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A Dizzy Heights Mystery #2
A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball
A locked room. A mysterious death. Just another gig for the Dizzy Heights.
When London’s finest jazz musicians, the Dizzy Heights, are booked to play the glitzy Midsummer Ball at a country house in Oxfordshire, they expect a weekend filled with flappers and toffs having a roaring good time.
But the festivities at Bilverton House take a turn for the worse when the group are stranded by a summer storm. And when a member of the Bilverton family turns up dead in a locked room in an apparent suicide, Skins, Dunn and Ellie realise this is going to be a much tougher gig than they thought.
But here’s the lick. What if it was in fact cold-blooded murder? And what if the killer is still at large? It’s up to the Dizzy Heights to once again put down their instruments and get improvising if they want to solve this confounding mystery.
When London’s finest jazz musicians, the Dizzy Heights, are booked to play the glitzy Midsummer Ball at a country house in Oxfordshire, they expect a weekend filled with flappers and toffs having a roaring good time.
But the festivities at Bilverton House take a turn for the worse when the group are stranded by a summer storm. And when a member of the Bilverton family turns up dead in a locked room in an apparent suicide, Skins, Dunn and Ellie realise this is going to be a much tougher gig than they thought.
But here’s the lick. What if it was in fact cold-blooded murder? And what if the killer is still at large? It’s up to the Dizzy Heights to once again put down their instruments and get improvising if they want to solve this confounding mystery.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
July 26, 2021
This is a good follow up to the first book in the series, and it is equally well written and entertaining. The Dizzy Heights jazz band have been hired to play at a country house and the whole gang travel there in a charabanc. (when was the last time you used that word ?)
I love the way Kinsey brings 1925 to life with references to small things like songs which have just become popular and the latest Agatha Christie book just published. The main characters are beginning to win me round especially Ellie, who takes control of the detective work and the whole book in a delightful fashion. There is a lot of witty dialogue too which always keeps a good story rolling along.
Of course there is a mystery - this time a locked room murder which has a fairly complicated solution, involving secret tunnels and a slightly crazy murderer. The author peppers the story with clues and makes it entirely possible for the reader to discover the guilty party before the amateur detectives do.
All good fun and I look forward to the next book:)
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I love the way Kinsey brings 1925 to life with references to small things like songs which have just become popular and the latest Agatha Christie book just published. The main characters are beginning to win me round especially Ellie, who takes control of the detective work and the whole book in a delightful fashion. There is a lot of witty dialogue too which always keeps a good story rolling along.
Of course there is a mystery - this time a locked room murder which has a fairly complicated solution, involving secret tunnels and a slightly crazy murderer. The author peppers the story with clues and makes it entirely possible for the reader to discover the guilty party before the amateur detectives do.
All good fun and I look forward to the next book:)
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
August 7, 2021
With their invitation to play at the Midsummer Ball at Bilverton House in Oxfordshire, the Dizzy Heights jazz band were keen to participate. The guests had a great time, with the festivities lasting well into the night, and once everyone left, there was just the band and the family. Skins and Ellie, along with Barty and the rest of the crew, were billeted in the chapel which the family had converted. When they woke the following morning, preparing to leave by lunch time, the rain had become relentless – it wasn’t long before they were flooded in.
But it was when everyone was in the main house, that Ellie heard a gunshot. John Bilverton was dead. But was it suicide, as it looked to be? The three sleuths, Ellie, Skins and Barty set out to discover whodunit – before the floodwaters subsided and the police announced it to be a suicide. Would the three be able to solve this latest mystery?
A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball is the 2nd in A Dizzy Heights Mystery series by T.E. Kinsey (of Lady Hardcastle fame!) and I quite enjoyed it. Light and entertaining, it’s filled with jazz music and old fashioned tunes which I always hear in my head – I’d love to hear them play! Ellie is a great character – she puts up with a lot! I’m looking forward to #3 already (but I hope he writes some more Lady Hardcastle first 😉) Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
But it was when everyone was in the main house, that Ellie heard a gunshot. John Bilverton was dead. But was it suicide, as it looked to be? The three sleuths, Ellie, Skins and Barty set out to discover whodunit – before the floodwaters subsided and the police announced it to be a suicide. Would the three be able to solve this latest mystery?
A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball is the 2nd in A Dizzy Heights Mystery series by T.E. Kinsey (of Lady Hardcastle fame!) and I quite enjoyed it. Light and entertaining, it’s filled with jazz music and old fashioned tunes which I always hear in my head – I’d love to hear them play! Ellie is a great character – she puts up with a lot! I’m looking forward to #3 already (but I hope he writes some more Lady Hardcastle first 😉) Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
November 10, 2021
The Dizzy Heights is a jazz band from the fabulous jazz era of the early 2oth century. It is comprised of a wonderful group of musicians and their ensemble cast of followers who somehow manage to involve themselves in crime solving wherever they play a set. Yes, it's a cozy mystery set in a wonderful historical time period and I absolutely love the series, the characters and the dialogue. There are few cozies that I will tolerate but this is definitely one of them and, perhaps, my favorite! If you haven't checked out the series, I encourage you to do so. You can read them out of order - I did - but I think you'd enjoy them more if you start at the beginning!
July 26, 2021
A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball is the second instalment in The Dizzy Heights Mystery series set in 1925 Oxfordshire. The unstoppable, prominent jazz band known as the Dizzy Heights are back on the road performing concerts and touring when they are invited to the Bilverton Estate to play at the lavish annual Midsummer Ball for a family members birthday in the grand house situated in the grounds, all thanks to their intrepid new manager. Ellie, Skins and Dunn, the members of the band, arrive expecting it to be an evening like any other; everything goes to plan and the guests seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves dancing their way through the evening despite the balmy temperatures. However, the following day, the weather becomes horrendously stormy leading to flash flooding and the roads are deemed impassable in the current circumstances so they must all sit tight. Everyone ends up stuck inside Bilverton House whether they like it or not and this prevents anyone, including the band, from leaving. When their host is found dead in a locked room in the house the band put down their trumpets and trombones and put on their amateur sleuthing hats to investigate.
He has been shot in the temple and whilst others believe it could've been at his own hand, the musicians know, due to their wartime experiences, that this was no accident or suicide. The family are all pretty eccentric and through investigating the band members discover the man was disliked by the rest of the extensive, argumentative family of millionaires who accumulated their fortune through the retail of biscuits. It becomes known that there was some kind of family ruckus over the dead patriarch’s will, so now all the band have to do is ascertain which one of them was desperate enough to murder him and how exactly they locked the door behind them, a seemingly impossible feat. This is a compelling and richly atmospheric cosy style mystery set in the hot summer days in the mid-Roaring Twenties. The characters are an idiosyncratic bunch who are all engaging and developed well. Laced with drama, secrets and ill intent, the author leaves a trail of clues and a puzzle for you to follow and the mystery element is taut and thoughtfully plotted. It very much reads like and has the zeitgeist and atmosphere of a Golden Age locked room mystery. Lighthearted, charming and thoroughly entertaining escapism. Highly recommended.
He has been shot in the temple and whilst others believe it could've been at his own hand, the musicians know, due to their wartime experiences, that this was no accident or suicide. The family are all pretty eccentric and through investigating the band members discover the man was disliked by the rest of the extensive, argumentative family of millionaires who accumulated their fortune through the retail of biscuits. It becomes known that there was some kind of family ruckus over the dead patriarch’s will, so now all the band have to do is ascertain which one of them was desperate enough to murder him and how exactly they locked the door behind them, a seemingly impossible feat. This is a compelling and richly atmospheric cosy style mystery set in the hot summer days in the mid-Roaring Twenties. The characters are an idiosyncratic bunch who are all engaging and developed well. Laced with drama, secrets and ill intent, the author leaves a trail of clues and a puzzle for you to follow and the mystery element is taut and thoughtfully plotted. It very much reads like and has the zeitgeist and atmosphere of a Golden Age locked room mystery. Lighthearted, charming and thoroughly entertaining escapism. Highly recommended.
October 1, 2022
A Baffling Murder
4 enthusiastic stars for T. E. Kinsey’s novel and a resounding 5 stars for Simon Mattack’s excellent and fun narration. This amateur sleuth murder mystery is pure fun to read or listen to—I did both and much preferred Mattack’s reading. He does a range of different English accents plus American thrown in for one of the main characters. The time is 1925, the setting is a manor house mid-summer party. The plot keeps you guessing, the dialog and narration are full of wry, dry humor, and the Dizzy Heights jazz band find themselves stranded at the estate due to heavy rains and floodwaters. And of course, there’s a baffling murder with factors that don’t add up. The Dizzies can’t help themselves; they go to work to solve the murder and before they get very far, another body is discovered so the plot thickens. This is a book that’s fun to read, not serious but very entertaining, and I especially recommend the audio, which brings the characters to vibrant life.
4 enthusiastic stars for T. E. Kinsey’s novel and a resounding 5 stars for Simon Mattack’s excellent and fun narration. This amateur sleuth murder mystery is pure fun to read or listen to—I did both and much preferred Mattack’s reading. He does a range of different English accents plus American thrown in for one of the main characters. The time is 1925, the setting is a manor house mid-summer party. The plot keeps you guessing, the dialog and narration are full of wry, dry humor, and the Dizzy Heights jazz band find themselves stranded at the estate due to heavy rains and floodwaters. And of course, there’s a baffling murder with factors that don’t add up. The Dizzies can’t help themselves; they go to work to solve the murder and before they get very far, another body is discovered so the plot thickens. This is a book that’s fun to read, not serious but very entertaining, and I especially recommend the audio, which brings the characters to vibrant life.
September 30, 2021
No. 2 in the T.E. Kinsey’s spinoff series featuring London’s best jazz band proves even better than the debut. Ivor “Skins” Maloney and Batholomew “Barty” Dunn, leaders of the Dizzy Heights, come across a second murder mystery when a stern family patriarch dies following a party. The band is stuck at Bilverton Hall due to flooding, giving them a chance to poke around.
My heart will always belong to Kinsey’s other series, featuring the intrepid Lady Emily Hardcastle and her sidekick Flo. However, the writing is just as clever, the dialogue just as snappy, and the plots just as entertaining in this second series.
And another cause to celebrate! Readers can enjoy this book — whether in the Kindle or Audible formats — for free on Kindle Unlimited.
My heart will always belong to Kinsey’s other series, featuring the intrepid Lady Emily Hardcastle and her sidekick Flo. However, the writing is just as clever, the dialogue just as snappy, and the plots just as entertaining in this second series.
And another cause to celebrate! Readers can enjoy this book — whether in the Kindle or Audible formats — for free on Kindle Unlimited.
August 24, 2021
OH I love this series. I miss Lady Hardcastle and Flo [and hope there are more in that series], but these are so good and so sharply written and are filled with fun and a very good mystery as well. I can hardly wait for the next one!!
July 16, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy of A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball, the second novel to feature Ellie, Skins and Dunn of the Dizzy Heights jazz band.
Summer 1925 and the band is engaged to play at Bilverston House in Oxfordshire. The event goes well but the next day floods prevent them from leaving. Then one of the family dies in a locked room with a bullet to the temple. Suicide is presumed but Ellie, Skins and Dunn aren’t so sure and start investigating.
I thoroughly enjoyed A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball, which is a lighthearted novel with a seriously fiendish puzzle and a convoluted solution. I have not read the preceding novel in the series, but I have read all the Lady Hardcastle novels so I had a rough idea of what to expect. This is not as laugh out loud funny, but it still has a lovely, light touch and as I said the howdunnit is fiendish.
The novel is told mostly from the band’s point of view, so what they know the reader knows. Having read the solution I can say that most of the clues are there to reach the same conclusion they do, but I defy most readers to put it together. I certainly had no idea of the perpetrator or motive. It’s ingenious and wonderfully over complicated which suits the tone of the novel perfectly.
A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball is a fun read that I can recommend.
Summer 1925 and the band is engaged to play at Bilverston House in Oxfordshire. The event goes well but the next day floods prevent them from leaving. Then one of the family dies in a locked room with a bullet to the temple. Suicide is presumed but Ellie, Skins and Dunn aren’t so sure and start investigating.
I thoroughly enjoyed A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball, which is a lighthearted novel with a seriously fiendish puzzle and a convoluted solution. I have not read the preceding novel in the series, but I have read all the Lady Hardcastle novels so I had a rough idea of what to expect. This is not as laugh out loud funny, but it still has a lovely, light touch and as I said the howdunnit is fiendish.
The novel is told mostly from the band’s point of view, so what they know the reader knows. Having read the solution I can say that most of the clues are there to reach the same conclusion they do, but I defy most readers to put it together. I certainly had no idea of the perpetrator or motive. It’s ingenious and wonderfully over complicated which suits the tone of the novel perfectly.
A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball is a fun read that I can recommend.
August 8, 2021
Another hit by T.E. Kinsey. The author has now taken on the 1920s in his new series but with some old friends from the Lady Hardcastle series. Dizzy Heights, a group of jazz musicians, have proven to be almost as good at solving mysteries as they are at playing music. When asked to play at a Midsummer Ball, the group also discovers a mysterious death, a locked room and…well that would be a spoiler. Read this charming and fun book to find out!
I switched back and forth between reading and listening to this. I found it hard to distinguish the different character voices at first—though, I could understand what was being said just fine—but I picked it up eventually. Lady Hardcastle and Flo are still my favorites but this is well worth the time to read it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
I switched back and forth between reading and listening to this. I found it hard to distinguish the different character voices at first—though, I could understand what was being said just fine—but I picked it up eventually. Lady Hardcastle and Flo are still my favorites but this is well worth the time to read it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
December 27, 2021
Again, a really fun and enjoyable read, much like it's predecessor. In many ways it is very similar: it's a whodunnit, it's funny and most of the book it taken up with conversations between the characters - it's very talky. That said, the dynamics between the band members are a bit different and the location in particular changes up how things play out. All in all, nothing remarkable, but a fun and easy read. Also worth noting that I figured out who had done the murder almost straight away and spent the book waiting for the characters to catch up! Just luck on my part I expect.
August 9, 2021
Very entertaining and I couldn't figure out whodunit. I loved all the characters, even the cast of suspects. Lovers of locked-room mysteries will enjoy it.
December 29, 2021
1.5 rounded up
Listened to this as an audiobook on the long 13 hour drive from Adelaide to Canberra. I have enjoyed this author's Lady Hardcastle series of "cozy" crimes as they are well written, with believable crimes and the wit and repartee between the two main characters always brings a smile to my face. So I guess I had high expectations of this new series and was quite disappointed. Although I kept listening and the audiobook kept me slightly entertained, overall I found the crime and the perpetrator were predictable from very early on. The characters were no where near as well rounded as the previous series. But most troublesome for me was that this honestly felt like the work of a very inexperienced author, in particular the writing style, the very obvious clues (neon signs) and the long reveal, which was really a recap of what we already knew. The whole thing felt a bit how to write a cozy crime 101, or some sort of write by numbers which was surprising given how many other books Kinsey has written - perhaps these have been sitting in a draw and came first?
Listened to this as an audiobook on the long 13 hour drive from Adelaide to Canberra. I have enjoyed this author's Lady Hardcastle series of "cozy" crimes as they are well written, with believable crimes and the wit and repartee between the two main characters always brings a smile to my face. So I guess I had high expectations of this new series and was quite disappointed. Although I kept listening and the audiobook kept me slightly entertained, overall I found the crime and the perpetrator were predictable from very early on. The characters were no where near as well rounded as the previous series. But most troublesome for me was that this honestly felt like the work of a very inexperienced author, in particular the writing style, the very obvious clues (neon signs) and the long reveal, which was really a recap of what we already knew. The whole thing felt a bit how to write a cozy crime 101, or some sort of write by numbers which was surprising given how many other books Kinsey has written - perhaps these have been sitting in a draw and came first?
September 6, 2022
Not quite sure how many stars to give this book. It was entertaining enough to keep us occupied while we were traveling but compared to the glorious Lady Hardcastle series, it wasn't endearing in the same way. This book missed the charm that is Lady H & Flo. It was also missing enough red herrings to keep me wondering whodunit. We guessed early on who the murderer was. Took us maybe a bit longer to figure out how but suspected how some of it would work anyway. The Why was somewhat surprising though.
Had we not gone through Lady H's series first, I might have been more charmed with this cast of characters. They have their moments but I'm so enamored with the other series that I'm not sure any book can measure up. I've not read book 1 in this series though. Perhaps I should have read the first one first.
While I didn't "adore" this book, I'm not ready to write off this author since I know this author's books can be adored. And even without adoration, this book isn't a bad book. It just didn't meet the expectations I had placed on it before even starting to listen. Probably very unfair on my part.
Sex: no
Language: a little
Violence: yes
Had we not gone through Lady H's series first, I might have been more charmed with this cast of characters. They have their moments but I'm so enamored with the other series that I'm not sure any book can measure up. I've not read book 1 in this series though. Perhaps I should have read the first one first.
While I didn't "adore" this book, I'm not ready to write off this author since I know this author's books can be adored. And even without adoration, this book isn't a bad book. It just didn't meet the expectations I had placed on it before even starting to listen. Probably very unfair on my part.
Sex: no
Language: a little
Violence: yes
December 29, 2021
4 stars. Having not read the first book in this series, I initially was afraid I would be overwhelmed by the number of characters related to the fictional band, the Dizzy Heights. On top of that, adding in the Bilverton family members brings the total character count to at least 18, plus the others attending the party. However, Kinsey's writing quickly made them all distinct and memorable so the reader could focus on the story. I enjoyed the setting, 1925 England, and the investigation of the initial murder held my interest, but it was disconcerting to me that an incident involving a young woman seemed to be almost ignored. No one seemed to think her life was as important as the old rich white guy who was murdered early on. I don't feel the need to run out and read the first book, but I won't rule it out either.
March 29, 2022
I love T. E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle series and highly recommend historical mystery fans read it. Unfortunately and rather surprisingly, the Dizzy Heights series has been a disappointment following on the heels of the Lady Hardcastle series. In all honesty, it's probably just me. The three main characters annoy me so much. I love the bantering between Lady Hardcastle and Flo, but these three are just obnoxious. Considering there was a lot of skimming involved in my reading of this one, it's not a series that I will continue reading, but I can't wait for the new Lady Hardcastle book to release later this year.
July 29, 2021
The Dizzy Heights are playing a private party this time at a pretty swank out-in-the-country house in Oxfordshire. And though some of the family are welcoming (notably the youngest son and the music producer uncle), there are definitely undercurrents of animosity as the wealthy father has recently remarried and the new wife is only a year older than his oldest son. With a fortune built on biscuits, he has money to divide up and there is some indication that he may be changing his will and that most of his children (if not all four) seem to have a problem with that. No surprise, of course, that he ends up dead. It appears to be a suicide at first glance but Skins and Dunn quickly realize that there is more than meets the eye.
A highly enjoyable story, as usual from Kinsey. The author capture the feel of the time and place and acknowledges things like "Oh, we couldn't possibly find ANOTHER secret passage.."
A highly enjoyable story, as usual from Kinsey. The author capture the feel of the time and place and acknowledges things like "Oh, we couldn't possibly find ANOTHER secret passage.."
October 28, 2022
The second book in the Dizzy Heights series. This time the band is invited to play at the Midsummer Ball in Bilverton house. All goes spectacularly well. Due to rainstorm the band can't leave but the family are wonderful hosts. So basically everything goes great until a body is discovered in a locked room staged to look like suicide. Ellie, Skins and Dunn don't buy into that though and start investigating.
I liked this one way more than the first book. There was more humor,more charm,some time period references, and just its own vibe. Even the tricks of the crime are well familiar to those who have read some historical mysteries(like ice, gramophone - if you know you know). There are even secret passageways! All in all a delightful read. The murderer is not hard to figure out but that is not the point, it was the charm and vibe of the book that got me going. Really looking forward to the next installment.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this one way more than the first book. There was more humor,more charm,some time period references, and just its own vibe. Even the tricks of the crime are well familiar to those who have read some historical mysteries(like ice, gramophone - if you know you know). There are even secret passageways! All in all a delightful read. The murderer is not hard to figure out but that is not the point, it was the charm and vibe of the book that got me going. Really looking forward to the next installment.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2021
I like the set up (1920s Jazz Band Detectives 🕵🏻♂️), but the delivery was fairly standard. Writing is good, no issues there. I will probably check out the first book too. Nice light fare.
September 29, 2021
I just love this series! I loved the original series, and when this spun off I wasn't sure about it, but it's still good. This was a fun locked room English countryside murder - with fun jazz musicians mixed in, and they enhance the whole experience!
December 6, 2021
Eh; the actual mystery wasn’t great. I thought it was super far fetched. But I love the repartee between “Skins” the drummer of the Dizzy Heights and his wife Ellie.
March 5, 2022
I think Barty Dunn is my soulmate! He loves music & reads a lot… because he’s single. Very single! 🤗❤️🤓
March 28, 2023
Better than the first in this series. Reminds me A LOT of Christie's Tommy + Tuppence mysteries. Lots of slapdash humor + witty banter. Is it bad that I guessed "who did it" within the first 1/4 of the book?
July 15, 2021
Finished reading: July 14th 2021
"The clever ones never think they'll get caught so they always leave something."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
November 19, 2023
A fun cosy mystery
July 17, 2022
Fun and fluffy and escapist. The mystery was okay-I figured out who did it, but not how, pretty early on. Some of the band were relegated to the background in this one, unfortunately. Several somewhat obscure song titles from this era were mentioned in the text, which is a plus for fans (like me) of 20’s jazz. The ending indicated a third installment is coming. I hope so.
July 25, 2021
Rating added here, as there is a spoiler towards the bottom of the review.
3 out of 5 stars.
I love T E Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle series, and enjoyed Skins and Dunn in those books. I admit, though, that I'm struggling to enjoy this spinoff series as well as the original one. "A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball" is the second Dizzy Heights mystery. Kinsey's writing is witty, the characters are engaging, and the story well-told. I adore country house and locked-room mysteries, and this combines both.
But...
I figured out whodunnit about 22% of the way in. Normally, that doesn't bother me too much, but since the quality of the writing is so high, I think I expected the puzzle to be a bit more, well, puzzling.
The band and entourage comprise a large number of characters, which, in addition to the family and servants at the country house, sometimes made it hard to keep up. Also, some of the characters, such as Skins and Izzie, are called by both their given and nicknames by other characters.
Spoiler question: How did the murderer know there would be someone by the study when the gunshot sounded?
I received an advance copy from Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
3 out of 5 stars.
I love T E Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle series, and enjoyed Skins and Dunn in those books. I admit, though, that I'm struggling to enjoy this spinoff series as well as the original one. "A Baffling Murder at the Midsummer Ball" is the second Dizzy Heights mystery. Kinsey's writing is witty, the characters are engaging, and the story well-told. I adore country house and locked-room mysteries, and this combines both.
But...
I figured out whodunnit about 22% of the way in. Normally, that doesn't bother me too much, but since the quality of the writing is so high, I think I expected the puzzle to be a bit more, well, puzzling.
The band and entourage comprise a large number of characters, which, in addition to the family and servants at the country house, sometimes made it hard to keep up. Also, some of the characters, such as Skins and Izzie, are called by both their given and nicknames by other characters.
Spoiler question: How did the murderer know there would be someone by the study when the gunshot sounded?
I received an advance copy from Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
March 11, 2023
2022 bk 81. Who doesn't love a locked room mystery? If you don't, pass this by. When the band is called upon to play at a country estate - and their contract includes transportation, housing, and food - they jump on the chance. A June weekend in the country is not to be sneezed at, unless your host happens to die. The band members, spouses, and manager continue to gel as a unit, further revealing bits and pieces of their past and their talents, especially those for detecting. I loved the details of the country house estate and its secret passages. For those who love music, this one even includes an early recording studio in all of its glory. Excellent example of the country house party mystery.
August 3, 2021
The murderer’s identity and how he did it were way too obvious. I had the murderer figured out, and how he did it, almost immediately. It was painful to plod through the rest of the book watching the amateur sleuths slowly, SLOWLY solve everything. The dialog wasn’t witty enough to overcome my impatience with the mystery, unlike in the Lady Hardcastle series.
Still, it was mildly entertaining, and the characters are growing on me. Nevertheless, I still prefer the Lady Hardcastle series.
Audiobook: Narration was good, but not stellar. No one in the US pronounces it “Mary-land” - the Y is more like a brief “uh” sound, and the “a” in “land” is also similar.
Still, it was mildly entertaining, and the characters are growing on me. Nevertheless, I still prefer the Lady Hardcastle series.
Audiobook: Narration was good, but not stellar. No one in the US pronounces it “Mary-land” - the Y is more like a brief “uh” sound, and the “a” in “land” is also similar.
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