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Dido Hoare #3
Smoke Screen
When Her Majesty offers Dido Hoare, London's most intrepid antiquarian bookseller, the opportunity to buy her personal library in Oxford, Dido cannot believe her good fortune. It turns out to be her last bit of good luck for some time.. ""Her Majesty" is in fact the aged and rather daunting Clare Templeton Forbes, ex-lover of the famous American modernist poet Orrin Forbes. Dido doesn't understand Clare's rush to sell the books, but she knows her shop could profit nicely from them, so she goes ahead with the deal. It's then that the trouble begins.. "Things turn nasty when there is a fire at Clare's house the night she dies. Then Dido finds a valuable stolen manuscript in her car, and is arrested. Who would want Clare dead, and why? Who would want to frame Dido, and why?.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1999
1 person is currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Marianne Macdonald
19 books15 followersMARIANNE MACDONALD was born in the lumber town of Kenora, Northern Ontario, and grew up in Winnipeg and Montreal. Her first children's book was published when she was 16. She took her BA at McGill University, then went to Oxford for graduate studies in English. For thirty years she pretended to be an academic, acquiring various degrees and teaching at universities in Canada and England. She left teaching early in order to return to her writing.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 18, 2007
This is the 3rd in a series of antiquarian book mysteries to which I have become addicted. Dido Hoare, the proprieter of a used and rare bookshop in London, finds herself involved in another literary mystery. She is a witty and quirky heroine who I intend to read all about!
December 7, 2019
"When Her Majesty offers Dido Hoare, London's most intrepid antiquarian bookseller, the opportunity to buy her personal library in Oxford, Dido cannot believe her good fortune. It turns out to be her last bit of good luck for some time.
"'Her Majesty' is in fact the aged and rather daunting Clare Templeton Forbes, ex-lover of the famous American modernist poet Orrin Forbes. Dido doesn't understand Clare's rush to sell the books, but she knows her shop could profit nicely from them, so she goes ahead with the deal. It's then that the trouble begins.
"Things turn nasty when there is a fire at Clare's house the night she dies. Then Dido finds a valuable stolen manuscript in her car, and is arrested. Who would want Clare dead, and why? Who would want to frame Dido, and why?
Dido is determined to find out the answers to these questions. After all, she needs to stay out of jail long enough to sell her books to keep her cat, Mr. Spock, in Whiskas, and her baby, Ben, in Pampers."
~~front flap
An interesting, well-plotted, well-written mystery, with a cast of characters, all of whom seem suspicious. Dido, and her father Barnabas, go to great lengths to find out whether the "valuable stolen manuscript" is a fake or real, and Dido goes on the hunt to find out what's wrong with the visiting American professor, and where the missing granddaughter might have gone to. It's all very scary, and well worth reading.
"'Her Majesty' is in fact the aged and rather daunting Clare Templeton Forbes, ex-lover of the famous American modernist poet Orrin Forbes. Dido doesn't understand Clare's rush to sell the books, but she knows her shop could profit nicely from them, so she goes ahead with the deal. It's then that the trouble begins.
"Things turn nasty when there is a fire at Clare's house the night she dies. Then Dido finds a valuable stolen manuscript in her car, and is arrested. Who would want Clare dead, and why? Who would want to frame Dido, and why?
Dido is determined to find out the answers to these questions. After all, she needs to stay out of jail long enough to sell her books to keep her cat, Mr. Spock, in Whiskas, and her baby, Ben, in Pampers."
~~front flap
An interesting, well-plotted, well-written mystery, with a cast of characters, all of whom seem suspicious. Dido, and her father Barnabas, go to great lengths to find out whether the "valuable stolen manuscript" is a fake or real, and Dido goes on the hunt to find out what's wrong with the visiting American professor, and where the missing granddaughter might have gone to. It's all very scary, and well worth reading.
November 2, 2018
Opening at an antiquarian book fair as antiquarian bookseller, Dido Hoare, is chatting with another dealer and "Her Majesty" enters. Actually, she's just a woman referred to as such due to her airs. She beelines to Dido's friend’s booth, as he ducks out of sight, and states she wishes to sell her father’s library. Dido is interested enough to have a go see. This is when it begins.
The house she visits to give an offer is reminiscent of Miss Havisham’s, including a daughter, with a man of mystery on the dark upstairs landing. The books are worthy, but there's more intrigue to be found.
The scene gets intertwined and someone inevitably dies. There is a collection of a deceased poet at stakes and a questionable lost canto that plays heavily in the mystery. It’s another tight read, tho I’m not happy with Dido following suit of so many in this genre by taking stupid risks, no matter how good the end results might be.
Glad Ernie is still employed and playing his part and Dido’s father, Barnabas is still kicking with the best of them. Cool, collected and oh so savvy.
The house she visits to give an offer is reminiscent of Miss Havisham’s, including a daughter, with a man of mystery on the dark upstairs landing. The books are worthy, but there's more intrigue to be found.
The scene gets intertwined and someone inevitably dies. There is a collection of a deceased poet at stakes and a questionable lost canto that plays heavily in the mystery. It’s another tight read, tho I’m not happy with Dido following suit of so many in this genre by taking stupid risks, no matter how good the end results might be.
Glad Ernie is still employed and playing his part and Dido’s father, Barnabas is still kicking with the best of them. Cool, collected and oh so savvy.
March 6, 2020
Though this got a little wordy in the descriptions for roads and streets, over all it was a very good mystery that incorporated into it the rare book business. For a third book that's very good IMHO.
November 5, 2012
"Trying to build her fledgling shop and keep her young son and cat fed, Dido Hoare, London's most intrepid antiquarian bookseller, needs some good luck. Her break comes when the aged and daunting Clare Templeton Forves, the ex-lover of a celebrated American modernist poet, offers Dido her prized personal library -- a bookseller's dream come true.
"Dido's luck, however, vanishes as quickly as it arrives. First, Clare dies when a suspicious fire destroys her house. Then a valuable stolen manuscript winds up in Dido's possession -- bringing the police straight to her door. Someone wanted Clare dead and Dido out of the picture. But who? And why? With the help of her father, a retired researcher, Dido leaves no page unturned to find a clever killer before he can close the book on her."
This book came very close to being one of those cloying cozies wherein in the heroine detective, who has a craft or a business, gets yanked into the middle of a mystery and then must solve it to keep herself from being charged with the murder. The only thing missing is the handsome, doting boy friend. Well, there was one, but he ... no, that would be a spoiler.
My overall impression: Meh. I won't be reading the rest of the series.
"Dido's luck, however, vanishes as quickly as it arrives. First, Clare dies when a suspicious fire destroys her house. Then a valuable stolen manuscript winds up in Dido's possession -- bringing the police straight to her door. Someone wanted Clare dead and Dido out of the picture. But who? And why? With the help of her father, a retired researcher, Dido leaves no page unturned to find a clever killer before he can close the book on her."
This book came very close to being one of those cloying cozies wherein in the heroine detective, who has a craft or a business, gets yanked into the middle of a mystery and then must solve it to keep herself from being charged with the murder. The only thing missing is the handsome, doting boy friend. Well, there was one, but he ... no, that would be a spoiler.
My overall impression: Meh. I won't be reading the rest of the series.
February 8, 2013
Dido Hoare is an antiquarian who thought she got lucky. Unfortunately, this luck turned into a murder investigation. Marianne Macdonald's writing style is flawless. Her storyline is deftly created. But, it is not a page turner as I anticipated. Still, if you are searching for an entertaining book to read, Smoke Screen can give it to you.
June 6, 2010
3rd Dido Hoare. Again, I found this story of a woman who dies in a fire and leaves behind valuable manuscripts less than completely convincing. Dido’s relationship with a male villain is particularly unlikely. Nonetheless, the book world described in these stories remains enough
July 19, 2011
An enjoyable read although it was easy to see who the "culprits" were and I suspect that any working, single parent would envy Dido the minimal child care.
November 2, 2013
Another good installment of this British mystery series.
November 24, 2016
I don't usually figure out who did it in a mystery until the grand reveal but this time I was pretty suspicious,
This one was not as good as the first two but I still enjoy hanging out with Dido.
This one was not as good as the first two but I still enjoy hanging out with Dido.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews