Thirty-something single mum Beth Haldane is forced to become Dulwich’s answer to Miss Marple when she stumbles over a murder victim on her first day at work. To clear her name, Beth is plunged into a cozy mystery that’s a contemporary twist on Golden Age crime classics. But can she pull it off? She already has a bouncy young son, haughty cat, a fringe with a mind of its own and lots of bills to … bills to pay, as she struggles to keep up with the yummy mummies of SE21.
Join Beth in #1 of the London Murder Mystery series, as she discovers the nastiest secrets can lurk in the nicest places.
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I loved this cosy mystery featuring a fabulous sleuth, Beth Haladane, a single Mum from Dulwich in London whose main focus is taking care of her young son. When she starts a new job and literally stumbles on a murder, she finds herself a suspect and desperate to know who the real killer is. With a dishy DI, a series of twists and turns and cast of eccentric characters, this is a book that will keep you guessing. I loved the writing style – it was interesting and Beth’s observations of her world were entertaining, and in some parts, rather funny and wry. A great book that is set up to be a series and I can’t wait to see what unfolds between Beth and DI Harry York. Highly recommended.
This is a gem and the start of an excellent series! Castle’s single mum, Beth, finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation at the posh new school she has just starting work at in Dulwich. A quirky, fun mystery read. I loved it.
Very well-written and finely crafted mystery series!!!
The series center around main character, single mother, Beth, her son Ben, and her charming cat, Magpie. As the series opens, she has just landed a great job as an assistant archivist at Wyatt’s, the boys’ Endowment school in Dulwich. She is really excited and hoping when the time comes, her son Ben, will be able to get in. It will also help her financially, adding to what she makes in doing odd jobs, such as editing a website or selling features to a newspaper. Imagine her surprise when she finds the body of her new boss on her very first day. She becomes a possible suspect, so she finds herself trying to solve the mystery to clear her name and finds herself dealing with Inspector York who infuriates her. It’s a mystery at its finest! While investigating on her own, she discovers dark secrets looming just below the surface of the beautiful, affluent village of Dulwich.
Favorite Quotes:
The spring sunshine glinted off perfectly tousled blonde hair and the equally shiny metal clasps of a new handbag, the size of a well-fed toddler. Beth raised her eyebrows at Katie. That bag must have cost more than her monthly mortgage payment.
Dr Grover was famously married to a willowy actress– the only factor that kept most of Dulwich’s divorcees at bay. But when had being married ever stopped people? True, if it ever got out, there would be a fuss; not least from the disappointed divorcees.
It was true that the man had had a certain arrogant swagger. She’d just thought it had come from being a guy of a certain age, in possession of a penis. There was a type and a generation of men who thought this simple appendage made them superior to every woman around them, and also, in some very strange corner of their psyche, convinced that all females desperately wanted them to demonstrate their skills with that specific piece of gristle at the slightest opportunity, whether the women demurred or not.
My Review:
I took a gamble and decided to read an unfamiliar author with a three-part British mystery series, a genre I haven’t indulged in for ages. While still on page one I was struck by the refreshingly comfortable and amusing writing style, allowing me to relax into my chair and settle in for a cozy treat. The storylines were slowly developed yet easy to follow, engaging, and character driven. I relished Ms. Castle’s dry wit and use of vibrant descriptions and amusing details, which often brought and kept a smirk to my lips. A young widow and single-mom, Beth was having the worst type of first day of a new job with the disheartening realization that her new boss was a loathsome letch, only to be the one to find that loathsome letch dead a few hours later while on her way to lunch. Yikes. Talk about bad luck… Beth had no alibi and being the snoopy sort, she felt compelled to launch her own inquiries for fear she was the top suspect. Although her efforts to clear her name were vaguely thought out and she tended to dither, I adored her anyway. I am eagerly looking forward to more of her hapless adventures and am ready to gobble the next installment, which is currently idling on my kindle.
Such an enjoyable read—a modern day mystery with cozy vibes in an academic village setting within the larger arena of the city of London. This is a first in the series and it hints at a blossoming romance with more to follow between the adorable heroine and the handsome police detective. There are six more out already in the series for me to dive into—lucky me! I can really envision this perfectly as a cable TV mini series….
Alice Castle’s novel Death in Dulwich is an excellent novel. The story is well told and crosses generations. I love it and so do my daughters.