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Beryl and Edwina Mystery #8
Murder at an English Séance
In post–World War I England, foul play at a suspicious séance provokes sleuths Beryl Helliwell and Edwina Davenport to dig up some dirt . . .
Hidden beneath her British reserve, Edwina has a she’s finished her novel and is bravely mailing the manuscript to a publisher. Beryl also has a as thanks for solving a case, the American adventuress has been gifted an airplane. After swooping over the fields and hedgerows of Walmsley Parva, livestock scattering beneath her, she flamboyantly lands the plane on the village green, prompting a startled Edwina to consider a stiff gin fizz.
Beryl’s aircraft is not the only disruption of village peace. Miss Dinsdale, a psychic medium, has started holding séances. After the church organist resigns to serve as musical accompaniment for the séances, the vicar’s wife hires the enquiry agents to expose the medium as a charlatan. Beryl is confident she can spot the fraud, having learned from Harry Houdini himself some tricks of the trade. The dubious Miss Dinsdale claims her spirit guide is an Egyptian princess whose mummy resides in a sarcophagus in the room. But the only body in the sarcophagus belongs to a murdered villager impaled with a dagger.
As the sleuths begin to investigate, Beryl discovers her plane has been sabotaged and wonders if there’s a connection. Whether in the air or on terra firma, Beryl and Edwina must go round a circle of suspects to divine the culprit . . .
Hidden beneath her British reserve, Edwina has a she’s finished her novel and is bravely mailing the manuscript to a publisher. Beryl also has a as thanks for solving a case, the American adventuress has been gifted an airplane. After swooping over the fields and hedgerows of Walmsley Parva, livestock scattering beneath her, she flamboyantly lands the plane on the village green, prompting a startled Edwina to consider a stiff gin fizz.
Beryl’s aircraft is not the only disruption of village peace. Miss Dinsdale, a psychic medium, has started holding séances. After the church organist resigns to serve as musical accompaniment for the séances, the vicar’s wife hires the enquiry agents to expose the medium as a charlatan. Beryl is confident she can spot the fraud, having learned from Harry Houdini himself some tricks of the trade. The dubious Miss Dinsdale claims her spirit guide is an Egyptian princess whose mummy resides in a sarcophagus in the room. But the only body in the sarcophagus belongs to a murdered villager impaled with a dagger.
As the sleuths begin to investigate, Beryl discovers her plane has been sabotaged and wonders if there’s a connection. Whether in the air or on terra firma, Beryl and Edwina must go round a circle of suspects to divine the culprit . . .
288 pages, Hardcover
Published June 25, 2024
28 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Ellicott
16 books834 followersJessica Ellicott loves fountain pens, Mini Coopers, and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
July 14, 2024
While there was a lot to love about this one (and that's surprising since seance stuff is never my jam), there was also... a lot of floundering. The inconsistencies (there were a few!) were bad enough, but I also felt like we got a bit of "too much" going on. And the sad thing is that I liked it all. I liked Charles' side plot, I liked Edwina confronting Prudence, and I liked that the job was to discredit this medium. Go you!
But still... not so much. It just didn't work as well as past ones have. I think I liked it as well as I did because Barbara Rosenblat is brilliant as usual.
But still... not so much. It just didn't work as well as past ones have. I think I liked it as well as I did because Barbara Rosenblat is brilliant as usual.
June 8, 2024
"Murder at an English Séance (Beryl and Edwina Mystery #8)" by Jessica Ellicott is a P.I. Mystery set in the years just after the Great War (World War I) and the Spanish Flu outbreak in a small village in England that borders on the cozy side of the mystery genre. I say boarders because typically the main characters aren't paid mystery solvers but Beryl and Edwina are Private Investigators, amongst other things.
In this book a medium moves to the village to set up doing séances for the locals. She creates quite a stir by "stealing" away the church organist for use as accompanist during the séances. The vicar's wife hires Beryl and Edwina to find out if the medium is a fraud. In the course of doing this a much bigger mystery unfolds. Beryl and Edwina must figure out both mysteries while having Charles (who is smitten with Edwina) and Charle's toddler ward living with them.
I have to be honest, I found this one difficult to get through. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because it was a lot of build up before it finally started getting to the bigger mystery solving but I don't know if it was that at all.
In this book a medium moves to the village to set up doing séances for the locals. She creates quite a stir by "stealing" away the church organist for use as accompanist during the séances. The vicar's wife hires Beryl and Edwina to find out if the medium is a fraud. In the course of doing this a much bigger mystery unfolds. Beryl and Edwina must figure out both mysteries while having Charles (who is smitten with Edwina) and Charle's toddler ward living with them.
I have to be honest, I found this one difficult to get through. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because it was a lot of build up before it finally started getting to the bigger mystery solving but I don't know if it was that at all.
July 3, 2024
A lovely addition to the series.
July 15, 2024
Fresh off the success of their most recent investigation, Beryl is rewarded with a new airplane from their client, Desmond, with an extra helmet for Edwina. Now, how can Beryl entice Edwina to fly with her? Edwina has finished her manuscript and now has the courage to send it off to a publisher. At the post office, she meets Maude Dinsdale a spirit medium who has come to town with her brother Arthur to contact the dead loved ones in Walmsley Parva. Edwina and Beryl both pooh-pooh such practices - for different reasons. Beryl has learned the tricks from none other than Harry Houdini and isn't interested. When the vicar's wife, Muriel Lowethorpe, approaches Beryl and Edwina furious that the church organist, Hazel Moffat, has left to do the devil's handiwork and play for the spiritualists, why it's simply an outrage! Muriel wants the sleuths to prove the spiritualists are frauds and expose the truth so Hazel sees the light and returns to the church. However, before Hazel can see the truth, she's tragically murdered and her lifeless body discovered in the sarcophagus in which Maude Dinsdale keeps her ancient Egyptian mummy spirit guide. Constable Gibbs returns to the village to the news of the murder. She has her suspicions but will need all the help she can get to prove her case. Are Beryl and Edwina up to the task? Meanwhile, Charles receives a confusing message from the spirit world he initially pooh-poohs but when the prediction comes true, it seems there may be some truth to Maude's abilities after all. How can he cope with this new development in his life? Edwina rushes to his rescue and discovers that maybe, just maybe, there's a different future for herself than she imagined a few months ago.
I enjoyed the mystery well enough but not as much as some of the others. I was SO close to guessing who but had the wrong motive. I guessed some people were up to no good and the source of information was perfectly obvious. I've read a lot about spiritualist mediums and this plot was pretty mild. Some of the village life story and the reveal at the end reminded me of the latest Aunt Dimity book my real life book club read. There are a couple of plot threads dropped. Hattie, the shampoo girl, invites Beryl to the séance, is mentioned once and then dropped. Edwina receives a package from London and doesn't open it on page. It is not mentioned again. I did not enjoy the "cozy" plot and may have to abandon the series if there are more. That was very disappointing. It wraps up nicely and neatly at the end so either the series can end here or I can choose to have it end here.
In the beginning of the series, I related a lot to Edwina. She was shy, retiring (for the most part) and stuck living in her childhood home after caring for her mother. Edwina was struggling to make ends meet when Beryl crashed into her life. Beryl is all the things I am not. She's bold, brave, adventurous and wild. I admire her for living life on her own terms and ditching her loser husbands. Like Edwina, I worry about her driving and would never dream of going in an airplane (one of their time anyway. You can't pay me enough to go up in one of those contraptions! A modern jet plane is perfectly fine). I wouldn't dream of flying, especially not with Beryl at the helm. Like Edwina, when I was younger I dreamed of being a writer. I'm so proud of her for finishing her novel and getting it sent off to a London publisher. That won't stay a secret for long, not with Prudence Rathbone in charge of the mail. Edwina has grown a lot. She's a loyal friend and villager but unafraid to see justice done when necessary. She's so clueless about Charles and his feelings for her. She finally explains in this book why she has been reluctant to move beyond friendship with him. He reasoning makes sense but it is the one thing about her I can NOT relate to. Charles is bland and boring but he's a good friend and cares about Edwina.
I actually relate a lot more to Beryl in this book. Her sensitivity to Edwina's feelings and her eagerness to share with her friend is very sweet. She's a good friend and very considerate. I can also relate to her in this book because I was disappointed in the character development in this one.
I love Simpkins. He's changed a lot and grown now he is in charge of Col. Kimberly's. Who knew he was an excellent chef and recipe expert? Meals for working mothers is a fabulous idea and that will one day lead to modern inventions we take for granted like microwave meals (or TV dinners depending on your generation) and Lunchables, boxed mixes and other convenience foods I don't think Simpkins would approve of. He makes real food not processed and pumped full of chemicals. Beddoes undergoes a personality transplant in this book. She's eager to have more to do and be important but it's unfair to ask put this burden on her.
The theme of this novel is women's rights. Prudence Rathbone comes across as a horrible person. She's nosy, gossips and shares everyone's private business in a malicious way. However, she explains herself and her reasoning makes sense. She just wants to feel important. With the men dead, she's one of the surplus women, a spinster who has been overlooked and dismissed forever. Edwina found her calling with investigating and while Prudence is a wonderful business woman, she doesn't see it. What she does is important to the village but they take her for granted and don't realize she really is the most important person in the village. Where else can you send/receive mail, buy stamps, sweets, stationery and supplies? I almost feel bad for Prudence but Minnie loves to gossip too but doesn't do it maliciously. She's also a businesswoman but married to Clarence, a man with roving hands and a wandering eye. Poor Minnie is the only one in the village who doesn't see it, or maybe just doesn't want to. I feel sorry for her - unless she's a murderer. I don't think she is though. She seems too meek and submissive.
Muriel is a horrible person. She's judgmental, hateful and hurtful. HER beliefs and her husband's career are the only things that matter to her. Hazel has free will. She can take her talents elsewhere, especially if the Dinsdales may better. I'm betting the church doesn't pay at all. Hazel also works at the cinema and I'm surprised the religious zealots approve of that. It's no wonder people are leaving the church, as they should, with such horrible people trying to tell everyone what to think. Muriel is a very timely character and here we are, 100 years later, and her descendants are still fussing and causing problems. Sure Mrs. Corby is a terrible musician so then advertise for someone! Hold tryouts and see if anyone in the village wants the job if you can't afford to hire someone from outside.
Yes of course the Dinsdales are phonies but people have free will. They choose to attend the seances and pay the fee. They choose to believe and the Dinsdales are cashing in on that. Maude surely has a source of information in the village and I have one guess as to who that is. I'm not sure whether the spirit's message for Charles was a lucky guess or if Maude knew something before he did. That was a weird coincidence. When it's something like that, it's all in good fun but like the sleuths, I don't approve of the Dinsdales taking advantage of those who can't get over their grief. Arthur Dinsdale also comes across as kind of sleazy. He uses his good looks to his advantage, taking advantage of the "surplus" women who think they may have a shot at marriage. I hope he means well with Hazel. I rather suspect it was part of the act and he may have killed her because she got too clingy too quickly.
Poor Mrs. Watkins is so lost in sorrow. She can't move on from her daughter's death. Polly's murder was a real tragedy. No parent should have to go through that but Mrs. Watkins isn't the only mother mourning a lost child in the village. She just seems to take it to extremes. Perhaps because her marriage is not a good one. Mr. Watkins has anger management issues. He's more concerned about his bank account than his wife's reputation and mental well-being.
Everyone claims they liked Hazel and she was a wonderful person so that makes me suspect the one person who did not love her! However, killing Hazel won't bring her back to church and I don't see the religious zealot vicar's wife even entering the spiritualist parlor. I do want it to be her though. Hazel was a savvy businesswoman. She owned property in the village and rents out cottages on her land. Perhaps she's charging too much rent, the post war economy is bad; perhaps she has strict rules about what can and can not be done to her property. Perhaps she had a falling out with one of her renters? Her personality seems to have changed once she met the Dinsdales though. She became more smug and a bit snooty because she was favored by them. Their influence on her was not good. Was she involved in fraud with them? How much did she know? I'm wondering is she was Princess Rosanna since she was discovered in the sarcophagus and the so-called mummy is nowhere to be found. Hazel also looked a lot like Maude, at least superficially. I'm betting they changed places at the table. In the dark people though Hazel was Maude and Maude played tricks on the sitters. OR was the murder victim intended to be Maude all along? In that case, there's loads more suspects!
Minnie's husband, Clarence, has proven himself a slimeball and would get slapped with a #MeToo sexual harassment lawsuit if women were able to do that at the time. Still, I don't think he murdered Hazel even if she spurned his attentions. That would certainly bring his philandering ways to the attention of Minnie! Phyllis and Anthony Linton are newcomers to the village, renting from Hazel. Phyllis is grieving the loss of her dog. I totally understand and relate but... this is just after WWI so how sympathetic are the villagers going to be? Edwina loves her dear Crumpet so she gets it but I suspect others will not. There's something off about this couple. For one thing, he's a married man flirting with Beryl! That is not OK. Did he flirt with other women too? I think he may have come on to Hazel and his wife killed Hazel. He also insults the village and thinks that will get him an ally in Beryl. Doesn't he wonder why she chooses to stay? I find the Lintons very suspicious and think they're up to something.
Chester White, the local bookie, is an invaluable source of information. He seems on the up and up in spite of his profession. The Blackburns are reliable witnesses too. I admire Nora for running the garage and I hope her brother gets his happily ever after soon after all he's been through. He'll need a wife who is patient, calm and gentle. Hopefully a wife who was a nurse during the war and understands he has mental health struggles. Bernard Stevens, the village photographer, is up to something with Arthur Dinsdale. He's so mild-mannered and nerdy. I can't imagine he's up to anything nefarious but he may have key evidence of fraud. Perpetuating fraud by doing what I suspect he's doing, is not very nice though, especially not if he's profiting off it. He's so kind and helpful to Beryl when she wants to buy Edwina a gift. I hope he's not a bad person!
This wasn't my favorite of the series and I will have to see what the next adventure the pair of sleuths get up to is to decide whether to continue reading.
I enjoyed the mystery well enough but not as much as some of the others. I was SO close to guessing who but had the wrong motive. I guessed some people were up to no good and the source of information was perfectly obvious. I've read a lot about spiritualist mediums and this plot was pretty mild. Some of the village life story and the reveal at the end reminded me of the latest Aunt Dimity book my real life book club read. There are a couple of plot threads dropped. Hattie, the shampoo girl, invites Beryl to the séance, is mentioned once and then dropped. Edwina receives a package from London and doesn't open it on page. It is not mentioned again. I did not enjoy the "cozy" plot and may have to abandon the series if there are more. That was very disappointing. It wraps up nicely and neatly at the end so either the series can end here or I can choose to have it end here.
In the beginning of the series, I related a lot to Edwina. She was shy, retiring (for the most part) and stuck living in her childhood home after caring for her mother. Edwina was struggling to make ends meet when Beryl crashed into her life. Beryl is all the things I am not. She's bold, brave, adventurous and wild. I admire her for living life on her own terms and ditching her loser husbands. Like Edwina, I worry about her driving and would never dream of going in an airplane (one of their time anyway. You can't pay me enough to go up in one of those contraptions! A modern jet plane is perfectly fine). I wouldn't dream of flying, especially not with Beryl at the helm. Like Edwina, when I was younger I dreamed of being a writer. I'm so proud of her for finishing her novel and getting it sent off to a London publisher. That won't stay a secret for long, not with Prudence Rathbone in charge of the mail. Edwina has grown a lot. She's a loyal friend and villager but unafraid to see justice done when necessary. She's so clueless about Charles and his feelings for her. She finally explains in this book why she has been reluctant to move beyond friendship with him. He reasoning makes sense but it is the one thing about her I can NOT relate to. Charles is bland and boring but he's a good friend and cares about Edwina.
I actually relate a lot more to Beryl in this book. Her sensitivity to Edwina's feelings and her eagerness to share with her friend is very sweet. She's a good friend and very considerate. I can also relate to her in this book because I was disappointed in the character development in this one.
I love Simpkins. He's changed a lot and grown now he is in charge of Col. Kimberly's. Who knew he was an excellent chef and recipe expert? Meals for working mothers is a fabulous idea and that will one day lead to modern inventions we take for granted like microwave meals (or TV dinners depending on your generation) and Lunchables, boxed mixes and other convenience foods I don't think Simpkins would approve of. He makes real food not processed and pumped full of chemicals. Beddoes undergoes a personality transplant in this book. She's eager to have more to do and be important but it's unfair to ask put this burden on her.
The theme of this novel is women's rights. Prudence Rathbone comes across as a horrible person. She's nosy, gossips and shares everyone's private business in a malicious way. However, she explains herself and her reasoning makes sense. She just wants to feel important. With the men dead, she's one of the surplus women, a spinster who has been overlooked and dismissed forever. Edwina found her calling with investigating and while Prudence is a wonderful business woman, she doesn't see it. What she does is important to the village but they take her for granted and don't realize she really is the most important person in the village. Where else can you send/receive mail, buy stamps, sweets, stationery and supplies? I almost feel bad for Prudence but Minnie loves to gossip too but doesn't do it maliciously. She's also a businesswoman but married to Clarence, a man with roving hands and a wandering eye. Poor Minnie is the only one in the village who doesn't see it, or maybe just doesn't want to. I feel sorry for her - unless she's a murderer. I don't think she is though. She seems too meek and submissive.
Muriel is a horrible person. She's judgmental, hateful and hurtful. HER beliefs and her husband's career are the only things that matter to her. Hazel has free will. She can take her talents elsewhere, especially if the Dinsdales may better. I'm betting the church doesn't pay at all. Hazel also works at the cinema and I'm surprised the religious zealots approve of that. It's no wonder people are leaving the church, as they should, with such horrible people trying to tell everyone what to think. Muriel is a very timely character and here we are, 100 years later, and her descendants are still fussing and causing problems. Sure Mrs. Corby is a terrible musician so then advertise for someone! Hold tryouts and see if anyone in the village wants the job if you can't afford to hire someone from outside.
Yes of course the Dinsdales are phonies but people have free will. They choose to attend the seances and pay the fee. They choose to believe and the Dinsdales are cashing in on that. Maude surely has a source of information in the village and I have one guess as to who that is. I'm not sure whether the spirit's message for Charles was a lucky guess or if Maude knew something before he did. That was a weird coincidence. When it's something like that, it's all in good fun but like the sleuths, I don't approve of the Dinsdales taking advantage of those who can't get over their grief. Arthur Dinsdale also comes across as kind of sleazy. He uses his good looks to his advantage, taking advantage of the "surplus" women who think they may have a shot at marriage. I hope he means well with Hazel. I rather suspect it was part of the act and he may have killed her because she got too clingy too quickly.
Poor Mrs. Watkins is so lost in sorrow. She can't move on from her daughter's death. Polly's murder was a real tragedy. No parent should have to go through that but Mrs. Watkins isn't the only mother mourning a lost child in the village. She just seems to take it to extremes. Perhaps because her marriage is not a good one. Mr. Watkins has anger management issues. He's more concerned about his bank account than his wife's reputation and mental well-being.
Everyone claims they liked Hazel and she was a wonderful person so that makes me suspect the one person who did not love her! However, killing Hazel won't bring her back to church and I don't see the religious zealot vicar's wife even entering the spiritualist parlor. I do want it to be her though. Hazel was a savvy businesswoman. She owned property in the village and rents out cottages on her land. Perhaps she's charging too much rent, the post war economy is bad; perhaps she has strict rules about what can and can not be done to her property. Perhaps she had a falling out with one of her renters? Her personality seems to have changed once she met the Dinsdales though. She became more smug and a bit snooty because she was favored by them. Their influence on her was not good. Was she involved in fraud with them? How much did she know? I'm wondering is she was Princess Rosanna since she was discovered in the sarcophagus and the so-called mummy is nowhere to be found. Hazel also looked a lot like Maude, at least superficially. I'm betting they changed places at the table. In the dark people though Hazel was Maude and Maude played tricks on the sitters. OR was the murder victim intended to be Maude all along? In that case, there's loads more suspects!
Minnie's husband, Clarence, has proven himself a slimeball and would get slapped with a #MeToo sexual harassment lawsuit if women were able to do that at the time. Still, I don't think he murdered Hazel even if she spurned his attentions. That would certainly bring his philandering ways to the attention of Minnie! Phyllis and Anthony Linton are newcomers to the village, renting from Hazel. Phyllis is grieving the loss of her dog. I totally understand and relate but... this is just after WWI so how sympathetic are the villagers going to be? Edwina loves her dear Crumpet so she gets it but I suspect others will not. There's something off about this couple. For one thing, he's a married man flirting with Beryl! That is not OK. Did he flirt with other women too? I think he may have come on to Hazel and his wife killed Hazel. He also insults the village and thinks that will get him an ally in Beryl. Doesn't he wonder why she chooses to stay? I find the Lintons very suspicious and think they're up to something.
Chester White, the local bookie, is an invaluable source of information. He seems on the up and up in spite of his profession. The Blackburns are reliable witnesses too. I admire Nora for running the garage and I hope her brother gets his happily ever after soon after all he's been through. He'll need a wife who is patient, calm and gentle. Hopefully a wife who was a nurse during the war and understands he has mental health struggles. Bernard Stevens, the village photographer, is up to something with Arthur Dinsdale. He's so mild-mannered and nerdy. I can't imagine he's up to anything nefarious but he may have key evidence of fraud. Perpetuating fraud by doing what I suspect he's doing, is not very nice though, especially not if he's profiting off it. He's so kind and helpful to Beryl when she wants to buy Edwina a gift. I hope he's not a bad person!
This wasn't my favorite of the series and I will have to see what the next adventure the pair of sleuths get up to is to decide whether to continue reading.
April 2, 2025
I love this series about women after the great war that rise above the female stereotype and have careers!
June 28, 2024
In “Murder at an English Séance” the eighth book in Jessica Ellicott’s Beryl and Edwina Mystery series Beryl Halliwell and Edwina Davenport have been asked by the vicar’s wife to investigate a so-called psychic medium. This seems like a simple enough assignment – after all Beryl knows Harry Houdini who has taught her a trick or two – but it quickly becomes complicated when a murder victim is found during a séance. It will take everything Beryl and Edwina have to solve this case, but they need to be careful and not put themselves in danger.
I love this series and this book is a nice addition to the series. I love the relationship between Beryl (a somewhat famous American adventuress) and Edwina (a prim and proper Brit who has learned to unwind quite a bit) – the two bring out the best in each other, have both grown as characters, and make a formidable team. The supporting cast of characters is equally good – there have been some gradual changes in Edwina’s relationship with Charles and this book took Charles in a different direction – I can’t wait to see what happens between the two in future books! This is a historical mystery, taking place after the Great War, and I love the village setting of Walmsley Parva, the villagers, and the strength of the women living there. The mystery is well done, with plenty of suspects and a few surprises - I always try to figure out whodunit but in this book I couldn’t do it. Well done by Ellicott!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
I love this series and this book is a nice addition to the series. I love the relationship between Beryl (a somewhat famous American adventuress) and Edwina (a prim and proper Brit who has learned to unwind quite a bit) – the two bring out the best in each other, have both grown as characters, and make a formidable team. The supporting cast of characters is equally good – there have been some gradual changes in Edwina’s relationship with Charles and this book took Charles in a different direction – I can’t wait to see what happens between the two in future books! This is a historical mystery, taking place after the Great War, and I love the village setting of Walmsley Parva, the villagers, and the strength of the women living there. The mystery is well done, with plenty of suspects and a few surprises - I always try to figure out whodunit but in this book I couldn’t do it. Well done by Ellicott!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
June 19, 2024
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jessica Ellicott for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder at an English Séance coming out June 25, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Hidden beneath her British reserve, Edwina has a secret: she’s finished her novel and is bravely mailing the manuscript to a publisher. Beryl also has a secret: as thanks for solving a case, the American adventuress has been gifted an airplane. After swooping over the fields and hedgerows of Walmsley Parva, livestock scattering beneath her, she flamboyantly lands the plane on the village green, prompting a startled Edwina to consider a stiff gin fizz.
Beryl’s aircraft is not the only disruption of village peace. Miss Dinsdale, a psychic medium, has started holding séances. After the church organist resigns to serve as musical accompaniment for the séances, the vicar’s wife hires the enquiry agents to expose the medium as a charlatan. Beryl is confident she can spot the fraud, having learned from Harry Houdini himself some tricks of the trade. The dubious Miss Dinsdale claims her spirit guide is an Egyptian princess whose mummy resides in a sarcophagus in the room. But the only body in the sarcophagus belongs to a murdered villager impaled with a dagger.
As the sleuths begin to investigate, Beryl discovers her plane has been sabotaged and wonders if there’s a connection. Whether in the air or on terra firma, Beryl and Edwina must go round a circle of suspects to divine the culprit . . .
I read the book right before this one and I really loved it so I was excited to check out this book. Séances are always an interesting topic to me. I think Beryl and Edwina go through a lot of character development in this book. I was a little surprised that Beryl could fly airplanes. I haven’t read the first six books in the series so that was news to me. But that was pretty cool of her in that day and age. I also loved that Edwina was writing a book. I definitely need to go back and read the other books. I definitely loved it and I love all the plot. I’m excited to check out future books in this series!
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy English mysteries!
Hidden beneath her British reserve, Edwina has a secret: she’s finished her novel and is bravely mailing the manuscript to a publisher. Beryl also has a secret: as thanks for solving a case, the American adventuress has been gifted an airplane. After swooping over the fields and hedgerows of Walmsley Parva, livestock scattering beneath her, she flamboyantly lands the plane on the village green, prompting a startled Edwina to consider a stiff gin fizz.
Beryl’s aircraft is not the only disruption of village peace. Miss Dinsdale, a psychic medium, has started holding séances. After the church organist resigns to serve as musical accompaniment for the séances, the vicar’s wife hires the enquiry agents to expose the medium as a charlatan. Beryl is confident she can spot the fraud, having learned from Harry Houdini himself some tricks of the trade. The dubious Miss Dinsdale claims her spirit guide is an Egyptian princess whose mummy resides in a sarcophagus in the room. But the only body in the sarcophagus belongs to a murdered villager impaled with a dagger.
As the sleuths begin to investigate, Beryl discovers her plane has been sabotaged and wonders if there’s a connection. Whether in the air or on terra firma, Beryl and Edwina must go round a circle of suspects to divine the culprit . . .
I read the book right before this one and I really loved it so I was excited to check out this book. Séances are always an interesting topic to me. I think Beryl and Edwina go through a lot of character development in this book. I was a little surprised that Beryl could fly airplanes. I haven’t read the first six books in the series so that was news to me. But that was pretty cool of her in that day and age. I also loved that Edwina was writing a book. I definitely need to go back and read the other books. I definitely loved it and I love all the plot. I’m excited to check out future books in this series!
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy English mysteries!
June 30, 2024
I have been a reader of this series from book one and enjoy the characters Edwina and Beryl but this installment feels a bit off. It is difficult to marry the lightness of the previous books with the sombre tone of this one. There is a lot of history and tradegy in it and this is only furthered by the seance. I enjoy cosy rather than historical mysteries and this seems to have taken a turn. Some of the plot was implausible for me and a little too transparent. The writing is good though and if you enjoy a historical novel this may be more your cup of tea than mine.
June 28, 2024
I thought this book was the best one in the Beryl and Edwina series. I couldn’t stop reading.
November 10, 2024
2 1/2 stars. An overall satisfying historical mystery in the series starring a typical English woman residing in a small village and her American adventuress friend in the 1920s. The combination of the two provides an intriguing friendship and good counterparts in the investigative business they have set up. Their latest case is to investigate a medium who has set up shop in town and has lured the church organist away to play music during seances. Beryl, the American adventuress, who has already set things astir in town by landing her airplane, a gift from a grateful client, is sure she can detect a fraud using tricks of the trade she learned from Harry Houdini. But it isn't a fraud they discover at a seance but murder...
It was nice to see how much Edwina has grown in this series and it becomes very obvious in this story where she is breaking away from the social mores of the restrained upright British citizen to pursue clues, confront suspects and even find personal happiness in sending off her recently finished mystery novel to a publisher. Beryl also shows some growth.
There is a subplot that provides both some humor and slows down the narrative at times.
Twists a plenty mean that you aren't going to guess the answer to this mystery quickly.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
It was nice to see how much Edwina has grown in this series and it becomes very obvious in this story where she is breaking away from the social mores of the restrained upright British citizen to pursue clues, confront suspects and even find personal happiness in sending off her recently finished mystery novel to a publisher. Beryl also shows some growth.
There is a subplot that provides both some humor and slows down the narrative at times.
Twists a plenty mean that you aren't going to guess the answer to this mystery quickly.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
June 29, 2024
Murder at an English Seance by Jessica Ellicott is another Beryl and Edwina mystery. At some point in the book it ways that all the murders started when Beryl arrived. True, but coincidence, I think. This book is filled with adventure, from the arrival of a medium to the arrival of Beryl’s airplane. Edwina doesn’t even like to ride in the car with Beryl, much less an airplane. These two ladies make me smile and in this book I realized that they are younger than I thought. Early 40’s?
The arrival of a medium in town is noteworthy but what really mattered is the loss of the church organist, who also wanted to play for the medium. The vicar thought it inappropriate and so they parted ways. Then, she ended up dead and everything went downhill from there. They did manage to solve the crime. The murderers were most surprising, as was their motive.
This is a charming series. The setting is bucolic, Over the series the reader has gotten to know the surrounding area as well as many of the residents. Like many small towns, there are characters. They are mostly lovable with quirks. Beryl has brought fresh air to Edwina’s life and home and things keep changing, as they do in this book. Edwina is opening her heart and her life to many things and people. It is heartening to see. It is also sad when a pillar of the community, someone everyone likes, is murdered. The constable is welcoming their assistance. That is a change, but one they are fully prepared to take advantage of. The mystery is a good one and would never have been solved if it were not for the airplane and Beryl’s dogged pursuit of Edwina’s favor on that score. Terrific book. Thanks, Jessica Ellicott!
I was invited to read Murder at an English Seance by Kensington Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #KensingtonPublishing #JessicaEllicott #MurderAtAnEnglishSeance
The arrival of a medium in town is noteworthy but what really mattered is the loss of the church organist, who also wanted to play for the medium. The vicar thought it inappropriate and so they parted ways. Then, she ended up dead and everything went downhill from there. They did manage to solve the crime. The murderers were most surprising, as was their motive.
This is a charming series. The setting is bucolic, Over the series the reader has gotten to know the surrounding area as well as many of the residents. Like many small towns, there are characters. They are mostly lovable with quirks. Beryl has brought fresh air to Edwina’s life and home and things keep changing, as they do in this book. Edwina is opening her heart and her life to many things and people. It is heartening to see. It is also sad when a pillar of the community, someone everyone likes, is murdered. The constable is welcoming their assistance. That is a change, but one they are fully prepared to take advantage of. The mystery is a good one and would never have been solved if it were not for the airplane and Beryl’s dogged pursuit of Edwina’s favor on that score. Terrific book. Thanks, Jessica Ellicott!
I was invited to read Murder at an English Seance by Kensington Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #KensingtonPublishing #JessicaEllicott #MurderAtAnEnglishSeance
September 1, 2024
Slow moving and wordy. I don't need to be constantly reminded of how famous Beryl is, or read their thoughts about how their lives have changed since they got together. Stick to the plot.
September 18, 2024
Audible version: oooh this one I loved! The seance, the mystery, the character advancement, the narration - it was all fabulous!
December 17, 2024
Where was an editor? This book was a slow go as far as interest, I was annoyed to find so many plot threads dropped; Edwina has written a novel and submitted the manuscript to the nosy postmistress to mail off to the publisher, then later on in the narrative Edwina goes to the post office and the postmistress hands her a package from the publishing house and Edwina is disconcerted to wonder why it was returned so soon after her submission- the postmistress ‘slides the package to Edwina..” then no more is said about the manuscript package, later in the narrative, Edwina is in a bookshop and wondering if an editor is now reading her manuscript. At this point I went back to read the P.O. portion to see if I missed anything- no the topic is dropped-what happened to the package that looked like the returned manuscript? Then still later her friend Beryl is coming along with a package and Edwina “wondered if, by chance, Prudence (postmistress) had given it (the manuscript) to her friend to bring back to the Beeches…” I find lapses and dropped plot points so irritating in a novel. Also Edwina and Beryl are said to be such close long-time friends yet they seem wary of each other and unwilling to confide in one another, this seems to belie the closeness of their friendship. All in all this was a disappointment, the conversations were stilted, the plot was basically good if there weren’t so many lapses and if it was more interesting-I found the characters somewhat bland too. I wish it had been better written and better edited.
September 30, 2024
https://openbooksociety.com/article/m...
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Edwina and Beryl’s new mystery is set in their small English village of Walmsley Parma. Both the mysteries and the historical aspects of life after the worldwide epidemic and WWI fascinated me. Personal enquiry agents Edwina and Beryl have a new case, and it is a doozy! It includes a psychic medium, an amazing gift to Beryl and Edwina, and how the local vicar and residents of this close-knit village react to the medium, Maude, and her brother, Arthur.
Edwina met Maude the day she courageously went to mail her manuscript. She worked long and hard on her novel, and doesn’t want her housemates and closest friends to know she sent it to a publisher. The postmistress is a notorious gossip, so she fervently hopes for Prudence’s silence. When she stopped for a cup of tea, Maude had arrived moments earlier and invited Edwina to sit with her. She revealed that she is a psychic, and Edwina responded politely but made no commitment to attend a séance.
Edwina was walking home when an airplane flew overhead, loud enough that everyone looked to see who was flying it. Beryl! Out of gratitude for saving a client’s company, he purchased an airplane for them! He knew Beryl loved to fly. Personal airplanes were not enclosed, so he even purchased special helmets for them. Edwina was horrified and wouldn’t talk about it. She knew that every time Beryl would fly somewhere, she would worry until Beryl returned safely. Beryl didn’t think Edwina would be this upset! I think I would be with Edwina on it, Golden Age of Aviation or not!
Murial, the vicar’s wife, hired Edwina and Beryl. At church the night before, Hazel, the organist, announced that she was playing the piano for Maude at her séances. The vicar was very upset, having already advised parishioners to stay away from séances. He gave Hazel a choice of playing at church, or playing for Maude. Fascinated by séances, she chose to play for Maude, and told him she would leave the church. Murial wanted them to prove the “psychic” was a fraud so Hazel would return.
A couple days later, Hazel was dead. She had been stabbed and stuffed inside the sarcophagus that was used to hold the “mummy” of Maude’s “spirit guide”, the Egyptian priestess Rosanna.
Beryl and Edwina were not hired to find who killed Hazel, but the constable, for the first time, welcomed their assistance. Arthur and Maude went to see Charles, the only local attorney and Edwina’s long-time close friend. They wanted to know when Hazel’s will would be read, as she told them they would inherit her estate, but he had not prepared her will.
This was an extremely busy novel! Charles was called out of town to pick up the newly orphaned two-year-old son of his cousin, Polly. He had been named little Georgie’s guardian and knew nothing about children; the busy boy exhausted him. Edwina and Beryl invited Charles and Georgie to stay with them and they would help with the toddler.
Edwina and Beryl lived very different lives since meeting at their finishing school years ago. Edwina lived in the family home and helped her mother until she passed away, and still resides there. Beryl, considered the “American Adventuress”, has been all over the world. Archaeological digs, motorcar racing, even spying during the war are but a few of her feats. Beryl brought excitement to Edwina’s life since moving in less than a year ago. Beryl has been trying to get her dear friend to relax and enjoy life.
I enjoyed this captivating mystery immensely! The ladies searched diligently for suspects and asked questions. There were several possibilities, but all except one had a solid alibi. When the killer was identified, I was surprised as I had not seen a motive there. Edwina and Beryl made their discovery purely by accident, and I was so proud of them! I highly recommend this British cozy mystery, and am so looking forward to visiting Beryl and Edwina again!
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Edwina and Beryl’s new mystery is set in their small English village of Walmsley Parma. Both the mysteries and the historical aspects of life after the worldwide epidemic and WWI fascinated me. Personal enquiry agents Edwina and Beryl have a new case, and it is a doozy! It includes a psychic medium, an amazing gift to Beryl and Edwina, and how the local vicar and residents of this close-knit village react to the medium, Maude, and her brother, Arthur.
Edwina met Maude the day she courageously went to mail her manuscript. She worked long and hard on her novel, and doesn’t want her housemates and closest friends to know she sent it to a publisher. The postmistress is a notorious gossip, so she fervently hopes for Prudence’s silence. When she stopped for a cup of tea, Maude had arrived moments earlier and invited Edwina to sit with her. She revealed that she is a psychic, and Edwina responded politely but made no commitment to attend a séance.
Edwina was walking home when an airplane flew overhead, loud enough that everyone looked to see who was flying it. Beryl! Out of gratitude for saving a client’s company, he purchased an airplane for them! He knew Beryl loved to fly. Personal airplanes were not enclosed, so he even purchased special helmets for them. Edwina was horrified and wouldn’t talk about it. She knew that every time Beryl would fly somewhere, she would worry until Beryl returned safely. Beryl didn’t think Edwina would be this upset! I think I would be with Edwina on it, Golden Age of Aviation or not!
Murial, the vicar’s wife, hired Edwina and Beryl. At church the night before, Hazel, the organist, announced that she was playing the piano for Maude at her séances. The vicar was very upset, having already advised parishioners to stay away from séances. He gave Hazel a choice of playing at church, or playing for Maude. Fascinated by séances, she chose to play for Maude, and told him she would leave the church. Murial wanted them to prove the “psychic” was a fraud so Hazel would return.
A couple days later, Hazel was dead. She had been stabbed and stuffed inside the sarcophagus that was used to hold the “mummy” of Maude’s “spirit guide”, the Egyptian priestess Rosanna.
Beryl and Edwina were not hired to find who killed Hazel, but the constable, for the first time, welcomed their assistance. Arthur and Maude went to see Charles, the only local attorney and Edwina’s long-time close friend. They wanted to know when Hazel’s will would be read, as she told them they would inherit her estate, but he had not prepared her will.
This was an extremely busy novel! Charles was called out of town to pick up the newly orphaned two-year-old son of his cousin, Polly. He had been named little Georgie’s guardian and knew nothing about children; the busy boy exhausted him. Edwina and Beryl invited Charles and Georgie to stay with them and they would help with the toddler.
Edwina and Beryl lived very different lives since meeting at their finishing school years ago. Edwina lived in the family home and helped her mother until she passed away, and still resides there. Beryl, considered the “American Adventuress”, has been all over the world. Archaeological digs, motorcar racing, even spying during the war are but a few of her feats. Beryl brought excitement to Edwina’s life since moving in less than a year ago. Beryl has been trying to get her dear friend to relax and enjoy life.
I enjoyed this captivating mystery immensely! The ladies searched diligently for suspects and asked questions. There were several possibilities, but all except one had a solid alibi. When the killer was identified, I was surprised as I had not seen a motive there. Edwina and Beryl made their discovery purely by accident, and I was so proud of them! I highly recommend this British cozy mystery, and am so looking forward to visiting Beryl and Edwina again!
May 11, 2024
It's rather like taking a leisurely time machine back to post WWI England when I visit Edwina and Beryl. You somehow adapt to the slower pace and simply find yourself going with the flow. Even Beryl, Edwina's energetic, adventuresome American friend seems to have settled into life in the village... sorta. After all, just because she's found peace with the calmer, sedate pace of village life doesn't mean she isn't excited to suddenly be gifted with a two-seater airplane. True, the more cautious, restrained Edwina isn't quite as thrilled to learn she's part owner and has no intentions of going up in the plane, even if Beryl is the pilot. Or, well, maybe because Beryl is the pilot. Edwina is already usually stressed to the max simply riding in Beryl's auto. Do you think it might have anything to do with the barrel rolls Beryl was doing before she landed the plane and told Edwina she was part owner?
That's soon the least of Edwina's concerns, however, as Beryl and she, who are what we'd call private investigators today, are hired to determine the credibility of the psychic medium who has recently taken up residence in their small village. Even worse, she's managed to steal away the church's sole talented pianist to perform at the seances. Needless to say, Edwina and Beryl attend. As it turns out, Beryl has worked with another well known psychic skeptic, Harry Houdini, so she's sure she'll be able to easily spot a fake medium. What they didn't anticipate was stumbling across a body in a casket. Well, a real body. Not the probably fake Egyptian princess Roxanne. Honest, that was the name they were given for her mummy. The real body is the church pianist. And this is where the story really begins.
I won't detail the plot. It's an intriguing one, complete with several suspects and red herrings. Oddly enough, I found myself as caught up in the side stories, which includes an orphaned child, village gossip, gambling, flying (of course), and watching Edwina, in particular, grow as a person and judge. Edwina isn't quite ready to admit it yet but, shh, romance may be blooming, too. Even Beryl shows signs of growth that Edwina never imagined. I like them tho', like Edwina, not so sure I'd want to go flying with Beryl. The supporting cast, particularly Charles, Beddoes, and Simpkins, all play vital roles. And, hey, let's not forget Crumpet, Edwina's dog. Like Edwina, he shows at the end that maybe he doesn't crave peace and quiet as they thought. Nope, that's all I'm saying. Read the book. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing for letting me hop in their time machine to go back in time and visit with Beryl and Edwina once again. I always look forward to that opportunity, especially as we learned quite a bit about how the war impacted even the smallest of villages in ways I'd never really thought about in this book. The history major in me thoroughly enjoyed that aspect.
That's soon the least of Edwina's concerns, however, as Beryl and she, who are what we'd call private investigators today, are hired to determine the credibility of the psychic medium who has recently taken up residence in their small village. Even worse, she's managed to steal away the church's sole talented pianist to perform at the seances. Needless to say, Edwina and Beryl attend. As it turns out, Beryl has worked with another well known psychic skeptic, Harry Houdini, so she's sure she'll be able to easily spot a fake medium. What they didn't anticipate was stumbling across a body in a casket. Well, a real body. Not the probably fake Egyptian princess Roxanne. Honest, that was the name they were given for her mummy. The real body is the church pianist. And this is where the story really begins.
I won't detail the plot. It's an intriguing one, complete with several suspects and red herrings. Oddly enough, I found myself as caught up in the side stories, which includes an orphaned child, village gossip, gambling, flying (of course), and watching Edwina, in particular, grow as a person and judge. Edwina isn't quite ready to admit it yet but, shh, romance may be blooming, too. Even Beryl shows signs of growth that Edwina never imagined. I like them tho', like Edwina, not so sure I'd want to go flying with Beryl. The supporting cast, particularly Charles, Beddoes, and Simpkins, all play vital roles. And, hey, let's not forget Crumpet, Edwina's dog. Like Edwina, he shows at the end that maybe he doesn't crave peace and quiet as they thought. Nope, that's all I'm saying. Read the book. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing for letting me hop in their time machine to go back in time and visit with Beryl and Edwina once again. I always look forward to that opportunity, especially as we learned quite a bit about how the war impacted even the smallest of villages in ways I'd never really thought about in this book. The history major in me thoroughly enjoyed that aspect.
March 15, 2024
This review is based on the ARC that I just finished. Although I enjoy the exploits of Beryl and Edwina, and especially how much Edwina is growing personally and professionally, I have been very disappointed in the discrepancies that have occurred in the last 3 books in this series. I don't know if they have been fixed by the time the final version is published. For instance, in this book on page 59, at the seance Edwina "...would have preferred to distribute their points of view more equally around the table. They would have to do their best with what they had to work with." But on page 75, Edwina seems to have forgotten because it says, "When they had first arrived at the seance table, she had been pleased that they were able to sit in positions that provided them with a variety of vantage points in order to observe..." The second big discrepancy is over a package at the post office. On page 196, Edwina is at the post office and Prudence slides a package to Edwina and is curious about the London address, but then we never find out what was in the package. Edwina was concerned that it "... was the same size and shape as the one she had sent off to the publishing house only a few days prior." Then on page 237, Edwina sees Beryl with a package that "...bore a disconcerting resemblance to her manuscript, and she wondered if, by chance, Prudence had given it to her friend to bring back to the Beeches." However Beryl's package contains airplane parts, so we never find out what happened to Edwina's package and what was in it. I hope these mistakes are fixed in the final version.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2024
I thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance reader copy of Murder at an English Séance. All opinions and comments are my own.
Mediums were all the rage in the 20s, and it seems the (fictional) village of Warmsley Parva has acquired one in the form of Maude Dinsdale, newly moved to town. She’s attracted quite the following. Edwina Davenport and Beryl Halliwell don’t happen to be among her supporters, but a whole lot of others are, and they are flocking to Maude’s séances, while many in the village are convinced that people are being duped. But is Maude the reason her assistant’s been murdered? Poor Agnes is found stuffed in a mummy’s coffin. Well, this is just up Edwina’s and Beryl’s alley (this is their eighth book), and it doesn’t take them long to figure out the inhabitants of our cozy English village once again harbor a whole lot of secrets that someone, in particular, will kill to keep hidden.
But, never mind that. Beryl has an airplane! Edwina has sent her book manuscript to the publisher! And straight out of left field, Charles Jarvis, Edwina’s would-be suitor, has become the guardian of a child, his dead cousin’s son. There are some life-changing events in Jessica Ellicott’s Murder at an English Séance (and I’m not talking about Agnes). Oh, yes, all’s well that ends well on the crime-fighting front, too (they uncover a killer, and get a terrible gossip to understand the error of her ways). Beryl and Edwina and Charles and their friends and fellow villagers will continue to weather all the storms of life, while readers like me eagerly await more stories.
Mediums were all the rage in the 20s, and it seems the (fictional) village of Warmsley Parva has acquired one in the form of Maude Dinsdale, newly moved to town. She’s attracted quite the following. Edwina Davenport and Beryl Halliwell don’t happen to be among her supporters, but a whole lot of others are, and they are flocking to Maude’s séances, while many in the village are convinced that people are being duped. But is Maude the reason her assistant’s been murdered? Poor Agnes is found stuffed in a mummy’s coffin. Well, this is just up Edwina’s and Beryl’s alley (this is their eighth book), and it doesn’t take them long to figure out the inhabitants of our cozy English village once again harbor a whole lot of secrets that someone, in particular, will kill to keep hidden.
But, never mind that. Beryl has an airplane! Edwina has sent her book manuscript to the publisher! And straight out of left field, Charles Jarvis, Edwina’s would-be suitor, has become the guardian of a child, his dead cousin’s son. There are some life-changing events in Jessica Ellicott’s Murder at an English Séance (and I’m not talking about Agnes). Oh, yes, all’s well that ends well on the crime-fighting front, too (they uncover a killer, and get a terrible gossip to understand the error of her ways). Beryl and Edwina and Charles and their friends and fellow villagers will continue to weather all the storms of life, while readers like me eagerly await more stories.
August 15, 2024
Princess Fuzzypants here: Thoroughly modern Beryl and increasingly modern Edwina break stereotypes in post WWI rural England. While the male population was badly reduced by the war, their little village does have some amazing examples of capable women who do male dominated job exceedingly well. Beryl’s new airplane does not please Edwina. Edwina is not thrilled with Beryl’s sporty and speedy car either but both come in handy when they are hired to investigate two newcomers.
Sister and brother have set up a most unusual shop where Miss Dinsdale purports to connect the living with the dead. Both of our heroines are not taken in but several in the village are, The seances create division and vitriol amongst the believers and the non-believers. When one of the believers, Hazel, is found skewered in a sarcophagus, the investigation into questions of fraud meld into a murder investigation. The town is filled with quirky characters whose lives are closely intertwined. Between the gossip and rumour floating around, the ladies will have to sort through all sorts of questionable information.
But, as usual, both Beryl and Edwina are willing to pitch in and help even when it means travelling well outside their comfort zone. This is nothing new for Beryl. But even she is amazed as how much richer her life can be when she lets a little love in. Five purrs and two paws up.
Sister and brother have set up a most unusual shop where Miss Dinsdale purports to connect the living with the dead. Both of our heroines are not taken in but several in the village are, The seances create division and vitriol amongst the believers and the non-believers. When one of the believers, Hazel, is found skewered in a sarcophagus, the investigation into questions of fraud meld into a murder investigation. The town is filled with quirky characters whose lives are closely intertwined. Between the gossip and rumour floating around, the ladies will have to sort through all sorts of questionable information.
But, as usual, both Beryl and Edwina are willing to pitch in and help even when it means travelling well outside their comfort zone. This is nothing new for Beryl. But even she is amazed as how much richer her life can be when she lets a little love in. Five purrs and two paws up.
July 1, 2024
This is such a fun and cozy series! Jessica Ellicott has created fully developed characters in Beryl and Edwina, two women of a "certain age" who work as private inquiry agents in the small village of Walmsley Parva in the 1920s. The book opens with Edwina nervously mailing her completed novel to a London publisher and Beryl acquiring an airplane, hinting at their distinct personalities. The story picks up when the vicar's wife hires Beryl and Edwina to investigate the Dinsdales, a brother and sister new to the village who hold seances (Miss Dinsdale is a medium). They've even stolen Hazel, the church organist, and our ladies need to prove the Dinsdales are frauds to get Hazel back to her church duties. I loved all the different village characters and seeing Beryl and Edwina grow (especially Edwina, who was so timid in the first book). Plus, I'm a sucker for plots involving seances and psychics. The book started slowly until the murder, but it picked up after that. I figured out who the murderer was but not the motive, which was quite unique. If you enjoy gentle English village cozies, definitely give this series a try! Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC. The series should be read in order.
July 6, 2025
I'm in the 3-3.5 range here.
I judged the book by its title. I thought I'd get a mystery with a paranormal element. If that's what you want, you'll be disappointed. It was mostly a small-town period drama with a little mystery folded in. Period pieces are not my usual, but I don't dock points for that. The slow start is what I didn't like. I was 100 pages in (1/3 of the book) before we even got to the murder and the actual investigating started.
Once the investigation and interviews picked up, I became more interested, but with their attention solely on the suspects and motives, I was incredibly annoyed by the questions the sleuths did not ask. Spoiler: Overall, the ending felt rushed because the only non-red-herring clue to come at us happened in the last 10 pages. I didn't feel we got any major twists or reveals before then. With all the pages eaten up by diversions, the killer calmly confessing/explaining everything in the space of two paragraphs was all there was to it.
But I read the whole thing and I'm not mad at it, so 3 stars.
I judged the book by its title. I thought I'd get a mystery with a paranormal element. If that's what you want, you'll be disappointed. It was mostly a small-town period drama with a little mystery folded in. Period pieces are not my usual, but I don't dock points for that. The slow start is what I didn't like. I was 100 pages in (1/3 of the book) before we even got to the murder and the actual investigating started.
Once the investigation and interviews picked up, I became more interested, but with their attention solely on the suspects and motives, I was incredibly annoyed by the questions the sleuths did not ask. Spoiler: Overall, the ending felt rushed because the only non-red-herring clue to come at us happened in the last 10 pages. I didn't feel we got any major twists or reveals before then. With all the pages eaten up by diversions, the killer calmly confessing/explaining everything in the space of two paragraphs was all there was to it.
But I read the whole thing and I'm not mad at it, so 3 stars.
June 28, 2024
I always enjoy Beryl and Edwina. These books are just the right amount of cozy to make the mystery enjoyable. What surprised me was the realization that we have come to the one year mark of when these two friends reconnected and their adventures in mystery solving began.
Barbara Rosenblat does an amazing job with the voices in these books. Teamed with Jessica Ellicott's wonderful stories, the audio books are a pleasure to listen to.
One of the most apparent things in this book is the amount of growth all of the characters have undergone. We are also looking at a change in circumstance that, to be honest, I'm not sure will resolve itself in ways some readers (not to mention characters) think it will. We shall have to see.
A psychic medium has come to the village and the resulting uproar might be the cause of the murder or it might simply be the red herring to disguise who did it and why.
Beryl and Edwina carefully peel back the layers to find a resolution for their client (The Vicar's Wife) while managing to work with Doris Gibbs - who ever thought we would see that?
What is next for our intrepid duo? I, for one, can't wait to find out!
Barbara Rosenblat does an amazing job with the voices in these books. Teamed with Jessica Ellicott's wonderful stories, the audio books are a pleasure to listen to.
One of the most apparent things in this book is the amount of growth all of the characters have undergone. We are also looking at a change in circumstance that, to be honest, I'm not sure will resolve itself in ways some readers (not to mention characters) think it will. We shall have to see.
A psychic medium has come to the village and the resulting uproar might be the cause of the murder or it might simply be the red herring to disguise who did it and why.
Beryl and Edwina carefully peel back the layers to find a resolution for their client (The Vicar's Wife) while managing to work with Doris Gibbs - who ever thought we would see that?
What is next for our intrepid duo? I, for one, can't wait to find out!
September 4, 2024
The little village of Walmsley Parva is being jolted by change. Beryl Halliwell receives a plane for the private inquiry agent she and Edwina Davenport run--a thank you gift for the case they recently solved. NOT that Edwina wants anything to do with a plane. Psychic medium Maude Dinsdale arrives in town to set up her business in the old tailor shop. Charles acquires a toddler. And the church organist, Hazel Moffat, leaves the church to work for Maude and Arthur Dinsdale. It's a short career change for Hazel, who ends up on display at the second seance Beryl and Edwina attend, having been hired by the vicar's wife to prove that the Dinsdales are frauds.
This series improves with each book. I love the character development. Some of the changes are subtle--just as with almost any person you know.
I am not a fan of the post-WWI era (or WWII era, for that matter), but this series conveys an authentic atmosphere of the time period.
This series improves with each book. I love the character development. Some of the changes are subtle--just as with almost any person you know.
I am not a fan of the post-WWI era (or WWII era, for that matter), but this series conveys an authentic atmosphere of the time period.
June 27, 2024
This is such a fun mystery series set in post WWI. The two main characters are Beryl and Edwina who are close friends. They continue in this next in series to forgo society rules for women and forge their own path of independence. I love that aspect of this series. In this next in series Beryl has a plane she knows how to fly and that alone has upset the village residents and created a scandal. She and Edwina are investigating a shocking murder as only they can with their investigation skills and interviewing local villagers. A fun secondary sub plot is Séances are being held that are suspicious as fraud to them. I love the characters, the bravado of these two friends and the sleuthing. A excellent next in series. This is 8th in series and I highly recommend the entire series.
Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.
Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.
August 6, 2024
Big things are happening in this book. Beryl has her plane and is enjoying flying to her heart's content. Edwina has finished her book and is just working up her nerve to get it shipped out. Of course, she'll have to post it where the town's biggest gossip (i.e. the postmistress) will see it. So she reroutes to a tea shop to fortify her nerves.
It is at the tea room that she meets psychic, Maude Dinsdale. Maude has just moved to town but she is about to set Walmsley Parva on its ear. While some people are eager to believe in her talents, others are being torn apart. And one person ends up dead in a mummy's sarcophagus.
There is a lot going on in this book including Charles being given care of his cousin's two-year-old son. The end of the mystery wasn't really fairly clued so that was a bit annoying but this was overall a nice book.
Three and a half stars rounded up for Goodreads
It is at the tea room that she meets psychic, Maude Dinsdale. Maude has just moved to town but she is about to set Walmsley Parva on its ear. While some people are eager to believe in her talents, others are being torn apart. And one person ends up dead in a mummy's sarcophagus.
There is a lot going on in this book including Charles being given care of his cousin's two-year-old son. The end of the mystery wasn't really fairly clued so that was a bit annoying but this was overall a nice book.
Three and a half stars rounded up for Goodreads
August 8, 2024
In an English village after the Great War, the friendship between Edwina and Beryl has evolved such that they opened a private inquiry agency in recognition of their successes in solving local crimes. In fact, in recognition of a recent solved case, they were gifted a beautiful small airplane. A fact that Edwina finds quite disconcerting. And then hearing their talented church organist has resolved to work providing music for seances instead. The village certainly has plenty of things to investigate. The story meanders a bit but all the strange occurrences are wrapped up by the end with a fair but unexpected resolution.Enjoyable for those who appreciate slow developments and clues and a mastery of characterization. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2024
Beryl's got an airplane! This latest in the series (still just as good as a standalone) sees Beryl and Edwina trying to solve the mystery of the man who was killed and put in a mummy's casket. They were meant to be helping to determine the validity of a psychic who has come to Walmsley Parva but somehow it got more complicated. I like this series (and this installment) for the atmospherics of an English village in the years between the wars- and this time Ellicott takes full advantage of the fascination at the time with mystic things. Even better though are the two women and their friends whose lives have become enriched and expanded over time. This outing sees Charles and his ward step forward a bit. And never forget about Crumpet! Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A fun read.
June 8, 2024
These characters, Beryl and Edwina, are lovely. And I love their friendship.
Sadly, somehow this episode just didn't hang together for me. Perhaps a little too much history as a background to each character in the village. A lot of that was sad/difficult and so somehow it also felt a little maudlin... Hmm.
The story didn't stretch me, it was a little transparent, Don't want to create spoilers - but the evolution of the personal relationships also felt a bit twee. Hmm
Not quite sure how this series is going to progress. It was 3 out of 5 on the enjoyment scale.
Thanks to #Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Sadly, somehow this episode just didn't hang together for me. Perhaps a little too much history as a background to each character in the village. A lot of that was sad/difficult and so somehow it also felt a little maudlin... Hmm.
The story didn't stretch me, it was a little transparent, Don't want to create spoilers - but the evolution of the personal relationships also felt a bit twee. Hmm
Not quite sure how this series is going to progress. It was 3 out of 5 on the enjoyment scale.
Thanks to #Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2025
This is one of my go to fave series, especially for audio books.
I love the two main characters, who are the perfect opposite personalities that work perfectly together as detectives. Both Beryl and Edwina are likable on their own as well as together.
The small English village setting is fun an filled with "characters" who add to the fun.
The added feature is that the audio books are narrated by the fantastic Barbara Rosenblat - one of the most talented narrators out ther who makes every character sound unique and brings the story fully to life.
I love this series and will keep listening as long as the author writes them and Rosenblat narrates!!
I love the two main characters, who are the perfect opposite personalities that work perfectly together as detectives. Both Beryl and Edwina are likable on their own as well as together.
The small English village setting is fun an filled with "characters" who add to the fun.
The added feature is that the audio books are narrated by the fantastic Barbara Rosenblat - one of the most talented narrators out ther who makes every character sound unique and brings the story fully to life.
I love this series and will keep listening as long as the author writes them and Rosenblat narrates!!
July 5, 2024
This is book 8 in the series and while can be read as a stand alone as far as the mystery goes they are best read in order to enjoy the growth and development of the character's. This is a historical mystery, taking place after the Great War, and in the English Countryside. The mystery is well written but little slow paced with plenty of suspects and a few red herrings. I did find the answer a little obvious as the villain was ignored as a suspect but the reason why was a surprise I didn't see coming. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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