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Beryl and Edwina Mystery #6
Murder Through the English Post
A rash of poison pen letters has enveloped the sleepy English village of Walmsley Parva in cloud of suspicion and paranoia. But when rampant aspersions culminate in murder, enquiry agents Beryl Helliwell and Edwina Davenport must stamp out the evil-minded epistles . . .
What began for two dear if very different friends--an American adventuress and a prim and proper Brit--as a creative response to the lean times following the Great War has evolved into a respectable private enquiry business. So much so that Constable Gibbs calls upon Beryl and Edwina to solve a curious campaign of character assassination.
A series of anonymous accusations sent via post have set friend against friend and neighbor against neighbor. In her new position as magistrate, Edwina has already had to settle one dispute that led to fisticuffs. Even Beryl has received a poison pen letter, and while she finds its message preposterous and laughable, others are taking the missives to heart. Their headstrong housekeeper Beddoes is ready to resign and one villager has attempted to take her own life.
The disruption of the peace goes far beyond malicious mischief when another villager is murdered. Now it's up to the intrepid sleuths to read between the lines and narrow down the suspects to identify the lethal letter writer and ensure that justice is delivered . . .
What began for two dear if very different friends--an American adventuress and a prim and proper Brit--as a creative response to the lean times following the Great War has evolved into a respectable private enquiry business. So much so that Constable Gibbs calls upon Beryl and Edwina to solve a curious campaign of character assassination.
A series of anonymous accusations sent via post have set friend against friend and neighbor against neighbor. In her new position as magistrate, Edwina has already had to settle one dispute that led to fisticuffs. Even Beryl has received a poison pen letter, and while she finds its message preposterous and laughable, others are taking the missives to heart. Their headstrong housekeeper Beddoes is ready to resign and one villager has attempted to take her own life.
The disruption of the peace goes far beyond malicious mischief when another villager is murdered. Now it's up to the intrepid sleuths to read between the lines and narrow down the suspects to identify the lethal letter writer and ensure that justice is delivered . . .
304 pages, Hardcover
Published July 26, 2022
31 people are currently reading
344 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Ellicott
16 books832 followersJessica Ellicott loves fountain pens, Mini Coopers, and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar.
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August 17, 2022
EXCERPT: The envelope seemed to be a perfectly ordinary sort. In fact, there was nothing about it that called any notice. It certainly did not seem the sort of thing to provoke offense. In fact, the hand writing was extremely tidy and legible. It was addressed to Michael Blackburn at the garage and had been neatly slit open with a letter opener. There was no return address and it had been postmarked for the previous week. Edwina slipped her hand inside and extracted a sheet of paper. She unfolded it and, to her surprise, saw before her a document comprised of letters and words cut from newspapers and magazines. She quickly read through the information it contained then looked back at Michael.
'I can see why you would be infuriated by receiving this.' She turned towards Norman. 'Norman, did you tell customers at Mr Scott's shop that Michael had not in fact received his injury by fighting the enemy but rather had been shot while trying to desert his unit?' Edwina asked, tapping her finger against the offensive document.
She kept her eyes trained carefully on Norman Davies face. She considered herself to be quite a good judge of dishonesty and all she saw flickering across his face was complete and total bafflement. He shook his head slowly as if stunned by what he was hearing.
'I would never say a thing like that. I would never even think of things like that. Michael and I have been friends since we were boys and I know exactly what kind of man he is. Who would say such a hateful thing about him, or about me?' Norman said turning back towards the assembled crowd in the gallery.
Who indeed? Edwina wondered.
ABOUT 'MURDER THROUGH THE ENGLISH POST': A rash of poison pen letters has enveloped the sleepy English village of Walmsley Parva in cloud of suspicion and paranoia. But when rampant aspersions culminate in murder, enquiry agents Beryl Helliwell and Edwina Davenport must stamp out the evil-minded epistles . . .
What began for two dear if very different friends--an American adventuress and a prim and proper Brit--as a creative response to the lean times following the Great War has evolved into a respectable private enquiry business. So much so that Constable Gibbs calls upon Beryl and Edwina to solve a curious campaign of character assassination.
A series of anonymous accusations sent via post have set friend against friend and neighbor against neighbor. In her new position as magistrate, Edwina has already had to settle one dispute that led to fisticuffs. Even Beryl has received a poison pen letter, and while she finds its message preposterous and laughable, others are taking the missives to heart. Their headstrong housekeeper Beddoes is ready to resign and one villager has attempted to take her own life.
The disruption of the peace goes far beyond malicious mischief when another villager is murdered. Now it's up to the intrepid sleuths to read between the lines and narrow down the suspects to identify the lethal letter writer and ensure that justice is delivered . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Delightfully entertaining.
Although this is #6 in a series, and I haven't read any of the previous books - something I intend remedying - I had no problems with either the storyline or the characters. The author kindly provides just enough background on the characters so that the reader knows a little about them and how they came to their present positions, and each book is a 'self-contained' mystery.
This series is set after the war in the English village of Walmsley Parva, where life proceeds at a slow pace and, if you want to know the current gossip you pay the local postmistress a visit. There's a village pub, a village doctor, a store, a church or two, and the gardening circle.
Edwina has been in some financial difficulties, making it necessary for her to take in lodgers, resulting in somewhat unusual living arrangements, themselves the cause of some village gossip. Beryl, an American, has been slow to have been accepted by the locals, her different background and lack of knowledge of etiquette causing a few problems. Simpkins, the second lodger, was the gardener and husband of the Edwina's recently deceased housekeeper.
Edwina and Beryl have started a Private Investigators Agency, something totally unheard of for two women to undertake in this era! It is to them that the local constable turns when a rash of poison pen letters start being received in the village. Through their investigation we meet many of the villagers, and I had to wonder, as the contents of the various letters were revealed, if there couldn't be a grain of truth in at least some of the accusations.
The author kept me interested throughout this book. She gave nothing away and there were no obvious suspects. I was kept guessing right up to the very satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed the main characters' quirks and the easy relationship between the three housemates. The dialogue is well written and flows easily, as does the plot.
Altogether a fun and satisfying read. I was lucky enough to be provided with both a digital and audio copy of Murder Through the English Post, and enjoyed both equally.
⭐⭐⭐.6
#MurderThroughtheEnglishPost #NetGalley
I: @jessicaellicottauthor @kensingtonbooks @recordedbooks
T: #JessicaEllicott @KensingtonBooks
#cosymystery #historicalfiction @recordedbooks
THE AUTHOR: Jessica Ellicott loves fountain pens, Mini Coopers, and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books for providing the digital ARC and RB Media for providing the audio ARC of Murder Through the English Post by Jessica Ellicott for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'I can see why you would be infuriated by receiving this.' She turned towards Norman. 'Norman, did you tell customers at Mr Scott's shop that Michael had not in fact received his injury by fighting the enemy but rather had been shot while trying to desert his unit?' Edwina asked, tapping her finger against the offensive document.
She kept her eyes trained carefully on Norman Davies face. She considered herself to be quite a good judge of dishonesty and all she saw flickering across his face was complete and total bafflement. He shook his head slowly as if stunned by what he was hearing.
'I would never say a thing like that. I would never even think of things like that. Michael and I have been friends since we were boys and I know exactly what kind of man he is. Who would say such a hateful thing about him, or about me?' Norman said turning back towards the assembled crowd in the gallery.
Who indeed? Edwina wondered.
ABOUT 'MURDER THROUGH THE ENGLISH POST': A rash of poison pen letters has enveloped the sleepy English village of Walmsley Parva in cloud of suspicion and paranoia. But when rampant aspersions culminate in murder, enquiry agents Beryl Helliwell and Edwina Davenport must stamp out the evil-minded epistles . . .
What began for two dear if very different friends--an American adventuress and a prim and proper Brit--as a creative response to the lean times following the Great War has evolved into a respectable private enquiry business. So much so that Constable Gibbs calls upon Beryl and Edwina to solve a curious campaign of character assassination.
A series of anonymous accusations sent via post have set friend against friend and neighbor against neighbor. In her new position as magistrate, Edwina has already had to settle one dispute that led to fisticuffs. Even Beryl has received a poison pen letter, and while she finds its message preposterous and laughable, others are taking the missives to heart. Their headstrong housekeeper Beddoes is ready to resign and one villager has attempted to take her own life.
The disruption of the peace goes far beyond malicious mischief when another villager is murdered. Now it's up to the intrepid sleuths to read between the lines and narrow down the suspects to identify the lethal letter writer and ensure that justice is delivered . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Delightfully entertaining.
Although this is #6 in a series, and I haven't read any of the previous books - something I intend remedying - I had no problems with either the storyline or the characters. The author kindly provides just enough background on the characters so that the reader knows a little about them and how they came to their present positions, and each book is a 'self-contained' mystery.
This series is set after the war in the English village of Walmsley Parva, where life proceeds at a slow pace and, if you want to know the current gossip you pay the local postmistress a visit. There's a village pub, a village doctor, a store, a church or two, and the gardening circle.
Edwina has been in some financial difficulties, making it necessary for her to take in lodgers, resulting in somewhat unusual living arrangements, themselves the cause of some village gossip. Beryl, an American, has been slow to have been accepted by the locals, her different background and lack of knowledge of etiquette causing a few problems. Simpkins, the second lodger, was the gardener and husband of the Edwina's recently deceased housekeeper.
Edwina and Beryl have started a Private Investigators Agency, something totally unheard of for two women to undertake in this era! It is to them that the local constable turns when a rash of poison pen letters start being received in the village. Through their investigation we meet many of the villagers, and I had to wonder, as the contents of the various letters were revealed, if there couldn't be a grain of truth in at least some of the accusations.
The author kept me interested throughout this book. She gave nothing away and there were no obvious suspects. I was kept guessing right up to the very satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed the main characters' quirks and the easy relationship between the three housemates. The dialogue is well written and flows easily, as does the plot.
Altogether a fun and satisfying read. I was lucky enough to be provided with both a digital and audio copy of Murder Through the English Post, and enjoyed both equally.
⭐⭐⭐.6
#MurderThroughtheEnglishPost #NetGalley
I: @jessicaellicottauthor @kensingtonbooks @recordedbooks
T: #JessicaEllicott @KensingtonBooks
#cosymystery #historicalfiction @recordedbooks
THE AUTHOR: Jessica Ellicott loves fountain pens, Mini Coopers, and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books for providing the digital ARC and RB Media for providing the audio ARC of Murder Through the English Post by Jessica Ellicott for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
May 25, 2022
I was attracted to this book by the lovely red mail box on the cover, which I believe is pretty historic by now in the UK along with the equally red telephone box. I may be wrong but living now in Australia it is nostalgic for me anyway.
Murder Through the English Post is set in a village in England after the War. The two main characters are Beryl, an American adventuress, and Edwina, a very proper English lady. Despite their differences they are great friends and, rather boldly for the time, they work as a team of private investigators.
This is book six in the series and apparently in an earlier book they have won over the local police because Constable Gibbs asks them to investigate a flood of poison pen letters in the village. Some of the recipients are too fragile to receive such nastiness and there is a suicide and a death before Edwina cracks the case.
The book was nicely written although it tended to be over descriptive from time to time. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. Altogether it was a really pleasant, easy read - just what I expect from a cosy.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book
Murder Through the English Post is set in a village in England after the War. The two main characters are Beryl, an American adventuress, and Edwina, a very proper English lady. Despite their differences they are great friends and, rather boldly for the time, they work as a team of private investigators.
This is book six in the series and apparently in an earlier book they have won over the local police because Constable Gibbs asks them to investigate a flood of poison pen letters in the village. Some of the recipients are too fragile to receive such nastiness and there is a suicide and a death before Edwina cracks the case.
The book was nicely written although it tended to be over descriptive from time to time. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. Altogether it was a really pleasant, easy read - just what I expect from a cosy.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book
July 26, 2022
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for this opportunity to review Murder Through the English Post. All opinions and comments are my own.
Beryl Helliwell, the explorer half of our duo, is bored. Edwina Davenport, shy underwhelming Edwina however has been transformed as the series progresses (this is book #6). She’s the new village magistrate, while Beryl, globe-trotting Beryl, is at sixes and sevens. Luckily, Simpkins, their housemate comes up with a task for her to do. Picking plums on a farm that he owns. That’ll do for a while, probably. She’s becoming more and more accustomed to the country life here in Warmsley Parva. However -- time for a crime or two to brighten up the day!
Luckily, our author, Jessica Ellicott, has something in mind. Who is sending the poison pen letters to all and sundry in the little village? The ones that are completely, utterly untrue, to boot? Beryl gets one, and she laughs it off. But when their housekeeper Beddoes receives a letter, well, that does it. Time to get involved; even Constable Gibbs agrees. These kinds of letters can cause untold trouble in a tiny place like their village.
Oh, and there’s are side stories, as there always are. Our man Simpkins and his condiments food company needs some “faces” for his innovative campaign of “convenience foods” for the “modern working woman.” Guess who fills that bill? You got it. Readers will see how Edwina comes to enjoy this side of her personality, too, in this and also in her role as magistrate. And one mustn’t forget how Beryl is changing. Ms. Ellicott does a very good job of describing how she is becoming a rather “new Beryl,” more in tune with a quieter life.
The letters continue to go out. One recipient attempts suicide. And then another dies, from an asthma attack. Did distress from the letter bring on the attack? And all of a sudden, it’s apparent that some of the letters are telling the truth. And so now are we looking at someone killing to keep uncomfortable facts hidden?
I should also mention the “women are growing and getting stronger” scenes that the author has included as part of one of the side stories, which also leads to finding out a bit more of Beryl’s younger life. That’s never a bad thing.
“Murder Through the English Post highlights the thorough detective work of the two “useful and respected associates,” as Edwina calls the two of them now. Their increasing experience in that area leads to a simple clue. Which leads Edwina to the full and complete story, and the unmasking of a murderer. How unassuming and yet complex does Jessica Ellicott make it for us, and thus, a solid entry in the series.
Beryl Helliwell, the explorer half of our duo, is bored. Edwina Davenport, shy underwhelming Edwina however has been transformed as the series progresses (this is book #6). She’s the new village magistrate, while Beryl, globe-trotting Beryl, is at sixes and sevens. Luckily, Simpkins, their housemate comes up with a task for her to do. Picking plums on a farm that he owns. That’ll do for a while, probably. She’s becoming more and more accustomed to the country life here in Warmsley Parva. However -- time for a crime or two to brighten up the day!
Luckily, our author, Jessica Ellicott, has something in mind. Who is sending the poison pen letters to all and sundry in the little village? The ones that are completely, utterly untrue, to boot? Beryl gets one, and she laughs it off. But when their housekeeper Beddoes receives a letter, well, that does it. Time to get involved; even Constable Gibbs agrees. These kinds of letters can cause untold trouble in a tiny place like their village.
Oh, and there’s are side stories, as there always are. Our man Simpkins and his condiments food company needs some “faces” for his innovative campaign of “convenience foods” for the “modern working woman.” Guess who fills that bill? You got it. Readers will see how Edwina comes to enjoy this side of her personality, too, in this and also in her role as magistrate. And one mustn’t forget how Beryl is changing. Ms. Ellicott does a very good job of describing how she is becoming a rather “new Beryl,” more in tune with a quieter life.
The letters continue to go out. One recipient attempts suicide. And then another dies, from an asthma attack. Did distress from the letter bring on the attack? And all of a sudden, it’s apparent that some of the letters are telling the truth. And so now are we looking at someone killing to keep uncomfortable facts hidden?
I should also mention the “women are growing and getting stronger” scenes that the author has included as part of one of the side stories, which also leads to finding out a bit more of Beryl’s younger life. That’s never a bad thing.
“Murder Through the English Post highlights the thorough detective work of the two “useful and respected associates,” as Edwina calls the two of them now. Their increasing experience in that area leads to a simple clue. Which leads Edwina to the full and complete story, and the unmasking of a murderer. How unassuming and yet complex does Jessica Ellicott make it for us, and thus, a solid entry in the series.
March 22, 2022
Murder Through the Post was an unusual book. Edwina Davenport is the main character who lives in the town of Walmsley Parva, England. She lives in her family home named Beeches with 3 other people, Beryl Helliwell an old friend and partner in Davenport & Helliwell Private Inquiry Agency. Simpkins her gardener and now majority owner of a company named Colonel Kimberly. that he inherited. and Beddoes their housekeeper. Edwina has been elected the new magistrate of their town. Her first day on the bench it is bought to her attention that there are poisonous letters being mailed to the people in the town. This is where the story becomes interesting as she and Beryl try to find out who is sending these letters. They work along with Constable Doris Gibbs interviewing people. Because of these letters the doctor's wife tries to commit suicide and later another person dies. The reader is taken on an adventure to the surprising conclusion of whodunit
Thank you NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing Corp. for this ARC.
Thank you NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing Corp. for this ARC.
June 22, 2024
A fascinating story about what the written word can do and how it affects us for good or ill mixed into this cozy mystery.
Beryl and Edwina are face with poison pen letters that have been loosed upon the people of the village. These letters start out going to many of the citizens letting them know that their neighbours are speaking ill of them in some of the local shops and then telling them the stories that are being spread. The problem is these stories aren't true but they are still having serious consequences through out the town.
I keep trying to figure out how old our characters are and my guess is that they're in their 30s as Edwina is a spinster and Beryl has been married a few times to varying degrees of success, yet they are still attractive to men so probably not deep into their 40s. It's also challenging having to gauge the feel of what the sentiment is towards women, etc. in post-WWI society as WWI brought women into jobs that were previously only held by men due to the shortage or viable men to do them during the war. Once the men returned most women had to give up their positions and go back to their former way of life, but the change had begun and some women actually held onto their positions. Also class structure had started to change as we learn more in the previous two stories. Once the common man saw that his betters were actually no better than himself out on the battle field and frequently worse, the balance of power began to slowly shift and it is a reoccurring theme in these stories. They're well written with some decent twists and while the formulas of cozy mysteries are fairly easy to pick up after reading a few books into a series, there's always a directional shift in these that makes one see things differently midway through. This shift then requires you to change your ideas a little, and can lead to some interesting surprises in the end. There were enough here for me to really enjoy the story more than most.
Beryl and Edwina are face with poison pen letters that have been loosed upon the people of the village. These letters start out going to many of the citizens letting them know that their neighbours are speaking ill of them in some of the local shops and then telling them the stories that are being spread. The problem is these stories aren't true but they are still having serious consequences through out the town.
I keep trying to figure out how old our characters are and my guess is that they're in their 30s as Edwina is a spinster and Beryl has been married a few times to varying degrees of success, yet they are still attractive to men so probably not deep into their 40s. It's also challenging having to gauge the feel of what the sentiment is towards women, etc. in post-WWI society as WWI brought women into jobs that were previously only held by men due to the shortage or viable men to do them during the war. Once the men returned most women had to give up their positions and go back to their former way of life, but the change had begun and some women actually held onto their positions. Also class structure had started to change as we learn more in the previous two stories. Once the common man saw that his betters were actually no better than himself out on the battle field and frequently worse, the balance of power began to slowly shift and it is a reoccurring theme in these stories. They're well written with some decent twists and while the formulas of cozy mysteries are fairly easy to pick up after reading a few books into a series, there's always a directional shift in these that makes one see things differently midway through. This shift then requires you to change your ideas a little, and can lead to some interesting surprises in the end. There were enough here for me to really enjoy the story more than most.
August 3, 2022
Rich with lush descriptions of British gardens and countryside, this historical cozy mystery captured and held my attention throughout. I very much enjoyed the hours spent with Edwina and Beryl, friends for many years, from opposite sides of the pond. Beryl, who rarely spent any length of time anywhere, has been with Edwina in a small village in the English countryside in the home Edwina inherited from her family. The months and years following the Great War have been financially challenging for people around the globe, and Edwina had fallen on hard times.
Beryl, a wealthy, world travelling American has enjoyed years of safaris, tours, and treks in many places. After what she had done through the war years, she needed a break, and she was happy to spend time with her dear friend, albeit the very proper Edwina who knows all the nuances of the British classes from servants to the royalty.
They began a private enquiry business for which they were becoming well-known in Walmsley Parva. Their reputation is even building with the local constable. In the past, Constable Gibbs has tried to discourage them from doing any kind of investigating, but Gibbs has now come to them seeking assistance. The new case came to Edwina’s awareness on her first day as a Magistrate in the village court. A poison pen letter caused a fight between two young men who had been friends since they childhood, and they appeared before Edwina in the court. She had a strange feeling this was not the last letter of its sort she would see. That afternoon, Beryl and their housekeeper each received one. They were ugly, cruel letters, the intent of which seemed to be to cause rifts between friends, or at the least, pain and suffering to the recipient. A few days later, it seems a letter may have caused a death…
What ran through my mind throughout this novel is how, one hundred years later, anonymous, poison pen letters have been replaced by in-your-face poison social media posts. In 1920, unless the recipient of such a letter showed it to someone else, only the writer and recipient were usually aware of it. Today, anybody on social media or even the internet in general can see who the recipient and the writer are and it is just as damaging since everyone can see what the post.
I loved the characters, including how kind and community-oriented Edwina and Beryl are. Seeing Beryl being vulnerable to a young woman to help her heal from a situation was endearing. I enjoyed how well the two friends worked together to find whodunit. Having a ringside seat to Edwina’s thoughts while working through the clues was also endearing as she looked at her own reactions. “Was it really the case that a reputation could be called into question so easily?” In many cases, sadly, yes.
This mystery and possible death through the stress of reading the contents of a letter kept me guessing. I almost had to discard my pet whodunit by following the evidence, but sometimes evidence shows only a small part of the puzzle. I was impressed at how Edwina and Beryl asked questions of people, followed leads, and communicated very well with each other. The reveal of whodunit had its share of surprises and motives. The end was stunning, yet left hope for future situations and novels even while bearing sorrow for the loss of life and friendships. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys very well-written historical cozy mysteries set in England with wit, enduring friendships, and a community of caring folks.
Beryl, a wealthy, world travelling American has enjoyed years of safaris, tours, and treks in many places. After what she had done through the war years, she needed a break, and she was happy to spend time with her dear friend, albeit the very proper Edwina who knows all the nuances of the British classes from servants to the royalty.
They began a private enquiry business for which they were becoming well-known in Walmsley Parva. Their reputation is even building with the local constable. In the past, Constable Gibbs has tried to discourage them from doing any kind of investigating, but Gibbs has now come to them seeking assistance. The new case came to Edwina’s awareness on her first day as a Magistrate in the village court. A poison pen letter caused a fight between two young men who had been friends since they childhood, and they appeared before Edwina in the court. She had a strange feeling this was not the last letter of its sort she would see. That afternoon, Beryl and their housekeeper each received one. They were ugly, cruel letters, the intent of which seemed to be to cause rifts between friends, or at the least, pain and suffering to the recipient. A few days later, it seems a letter may have caused a death…
What ran through my mind throughout this novel is how, one hundred years later, anonymous, poison pen letters have been replaced by in-your-face poison social media posts. In 1920, unless the recipient of such a letter showed it to someone else, only the writer and recipient were usually aware of it. Today, anybody on social media or even the internet in general can see who the recipient and the writer are and it is just as damaging since everyone can see what the post.
I loved the characters, including how kind and community-oriented Edwina and Beryl are. Seeing Beryl being vulnerable to a young woman to help her heal from a situation was endearing. I enjoyed how well the two friends worked together to find whodunit. Having a ringside seat to Edwina’s thoughts while working through the clues was also endearing as she looked at her own reactions. “Was it really the case that a reputation could be called into question so easily?” In many cases, sadly, yes.
This mystery and possible death through the stress of reading the contents of a letter kept me guessing. I almost had to discard my pet whodunit by following the evidence, but sometimes evidence shows only a small part of the puzzle. I was impressed at how Edwina and Beryl asked questions of people, followed leads, and communicated very well with each other. The reveal of whodunit had its share of surprises and motives. The end was stunning, yet left hope for future situations and novels even while bearing sorrow for the loss of life and friendships. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys very well-written historical cozy mysteries set in England with wit, enduring friendships, and a community of caring folks.
July 17, 2022
I received a free publisher's advance review copy, via Netgalley.
This is the sixth in a series featuring the American adventurer, Beryl Helliwell, and her English friend, Edwina Davenport. The pair are now living in Edwina’s family home, the Beeches, in the English village of Walmsey Parva, along with longtime gardener Simkins (who is now also the owner of a large condiments company), and housekeeper Beddoes.
Edwina has just been named the village magistrate, and one of her first cases is that of two young men, longtime friends, arrested for street brawling. What led the two to fisticuffs was a poison pen letter, completely false, sent to one of the young men, and claiming his old friend had made terrible accusations about him. Soon after that, Edwina and Beryl find that several of these poison pen letters have been sent to villagers—including themselves—and causing all sorts of trouble. While Beryl and Edwina find their letter laughable, others in the village are distraught. When one of the recipients tries to kill herself, and it appears that another may have died as a result of hers, it’s time for Beryl and Edwina to get back to their private inquiry business.
I’ve always enjoyed a poison pen plot, with Dorothy L. Sayers’s Gaudy Night being the best I’ve ever read. I didn’t expect that Murder Through the English Post would rival that book, and my expectations were met. While this book was a pleasant enough way to pass a few hours, the characters didn’t come alive for me, and the plot felt under-developed. While I don’t think it’s necessary to read the other books in the series before this one, it would likely help make the lead characters feel more filled out.
This is the sixth in a series featuring the American adventurer, Beryl Helliwell, and her English friend, Edwina Davenport. The pair are now living in Edwina’s family home, the Beeches, in the English village of Walmsey Parva, along with longtime gardener Simkins (who is now also the owner of a large condiments company), and housekeeper Beddoes.
Edwina has just been named the village magistrate, and one of her first cases is that of two young men, longtime friends, arrested for street brawling. What led the two to fisticuffs was a poison pen letter, completely false, sent to one of the young men, and claiming his old friend had made terrible accusations about him. Soon after that, Edwina and Beryl find that several of these poison pen letters have been sent to villagers—including themselves—and causing all sorts of trouble. While Beryl and Edwina find their letter laughable, others in the village are distraught. When one of the recipients tries to kill herself, and it appears that another may have died as a result of hers, it’s time for Beryl and Edwina to get back to their private inquiry business.
I’ve always enjoyed a poison pen plot, with Dorothy L. Sayers’s Gaudy Night being the best I’ve ever read. I didn’t expect that Murder Through the English Post would rival that book, and my expectations were met. While this book was a pleasant enough way to pass a few hours, the characters didn’t come alive for me, and the plot felt under-developed. While I don’t think it’s necessary to read the other books in the series before this one, it would likely help make the lead characters feel more filled out.
May 14, 2022
This is the 6th in the Beryl and Edwina historical cozy mystery series. Life continues on in the English Village od Walmsley Parma for friends Edwina and Beryl.. Everyday life has been quiet for the two friends as Edwina starts her new position of Magistrate and Beryl the Adventuress, gets bored. Their Enquiry Business is soon back in business though, as poisoned pen letters with uncertain truths and suggestions of wrong doing are being delivered to various village residents.
This book did seemed more slanted to solving a mystery versus a murder mystery.A resident died about halfway through and it was not determined to be a murder until 80% into the book. A greater amount seemed ro be given to character growth, especially Beryl. While this book could be read as a stand alone, Beryl, Edwina. and Constable Gibbs all grow and have further development in each book of the series. While I would call this book " gentle" , I still liked it very much as a cozy mystery. To me, it showed the authors writing diversity within a cozy mystery.
I'd like to thank NetGalley. , Kensington Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book which publishes on 7/26/22
This book did seemed more slanted to solving a mystery versus a murder mystery.A resident died about halfway through and it was not determined to be a murder until 80% into the book. A greater amount seemed ro be given to character growth, especially Beryl. While this book could be read as a stand alone, Beryl, Edwina. and Constable Gibbs all grow and have further development in each book of the series. While I would call this book " gentle" , I still liked it very much as a cozy mystery. To me, it showed the authors writing diversity within a cozy mystery.
I'd like to thank NetGalley. , Kensington Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book which publishes on 7/26/22
July 22, 2022
Another winning entry into a delightful cozy mystery series set in a small English village between the wars. Edwina and Beryl were school chums and now share a home and a business venture. They are private enquiry agents (private investigators) and are very good at their job. They have come along way over six books and each visit is a pleasure.
This time there is discord in the village of Wlmsley Parva caused by a nasty series of poisoned pen letters being sent to many locals. Some are so bad that they lead friends to brawl in the street and another to attempt suicide. Time for Edwina and Beryl with the help of Constable Gibbs, Beddoes, their housekeeper and Simpkins, their gardener to stop the author of the missives. Words can kill just as sure as actions and in the course of investigating they find murder is afoot.
I enjoy spending time with Edwina and Beryl. Their friendship and humor are pitch perfect and leave me wanting to simply sit in a comfy chair by the hearth with a nice hot cuppa and chat with friends.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
This time there is discord in the village of Wlmsley Parva caused by a nasty series of poisoned pen letters being sent to many locals. Some are so bad that they lead friends to brawl in the street and another to attempt suicide. Time for Edwina and Beryl with the help of Constable Gibbs, Beddoes, their housekeeper and Simpkins, their gardener to stop the author of the missives. Words can kill just as sure as actions and in the course of investigating they find murder is afoot.
I enjoy spending time with Edwina and Beryl. Their friendship and humor are pitch perfect and leave me wanting to simply sit in a comfy chair by the hearth with a nice hot cuppa and chat with friends.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 8, 2022
Secrets. Everyone has secrets. Small towns, despite their idyllic image, harbor many. In the case of the small English village of Walmsley Parva, the biggest is "Who's sending poison pen letters?"
It's been awhile since I've dropped in on Beryl, the adventure lover, more apt to be climbing a mountain than baking a pie, and Edwina, who seems to thrive on the sameness of her beloved small town. She's just taken a big step, however, especially for a woman of those times. In any case, they make the perfect team in their private inquiry business. In modern times, they'd be called private investigators.
This is set in the past, however, in England as it is still trying to recover from the wounds, both mental and physical, not to mention financial, in the post Great War era. Some in their village have been receiving poison pen letters sent composed of words and letters carefully cut out of magazines and pasted onto paper. Even Beryl has received one but, Beryl being Beryl, she simply shrugged and laughed it off.
The others? No. No one is laughing.
In fact, though the accusations made are lies, they are distressing and not only leading to fights and loud arguments but at least one suicide attempt has resulted. Edwina and Beryl almost lose their beyond-efficient housekeeper, Beddoes, over one, too, and ultimately begin looking into the matter. As Edwina says, small incidents can easily become big ones and create larger problems in small towns.
Who is sending the letters? Does someone have a grudge against that many people? But, wait. It gets worse. Someone dies, Cornelia, and a poison pen letter is found in her car. The kindly, retired doctor calls it death by asthma but, well, was their more? Could the letter have brought on the asthma attack? Was that victim's husband possibly a suspect, either of murder or at the very least, sending the letters? Why is Edwina so quick to suspect the town's new doctor? Could the nurse have done it? If so, to what advantage? Why the change of tone in the letters? Will Edwina make the next garden club meeting? Will Beryl learn to knit? Oh, never mind. That is a big no, at least for now. And, hmm, is romance in the air?
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with Beryl and Edwina but would caution readers that the pace is far more relaxed and slower moving than the norm nowadays. There is a great deal of what I dubbed "mind talk" throughout as individually Beryl and Edwina think privately about, well, a multitude of things, from their unlikely friendship, to Simpkins' good luck and clever ideas to make a profit of his inherited business, and whether they really know their fellow villagers or not, among others. It actually was interesting to see their thoughts, most likely thoughts that wouldn't be included in the rush of a more dialogue heavy tome. It gives the book a classical feel, in a way. Although the 9th in the series, this installment is a solid standalone as you'll learn Beryl and Edwina's history as the chapters alternate viewpoints. Enjoy! Edwina would say have a cuppa tea and relax but Beryl, American that she is, would prefer coffee.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for letting me drop back into Beryl and Edwina's lives again after a time away. I won't make that mistake again. I want to see if that orchid worked!
It's been awhile since I've dropped in on Beryl, the adventure lover, more apt to be climbing a mountain than baking a pie, and Edwina, who seems to thrive on the sameness of her beloved small town. She's just taken a big step, however, especially for a woman of those times. In any case, they make the perfect team in their private inquiry business. In modern times, they'd be called private investigators.
This is set in the past, however, in England as it is still trying to recover from the wounds, both mental and physical, not to mention financial, in the post Great War era. Some in their village have been receiving poison pen letters sent composed of words and letters carefully cut out of magazines and pasted onto paper. Even Beryl has received one but, Beryl being Beryl, she simply shrugged and laughed it off.
The others? No. No one is laughing.
In fact, though the accusations made are lies, they are distressing and not only leading to fights and loud arguments but at least one suicide attempt has resulted. Edwina and Beryl almost lose their beyond-efficient housekeeper, Beddoes, over one, too, and ultimately begin looking into the matter. As Edwina says, small incidents can easily become big ones and create larger problems in small towns.
Who is sending the letters? Does someone have a grudge against that many people? But, wait. It gets worse. Someone dies, Cornelia, and a poison pen letter is found in her car. The kindly, retired doctor calls it death by asthma but, well, was their more? Could the letter have brought on the asthma attack? Was that victim's husband possibly a suspect, either of murder or at the very least, sending the letters? Why is Edwina so quick to suspect the town's new doctor? Could the nurse have done it? If so, to what advantage? Why the change of tone in the letters? Will Edwina make the next garden club meeting? Will Beryl learn to knit? Oh, never mind. That is a big no, at least for now. And, hmm, is romance in the air?
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with Beryl and Edwina but would caution readers that the pace is far more relaxed and slower moving than the norm nowadays. There is a great deal of what I dubbed "mind talk" throughout as individually Beryl and Edwina think privately about, well, a multitude of things, from their unlikely friendship, to Simpkins' good luck and clever ideas to make a profit of his inherited business, and whether they really know their fellow villagers or not, among others. It actually was interesting to see their thoughts, most likely thoughts that wouldn't be included in the rush of a more dialogue heavy tome. It gives the book a classical feel, in a way. Although the 9th in the series, this installment is a solid standalone as you'll learn Beryl and Edwina's history as the chapters alternate viewpoints. Enjoy! Edwina would say have a cuppa tea and relax but Beryl, American that she is, would prefer coffee.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for letting me drop back into Beryl and Edwina's lives again after a time away. I won't make that mistake again. I want to see if that orchid worked!
July 28, 2022
Murder Through The English Post is the sixth book in the Beryl And Edwina Mystery series by Jessica Ellicott.
I enjoy visiting Walmsley Parva, and this visit is no exception. Edwina has recently been appointed magistrate for Walmsley Parva. While Beryl is getting used to a quieter life, she is also learning not to try and help their housekeeper.
Edwina’s first case as the magistrate involves two young men who got into a fight. One got an anonymous letter saying the other had made terrible accusations about him, thus leading to a brawl. Soon many other residents begin receiving these “poison pen letters”. Like Beryl, most who received a letter chose to ignore them. Beryl’s letter questions the living arrangement with Edwina and Mr. Simpkins. One lady has attempted suicide, and another lady’s death has been attributed to an asthma attack. Beryl and Edwina begin to wonder if the letter she received could have caused her asthma attack.
Surprisingly, Constable Doris Gibbs is starting to mellow a bit and asks Beryl and Edwina to help investigate who might be sending the poison pen letters. Beryl and Edwina will discreetly ask residents if they had received a letter and what it said, hoping that something will direct them to the writer.
Also, Mr. Simpkins, through his condiments company, will be introducing convenient foods for the working woman. Simpkins would like Beryl and Edwins to provide recommendations for his new line of food products and allow their images to be on the tins. Beryl is all for it but thinks it might take some convincing Edwina.
I love this series. The books are well-written, plotted, and the author skillfully describes Walmsley Parva. The book has a wonderful cast of characters. I would consider them my friend.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this enjoyable series.
I enjoy visiting Walmsley Parva, and this visit is no exception. Edwina has recently been appointed magistrate for Walmsley Parva. While Beryl is getting used to a quieter life, she is also learning not to try and help their housekeeper.
Edwina’s first case as the magistrate involves two young men who got into a fight. One got an anonymous letter saying the other had made terrible accusations about him, thus leading to a brawl. Soon many other residents begin receiving these “poison pen letters”. Like Beryl, most who received a letter chose to ignore them. Beryl’s letter questions the living arrangement with Edwina and Mr. Simpkins. One lady has attempted suicide, and another lady’s death has been attributed to an asthma attack. Beryl and Edwina begin to wonder if the letter she received could have caused her asthma attack.
Surprisingly, Constable Doris Gibbs is starting to mellow a bit and asks Beryl and Edwina to help investigate who might be sending the poison pen letters. Beryl and Edwina will discreetly ask residents if they had received a letter and what it said, hoping that something will direct them to the writer.
Also, Mr. Simpkins, through his condiments company, will be introducing convenient foods for the working woman. Simpkins would like Beryl and Edwins to provide recommendations for his new line of food products and allow their images to be on the tins. Beryl is all for it but thinks it might take some convincing Edwina.
I love this series. The books are well-written, plotted, and the author skillfully describes Walmsley Parva. The book has a wonderful cast of characters. I would consider them my friend.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this enjoyable series.
April 28, 2022
A nice cozy mystery set in a small town in England just after the Great War. The main characters, Beryl and Edwina, are friends who run a private enquiry business. They have very different personalities, with Beryl being an adventuress. Edwina is more a homebody who enjoys gardening and is quietly writing her own novel. Edwina is also recently made the magistrate of their little town. There appeared to be a bunch of poisoned pen letters being sent to the villagers. These letters contain rumours and insinuations that cause conflict and despair to the recipients, Beryl and Edwina are asked by Constable Gibbs to investigate these letters. This book is nicely-paced and pretty easy reading. I do enjoy the characters and how they go about investigating the mystery. This is the first book in this series I've read. So, I don't know enough about the characters' personal histories. Still, the small village setting and the cast of characters are enjoyable enough to read. I would like to read the earlier books in the series to see what kind of "adventures" Beryl had been involved in and how exactly she and Edwina got to work and live with each other.
*Thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC for an honest review.*
*Thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC for an honest review.*
July 29, 2022
Set in the sleepy English village of Walmsley Parva, Murder Through the English Post is my first book by author Jessica Ellicott though it is the sixth in the series. It features Beryl Helliwell, an adventuress who went to finishing school with Edwina. Edwina Davenport is a newly appointed magistrate, whose first case is two young men involved in a brawl and this is linked to residents receiving poison pen letters. The duo, who have the Davenport & Helliwell Private Enquiry Agency, don their sleuthing hats when a neighbour dies. A gentle, though nevertheless compelling read with fabulous characters. I will no doubt be picking up this series from the beginning, time permitting!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
January 19, 2024
I’ve been so excited for this book! Poison pen letters are such an interesting thing to me, and when I found out they’re the plot, I was over the moon! This definitely did not disappoint. 🖤
August 29, 2022
4 stars for the mystery, 0 stars for the sexist tropes .
Edwina is eager to start her new job as magistrate but worried when two lads she knows well, Michael Blackburn and Norman Davies, are brought up for brawling and hitting Constable Gibbs. When Edwin gets to the bottom of the situation, she learns someone has told Michael that Norman has been spreading lies about Michael, which Norman denies. Edwina fears someone is out to cause mischief and harm in the village. Meanwhile, Beryl is at loose ends with nothing to do except assist Simpkins with his new product line. Both women independently learn someone has been sending poisoned pen letters through the post and spreading lies that threaten to tear the village apart. While Beryl and Simpkins can laugh off the accusations, others take the letters seriously. Who is intent on tearing the village apart? Can Beryl and Edwina figure it out before it’s too late? It may already be too late when one woman tries to take her own life and another turns up dead. Will the ladies solve this one or will Walmsley Parma be forever altered?
This is a different sort of mystery where the characters are trying to figure out who sent the poisoned pen letters. The death happens late in the book and is dismissed as natural causes. Edwina fears the deceased died as a result of receiving a poisoned pen letter and is seriously concerned. The investigation takes a sharper focus at that point. I had my suspicions but ended up dismissing them as it seemed impossible. It turns out that I was starting to put things together but I didn’t have all the information yet. The plot focuses on the villagers and village life. It’s nice to get a glimpse of the days gone by but goodness what a lot of fuss over some ridiculous lies. Some of the letters are malicious and others are just stupid, like Beryl’s.
The characters have really developed since we first met them, months ago. Edwina has come into her own. She’s fulfilled now by her two jobs and her novel writing and has started writing another. She loves what she does and has little time for gardening or other village activities. She’s not so shocked by certain things anymore since her exposure to Beryl. Edwina still can’t get used to Beryl’s reckless driving though and is still concerned over small town affairs. Edwina begins to see Charles in a new light after he finally mans up and makes a grand gesture to show her how he feels. My first reaction was “aww It’s about time!” but then I realized how happy and fulfilled she was WITHOUT A MAN! Edwina doesn’t need a man to fulfill her and I resent that message VERY much. The same with Beryl. She’s become more involved in country life, concerned about the villagers and helping Simpkins with his business, which falls under the domesticity category. She’s apparently now starting to maybe feel the pangs of regret at not having children. BARF BARF BARF! Major points off for turning these two happily independent ladies into sexist stereotypes. Shame on you Jessie! Marriage and children are not the be all, end all of a woman’s world. NO NO NO NO! Beryl is childfree and single and happily so. She’s had a happy and amazing life and shouldn’t have any regrets. Beryl shows signs of her old self when Simpkins asks for a favor.
Michael Blackburn had a hard war and came home with shell shock. He seemed better now and enjoys working on cars. Edwina and his sister Nora worry the accusations will set him back. Honestly man, if you hadn’t brawled in public with the other dude no one would know! Men don’t think logically. I feel bad that the letter writer didn’t take into account his problem and try something else but I think he was stupid to fight Norman on it. Norman had no idea what was going on and that should have been Michael’s first clue. Plus the letter didn’t ask for money or anything, it was just spreading nasty gossip. Mrs. Dunstable at The Woolrey seems nice and a competent business woman but even she’s rattled by the contents of her letter. Is there some truth to it and that’s why it hits a nerve? Beddoes, the maid at The Beeches, is very silly and I don’t see why she felt the need to resign rather than wait and see what happened. Everyone overreacts to these letters.
The Prentice family truly don’t deserve to have one more thing heaped on their plate. Mrs. Prentice is lovely and a good mother. I wonder if her husband isn’t the one causing trouble, perhaps for payment in beer or as payment for not paying his bill? Yet why would he send his own wife a poisoned pen letter? Everyone knows what he’s like.
Cornelia Burroughs is a mean girl of the village. I get that vibe off her. She seems snippy and rude to Edwina because Edwina forgot an important garden club meeting. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was behind the letters but then something happens that makes me think she is not. Plus she just seems mean girlish, like she’ll be rude to your face and not behind your back. Her husband, Godfrey, is said to be henpecked. Cornelia runs the household with an iron fist and that includes her husband. Perhaps he’s behind the letters as a way to get back at his wife for being so hard on him? Two truths and a lie in reverse? Spread gossip, make everyone think it was her and then use the crime as an excuse to leave her perhaps? The letter sent to Mrs. Scott was certainly telling the truth. Her daughter Eva was sexually harassed by her boss, Mr. Mumford, the owner of the cinema. The only one ignorant of what type of man he is, is his wife. Minnie Mumford is sweet and innocent and ignorant. Mr. M should be in jail. Eva is a girl, maybe underage. She isn’t worldly wise yet and thinks it was her fault. GRR! Beryl tries to make Eva feel better by explaining #MeToo 1920s style. Women had to look out for each other and support one another because men had all the power. Beryl hopes one day sexual harassment won’t be a part of the coming-of-age process. Yes Beryl, maybe one day.
Nurse Crenshaw is a suspect because she’s been accused of spreading nasty gossip. Unsurprising really if she did. She’s in a position to know. However, she seems happy enough to gossip a bit in person and doesn’t need to spread lies through letters. I don’t quite trust her though. I STRONGLY resent the lonely spinster in love with her employer trope though. Yuck. Not every single woman is in need or want of a man thank you. I also don’t trust Dr. Nelson but not for the reasons Edwina doesn’t like him. I understand not appreciating his bedside manner, he could work on that a bit, but because he’s a newcomer to the village. He doesn’t seem to socialize or interact with the neighbors in the way his predecessor Dr. Wilcox does. Still, I was appalled that when Dr. Nelson told a character to quit smoking because new studies show it might be bad for your health, the character AND Edwina resented the doctor telling that character what to do. What the heck? Who knows best ignorant villagers or a medical professional reading the latest literature? Of course smoking is bad for your health, especially for an asthmatic like this character. Sheesh. At least ask for help and promise you’ll try. The attitude towards mental illness in women really bothered me as well. It’s fine for men to come home from war with shell shock but not fine for a woman who has experienced trauma to behave in the same way? Dr. Wilcox is the retired doctor and now he’s an avid gardener. He seems to have a better bedside manner than his successor but that could just be age and experience. He’s fond of Edwina, sharing her interest in exotic plants. I think he’s in a prime position to pick up all manner of secrets and gossip about them but would he? Would he stoop to writing posioned pen letters? I should hope not.
Mrs. Lowethorpe at the tea shop enjoys gossiping. Is she behind the letters? Mr. Bernard Stevens is the new photographer in town. He’s mysterious and doesn’t seem to interact much with people, only ducks. His letter was especially nasty and he’s unknown so who’s to say it’s not true? I would have focused on that and checked up on his reputation first if I were Beryl.
Who would want to live in this village with such a lovely lot of people?
I’m hoping the next one is less sexist because I really do like these spunky, independent ladies. They don’t need to be reduced to the aging spinster tropes.
Edwina is eager to start her new job as magistrate but worried when two lads she knows well, Michael Blackburn and Norman Davies, are brought up for brawling and hitting Constable Gibbs. When Edwin gets to the bottom of the situation, she learns someone has told Michael that Norman has been spreading lies about Michael, which Norman denies. Edwina fears someone is out to cause mischief and harm in the village. Meanwhile, Beryl is at loose ends with nothing to do except assist Simpkins with his new product line. Both women independently learn someone has been sending poisoned pen letters through the post and spreading lies that threaten to tear the village apart. While Beryl and Simpkins can laugh off the accusations, others take the letters seriously. Who is intent on tearing the village apart? Can Beryl and Edwina figure it out before it’s too late? It may already be too late when one woman tries to take her own life and another turns up dead. Will the ladies solve this one or will Walmsley Parma be forever altered?
This is a different sort of mystery where the characters are trying to figure out who sent the poisoned pen letters. The death happens late in the book and is dismissed as natural causes. Edwina fears the deceased died as a result of receiving a poisoned pen letter and is seriously concerned. The investigation takes a sharper focus at that point. I had my suspicions but ended up dismissing them as it seemed impossible. It turns out that I was starting to put things together but I didn’t have all the information yet. The plot focuses on the villagers and village life. It’s nice to get a glimpse of the days gone by but goodness what a lot of fuss over some ridiculous lies. Some of the letters are malicious and others are just stupid, like Beryl’s.
The characters have really developed since we first met them, months ago. Edwina has come into her own. She’s fulfilled now by her two jobs and her novel writing and has started writing another. She loves what she does and has little time for gardening or other village activities. She’s not so shocked by certain things anymore since her exposure to Beryl. Edwina still can’t get used to Beryl’s reckless driving though and is still concerned over small town affairs. Edwina begins to see Charles in a new light after he finally mans up and makes a grand gesture to show her how he feels. My first reaction was “aww It’s about time!” but then I realized how happy and fulfilled she was WITHOUT A MAN! Edwina doesn’t need a man to fulfill her and I resent that message VERY much. The same with Beryl. She’s become more involved in country life, concerned about the villagers and helping Simpkins with his business, which falls under the domesticity category. She’s apparently now starting to maybe feel the pangs of regret at not having children. BARF BARF BARF! Major points off for turning these two happily independent ladies into sexist stereotypes. Shame on you Jessie! Marriage and children are not the be all, end all of a woman’s world. NO NO NO NO! Beryl is childfree and single and happily so. She’s had a happy and amazing life and shouldn’t have any regrets. Beryl shows signs of her old self when Simpkins asks for a favor.
Michael Blackburn had a hard war and came home with shell shock. He seemed better now and enjoys working on cars. Edwina and his sister Nora worry the accusations will set him back. Honestly man, if you hadn’t brawled in public with the other dude no one would know! Men don’t think logically. I feel bad that the letter writer didn’t take into account his problem and try something else but I think he was stupid to fight Norman on it. Norman had no idea what was going on and that should have been Michael’s first clue. Plus the letter didn’t ask for money or anything, it was just spreading nasty gossip. Mrs. Dunstable at The Woolrey seems nice and a competent business woman but even she’s rattled by the contents of her letter. Is there some truth to it and that’s why it hits a nerve? Beddoes, the maid at The Beeches, is very silly and I don’t see why she felt the need to resign rather than wait and see what happened. Everyone overreacts to these letters.
The Prentice family truly don’t deserve to have one more thing heaped on their plate. Mrs. Prentice is lovely and a good mother. I wonder if her husband isn’t the one causing trouble, perhaps for payment in beer or as payment for not paying his bill? Yet why would he send his own wife a poisoned pen letter? Everyone knows what he’s like.
Cornelia Burroughs is a mean girl of the village. I get that vibe off her. She seems snippy and rude to Edwina because Edwina forgot an important garden club meeting. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was behind the letters but then something happens that makes me think she is not. Plus she just seems mean girlish, like she’ll be rude to your face and not behind your back. Her husband, Godfrey, is said to be henpecked. Cornelia runs the household with an iron fist and that includes her husband. Perhaps he’s behind the letters as a way to get back at his wife for being so hard on him? Two truths and a lie in reverse? Spread gossip, make everyone think it was her and then use the crime as an excuse to leave her perhaps? The letter sent to Mrs. Scott was certainly telling the truth. Her daughter Eva was sexually harassed by her boss, Mr. Mumford, the owner of the cinema. The only one ignorant of what type of man he is, is his wife. Minnie Mumford is sweet and innocent and ignorant. Mr. M should be in jail. Eva is a girl, maybe underage. She isn’t worldly wise yet and thinks it was her fault. GRR! Beryl tries to make Eva feel better by explaining #MeToo 1920s style. Women had to look out for each other and support one another because men had all the power. Beryl hopes one day sexual harassment won’t be a part of the coming-of-age process. Yes Beryl, maybe one day.
Nurse Crenshaw is a suspect because she’s been accused of spreading nasty gossip. Unsurprising really if she did. She’s in a position to know. However, she seems happy enough to gossip a bit in person and doesn’t need to spread lies through letters. I don’t quite trust her though. I STRONGLY resent the lonely spinster in love with her employer trope though. Yuck. Not every single woman is in need or want of a man thank you. I also don’t trust Dr. Nelson but not for the reasons Edwina doesn’t like him. I understand not appreciating his bedside manner, he could work on that a bit, but because he’s a newcomer to the village. He doesn’t seem to socialize or interact with the neighbors in the way his predecessor Dr. Wilcox does. Still, I was appalled that when Dr. Nelson told a character to quit smoking because new studies show it might be bad for your health, the character AND Edwina resented the doctor telling that character what to do. What the heck? Who knows best ignorant villagers or a medical professional reading the latest literature? Of course smoking is bad for your health, especially for an asthmatic like this character. Sheesh. At least ask for help and promise you’ll try. The attitude towards mental illness in women really bothered me as well. It’s fine for men to come home from war with shell shock but not fine for a woman who has experienced trauma to behave in the same way? Dr. Wilcox is the retired doctor and now he’s an avid gardener. He seems to have a better bedside manner than his successor but that could just be age and experience. He’s fond of Edwina, sharing her interest in exotic plants. I think he’s in a prime position to pick up all manner of secrets and gossip about them but would he? Would he stoop to writing posioned pen letters? I should hope not.
Mrs. Lowethorpe at the tea shop enjoys gossiping. Is she behind the letters? Mr. Bernard Stevens is the new photographer in town. He’s mysterious and doesn’t seem to interact much with people, only ducks. His letter was especially nasty and he’s unknown so who’s to say it’s not true? I would have focused on that and checked up on his reputation first if I were Beryl.
Who would want to live in this village with such a lovely lot of people?
I’m hoping the next one is less sexist because I really do like these spunky, independent ladies. They don’t need to be reduced to the aging spinster tropes.
July 29, 2022
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Murder Through the English Post is the 6th Beryl & Edwina English cozy mystery by Jessica Ellicott. Released 26rh July 2022 by Kensington, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback large print format due out in fourth quarter 2022. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a delightfully quirky, beautifully written historical cozy village mystery set in the interwar period in sleepy village Walmsley Parva. There's a poison pen campaign sowing distrust and discord in the village and intrepid enquiry agents Beryl and Edwina are soon on the case. As with the other books in the series, there are lots of side plots which are engaging in themselves, but which also enrich and entwine with the main story.
There's a very golden age feel to the whole and the author has a deft touch with dialogue and characterization. The characters are nuanced and delightfully rendered with drawing room wit. Although it's not at all derivative in any way, the feel of the story and the narrative voice remind me a lot of why I love Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce books.
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours and is -masterfully- narrated by Barbara Rosenblat. She has a beautifully modulated quite deep voice and the enunciation and perfection of characters' accents stupefied and delighted me. There is a moderate amount of quite rapid dialogue in the read and she hops from crisp cut-glass upper class British to indefinite English with quite distinct Scottish brogue, to a domestic servant's broad midlands, and midwest American without a single stumble. This is unquestionably the best audiobook I've heard this year.
The plot is slow and measured. Aside from the poison pen campaign, there's not a lot of action in the first third of the book apart from former gardener turned ready-made canned food magnate Simpkins' foray into greengage plum jam with en eye to adding it to his company's product line. I found the methodical plot development very relaxing and restful.
It could be read as a standalone, however, there will be major spoilers for earlier books in the series if read out of order.
Four and a half stars, five for the audiobook narration. This would make a superlative choice for public library acquisition, social reading (bookclubs, buddy reads, etc - in fact the author has suggested discussion questions on her website) as well as being a great candidate for a very well written series binge read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Murder Through the English Post is the 6th Beryl & Edwina English cozy mystery by Jessica Ellicott. Released 26rh July 2022 by Kensington, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback large print format due out in fourth quarter 2022. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a delightfully quirky, beautifully written historical cozy village mystery set in the interwar period in sleepy village Walmsley Parva. There's a poison pen campaign sowing distrust and discord in the village and intrepid enquiry agents Beryl and Edwina are soon on the case. As with the other books in the series, there are lots of side plots which are engaging in themselves, but which also enrich and entwine with the main story.
There's a very golden age feel to the whole and the author has a deft touch with dialogue and characterization. The characters are nuanced and delightfully rendered with drawing room wit. Although it's not at all derivative in any way, the feel of the story and the narrative voice remind me a lot of why I love Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce books.
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours and is -masterfully- narrated by Barbara Rosenblat. She has a beautifully modulated quite deep voice and the enunciation and perfection of characters' accents stupefied and delighted me. There is a moderate amount of quite rapid dialogue in the read and she hops from crisp cut-glass upper class British to indefinite English with quite distinct Scottish brogue, to a domestic servant's broad midlands, and midwest American without a single stumble. This is unquestionably the best audiobook I've heard this year.
The plot is slow and measured. Aside from the poison pen campaign, there's not a lot of action in the first third of the book apart from former gardener turned ready-made canned food magnate Simpkins' foray into greengage plum jam with en eye to adding it to his company's product line. I found the methodical plot development very relaxing and restful.
It could be read as a standalone, however, there will be major spoilers for earlier books in the series if read out of order.
Four and a half stars, five for the audiobook narration. This would make a superlative choice for public library acquisition, social reading (bookclubs, buddy reads, etc - in fact the author has suggested discussion questions on her website) as well as being a great candidate for a very well written series binge read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
August 11, 2022
I jumped into this series with this sixth book and, while I think I have missed out on some character backstories, it wasn't enough to make me feel lost in any way. More intrigued and I've placed a hold at my library for the first book. Love the 1920s setting -- puts me in mind of Daisy Dalrymple, with the world opening up to women in post war England. One of our heroines has actually been appointed as a magistrate and the village constable is a woman, which I'm guessing is a carry over from the war years. I'll learn more when I play series catch up.
The poison pen mystery intrigued me and the investigation makes for a great introduction to the entire village. I'd call this a gentle mystery, almost Agatha Christie-ish, in the way the mystery plays out. And more serious than the cute cover suggests. Definitely excited to backtrack to the first book now.
The poison pen mystery intrigued me and the investigation makes for a great introduction to the entire village. I'd call this a gentle mystery, almost Agatha Christie-ish, in the way the mystery plays out. And more serious than the cute cover suggests. Definitely excited to backtrack to the first book now.
April 24, 2022
Very enjoyable! I especially enjoyed the main characters, Edwina Davenport and Beryl Helliwell as well as Simpkins, who is Edwina's gardener and who is also a trusty friend. The setting is in a small village named Walmsley Parva in southern England. Although I had not read any of the previous five books in the series, I was able to follow the plot easily since Jessica Ellicott provided ample background information. That being said, I could sense that I had missed some interesting character development from the earlier books. I want to go back and read the earlier books and I will!
Read
August 2, 2022I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Gunslinger's Guide to Avoiding Matrimony. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for providing an ARC to review.
To start, I want to say how well-written this novel is. The writing style is perfect for the period and setting up the post-Great War world of England. I enjoyed the depiction of the changing role of women in the workplace. Beryl and Edwina were multi-layered characters and were fine examples of how cultural ideals changed after the first World War. With all this in mind, I am not sure this period of cozy mysteries is my thing. I had a lot of trouble connecting with this book and the various characters. So I recommend everyone give it a try, but for my taste, I give this book 3/5 stars.
To start, I want to say how well-written this novel is. The writing style is perfect for the period and setting up the post-Great War world of England. I enjoyed the depiction of the changing role of women in the workplace. Beryl and Edwina were multi-layered characters and were fine examples of how cultural ideals changed after the first World War. With all this in mind, I am not sure this period of cozy mysteries is my thing. I had a lot of trouble connecting with this book and the various characters. So I recommend everyone give it a try, but for my taste, I give this book 3/5 stars.
August 12, 2022
Take one sleepy English village, add 2 spunky lady detectives, and throw in gobs of nasty poison pen letters and you've got Jessica Ellicott's sixth Beryl and Edwina Mystery - Murder Through the English Post. With twists, turns, and secrets galore, this fun cozy will keep the reader guessing until the very end. A+++
August 2, 2022
While Jessica Ellicott is new to me, I am a long-standing Barbara Rosenblatt fan. So as soon as I saw her name associated with this audiobook, I knew I wanted to listen to it. And she did not disappoint!
While this book is part of a series, it was easy enough to follow along despite not having read any of the other titles in the series. And the characters intrigued me enough that I plan to look for earlier installments in the series to listen to more, especially if Ms.Rosenblatt is the narrator.
As Beryl and Edwina try to identify and stop a poison pen writer, they also try to stem the wounds being created by the maliciousness of the letters. As they investigated the case, twists and turns led us astray, first making the listener suspect one person and then another.
I will say that I had a feeling early on that I knew who the writer was, but could never piece together the proof. And ultimately, I was only partly right.
This was British mystery at its best with quirky characters, odd goings-on, and a village I would love to visit one day. And true to form, Ms. Rosenblatt presented us with strong female characters with a backbone and intelligence.
Thank you to Jessica Ellicott, Barbara Rosenblatt, RB Media and NetGalley for the advance review copy.
While this book is part of a series, it was easy enough to follow along despite not having read any of the other titles in the series. And the characters intrigued me enough that I plan to look for earlier installments in the series to listen to more, especially if Ms.Rosenblatt is the narrator.
As Beryl and Edwina try to identify and stop a poison pen writer, they also try to stem the wounds being created by the maliciousness of the letters. As they investigated the case, twists and turns led us astray, first making the listener suspect one person and then another.
I will say that I had a feeling early on that I knew who the writer was, but could never piece together the proof. And ultimately, I was only partly right.
This was British mystery at its best with quirky characters, odd goings-on, and a village I would love to visit one day. And true to form, Ms. Rosenblatt presented us with strong female characters with a backbone and intelligence.
Thank you to Jessica Ellicott, Barbara Rosenblatt, RB Media and NetGalley for the advance review copy.
August 2, 2022
Beryl and Edwina and co. are always a delightful cozy to slip into. Murder Through the English Post is the 6th installment in this series and although you can certainly start here if you'd like, I recommend starting with book 1, Murder in an English Village. If cozy mysteries are your bag then you will want to devour this entire series.
This installment's solid mystery surrounds the cautionary tale of Poison Pen Letters, (a lesson our current internet trolls could learn from) and contains some delightful and significant growth in the arcs for long-standing characters in the series. I enjoyed this installment thoroughly and was excited to listen to it.
Barbara Rosenblat continues to do an excellent job with all of the character's voices. She is able to do that rare and wonderful magic of making you forget that this is all being performed by one person.
I hope Jessica Ellicot will continue to give us these enjoyable diversions into the village life of Walmsley Parva and especially the extraordinary adventures of Edwina and Beryl.
5 stars.
Thank you to Jessica Ellicott, RB Media, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the chance to read this audiobook.
This installment's solid mystery surrounds the cautionary tale of Poison Pen Letters, (a lesson our current internet trolls could learn from) and contains some delightful and significant growth in the arcs for long-standing characters in the series. I enjoyed this installment thoroughly and was excited to listen to it.
Barbara Rosenblat continues to do an excellent job with all of the character's voices. She is able to do that rare and wonderful magic of making you forget that this is all being performed by one person.
I hope Jessica Ellicot will continue to give us these enjoyable diversions into the village life of Walmsley Parva and especially the extraordinary adventures of Edwina and Beryl.
5 stars.
Thank you to Jessica Ellicott, RB Media, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the chance to read this audiobook.
July 3, 2022
We'rIe on Book six and I love these characters and this cosy mystery series. It's beautifully written and once again I enjoyed how the author develops the characters and the relationships between them, I feel like a villager!
The poison pen storyline just felt a little too much for me. Too many? Too fast? Hmm... perhaps the next mystery will resonate better.
The back story development, with SImpkins, is great and an aspect I hope to read more of ( aligns with the entrepreneur in me). Perhaps some insights into those times.
With thanks to #Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
The poison pen storyline just felt a little too much for me. Too many? Too fast? Hmm... perhaps the next mystery will resonate better.
The back story development, with SImpkins, is great and an aspect I hope to read more of ( aligns with the entrepreneur in me). Perhaps some insights into those times.
With thanks to #Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2022
Poison is in the pen in Jessica Ellicott's latest mystery, "Murder Through the English Post." This time, Beryl and Edwina must investigate a rash of poison pen letters that may have caused a death.
Beryl, Edwina, and Simpkins continue to grow and their unconventional partnership is a delight. The flip side of that is that there is a LOT of introspection, mostly by Edwina, in this book, and it does cause it to drag in places. I'm very happy that Edwina is opening herself up to new experiences, such as becoming a magistrate, but I don't necessarily want to read an entire chapter of her inner thoughts about her life.
Pretty much everyone in the village gets a poison pen letter, some deserved, some not. Readers will probably figure out the solution before Beryl and Edwina, but this is an enjoyable visit to Walmsley Parva, and a great peek into post-WWI village life.
4/5 stars
I received an advance copy from Kensington Books, Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Beryl, Edwina, and Simpkins continue to grow and their unconventional partnership is a delight. The flip side of that is that there is a LOT of introspection, mostly by Edwina, in this book, and it does cause it to drag in places. I'm very happy that Edwina is opening herself up to new experiences, such as becoming a magistrate, but I don't necessarily want to read an entire chapter of her inner thoughts about her life.
Pretty much everyone in the village gets a poison pen letter, some deserved, some not. Readers will probably figure out the solution before Beryl and Edwina, but this is an enjoyable visit to Walmsley Parva, and a great peek into post-WWI village life.
4/5 stars
I received an advance copy from Kensington Books, Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
August 4, 2022
https://openbooksociety.com/article/m...
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Edwina and Beryl, the delightful protagonists of this series, invited me in for a cup of coffee on the first page and welcomed me into their investigation. As a fan of historical fiction, I enjoyed learning more about post World War I Europe, especially the idyllic English countryside. I appreciated seeing various trades and careers women learned to keep life going on the home front during and after the war. The characters, setting, the plot itself, and its mystifying situations were delightful yet bittersweet. The novel was thought-provoking; what Edwina discovered about herself is as useful today as a century ago.
Edwina lives at the Beeches, her family home passed down through several generations. The Great War and the following months found many people in England, including her village of Walmsley Parva, struggling economically. Edwina was prepared to take in a boarder until her long-time dear friend Beryl came for an extended visit. They opened a private enquiry business. The differences in their perspectives due to their backgrounds were beneficial to the business and its income. Simpkins, a gardener who suddenly found himself the majority owner of a condiment company, also moved in and put much work and money into the gardens at the Beeches. It worked well for everyone and gave them their own little family of sorts.
Edwina began to work as a magistrate at the local court. On her first day, she learned about a poison pen letter sent to one of two men involved in an altercation. One man, Michael, found out by way of this anonymous, craftily prepared letter that his childhood friend, Norman, told nasty, hurtful lies about him. Michael confronted him about the letter and its contents, and Norman’s repeated claim of innocence did not calm him, thus the fight that brought them to court.
Over the next few days, several more people received poison pen letters, including Beryl and their housekeeper, Beddoes. Constable Gibbs asked their assistance after another woman, wife of the village doctor, attempted suicide after receiving a particularly venomous letter. One woman died, possibly the result of a stress-induced asthma attack.
Edwina noticed subtle differences in the letters, especially after discovering a huge clue. Some things were consistent with all the letters, such as the brand of envelopes and paper, the block lettering, and the use of words and letters snipped from periodicals. It was quite the puzzle, and nothing seemed to bring them closer to finding the bad guy. Or gal, since most poison pen letter senders were women.
The characters are three dimensional, most very likable and believable. Beryl, a worldly American adventuress who had traveled around the globe, including helping in various capacities during the war, was nothing like the very sheltered, proper Edwina. Their differences served to complement each other’s unique points of view. It was a friendship that worked, lasting the test of time. Simpkins did not seem like a man who was part owner of a national company. His keen observation and natural intelligence, coupled with what he’d learned of human nature over the years, however, gave him a perspective that could take him from the orchard or garden to the boardroom with ease.
Beginning to end, this was a very satisfying novel, with amazing descriptions of the era, the gardens, and how Beryl’s knowledge and wisdom acquired from years of travel and treks could be used in the genteel countryside. Plot twists made frequent changes to the suspect list. My list was quite short, even considering what they discovered amongst the letters. For some, the results were as toxic to life or reputation as if the sender had used physical poison. The solutions were discovered, and a sad justice of sorts was meted out. Edwina, Beryl, and their friend Charles had grown and changed in noticeable ways as result of those letters. I highly recommend this historical cozy mystery and am eagerly looking forward to the next one!
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Edwina and Beryl, the delightful protagonists of this series, invited me in for a cup of coffee on the first page and welcomed me into their investigation. As a fan of historical fiction, I enjoyed learning more about post World War I Europe, especially the idyllic English countryside. I appreciated seeing various trades and careers women learned to keep life going on the home front during and after the war. The characters, setting, the plot itself, and its mystifying situations were delightful yet bittersweet. The novel was thought-provoking; what Edwina discovered about herself is as useful today as a century ago.
Edwina lives at the Beeches, her family home passed down through several generations. The Great War and the following months found many people in England, including her village of Walmsley Parva, struggling economically. Edwina was prepared to take in a boarder until her long-time dear friend Beryl came for an extended visit. They opened a private enquiry business. The differences in their perspectives due to their backgrounds were beneficial to the business and its income. Simpkins, a gardener who suddenly found himself the majority owner of a condiment company, also moved in and put much work and money into the gardens at the Beeches. It worked well for everyone and gave them their own little family of sorts.
Edwina began to work as a magistrate at the local court. On her first day, she learned about a poison pen letter sent to one of two men involved in an altercation. One man, Michael, found out by way of this anonymous, craftily prepared letter that his childhood friend, Norman, told nasty, hurtful lies about him. Michael confronted him about the letter and its contents, and Norman’s repeated claim of innocence did not calm him, thus the fight that brought them to court.
Over the next few days, several more people received poison pen letters, including Beryl and their housekeeper, Beddoes. Constable Gibbs asked their assistance after another woman, wife of the village doctor, attempted suicide after receiving a particularly venomous letter. One woman died, possibly the result of a stress-induced asthma attack.
Edwina noticed subtle differences in the letters, especially after discovering a huge clue. Some things were consistent with all the letters, such as the brand of envelopes and paper, the block lettering, and the use of words and letters snipped from periodicals. It was quite the puzzle, and nothing seemed to bring them closer to finding the bad guy. Or gal, since most poison pen letter senders were women.
The characters are three dimensional, most very likable and believable. Beryl, a worldly American adventuress who had traveled around the globe, including helping in various capacities during the war, was nothing like the very sheltered, proper Edwina. Their differences served to complement each other’s unique points of view. It was a friendship that worked, lasting the test of time. Simpkins did not seem like a man who was part owner of a national company. His keen observation and natural intelligence, coupled with what he’d learned of human nature over the years, however, gave him a perspective that could take him from the orchard or garden to the boardroom with ease.
Beginning to end, this was a very satisfying novel, with amazing descriptions of the era, the gardens, and how Beryl’s knowledge and wisdom acquired from years of travel and treks could be used in the genteel countryside. Plot twists made frequent changes to the suspect list. My list was quite short, even considering what they discovered amongst the letters. For some, the results were as toxic to life or reputation as if the sender had used physical poison. The solutions were discovered, and a sad justice of sorts was meted out. Edwina, Beryl, and their friend Charles had grown and changed in noticeable ways as result of those letters. I highly recommend this historical cozy mystery and am eagerly looking forward to the next one!
July 26, 2023
This is really a 3.5 that I've rounded up.
I loved so much about this that I was actually kind of ticked off by the things that bothered me. Let's get those out of the way to end on a more positive note.
First: we learn something about a victim that Edwina doesn't know (I went back and relistened to several chapters to be sure about this). Later, Edwina knows it. With most genres, I let this kind of thing slide as long as it doesn't happen often. However, in a mystery, it totally messes up everything.
Second: Repetition. I understand wanting to ensure someone picking up a book in the middle of the series isn't LOST... but we do not need to rehash every relational plot point up to this point. We don't need to be told AGAIN that the girls met at finishing school, that Edwina was in dire straights and advertised for a lodger and that's how Beryl caught up with her--how they started their agency, how they got new servants and how Simkins moved in and and and and... seriously, at this point, you could just read the last book to get it all if the mysteries weren't a part of it.
But the repetition doesn't end there. Even repetition of THIS story withing THIS story becomes a thing until you kind of get the feeling that Ellicott has decided all her readers have short-term memory loss. IT gets frustrating.
Oh, and... Beryl? We know she's a lot more free and easy with her conduct than was acceptable at the time. We don't have to have it hammered home.
All that aside... it was a fun mystery. I like how the author chose to put a certain twist in it, despite not liking it at the same time. It wasn't that we didn't know it had to be the way it was. I just liked that someone had the gumption to do it. No, it wasn't right. But since it's fiction, I'll cheer that gumption even as I condemn the behavior. If that makes me a fictional hypocrite, I'm good with that.
I am also grateful (unlike some reviewers), that Ellicott isn't turning this into a huge "not like other women" thing where she strips people out of the period in which they lived and turn them into modern-day women. Women of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were brought up with certain ideals. For Beryl to have become an independent thinker works due to her background. For Edwina to cast aside all she'd been brought up to value simply because Beryl APPEARS not to value it isn't realistic. And turning her into a modern "I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR" would totally kill the realistic side of the story. I get so tired of authors rewriting history into what they think it should have looked like. So well done, Ms. Ellicott!
All in all, I liked most of the story. What I didn't like, this time, really jerked me out and made it kind of annoying at times. Still eager for the next book (which I think comes out tomorrow. YAY!
I loved so much about this that I was actually kind of ticked off by the things that bothered me. Let's get those out of the way to end on a more positive note.
First: we learn something about a victim that Edwina doesn't know (I went back and relistened to several chapters to be sure about this). Later, Edwina knows it. With most genres, I let this kind of thing slide as long as it doesn't happen often. However, in a mystery, it totally messes up everything.
Second: Repetition. I understand wanting to ensure someone picking up a book in the middle of the series isn't LOST... but we do not need to rehash every relational plot point up to this point. We don't need to be told AGAIN that the girls met at finishing school, that Edwina was in dire straights and advertised for a lodger and that's how Beryl caught up with her--how they started their agency, how they got new servants and how Simkins moved in and and and and... seriously, at this point, you could just read the last book to get it all if the mysteries weren't a part of it.
But the repetition doesn't end there. Even repetition of THIS story withing THIS story becomes a thing until you kind of get the feeling that Ellicott has decided all her readers have short-term memory loss. IT gets frustrating.
Oh, and... Beryl? We know she's a lot more free and easy with her conduct than was acceptable at the time. We don't have to have it hammered home.
All that aside... it was a fun mystery. I like how the author chose to put a certain twist in it, despite not liking it at the same time. It wasn't that we didn't know it had to be the way it was. I just liked that someone had the gumption to do it. No, it wasn't right. But since it's fiction, I'll cheer that gumption even as I condemn the behavior. If that makes me a fictional hypocrite, I'm good with that.
I am also grateful (unlike some reviewers), that Ellicott isn't turning this into a huge "not like other women" thing where she strips people out of the period in which they lived and turn them into modern-day women. Women of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were brought up with certain ideals. For Beryl to have become an independent thinker works due to her background. For Edwina to cast aside all she'd been brought up to value simply because Beryl APPEARS not to value it isn't realistic. And turning her into a modern "I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR" would totally kill the realistic side of the story. I get so tired of authors rewriting history into what they think it should have looked like. So well done, Ms. Ellicott!
All in all, I liked most of the story. What I didn't like, this time, really jerked me out and made it kind of annoying at times. Still eager for the next book (which I think comes out tomorrow. YAY!
July 28, 2022
Murder Through the English Post by Jessica Ellicott is a Beryl and Edwina book and is a traditionally English cozy mystery. Edwina has just taken on the additional responsibility of being the town magistrate and in her first day on the bench is faced with the dilemma of two friends engaging in fisticuffs on the public street, with the additional result of one of them hitting the constable who had been trying to break them up. When Edwina delved further she discovered someone had sent a poisoned pen letter accusing one of being really unkind (and untrue)about the other. The odd thing as the letter, which was made up of words and letters cut from publications and glued to the sheet of paper. The men shook and the constable let the punch she took go, but Edwina was very nervous about what was happening in the village, especially when she went home and discovered that Beryl had received a letter as well. Then, as the days wore on, others were discovered, some with dire results.
Beryl and Edwina are two ladies, past the first bloom of youth, who are living in Edwina’s manor house, along with Simpkins, the gardener. Simpkins had recently inherited a fortune as well as a major food distribution company and had relieved many of the money worries Edwina had struggled with for years, mostly after paying death duties for her parents. Beryl was an adventuress who had gone to school with Edwina and landed here somewhat recently. They found the arrangement suited them both. Lovely ladies, different, but compatible. Their inquiry agent business was still in the beginning stages but growing apace. It is a fun partnership investigating interesting mysteries in this small English village. Enjoyable, relaxing reading.
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Murder Through the English Post by Kensington Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #kensington #jessicaellicott #murderthroughtheenglishpost
Beryl and Edwina are two ladies, past the first bloom of youth, who are living in Edwina’s manor house, along with Simpkins, the gardener. Simpkins had recently inherited a fortune as well as a major food distribution company and had relieved many of the money worries Edwina had struggled with for years, mostly after paying death duties for her parents. Beryl was an adventuress who had gone to school with Edwina and landed here somewhat recently. They found the arrangement suited them both. Lovely ladies, different, but compatible. Their inquiry agent business was still in the beginning stages but growing apace. It is a fun partnership investigating interesting mysteries in this small English village. Enjoyable, relaxing reading.
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Murder Through the English Post by Kensington Books, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #kensington #jessicaellicott #murderthroughtheenglishpost
September 13, 2023
This is one of my very favourite cozy mystery series. It's an auto read (or, rather, listen as my library gets them in audio format and the utterly spectacular Barbara Rosenblat is the narrator - absolutely one THE best narrators out there!) as I always enjoy a new visit to Walmsley Parva - one of those delightful little British villages where everyone knows everyone (and everyone's business!) the garden club meetings are lovely, the yarn shop proprietor always knows just what colour you need and keeps it aside for you, oh, and of course there are multiple murders!
The main characters here: Edwina the proper British spinster, and Beryl, the brassy American adventuress make for a very entertaining murder solving duo. Their totally opposite personalities mean that whatever situation needs handling one of them will be perfectly suited to do so.
The supporting characters here are cheeky and interesting and peeking through the curtains at small village British life is always a treat. I look forward to the next book with anticipation!
The main characters here: Edwina the proper British spinster, and Beryl, the brassy American adventuress make for a very entertaining murder solving duo. Their totally opposite personalities mean that whatever situation needs handling one of them will be perfectly suited to do so.
The supporting characters here are cheeky and interesting and peeking through the curtains at small village British life is always a treat. I look forward to the next book with anticipation!
August 2, 2022
Sign me up for all the cozy English village murder mysteries!
Beryl and Edwina are quite the pair and seem like they would be such a lot of fun in real life. This installment in the series sees each challenging herself in new ways and adapting smoothly. Many familiar faces from the village (beloved and otherwise) make reappearances. I could have done without the recaps of previous books, which add little to the current storyline and are unnecessary for following the plot. Matching the one earlier book I have read, the story progresses mostly through conversations rather than events. This isn't a fast paced thriller - it's a very cozy, slice-of-life sort of mystery. And a listener couldn't hope for a better audiobook narrator to match the book's vibe than Barbara Rosenblat, with her calm, comfortable voice and casually perfect accents.
I don't love the old-fashioned values that make an appearance, specifically the ideas that every woman would be better off with a husband and that a wife is responsible for her husband's infidelity. But Ellicott's writing style nails the feel of time period so perfectly that it's hard to believe this is a book being published this year.
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Beryl and Edwina are quite the pair and seem like they would be such a lot of fun in real life. This installment in the series sees each challenging herself in new ways and adapting smoothly. Many familiar faces from the village (beloved and otherwise) make reappearances. I could have done without the recaps of previous books, which add little to the current storyline and are unnecessary for following the plot. Matching the one earlier book I have read, the story progresses mostly through conversations rather than events. This isn't a fast paced thriller - it's a very cozy, slice-of-life sort of mystery. And a listener couldn't hope for a better audiobook narrator to match the book's vibe than Barbara Rosenblat, with her calm, comfortable voice and casually perfect accents.
I don't love the old-fashioned values that make an appearance, specifically the ideas that every woman would be better off with a husband and that a wife is responsible for her husband's infidelity. But Ellicott's writing style nails the feel of time period so perfectly that it's hard to believe this is a book being published this year.
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 4, 2022
This is my first encounter with the inquiring agents Beryl and Edwina even though this is the 6:th book in a series about the two women sleuths.
Taking place in a quaint english village where everybody knows your name makes me fall into the story quick, and even though I understand that there’s a lot of backstory I feel like I get to know what I need.
It’s set after The Great War.
Edwina, the society lady, has a new task serving as a magistrate while Beryl, an american adventuress and Edwina’s house sharing friend, is rather bored.
A series of poison pen letters soon gets Beryl, and Edwina, something to do. Villager after villager gets one of the nasty letters and there’s both an attempted suicide and a murder.
The plot thickens while their ordinary lives goes on. I enjoyed the mixture!
I listened to the audiobook and liked the woman narrator very much. Her deep voice and characters with their unique dialects and voices made listening enjoyable.
I received this book as an ark from NetGalley and I’m volountarily leaving a review.
Taking place in a quaint english village where everybody knows your name makes me fall into the story quick, and even though I understand that there’s a lot of backstory I feel like I get to know what I need.
It’s set after The Great War.
Edwina, the society lady, has a new task serving as a magistrate while Beryl, an american adventuress and Edwina’s house sharing friend, is rather bored.
A series of poison pen letters soon gets Beryl, and Edwina, something to do. Villager after villager gets one of the nasty letters and there’s both an attempted suicide and a murder.
The plot thickens while their ordinary lives goes on. I enjoyed the mixture!
I listened to the audiobook and liked the woman narrator very much. Her deep voice and characters with their unique dialects and voices made listening enjoyable.
I received this book as an ark from NetGalley and I’m volountarily leaving a review.
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