Set in 1930s Dundee and St Andrews, investigating the murder of a Punch and Judy puppeteer, THE MIRROR DANCE is the latest in the Dandy Gilver series from Catriona McPherson.
Dandy is one of my go-tos when I need to get away and this installment did not disappoint. Before I picked up my kindle this afternoon, about 70% through the book, I had no idea whodunit and could not rest until I had finished the book. Great ending.
Author
ashley
2 years ago
4.5 stars rounded up! This book is phenomenal! It is intriguing, gripping, full of twists and turns, engaging, witty, and so much more! Whenever I picked up “The Mirror Dance”, I was whisked back in time to the late 1930s in Scotland, put on my sleuthing hat, and went on quite the detective investigation with this story.
This is the 15th book in Catriona Mcpherson’s “Dandy Gilver” mystery series, but the first I have read. I think the book can work as as stand-alone novel. However, there were a few moments where I feel like past books in the series were referenced that I didn’t quite understand, and there were times when I wasn’t entirely sure who some characters were. However, the author does a great job of quickly filling the reader in, and, after a quick google search of the main characters in the series, my questions were completely answered! Even with all of this said, none of it took away from how gripped I was by the book. Ms. McPherson’s writing style is incredibly visceral, and every moment throughout her story jumps right off of the page. She brilliantly weaves a mystery (or mysteries!) that keep the reader on the edge of their seat from the first page to the last. I felt that each piece of the puzzle fell into place in exactly the moment it needed to be revealed, and I so look forward to going back and reading the previous books in the series too!
Dandy, a private investigator, is asked to attend a puppet show and ask that copyrighted characters stop being used. She is soon shocked to see that the man whom she is supposed to speak to has been murdered during the show, and no one saw the killer. As she and her fellow private detective Alec begin to investigate further, more and more clues begin to spring up and further complicate the case. As they are led to publishers, a college, theatres, and much more, nothing seems to make sense, and clue upon clue seems to point to a coincidence, or more than one possibility as to whodunit. Are the various mysteries connected in any way? And if so, how? Is there more going on than meets the eye? You will just have to read to find out!
If you enjoy historical mysteries, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages chapter after chapter to see what would happen next, and I could not put it down! There were quite a few times I thought I had the mystery figured out…and I most certainly did not! My mouth dropped quite a few times…and I was SHOCKED!
Thank you so much to Mobius Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, and to Mobius Books for sending me a beautiful finished copy! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Author
moggies1
2 years ago
Long ago I read the first books in this series but then somehow lost track of the next entries. When I saw The Mirror Dance available for request I recalled having enjoyed those early titles. This was an entertaining read and now I want to go back and catch up.
Set in Dundee and involving the publishing business and a Punch and Judy copyright dispute it was an entertaining and very well written mystery. Going back to an earlier more carefree time, Dandy is a middle-aged woman, married with grown children and twin grandchildren. She also undertakes investigations with her partner, Alec Osborne. Deciding to take the case she makes an outing of it with her household staff and it’s the August Bank Holiday and they had been promised a half day off. Little did they foresee that a murder would occur. The Punch and Judy puppeteer – a nasty piece of work by all accounts – has his throat slit while the audience sits out front. Dandy is the one who discovers the body and the simple cease and desist case heats up.
The mystery kept me engaged to the last page with enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep me guessing wrong many times. Dandy, her husband Hugh, her maid Grant, the butler Pallister and Alec plus assorted other characters all came across as well developed people. After enjoying this entry so much I’m looking forward to reading the books I missed.
My thanks to the publisher, Mobius Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Author
susanrowland
2 years ago
Delighted to recommend the latest Dandy Gilver from Catriona McPherson. Twisty plot keeps us guessing while loving Dandy’s company. This is a true joy also because of the way that Dandy’s sheltered world is beginning to hear the darker tones of the 1930s.
Dandy is one of my go-tos when I need to get away and this installment did not disappoint. Before I picked up my kindle this afternoon, about 70% through the book, I had no idea whodunit and could not rest until I had finished the book. Great ending.
4.5 stars rounded up! This book is phenomenal! It is intriguing, gripping, full of twists and turns, engaging, witty, and so much more! Whenever I picked up “The Mirror Dance”, I was whisked back in time to the late 1930s in Scotland, put on my sleuthing hat, and went on quite the detective investigation with this story.
This is the 15th book in Catriona Mcpherson’s “Dandy Gilver” mystery series, but the first I have read. I think the book can work as as stand-alone novel. However, there were a few moments where I feel like past books in the series were referenced that I didn’t quite understand, and there were times when I wasn’t entirely sure who some characters were. However, the author does a great job of quickly filling the reader in, and, after a quick google search of the main characters in the series, my questions were completely answered! Even with all of this said, none of it took away from how gripped I was by the book. Ms. McPherson’s writing style is incredibly visceral, and every moment throughout her story jumps right off of the page. She brilliantly weaves a mystery (or mysteries!) that keep the reader on the edge of their seat from the first page to the last. I felt that each piece of the puzzle fell into place in exactly the moment it needed to be revealed, and I so look forward to going back and reading the previous books in the series too!
Dandy, a private investigator, is asked to attend a puppet show and ask that copyrighted characters stop being used. She is soon shocked to see that the man whom she is supposed to speak to has been murdered during the show, and no one saw the killer. As she and her fellow private detective Alec begin to investigate further, more and more clues begin to spring up and further complicate the case. As they are led to publishers, a college, theatres, and much more, nothing seems to make sense, and clue upon clue seems to point to a coincidence, or more than one possibility as to whodunit. Are the various mysteries connected in any way? And if so, how? Is there more going on than meets the eye? You will just have to read to find out!
If you enjoy historical mysteries, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages chapter after chapter to see what would happen next, and I could not put it down! There were quite a few times I thought I had the mystery figured out…and I most certainly did not! My mouth dropped quite a few times…and I was SHOCKED!
Thank you so much to Mobius Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, and to Mobius Books for sending me a beautiful finished copy! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Long ago I read the first books in this series but then somehow lost track of the next entries. When I saw The Mirror Dance available for request I recalled having enjoyed those early titles. This was an entertaining read and now I want to go back and catch up.
Set in Dundee and involving the publishing business and a Punch and Judy copyright dispute it was an entertaining and very well written mystery. Going back to an earlier more carefree time, Dandy is a middle-aged woman, married with grown children and twin grandchildren. She also undertakes investigations with her partner, Alec Osborne. Deciding to take the case she makes an outing of it with her household staff and it’s the August Bank Holiday and they had been promised a half day off. Little did they foresee that a murder would occur. The Punch and Judy puppeteer – a nasty piece of work by all accounts – has his throat slit while the audience sits out front. Dandy is the one who discovers the body and the simple cease and desist case heats up.
The mystery kept me engaged to the last page with enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep me guessing wrong many times. Dandy, her husband Hugh, her maid Grant, the butler Pallister and Alec plus assorted other characters all came across as well developed people. After enjoying this entry so much I’m looking forward to reading the books I missed.
My thanks to the publisher, Mobius Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Delighted to recommend the latest Dandy Gilver from Catriona McPherson. Twisty plot keeps us guessing while loving Dandy’s company. This is a true joy also because of the way that Dandy’s sheltered world is beginning to hear the darker tones of the 1930s.