Carola Dunn

During the post-war turbulence of 1920s England, the Honorable Daisy Dalrymple shocks her family by getting a job writing, a position that leads her to Wentwater Court, a manor house full of jealousy and murder. Reprint.

Death at Wentwater Court

Alina

Daisy Dalrymple is heading to Wentwater Court. She will stay there while writing about the estate for Town and Country magazine. She doesn’t expect to walk into a death. At first glance, it appears to be an accident, but several things don’t seem right. This leads to an investigation. Upon further investigation, it turns out to be much more serious.

The murder mystery failed to gain traction as it relied on confession, not investigation, to reveal the solution. It was also disappointing that the author let everyone off so easily in the end. Or maybe I just prefer murder mysteries that are darker. 

It would have been nice if some characters were less clichéd cutouts and added more to the story.

While the author's use of aristocratic slang can be ridiculous, it shows she did her research. Although I enjoyed this book, I'm unsure if I'll read the rest of the series..

Conclusion: This may suit cosy mystery readers, but I find it lacking in inspiration.

Connor 

3.5? very fun, although the sudden resolution whirlwind sort of knocked me sideways.

Sarah Escorsa

I know I shouldn't but I just can't help comparing this book to the Royal Spyness Mystery series by Rhys Bowen. I shouldn't because the Daisy Dalrymple series (this instalment at least) was written years before the Royal Spyness one. Still, it just felt so weak in comparison!

The plot itself is not very exciting and the characters (Daisy Dalrymple in particular) lack personality and are quite boring. The story itself is a basic whodunit involving British aristocracy and it simply isn't fun. The ending is particularly unrealistic and out of character for Daisy but I'm pretty sure the author thought it would come across as original and quite unexpected! 

I found the writing to be flat and unremarkable, the characters and story failing to come to life. Definitely my first and last read in this series!

Nadine 

Southern Today Gone Tomorrow

** spoiler alert **
           Meet Daisy, a young aristocrat who, after the first World War and losing her father and brother, is trying to make it on her own in England in the 1920’s as a writer. This has brought her to Wentwater Court to do an article for Town and Country. Of course, after being there only a few days, the nasty Lord Steven is found dead. Cue cute detective on the case from Scotland Yard.

I liked this book. It isn’t a new book, by any means, but it is what I would term a “cozy mystery”, which is to say it is a sweet mystery that, in a lot of ways, gives its main character far too much leniency.

One issue I had, at least while listening to this novel, is trying to keep all of the characters straight. They are honestly so similar, a larger than average number, and have very few distinctions amongst them until the end.

Do you like mysteries? The British aristocracy in the 20th century? World War 1 references? Flappers? You may enjoy this novel. I know I will be looking for the next book in this series to see if it gets better or worse.

 

SPOILERS

 

I do not like the ending of this novel. Oh, I like Alec coming back and getting her. I do not like that she helped Jeff get away, and that it was okay. He should have stayed. They should have proven that, yes, he was correct and didn’t need to run away to Brazil.

I just, I liked this novel so much until then. Why? Why did you do this? This actually had great twists and turns, but this behavior should not be encouraged. Just as giving preference to the aristocracy shouldn’t happen. Then again, I don’t live in Britain. Never have.

Sarah N

No stranger to sprawling country estates, well-heeled Daisy Dalrymple is breaking new ground at Wentwater Court to cover a story for Town & Country magazine. But her interview gives way to interrogation when suave Lord Stephen Astwick meets a chilly end on the tranquil skating pond. With evidence that his death was anything but accidental, Daisy joins forces with Scotland Yard so the culprit cant slip through their fingers like the unfortunate Astwick slipped through the ice Praise for The Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries:Appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece. Publishers WeeklyAs always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above... This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries. Booklist

Nora 

Bee 

No stranger to sprawling country estates, well-heeled Daisy Dalrymple is breaking new ground at Wentwater Court to cover a story for Town & Country magazine. But her interview gives way to interrogation when suave Lord Stephen Astwick meets a chilly end on the tranquil skating pond. With evidence that his death was anything but accidental, Daisy joins forces with Scotland Yard so the culprit can't slip through their fingers like the unfortunate Astwick slipped through the ice ... Praise for The Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries: 'Appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece.' Publishers Weekly 'As always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above... This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries.' Booklist

Liz Carpenter

More than twenty years ago, Carola Dunn introduced to the world the charming, vivacious and perspicacious Daisy Dalrymple and the tumultuous decade of the 1920s, in an England barely starting to recover from World War I and now undergoing rapid social changes. In early 1923, the young Honourable Daisy Dalrymple has made a decision that shocks her social class-instead of living in the Dower House with her mother and being supported by her relatives, she's decided to make her own living as a writer. Landing an assignment for Town & Country to write a series of articles on country manor houses, Daisy travels to Wentwater Court to research her first piece. There she finds a household in turmoil, filled with holiday guests and recriminations. But that's nothing compared to the uproar when one of those guests drowns in a tragic early-morning skating "accident." When it is learned that this was anything but accidental, Scotland Yard is called in and a young Chief Inspector, one Alec Fletcher, is called in to investigate. And therein hangs a tale... A series with all the charm of the classic golden age mysteries with the kind of full-blooded, three dimensional characters that define the best of modern mystery, the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries have been a favorite for more than two decades. Now, with this reissue, readers can enjoy it from the very beginning.

Death at Wentwater Court

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