Summary: Death at Wentwater Court (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries #1) by Carola Dunn
This first installment of a cozy
mystery series transports listeners back to the bygone era of 1923 Britain,
where unflappable flapper and fledgling journalist Daisy Dalrymple daringly
embarks on her first writing assignment—and promptly stumbles across a corpse.
No stranger to sprawling country estates,
wealthy Daisy Dalrymple is breaking new ground in having scandalously traded
silver spoon for pen and camera to cover a story for Town and Country magazine.
But her planned interviews with the inhabitants of Wentwater Court give way to
interrogation after suave Lord Stephen Astwick meets a dire fate on the
tranquil skating pond. Armed with evidence that his fate was anything but
accidental, Daisy joins forces with Scotland Yard to examine an esteemed
collection of suspects and to see that the unlikely culprit doesn’t slip
through their fingers just as the unfortunate Astwick slipped through the ice
(from Goodreads).
Book Review: Death at Wentwater Court (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries #1) by Carola Dunn
When
journalist Daisy Dalrymple goes to Wentwater Court to write a magazine article
about the estate, she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.
One of the guests is found face down in the nearby pond and Chief Detective Inspector
Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard has come to investigate. He relies on Daisy’s help
to get the information he needs. Strange and intense secrets come to light
between family members and guests at the estate.
Death at Wentwater Court is the first installment in the Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries by Carola Dunn. I listened to an audio edition published by Blackstone Audio Inc. Agatha Christie meets Downton Abbey in this story set in Britiain 1923. We follow Daisy Dalrymple who comes from a wealthy family, but wants to work as a journalist. She discovers intrigue both past and present among the family and guests. Lord Stephen Astwick is found face down in the nearby pond. Many of the inhabitants had it in for him as he was a swindler, extortionist and a cad. Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard comes to investigate the case. Daisy is a skilled stenographer and takes very helpful forensic photographs for the police and helps with valuable insight into the family.
Main character Daisy Dalrymple, 25, is the daughter of a baron. Family and guests trust her and she clearly knows her way around the rich and titled, but I felt she took over and behaved a bit like the hostess instead of the guest at times.
Supporting character Annabel, Countess of
Wentwater seems desperately unhappy. I was pleased to see Annabel trusted Daisy
because she seemed to be in need of a friend. She was my favorite character in
this story.
Different from Agatha Christie’s plots is that
the sleuth arrives before the murder happens. The setting is an isolated
opulent place. Guests and people who live at the manor all become suspects. While
investigation is ongoing, police order everyone to stay put. All this is
similar to Agatha Christie’s plots. Not similar is the questioning of servants
as a vital source of information about the family.
Following some
exciting twists and turns, the ending was a thoroughly shocking surprise I
could never have anticipated.
The dialogue and language in this story were
very entertaining. It felt like seeing a movie. Skating as the winter activity
for the wealthy was an enjoyable and different element I haven’t read about
before. I loved the unique and amusing, posh language which drew me into the
story. My favorite part of the story was descriptions of Alec’s thought process
and deliberations during the investigation and when Alec and Daisy discussed
the findings of the investigations.
My least favorite part was descriptions of the
intrigue and dysfunctional family relationships within this family.
Conclusion: Death at Wentwater Court is the Agatha Christie meets
Downton Abby like story which included some exiting twists along the way and a surprise
ending in more ways than one.
Fans of Carola Dunn will love this book. As will readers who enjoy the cozy mysteries genre. Similar authors to explore might be Rhys Bowen or Victoria Thompson.
Rating: 4 stars / 5
Main reasons: interesting plot, great language and
dialogue, very surprising ending
Get your copy here:
Book Details
Series: Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries (1) (Book 1)
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books; Reprint edition (March 17, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250060796
ISBN-13: 978-1250060792
About The Autor
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com). Author's website: https://caroladunn.weebly.com/
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