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Dandy Gilver #13
A Step So Grave
Wedding bells are set to ring as Dandy Gilver, family in tow, arrives in windswept Wester Ross on Valentine's Day. They've come to celebrate Lady Lavinia's fiftieth birthday and to meet her daughter Mallory, a less-than-suitable bride-to-be for Dandy's son Donald.
But soon love is the last thing on Dandy's mind when the news breaks that Lady Lavinia has been found dead, brutally murdered in the middle of her famous knot garden. Strange superstitions and folklore abound among the Gaelic-speaking locals. But , Dandy suspects that the tangled boughs and branches around Applecross House hide something much more earthly at work . . .
But soon love is the last thing on Dandy's mind when the news breaks that Lady Lavinia has been found dead, brutally murdered in the middle of her famous knot garden. Strange superstitions and folklore abound among the Gaelic-speaking locals. But , Dandy suspects that the tangled boughs and branches around Applecross House hide something much more earthly at work . . .
336 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2018
About the author
Catriona McPherson
78 books589 followersCatriona McPherson (she/her) was born in Scotland and immigrated to the US in 2010. She writes: preposterous 1930s private-detective stories about a toff; realistic 1940s amateur-sleuth stories about an oik; and contemporary psychothriller standalones. These are all set in Scotland with a lot of Scottish weather. She also writes modern comedies about a Scot-out-of-water in a “fictional” college town in Northern California.
She has won multiple Anthonys, Agathas, Leftys and Macavitys for her work and been shortlisted for an Edgar, three Mary Higgins Clark awards and a UK dagger
Catriona is a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime.
She has won multiple Anthonys, Agathas, Leftys and Macavitys for her work and been shortlisted for an Edgar, three Mary Higgins Clark awards and a UK dagger
Catriona is a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
February 25, 2019
I do so love the Dandy Gilver mystery series. It's 1935 and Dandy's elder son, Donald, has found his future mate and it's time to meet the future in-laws. February is a frigid month and the entire family is off to Applecross, well north in the Scottish Highlands, which this time of year is only accessible via the angry sea waters of the Inner Sound. The amusement of that sea voyage alone was worth the price of the book.
The families meet. Donald's betrothed, Mallory, is at least 7 years his senior. That initially causes Dandy and husband Hugh to bristle. However, following the sudden death of the fellow mother-in-law to be, the day before her 50th birthday, Dandy can find no fault with dear Mallory, a young woman of inordinate reason and relative calm.
As it turns out, Lady Lavinia's demise was not a natural one and there's a murderer among them. Well surely, such a sordid business would cause the cancellation of the nuptials, but in all fairness, Donald can't jilt dear Mallory with her mother just recently dead. Dandy and her business partner Alec Osborne are on the case. They discover that a number of persons had motive to kill but the reader is held in suspense almost to the bitter end.
If historical fiction mysteries with a touch of humor appeal to you, then you won't want to miss this series and certainly not this book.
The families meet. Donald's betrothed, Mallory, is at least 7 years his senior. That initially causes Dandy and husband Hugh to bristle. However, following the sudden death of the fellow mother-in-law to be, the day before her 50th birthday, Dandy can find no fault with dear Mallory, a young woman of inordinate reason and relative calm.
As it turns out, Lady Lavinia's demise was not a natural one and there's a murderer among them. Well surely, such a sordid business would cause the cancellation of the nuptials, but in all fairness, Donald can't jilt dear Mallory with her mother just recently dead. Dandy and her business partner Alec Osborne are on the case. They discover that a number of persons had motive to kill but the reader is held in suspense almost to the bitter end.
If historical fiction mysteries with a touch of humor appeal to you, then you won't want to miss this series and certainly not this book.
October 9, 2024
Probably one of my least favorite in the series. But still very good. And I’m not even sure I can put my finger on what I didn’t like. It was amusing how Alec and Dandy were going from person to person because everyone was hiding or covering up things that they thought pointed to the killer and they wanted to protect whoever they thought the killer was. And none of those things or people were actually guilty. And the scene where Grant dresses Dandy in the tight mermaid hem dress… hilarious. Like a fashionable, female Jeeves and Bertie moment. Well, reverse of anyway.
April 22, 2021
Three and a half stars, rounding up, because Hugh.
As an avid reader (and buyer) of books, I have noticed that often the first book in a series is free or very cheap as an enticement to try the series and then the books get progressively more expensive the more recently they were released. So in a longish series I often see a progression of 99p, £1.99 for one or two books, £3.99 for the majority of the rest, £9.99 for the most recent/pre-order. On occasion one book in the series is randomly on offer to generate interest, but otherwise finding one book at a lower price than its peers (such as this one) raises my suspicions. And I was right. Don't get me wrong, this isn't terrible, but it felt like an exercise in red herrings at one point.
Dandy's eldest son Donald intends to get engaged to Miss Mallory Dunnoch and the entire Gilver family have been invited to the estate of Applecross in Wester Ross to celebrate Mallory's mother Lady Lavinia's 50th birthday party (on Valentine's Day no less) and announce the engagement.
The entire family set up is odd. Mallory's sister Cherry and her husband have ridiculous names and are deeply immersed in farming life. Lady Lavinia and her gardener (a famous horticulturalist) are obsessed with growing specialist varietals of apples. Lord Lachlan is wheelchair bound after rescuing a lad from the estate during WW1, a man who is now studying at Oxford. In addition, Cherry's mother-in-law grew up with Lady Love (as she is dubbed) but now acts as her assistant and her husband acts as Lord Lachlan's aide, pushing his wheelchair etc. Finally, there is an Oxford scholar who is visiting the estate prior to going on an expedition to find a rare plant on Lady Lavinia's behalf. So basically, everyone is in love with/adores Lady Lavinia, including young Donald Gilver, except perhaps Dandy, even Hugh remembers her fondly from when he did his season in London.
With great trepidation therefore Dandy and family visit Wester Ross, only to become determined to stop Donald marrying a woman seven years his elder when he is clearly besotted with her mother!! Added to which Lady Lavinia's family appear highly superstitious and a series of unearthly signs lead them to believe that Lord Lachlan will die shortly.
But instead Lady Lavinia is found, brutally murdered, in her own famous garden and with all the unrequited love swirling around it could be just about anyone! Indeed, when the Gilvers revisit Applecross later in the year it seems as though everyone suspects everyone else - which was the bit I liked the least. Dandy can't let Donald marry Mallory if she could be the killer so Alec and Dandy must investigate.
I thought the explanation of who was the murderer and why got very convoluted, although maybe that was to be expected given the incestuous nature of the relationships (not literally you understand) and I am still not entirely convinced, maybe because Lady Lavinia wasn't sufficiently well-drawn as a character to make her actions (which led to her murder) to be in character?
Anyway, Hugh did something(s) which made me swoon, I truly believe that he loves Dandy with all his heart, he just has no idea how to show her because he's a dour Scot of a certain era who can only talk about his land. Also, I'm already reading the next book and all I can say is beetroot tea!
As an avid reader (and buyer) of books, I have noticed that often the first book in a series is free or very cheap as an enticement to try the series and then the books get progressively more expensive the more recently they were released. So in a longish series I often see a progression of 99p, £1.99 for one or two books, £3.99 for the majority of the rest, £9.99 for the most recent/pre-order. On occasion one book in the series is randomly on offer to generate interest, but otherwise finding one book at a lower price than its peers (such as this one) raises my suspicions. And I was right. Don't get me wrong, this isn't terrible, but it felt like an exercise in red herrings at one point.
Dandy's eldest son Donald intends to get engaged to Miss Mallory Dunnoch and the entire Gilver family have been invited to the estate of Applecross in Wester Ross to celebrate Mallory's mother Lady Lavinia's 50th birthday party (on Valentine's Day no less) and announce the engagement.
The entire family set up is odd. Mallory's sister Cherry and her husband have ridiculous names and are deeply immersed in farming life. Lady Lavinia and her gardener (a famous horticulturalist) are obsessed with growing specialist varietals of apples. Lord Lachlan is wheelchair bound after rescuing a lad from the estate during WW1, a man who is now studying at Oxford. In addition, Cherry's mother-in-law grew up with Lady Love (as she is dubbed) but now acts as her assistant and her husband acts as Lord Lachlan's aide, pushing his wheelchair etc. Finally, there is an Oxford scholar who is visiting the estate prior to going on an expedition to find a rare plant on Lady Lavinia's behalf. So basically, everyone is in love with/adores Lady Lavinia, including young Donald Gilver, except perhaps Dandy, even Hugh remembers her fondly from when he did his season in London.
With great trepidation therefore Dandy and family visit Wester Ross, only to become determined to stop Donald marrying a woman seven years his elder when he is clearly besotted with her mother!! Added to which Lady Lavinia's family appear highly superstitious and a series of unearthly signs lead them to believe that Lord Lachlan will die shortly.
But instead Lady Lavinia is found, brutally murdered, in her own famous garden and with all the unrequited love swirling around it could be just about anyone! Indeed, when the Gilvers revisit Applecross later in the year it seems as though everyone suspects everyone else - which was the bit I liked the least. Dandy can't let Donald marry Mallory if she could be the killer so Alec and Dandy must investigate.
I thought the explanation of who was the murderer and why got very convoluted, although maybe that was to be expected given the incestuous nature of the relationships (not literally you understand) and I am still not entirely convinced, maybe because Lady Lavinia wasn't sufficiently well-drawn as a character to make her actions (which led to her murder) to be in character?
Anyway, Hugh did something(s) which made me swoon, I truly believe that he loves Dandy with all his heart, he just has no idea how to show her because he's a dour Scot of a certain era who can only talk about his land. Also, I'm already reading the next book and all I can say is beetroot tea!
January 19, 2019
Enjoyable, yet at the same time slightly tedious. Every single suspect was the murderer, until they weren't. Dandy and Alex's detecting skills seemed to have disappeared and they were led by the nose through the stream of wrong conclusions until the murderer simply confessed and was arrested in their absence. The premise was fine, and it was nice to see my namesake settled, but the ominous rumblings of war leave you wondering where the series can go next.
February 12, 2023
I haven't read any other books in this series (although I may look for them now), so I don't know whether this would have been better if I knew the backstory for Dandy Gilver before reading about her son getting engaged.
The first part of the book was bringing the characters together. The murder doesn't occur until almost 100 pages into the book, despite the book description and inside cover blurb saying who is killed. The middle section has Dandy and her detecting partner interviewing various family members, each of whom says they believe a different person did it. Dandy appears to believe each story and suspects the next person. This goes on for too long. It didn't give me any confidence in her detecting ability. (Again, I might have felt differently if I had read earlier books in the series.)
Overall, it was enjoyable.
The first part of the book was bringing the characters together. The murder doesn't occur until almost 100 pages into the book, despite the book description and inside cover blurb saying who is killed. The middle section has Dandy and her detecting partner interviewing various family members, each of whom says they believe a different person did it. Dandy appears to believe each story and suspects the next person. This goes on for too long. It didn't give me any confidence in her detecting ability. (Again, I might have felt differently if I had read earlier books in the series.)
Overall, it was enjoyable.
June 17, 2020
I'm sure I missed a lot of backstory as this is #13 in a series, but it seemed easy enough to jump right in with this episode. I enjoyed the cultural information (gaelic, mythology, horticulture) not to mention the time period. And the mystery kept me guessing, especially since every person's story shifted the focus to the next person.
November 25, 2019
LOTS of twists in this one. I figured out some of what really happened, but not all. What was most unusual was the time frame of this book. It stretched out over many months, which may explain why Dandy didn't rush right in to make accusations when she finally figured out who dunnit. Sometimes she's almost too laid back, but given that her own family was involved, I suppose it is understandable. That attitude notwithstanding, this was a very enjoyable read.
March 24, 2019
Another series, which I once enjoyed, bites the dust. Book 12 was not very good, but I saw this in the library...
Detection is out of the window here, as Dandy and Alec bounce from suspect to suspect in a series of repetitive interviews. The whole situation, murders and all, just stretched my credulity too far.
Above all, there is the treatment of Gaelic.Sometimes we appear to be given what Gaelic may sound like to people with no knowledge of the language, sometimes we are given transcriptions of sounds, some times we are given Gaelic words. In other words, a mess, especially as some of the Gaelic is mis-spelled and some wrongly translated. What, if any, is the point? I found it irritating.
2.5 stars.
Detection is out of the window here, as Dandy and Alec bounce from suspect to suspect in a series of repetitive interviews. The whole situation, murders and all, just stretched my credulity too far.
Above all, there is the treatment of Gaelic.Sometimes we appear to be given what Gaelic may sound like to people with no knowledge of the language, sometimes we are given transcriptions of sounds, some times we are given Gaelic words. In other words, a mess, especially as some of the Gaelic is mis-spelled and some wrongly translated. What, if any, is the point? I found it irritating.
2.5 stars.
July 12, 2020
Family matters dominate this book in the series of Dandy Gilver investigations. Those who know and enjoy this series will remember the insights it offers into Scottish life in the early half of the twentieth century, as well the narration of the story by the highly individual Dandy Gilver who enjoys her work as a private detective together with her partner, Alec Osbourne. In this novel, which can definitely be read as a stand alone book, family matters prevail for Dandy, as she visits the home of her eldest son, Donald’s, intended bride. Many of the novels in this series are located in very specific places, such as a department store, a city house or a dance hall. This novel is set in a house, a village in the farthest reaches of Scotland, an obscure and distant place dominated by Lady Lavinia, the matriarch of a small community. Not that Dandy is happy with the proposed match, and the more she finds out about the appallingly named “Lady Love” the more concerned she becomes about the situation of a matriarch who dominates the oddly assorted family. This is a cleverly plotted story of a murder in a family home, specfically a rose garden, which is full of folklore, superstition and the Gaelic language. As Dandy and Alec investigate, the research in this novel propels a story which is sometimes funny, always fascinating, and deeply enjoyable.
Dandy’s introduction to Applecross is not favourable as her family travels across the sea and completes the journey to the house in the arms of fishermen. Dandy immediately forms a concerned impression of a family with many secrets, especially when she discovers not only that Mallory, Donald’s chosen, is several years older than he is, and that also he seems fixated on her mother. Indeed, everyone speaks of her generosity, her determination to improve the community, and her talent with flowers and the memorable knot garden which is her obsession. Her husband, Lachlan, still bears the scars he suffered in the War when trying to save the life of a young man from the village. Also present is a couple who have long been friends of Lady L, whose son has indeed married the younger daughter of the house, Cherry. Dandy, Hugh and their younger son Teddy all feel distinctly uncomfortable with the establishment despite the universal supposed love for her ladyship. When a scandal emerges on the morning of the birthday celebrations, they are urged to return home until matters are sorted out. It is only when they have braved the journey homewards that they discover that Lady L has been found murdered in her beloved garden. Their dismay is only increased when it seems as if the matter has been hushed up with an unlikely tale of a tramp who happened to be in the isolated area, and the whole situation needs to be further investigated before an engagement can be confirmed.
This novel works so well because of the character of Dandy and how she narrates the story, her surprise at various elements of the establishment, and her disgust at such things as the over the top decoration of the house and the physical labour undertaken by Cherry. The humour is expressed in such things as her descriptions of her husband Hugh, and the machinations of her maid Grant, who supplies a most unsuitable dress for an active detective. This book engages extremely well with the times in which it is set, as one War is in the recent past and another political upheaval seems highly probable. The research into the setting is impeccable, but lightly worn in such things as the phonetic descriptions of Gaelic phrases. As always I recommend McPherson’s books whole heartedly, and suggest that those who enjoy well plotted historical murder mysteries seek them out.
Dandy’s introduction to Applecross is not favourable as her family travels across the sea and completes the journey to the house in the arms of fishermen. Dandy immediately forms a concerned impression of a family with many secrets, especially when she discovers not only that Mallory, Donald’s chosen, is several years older than he is, and that also he seems fixated on her mother. Indeed, everyone speaks of her generosity, her determination to improve the community, and her talent with flowers and the memorable knot garden which is her obsession. Her husband, Lachlan, still bears the scars he suffered in the War when trying to save the life of a young man from the village. Also present is a couple who have long been friends of Lady L, whose son has indeed married the younger daughter of the house, Cherry. Dandy, Hugh and their younger son Teddy all feel distinctly uncomfortable with the establishment despite the universal supposed love for her ladyship. When a scandal emerges on the morning of the birthday celebrations, they are urged to return home until matters are sorted out. It is only when they have braved the journey homewards that they discover that Lady L has been found murdered in her beloved garden. Their dismay is only increased when it seems as if the matter has been hushed up with an unlikely tale of a tramp who happened to be in the isolated area, and the whole situation needs to be further investigated before an engagement can be confirmed.
This novel works so well because of the character of Dandy and how she narrates the story, her surprise at various elements of the establishment, and her disgust at such things as the over the top decoration of the house and the physical labour undertaken by Cherry. The humour is expressed in such things as her descriptions of her husband Hugh, and the machinations of her maid Grant, who supplies a most unsuitable dress for an active detective. This book engages extremely well with the times in which it is set, as one War is in the recent past and another political upheaval seems highly probable. The research into the setting is impeccable, but lightly worn in such things as the phonetic descriptions of Gaelic phrases. As always I recommend McPherson’s books whole heartedly, and suggest that those who enjoy well plotted historical murder mysteries seek them out.
December 27, 2018
Overall this was a very enjoyable story which I galloped through at pretty much one sitting and on Christmas Day, too. I love the Dandy Gilver series of 1920s/1930s set detective stories, which started with After The Armistice Ball.
As shown by the covers, they are all Dalmatians and pearls and period detail, with an extremely dry wit which to my mind lifts them above other similar series such as the Daisy Dalrymple and Maisie Dobbs ones.
Dandy Gilver is an intelligent, amusing and observant heroine who distracts herself from her dull married life by developing a career as a detective. The fact that she is not an ingénue is one of the things that makes this series more original and I love her wry remarks about her stuffy husband Hugh, hearty sons Donald and Teddy, and of course Alec, the slightly younger male friend (somewhat daring for these times) who becomes her detecting partner. Alec is also highly intelligent, witty, funny, but also unusually sensitive, empathetic and supportive of female empowerment for his day - and hoping against hope for a romantic denouement for him and Dandy is one of the many things that keeps me reading this series.
This latest adventure is a good one, set on a remote Scottish island and focused on a single aristocratic family. As always with these books I find there are a few too many characters and too many plot twists - less is more, Dandy! - but this is one of the less confusing ones and anyway, as with the often baffling Perry Mason mysteries, I read them for the period detail and the characters rather than the plots. In Dandy's case, I am watching with sympathetic interest as her cool relationship with her husband waxes and wanes and, like Dandy, hearing uneasily the sound of war wagons hurrying near - we are halfway through the Thirties by now so the future looks ominous for her grown-up sons.
A few spoilerific thoughts.
None of these quibbles spoiled my enjoyment though of another thoroughly entertaining and amusing Dandy Gilver adventure.
As shown by the covers, they are all Dalmatians and pearls and period detail, with an extremely dry wit which to my mind lifts them above other similar series such as the Daisy Dalrymple and Maisie Dobbs ones.Dandy Gilver is an intelligent, amusing and observant heroine who distracts herself from her dull married life by developing a career as a detective. The fact that she is not an ingénue is one of the things that makes this series more original and I love her wry remarks about her stuffy husband Hugh, hearty sons Donald and Teddy, and of course Alec, the slightly younger male friend (somewhat daring for these times) who becomes her detecting partner. Alec is also highly intelligent, witty, funny, but also unusually sensitive, empathetic and supportive of female empowerment for his day - and hoping against hope for a romantic denouement for him and Dandy is one of the many things that keeps me reading this series.
This latest adventure is a good one, set on a remote Scottish island and focused on a single aristocratic family. As always with these books I find there are a few too many characters and too many plot twists - less is more, Dandy! - but this is one of the less confusing ones and anyway, as with the often baffling Perry Mason mysteries, I read them for the period detail and the characters rather than the plots. In Dandy's case, I am watching with sympathetic interest as her cool relationship with her husband waxes and wanes and, like Dandy, hearing uneasily the sound of war wagons hurrying near - we are halfway through the Thirties by now so the future looks ominous for her grown-up sons.
A few spoilerific thoughts.
None of these quibbles spoiled my enjoyment though of another thoroughly entertaining and amusing Dandy Gilver adventure.
August 13, 2019
This was pleasant yet also very annoying reading. I figured out whodunit right off the bat, yet it took Dandy and Alec until the end of the book to draw the same conclusion due to constantly having important bits slip their mind(s). It's one thing to rely on confusion and distraction to extend a mystery, but it's another to make your experienced detectives purposefully stupid and amnesiac about events and clues.
The setting was great, the writing was wonderfully descriptive, I loved the garden bits, but the handling of Gaelic was abysmal. I've read loads of novels that insert non-Anglo phrases into conversations, or feature bits of foreign phrases, and none have ever resorted to phonetic pronunciations. They just present the foreign words and let the reader figure 'em out, or have a character in the text provide an explanation then or later. Going all 'haba daba doo' on us is a terrible way to treat a language!
Then there's the author's apparent push of older woman/ Younger man romance. She's been on this jag since the first book in the series. The first three novels had Dandy mooning over Alec and desperately pushing for the two of them to lock lips and get together despite the gulf between them. It was soppy, sloppily written, and I didn't think it worked at all! I was pleased when McPherson decided to leave Dandy in her marriage to Hugh and concentrate instead on her and Alec as business partners and fellow detectives.
Now we have the author forcing a much older woman 'romance' on Dandy's son. It just didn't work for me. I blame the writing for that, as Ms McPerson is definitely not a romance writer, no matter how much she wishes she were. Her 'romantic' scenes were very stilted and awkward. She definitely shines at mysteries and general descriptive stuff. And so this seems a much more sloppily written novel, and hopefully not a harbinger of things to come.
The setting was great, the writing was wonderfully descriptive, I loved the garden bits, but the handling of Gaelic was abysmal. I've read loads of novels that insert non-Anglo phrases into conversations, or feature bits of foreign phrases, and none have ever resorted to phonetic pronunciations. They just present the foreign words and let the reader figure 'em out, or have a character in the text provide an explanation then or later. Going all 'haba daba doo' on us is a terrible way to treat a language!
Then there's the author's apparent push of older woman/ Younger man romance. She's been on this jag since the first book in the series. The first three novels had Dandy mooning over Alec and desperately pushing for the two of them to lock lips and get together despite the gulf between them. It was soppy, sloppily written, and I didn't think it worked at all! I was pleased when McPherson decided to leave Dandy in her marriage to Hugh and concentrate instead on her and Alec as business partners and fellow detectives.
Now we have the author forcing a much older woman 'romance' on Dandy's son. It just didn't work for me. I blame the writing for that, as Ms McPerson is definitely not a romance writer, no matter how much she wishes she were. Her 'romantic' scenes were very stilted and awkward. She definitely shines at mysteries and general descriptive stuff. And so this seems a much more sloppily written novel, and hopefully not a harbinger of things to come.
April 18, 2021
The further adventures of Dandy Gilver, narrator and amateur sleuth and her sidekick Alec Osbourne (not to mention Grant, the maid). She manages her detecting alongside her family life and this time is meeting the parents and family of a prospective bride for her son Donald, in the Highlands of Scotland.
Set in 1935, the writing is very evocative of the time and is a lovely depiction of the landed classes and their interaction with each other and the commoners. Dandy, as a character is well drawn and flits between being amusing, clever and irritating; unsurprisingly given her status and the fact that everything is seen through her eyes. The other characters are believable and three dimensional but it is Grant that steals the show given her actual character and the way Dandy responds to her. The story is witty in parts and clever, although how the writing could be compared with PG Wodehouse (according to the blurb) is a bigger mystery than the story itself.
Unfortunately, despite all this, the story wasn't particularly gripping or well paced, for me.
Biggest plus was the use of the verb "boggle" which I absolutely loved!
Set in 1935, the writing is very evocative of the time and is a lovely depiction of the landed classes and their interaction with each other and the commoners. Dandy, as a character is well drawn and flits between being amusing, clever and irritating; unsurprisingly given her status and the fact that everything is seen through her eyes. The other characters are believable and three dimensional but it is Grant that steals the show given her actual character and the way Dandy responds to her. The story is witty in parts and clever, although how the writing could be compared with PG Wodehouse (according to the blurb) is a bigger mystery than the story itself.
Unfortunately, despite all this, the story wasn't particularly gripping or well paced, for me.
Biggest plus was the use of the verb "boggle" which I absolutely loved!
September 4, 2022
I love this unlikely detective. A middle aged upper crust Scottish woman - Dandy - who is very aware of her class and the social mores and expectations of someone in her position. She is unapologetic in her opinions - in this book she and the rest of the family are heading to a remote part of the country to meet their prospective daughter in law and her parents. All she knows about the DIL is that she’s seven years older than her fiancé, and this supposedly makes her a gold digger and totally inappropriate for her son. The fact that the couple are clearly in love seems to be of no importance. The DIL’s family are eccentric and endearing. While everyone is gathered for the engagement party, the mother in law is killed, leaving Dandy in her elegant dress chasing the suspect through the snow.
Many twists and turns during the investigation. A delightful book.
Many twists and turns during the investigation. A delightful book.
February 14, 2020
This is the 13th book in the Dandy Gilver mystery series but the first that I have read. It takes place in the 30's and Dandy (female) is a P.I. who works cases with Alex. She is married with 2 sons, one of whom is marrying a woman several years older. The Gilver family travels to spend a weekend with the Dunnochs and meet the family of Mallory as well as the bride. While there, Mallory's mother is killed and thus the plot thickens. McPherson writes with a light and humorous touch. As the investigation ensues, everyone there at the time of the murder seems to have a reasonable alibi as well as knowing who the killer is. And each person offers up a different (and plausible) suspect. Needless to say, the murder is finally solved and it is a surprising end. Enjoy!
November 18, 2022
Another first class tale in this series. Dandy's elder son Donald is now grown up and about to get engaged, so she and Hugh, and Teddy too, go along to vet the family and work out the settlement. However, his proposed fiancee is older than him and Dandy has severe reservations. On meeting Mallory they are charmed, but less so by her overpowering mother Lavinia, known to all as 'Lady Love'.
There then follows a complex tale of love and hatred that ends with a murder. Dandy and Alec are on hand to help to solve it, but it takes her right to the engagement party and beyond to begin to unravel the strands in this case, which is so close to home.
A great read - I really recommend this series as the author writes authentically, but with great humour.
There then follows a complex tale of love and hatred that ends with a murder. Dandy and Alec are on hand to help to solve it, but it takes her right to the engagement party and beyond to begin to unravel the strands in this case, which is so close to home.
A great read - I really recommend this series as the author writes authentically, but with great humour.
October 14, 2019
This cosy mystery was a delightful read and my first experience of the genre. All the characters had an element of intrigue, charm and many had valid motivations for committing the eventual murder. This book kept me on my toes and even though I guessed the murderer early on, I could not for the life of me put together their motivation until the very, twisty end.
Apparently this is part of a series however, it can easily be read as a stand alone and it is purely the mention of some characters that work alongside the main detective persona that are made out to be familiar. This was a lovely read, especially under a cosy blanket with a piping cup of tea.
Apparently this is part of a series however, it can easily be read as a stand alone and it is purely the mention of some characters that work alongside the main detective persona that are made out to be familiar. This was a lovely read, especially under a cosy blanket with a piping cup of tea.
December 5, 2019
This had a different feel than other Dandy books - maybe because it wasn't a situation where they were being hired as detectives, instead they were simply house guests who kept coming back to do more digging. I don't read these books to ever try and figure out whodunnit before Dandy figures it out, but I noticed more glaring clues in this than I usually do. Thankfully there was less "my brain niggled with a whisp of something I was missing" than there usually is, so I'll take what I can get. On the whole, the explanation for the mystery made more sense here than in previous books, or maybe I'm starting to understand McPherson's mindworkings better these days.
October 26, 2019
This is one of my favourite Dandy stories, not only because of the classic whodunnit plot and a rich and rewarding cast of characters, but because it shows Dandy not at her best. She's emotionally compromised here, her hands tied by proprietary and manners, and she not only doesn't have a client, her son wants her to stop detecting, for fear of offending his fiancé. The person doing the dancing here is Dandy, waltzing among her peers and family, dodging scandal and myth, trying to get justice without tearing her family apart.
December 9, 2020
Very enjoyable! Dandy and family are visiting the Dunnoch family, since Dandy's son Donald wishes to marry Mallory Dunnoch. Dandy has her reservations, since Mallory is older than Donald. Those reservations are increased when she meets Mallory's family, and even more so after to disappearance of Mallory's mother, known as "Lady Love." The Gilvers leave, but later hear of Lady Love's death — and that is only the beginning of a convoluted mystery that Dandy and Alec are determined to solve before the marriage goes forward.
July 10, 2019
I think Dandy might be a little more accessible and light-hearted in this installment, and the plot is not as dark as some others in the series. I actually thought it was kind of funny in many parts, and I enjoyed that. This series and these characters will always be for me like the best kind of reunion with old friends. There was one consistency gaff, and a badly misplaced comma that made me stumble and have to re-read several times, but minor things in the whole. This one was another win.
January 29, 2022
A very appealing series, set in pre-WWII England and Scotland. Dandy and her business partner Alec sniff out murderers and this time out, the background is the betrothal of Dandy's son Donald to a Scottish woman.
Dandy is a lovely character, a little bit Gracie Allen and a lot Sherlock Holmes. This one was particularly engaging as Alec and Dandy question a long list of suspects, each of whom saw something the night of the murder and has a candidate in mind as the killer.
Dandy is a lovely character, a little bit Gracie Allen and a lot Sherlock Holmes. This one was particularly engaging as Alec and Dandy question a long list of suspects, each of whom saw something the night of the murder and has a candidate in mind as the killer.
September 20, 2019
Once again Catriona McPherson channels Dorothy Sayers, managing to write an entertaining mystery, certainly not a cozy, yet no language you wouldn't want your mother to read. Dandy and Alec are off on another intrigue, this one involving her family more than usual.
Minor Spoiler Alert!
Stay tuned.
Will Dandy be a grandmother in the next book?
Minor Spoiler Alert!
Stay tuned.
Will Dandy be a grandmother in the next book?
January 18, 2022
I love Dandy and Alex and have read almost all the books in this series and loved them. Again this one didn’t disappoint, although things all seemed a little out of the detectives’ control and the end result felt a tad like they’d not had much to do with it. But the stories are so witty and the books so well written it is always a pleasure to spend time with them. Recommended.
April 8, 2022
Hard to rate this, enjoyed the Scottishness, the humour, the country house setting etc. But maybe a bit drawn out. Not familiar with Dandy and Alec books but they don’t seem the smartest of detectives. A la Agatha Christie, they suspected everyone before they found a culprit. Pretty good, would try another in the series.
February 8, 2020
Convoluted mystery set in the mid 1930s in Scotland. A wedding, a pregnant sister who farms like a man, a mother everyone loves, beautiful gardens and of course, then there's the mystery and the missing people and the strange language and myths that Dandy doesn't quite understand.
February 19, 2020
I enjoyed, takes place in one of my favourite parts of the world and Applecross is a real place.
Lots of suspects, at times a bit hard to keep them all straight but continue to read and they will become clear.
A cosy mystery good with a cuppa & fire on a winter's day.
Lots of suspects, at times a bit hard to keep them all straight but continue to read and they will become clear.
A cosy mystery good with a cuppa & fire on a winter's day.
May 12, 2020
This is a particularly clever novel in the Dandy Gilver series. The plotting is excellent. Dandy is especially witty and then there are the unexpected insights into the sadness of her marriage and the depth of her feelings toward other people. Grant has a good role in this book and she is a hoot!
May 15, 2020
A decent, not great, read. Not as fun as previous books in the series. Parts of the book were enjoyable and parts were tedious. I don’t think that Alec and Dandy needed to slog through interviews with every imaginable suspect.
November 16, 2018
Dandy Gilver and family work together to right a wrong in the beautiful secluded Scottish highlands.
February 6, 2019
I am more interested in the characters in this series than the crime, which in this book seemed very unlikely!
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