Murder at Farrington Hall

A Dodo Dorchester Mystery #1

by Ann Sutton

The Honorable Lady Dorothea Dorchester - Dodo to her friends - has a nose for crime and fashion. Unlucky in love but adept at sleuthing, she navigates the world of high society with intelligence and panache.
When she and her sister, Lady Diantha, are invited to a party at Farrington Hall they eagerly accept. The weekend begins with a lot of promise until disaster strikes. A theft leads to murder and Dodo is called upon by her hosts to help the police, who are less than happy to have an amateur interfering. Can she win them over and solve the crime?

Genres: Mystery, Historical, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Historical Mystery, Crime, Historical Fiction

237 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Tony Hisgett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep trying new historical mysteries in the hope I finding a new Maisie Dobbs or Phryne Fisher or at least someone who doesn’t turn out to be totally pathetic. I am still searching, but fortunately Lady Dodo Dorchester wasn’t completely rubbish.
The first few chapters introduce a parade of characters before they arrive at Farringdon Hall for a house party, in the main these turn out to be useless wastrels at best and of course one of them is also a murderer. Overall the investigation wasn’t bad, but apart from a bit of boring flirting, I didn’t really find out much about her as a person. Perhaps the next book will provide more insight into Lady Dodo.
If possible I would have given 2.5 stars

[Dr M A Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, the minor irritations. Although I read this via Kindle Unlimited in the UK, it both uses American spellings throughout and has spelling errors beyond that- indiscrete for indiscreet, boar for boor and so on. This probably soured my enthusiasm but I could have lived with it. Sadly the book itself was not good. The characters all have alliterative names, the style is clunky and the plot unconvincing. Not for me, and although in the end I persevered to the end, it was a close run thing. I won’t be reading any more of this series!

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

And major historical errors.
There's a subgenre of privileged young women in London in the 1920s acting as amateur detectives. (The things I've learned in the pandemic!) This is another where two sisters, Dodo and Didi Dorchester, go to a country house party where a murder occurs. The writing is so lazy, some of the people are just listed with a bit of background.

And the silly writing. The year is 1923. At one point, the glamorous Dodo glances at the Inspector who is trying to solve the case and thinks he reminds her of Clark Gable. This is quite remarkable, as Clark Gable didn't make a movie til 1924, and was just an extra. His first major role wasn't til 1930. Later, when she and her sister are in the secret passageway (yes, all country homes come equipped with a secret passageway) Dodo says to Didi "It makes me think of those old, silent horror films set in haunted houses. ... I keep expecting Frankenstein to materialize".

I laughed out loud at that one. It's 1923. They only have silent films!

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unread shelf project 2021: book 67.

I found this to be a fairly enjoyable mystery that takes place in the 1920s, featuring the sassy Dorothea (Dodo) Dorchester. I have a print copy of it and there were some grammatical errors (limited to missing commas, for the most part) that drove me a little crazy. But the story was good and the characters enjoyable. Parts of it felt a little unrealistic (such as going to dentists for fillings?) but I haven’t taken the time to research if that was a thing in the 1920s, so I can’t really complain too much. It just jarred me a little out of my suspension of disbelief, because no one ever really talks about such day to day things from bygone times.

[Celia Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder at Farrington Hall by Ann Sutton. I find it interesting as I read other reviews that the men rate the book much lower than the women do. Maybe that is because there is just the hint of possible romance or future romance. Anyway, I thought the characters were likable. I hated that any of them would end up being the murderer, but of course, someone had to be. The story moved at a good pace, never got sluggish. The mystery unfolded piece by piece as one clue after another was exposed. I recently read a couple of enjoyable mysteries, but I knew who the culprit was almost from the time they were introduced. The author made it too easy. With this story, I was kept guessing through out, and I like that. I am looking forward to reading more of Ann's books. As a couple of other reviews have noted, though, she does need to be a bit more careful with her research. For example, skinny models didn't really come about until Twiggy in the '60's. Also needs to do some more research on how persons of the peerage are addressed. That said, I am about to order her next book. Just really fun reading.
Celia Martin

[Elainebowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good fun read

I really enjoyed this book the characters are really well written, the description of the areas is brilliant, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cosy mystery stories,can't wait for the next one.

[Elizabeth Jameson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasant read

Excellent, good old fashioned whodunnit. Page Turner, light hearted novel. I recommend this easy read. Looking forward to the next book in this series

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Good!

Very well written and developed mystery set in 1923 England. Turbulent times after the Great War find many looking for continual fun and entertainment so this mystery is set at a house party. These young people--- many friends for years---all leave different people. Murder, theft, secrets, bad habits, and lies are all exposed! Great reading experience!

[Tricia Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cozy mystery!

Very happy to find a new series with smart likable characters and mysteries that twist and turn. Dodo is living in a time when women were gaining new freedoms in society. Lots of promise for more fun to come in new books.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!!!! I plan on reading more of this series and so glad I had the opportunity and 'took it':-) to read it....took me 2 sit downs:-) and didn't really want to put it down when I did.
Highly recommend it...

[Elizabeth Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sparkling characters.
Puzzling mysteries.
Intriguing twists and turns.
Good fun.

[Pat henson · Rating 5 out of 5]

didi and dodo ? ?

Main characters names lack imagination but the story and plot are good.
I’m a huge fan of English murder mysteries. Especially in these troubling times
The language is beautiful and descriptions are quite good.
As an Agatha Christie fan I enjoy trying to decide who done it. I never expected the villain to turn out to be who it was .

[Molly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read the summary and thought it would be a fun read -- well, I was mistaken. The dialogue is terrible; the characters cardboard -- and YUCK.

[VosBitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mind numbing, lazy, easy to read. Uncomplicated and serves the purpose of distancing you from your thoughts if needed in these difficult times.

[Lilly Hi Way · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Bit Dull

This book dragged for me a bit and I lost interest in finishing it although I did plow on and finally finished it.

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

Светът на модата в междувоенно време е наистина вълнуващо изживяване – подгъвите се вдигат, колена надничат, цепките се спускат по гърбовете, а панталоните не са право само на някои по-екстравагантни ездачки и мъжкарани. Това е времето на Коко Шанел, но също и на Еркюл Поаро. И в средата на тази вселена е лейди Доротея Дорчестър или Додо за приятелите си – интелигентна, очарователна, стилна и с ужасния навик около нея все да се случват убийства. Тя е моден посланик на френската елегантност, духовен предшественик на Кардашияните и страстен почитател на Агата Кристи по съвместителство. И няма как да не се влюбите в новата си любима детективка.

Чаровната Додо има всичко, което поиска, а е на изключително крехка възраст, която – слава на всички книжни божества, не ѝ личи дори за секунда. Ех, как ми липсват двадесет и нещо годишните героини, които знаеха какво искат от живота, не се спъваха като болни кранти през пет секунди и не си хапеха отчаяно устните пред смръщеното лице на живота. Ан Сътън е от моята партия, и създава истински, силен, но едновременно с това нежен женствен образ, с който може и да не се идентифицирате в настоящето си състояние, но е нещо, към което да се стараете да се доближите все някога.

Додо е емоционална, обича партита, но обожава и семейството си, и домашния уют, като съзнава ценността на момента. Търси любовта, която не винаги ѝ се получава, но най-вече се старае да не носи розовите очила и да съзнава ограниченията и възможните червени флагове от пръв поглед, без самозаблуда или празни мечти. И най-вече не припада пред поредния труп, а оглежда внимателно, старателно и пази улики и доказателства като същинска лейди Хорейшо Кейн, ама най-вече не цепи басма на никой надут полицай, карайки и най-заклетите шовинисти да оценят високо помощта ѝ, затваряйки си едното око пред пола ѝ, а другото – пред титлата. Какъв е смисълът да си лейди детектив, ако не навреш родството си с краля и кралицата в лицата на нежелаещите сътрудничество лица от работещата класа? Лейди Додо не я е срам, нито се притеснява от каквото и да е, давайки ярък пример за това как се минава като товарен, но все пак елегантен, влак през живота. Последвайте я, няма страшно.

[Amanda Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introducing Dodo Dorchester..

The honourable Dorothea Dorchester, Dodo, and her sister, the equally Honourable Diantha Dorchester, Didi, are off to take a weekend in the country with old friends. Unfortunately things don't go very well from the flat tyre and unhelpful Marcus to the, oddly worrying Julius, clock watching Anita, and faffing around Freddie, but it's when the stunning emerald necklace belonging to Colonel and Mrs Alexander vanishes that things become really uncomfortable.

Dodo manages to persuade Inspector Harrington to allow her to assist with the investigation and they make some progress until one of the ladies maids, Anita, is found murdered.

Chief Inspector Blood has rather different ideas about civilian interference but his superior knows Dodo has skills that they definitely will need to draw on and so she's reluctantly included on the new investigation.

But what can Dodo discover that will keep her one step ahead of a killer? And when she discovers that there's more than one motive can she really work out who is guilty of what?

Needs a little work.. there's an imbalance between the areas of conversation and the level of description.. it's like they don't quite gel together.. areas describing clothing need to be tightened up the descriptions given are not clearly of the era, they don't paint enough of a picture, bit less vague and it would help.. "white muslin trousers" tells us nowhere near enough.. and I am sorry but a cream tea doesn't involve pouring tea and adding cream.. a cream tea is specifically tea served with milk, or lemon, plus a scone with butter, jam and clotted cream. No way the aristocracy would order cream in their tea.. at a point of rationing too.. no just no!

[Sbrailsford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Dodo and her sister Ms. Didi, distinguished socialites, have their hands full in assisting a local detective as well as a hard-nosed detective from the Scotland Yard (who is full of himself), in solving a not so obvious crime. Each suspect is a close friend of Dodos which complicates things.

This story is murder mystery with a complete cast of characters where each have a plausible motive for theft and murder at a high society party in the quaint English countryside. This is a classic “Who done it”, in which the culprit is not revealed until the final pages.

This story is also delicately intertwined with a hint of romance which keeps things perfectly unpredictable!

I enjoyed reading this murder mystery especially with the rich description of characters and the vivid 1923 countryside setting. It’s perfect for a weekend read.

[Bebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was decent, I read it in a day and I’m happy I didn’t pay for it because I read it through Kindle unlimited. This seems like sloppy writing and sloppy editing, for instance a comment about designer shoes. It’s a comment I might expect to hear on “sex and the city” but not from my “historical” mystery. Speaking of history, the mistakes are glaring.


My main issue with this book however is the mean-spiritedness.The stupidly named heroine starts by criticizing a young designer and goes from there. Not a kind word for anyone! The victim is especially maligned. Well I realize she does not want to kill off a likable character she did not need to make this character so awful, it’s very distracting.

[Deirdre E Siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new author Ann Sutton, and series Dodo Dorcester mysteries, for me and a pleasant start has produced the usual cast of characters who are products of budget free households, with devoted servants, expensive educations, clothes, vehicles and pastimes while the standard extras are
school chums, with or without wealthy parents to touch when the monthly allowance is exhausted to early for the alloted period, put upon servants and the usual members of the socializing circle.
So overall a good tight storyline, jolly good beans, dashed impudent cads, fluffy stage beauties, realistic parents, familial homes in the town and country with decent cooks, cellars, hunting, shooting, game keepers, enough lawns for golf, tennis, croquet, picnics along with bodies of water
for boating, swimming and fishing.
Grand future outings look to be worthwhile listening.
Thank you for your words Ann Sutton, very much appreciated. :-)

[Maria Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy cozy mysteries set in 1920's England. Always happy to find a new series. Dodo strikes me as a no nonsense kind of person and perhaps not easily likable since she is quite opinionated. I read other reviews that stated they didn't like her from the beginning because of her dislike of a particular designer yet she actually tries not to show her distaste so she can't be that bad. She does have some compassion. She also has a mind for solving mysteries.

I think there may have been some time period errors but it didn't bother me as I read. I just enjoyed the ride.

No sex or language
Violence: murder

[Kandi A. Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

As a rule, I am not a fan of period mysteries but I did enjoy this one. The author said the Agatha Christie influenced her, and I can see this in her story where the detective lays out the whole investigation for those concerned and involved in the crime. This story also resembles another period mystery that I like reading which is the Ginger Gold mysteries. It is always the journey to the reveal of the culprit that (if the author is gifted with their writing), that is the crux of the book, and that is the case here. I will be reading future books by this author.

[Gail Gassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

How fun & yet serious about who is the murderer!

I throughly enjoyed every bit of this book. It was fun yet you knew that the girls were not laughing while trying to find thief then murderer. Dodo was very serious minded about it not making it a game for a spoiled rich thing to fill in bordem. Hope she works with the hunky inspector again. Not the one from Scotland Yard!!! She really clicked with the first one there finding the the Emeralds. Very fun read so happy I tried it, now to the next book in the series.

[Alisha Henri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, Surprising, and Sad

Ann Sutton has begun an interesting series. I enjoyed meeting Dodo and her sister, Didi. The mysteries, both theft and murder, were intriguing. The characters involved were well developed, and they were very human rather than characterizations. I enjoyed the pace, and scenes flowed well from one to another. I also enjoyed that neither Dorchester sister was whiny or helpless in any way. While the resolution to the crimes was appropriate, it was also a little sad. I look forward to the next book to see what Dodo encounters.

[Larry · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was very little to like about the Honorable "Dodo". Instead of writing about a character you could like and admire, the author wrote about an insipid and very shallow busybody who at the beginning of the book was very critical of a new designer's work. Her actions didn't get much better throughout the book. I cannot in good conscience recommend this book and won't be buying any more of them.

[KathleenWH · Rating 3 out of 5]

So so

As this is the author’s first work, I will not criticize but offer suggestions. 1) if you wish to compare a character to Clark Gable, do a good search to make sure he was actually making movies in the early 1920s. 2) If you are trying to be authentic, make sure you use phrases and slang appropriate to the time. Sa Lang and phrases from today’s cop shows were a clanger. 3) and so on.

[Mrs P J Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read marred by American spelling in book set in Eng!and.

Rated as three stars due to irritating American spelling in a book supposed to be set in England. Also had glaring mistakes which should have been corrected in editing. The gentry for example would not recognise the word serviette, they would have had napkins, and there were no such thing as Silk nylons, nylon was invented in the late thirties.

[Tim Wells · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read

This is a good cosy mystery novel, especially for readers who like crime stories involving the upper classes in Art Deco times. The story is well-written and the characters reasonably well-drawn. However, the printing needed proof-reading much more closely, as there are so many errors in spelling, and especially in grammar and punctuation, which detracted from the novel significantly, for me at least.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a Miss Fisher type cozy mystery, read this book! Set in the 1920s with plenty of fashion, a dash of romance and an intriguing mystery, you’ll read this book in one sitting.

I really liked the characters and thought the mystery was well done. I adore Dodo and can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Lesley Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful cozy mystery

Lady Dorothea ( Dodo ) Dorchester and her sister Diantha ( Dodo ) are invited to a house party for the weekend with friends of their family. There is a robbery and a murder committed. All sorts of skeletons are let loose when Dodo does a little snooping for the police. A really lovely mystery , shades of Agatha Christie 's Miss Marple and Hercule Poirotte