy with the group of women than a lot of the other people who they encounter
July 7, 2022
This was quite hard to follow along, and for a murder mystery, I am of the opinion that these types of novels should at least be progressive and clue the reader in to what's going on. It to me was vague, surrounded by extra details and chatter that took away from the progression of the investigation.
May 23, 2019
22 books in and these stories are still consistently good! I love the characters (both the recurring and the new), the historical details (well researched but not dancing around waving "look at me, I'm historical!"), and the plots (deliciously full of red herrings).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews