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A Body in the Banjo
It’s November 1958 and Dagenham is excitedly awaiting Bonfire Night. Cissie Partridge isn’t too keen on fireworks but she generously donates to the local children doing Penny for the guy. Cissie is content with her lot. She loves her husband Harold. She shops, she cooks, she reads at every opportunity and she volunteers at the Dockland Settlement. Observant and sharp, she gets on with all her neighbours. Then, one morning, she finds a body…
183 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 22, 2026
A Body In The Banjo by Elaine Spires is a most entertaining retro crime saga that I thoroughly enjoyed and read in just one sitting.
The story is set in Dagenham in 1958 and is focused on the small group of houses in the banjo. The houses have inter-connecting alleyways – and not much happens that isn’t viewed by at least one nosey neighbour!
One quiet Sunday morning a body is found. The neighbourhood is then awash with police and their questions.
To complement the police, forty-eight-year-old Cissy starts her amateur sleuthing. She reminded me of Miss Marple but a younger version and one who informs the police of her findings and suspicions. She is relentless in her pursuit of answers.
A Body In The Banjo is written in a very personable style. Elaine Spires ‘shows’ us the scene with her descriptions. She has perfectly captured a bygone era where life was simple and neighbours were in and out of each other’s houses and lives. Neighbourhoods gelled together.
There is an eclectic mix of characters who entertain both the reader and their neighbours.
A Body In The Banjo is a read that invites us to walk down memory lane and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I received a free copy from the author for a blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
The story is set in Dagenham in 1958 and is focused on the small group of houses in the banjo. The houses have inter-connecting alleyways – and not much happens that isn’t viewed by at least one nosey neighbour!
One quiet Sunday morning a body is found. The neighbourhood is then awash with police and their questions.
To complement the police, forty-eight-year-old Cissy starts her amateur sleuthing. She reminded me of Miss Marple but a younger version and one who informs the police of her findings and suspicions. She is relentless in her pursuit of answers.
A Body In The Banjo is written in a very personable style. Elaine Spires ‘shows’ us the scene with her descriptions. She has perfectly captured a bygone era where life was simple and neighbours were in and out of each other’s houses and lives. Neighbourhoods gelled together.
There is an eclectic mix of characters who entertain both the reader and their neighbours.
A Body In The Banjo is a read that invites us to walk down memory lane and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I received a free copy from the author for a blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
March 7, 2026
At first, I was confused by the title of the book. For me, a banjo is a musical instrument, but here in Dagenham, it’s a name for a type of cul-de-sac. We meet the residents of the cul-de-sac and soon get to know who everyone is and form opinions of them all. It is set in Dagenham in 1958 and I enjoyed the 1950s feel.
This book is a Cissie Partridge Mystery and the Cissie (short for Cecilia) is the lead character in the story. She is 48 and married to Harold, 51, who works at the paint factory.
We are introduced to a load of characters in the early stages of the story and I think it would be useful to have a list at the front to refer to, ideally saying where they live too. Maybe even a map of the cul-de-sac. I do like a good map.
So we meet the characters and then a dead body turns up in Cissie’s garden – and it’s even more shocking because it’s someone she knows, although that’s all I’m telling you of the plot.
I really enjoyed the book. It’s a good size at 178 pages, it’s easy to get into and Elaine Spires has a beautiful writing style and great description of characters.
I liked Cissie a lot, she was a real inspiration while being totally believable. I liked all the police as well, especially DCI Grainger.
Overall, it was a fun, enjoyable read and I would happily read more of this author’s books.
This book is a Cissie Partridge Mystery and the Cissie (short for Cecilia) is the lead character in the story. She is 48 and married to Harold, 51, who works at the paint factory.
We are introduced to a load of characters in the early stages of the story and I think it would be useful to have a list at the front to refer to, ideally saying where they live too. Maybe even a map of the cul-de-sac. I do like a good map.
So we meet the characters and then a dead body turns up in Cissie’s garden – and it’s even more shocking because it’s someone she knows, although that’s all I’m telling you of the plot.
I really enjoyed the book. It’s a good size at 178 pages, it’s easy to get into and Elaine Spires has a beautiful writing style and great description of characters.
I liked Cissie a lot, she was a real inspiration while being totally believable. I liked all the police as well, especially DCI Grainger.
Overall, it was a fun, enjoyable read and I would happily read more of this author’s books.
February 7, 2026
For me Elaine’s books are the type of cosy mystery books that you go to when you need to read but don’t want to read anything too taxing. Allowing you to enjoy your “Me Time “ without leaving you traumatised at the end of it. Right from the beginning I envisaged a Hetty Wainthropp style character in Cissy and I wasn’t disappointed . The different characters that Elaine creates who either live in, or are linked to, the Banjo are vivid and you feel that you are a being taken on a journey into each of the houses and their occupants as the story progresses. Many of the characters give you reason to suspect them as you develop a deeper understanding of each one and how they live their lives, though whether you will actually guess the murderer I’ll leave to you to find out.
At just over 170 pages this isn’t a long read , however it is the right length for the story and it allows it to fit into that slot of books that you can comfortably sit down and read in one session . As a result I am looking forward to reading more books in the series and finding out even more about Cissy Partridge.
At just over 170 pages this isn’t a long read , however it is the right length for the story and it allows it to fit into that slot of books that you can comfortably sit down and read in one session . As a result I am looking forward to reading more books in the series and finding out even more about Cissy Partridge.
February 2, 2026
This is the first book I’ve read by Elaine Spires, and I was completely new to Dagenham and its inhabitants. I was so new that I even had to check what a banjo was, as I found it a bit hard to imagine a house built on a musical instrument. I also immediately added the first book in the Dagenham series to my KU.
All this to say that I found the story cozy and lovely, featuring a cast of likeable, realistic characters and a vivid, well‑drawn historical background.
It’s cozy and relaxing, but there are enough surprises to keep your attention alive.
It was supposed to be “a relaxing book to read before sleep” and instead became “a book I had to read 40% of before stopping.”
A solid mystery with a lovely FMC I adored. I can’t wait to read another one.
Many thanks for this digital copy, all opinions are mine
All this to say that I found the story cozy and lovely, featuring a cast of likeable, realistic characters and a vivid, well‑drawn historical background.
It’s cozy and relaxing, but there are enough surprises to keep your attention alive.
It was supposed to be “a relaxing book to read before sleep” and instead became “a book I had to read 40% of before stopping.”
A solid mystery with a lovely FMC I adored. I can’t wait to read another one.
Many thanks for this digital copy, all opinions are mine
February 5, 2026
Absolutely loved this thriller. Set in my home town, it was fun reading about roads that have been part of my childhood. Met Elaine recently, she was absolutely charming. Currently live in a banjo so it was fun to read how neighbours look out for each other and still do.
February 6, 2026
Cissie isn’t all that excited about bonfire night and fireworks. She’s happy with her life and content reading her detective books. Then one morning she finds a body in their backyard.
This was a good detective procedural book. It was slow moving as evidence is gathered. Cissie makes a good detective. I was as surprised as she was as to who the guilty one was.
This was a good detective procedural book. It was slow moving as evidence is gathered. Cissie makes a good detective. I was as surprised as she was as to who the guilty one was.
February 25, 2026
Body in the Banjo is an historical mystery set in 1958, just before Bonfire Night.
It is a story of a small community and one woman in particualar, Cissie, who doesn’t so much laud anything over her neighbours, but is, perhaps, a little bit of a busy body, although not so much as one who spends all her time watching her neighbours. No, instead Cissie listens to their comings and goings through the open bedroom window each night.
This is a story very much following the minutae of Cissie’s day to day existence as a 1950s housewife, and while some of it feels a little repetitive, the finale does build to a fine mystery which makes absolute sense of all the noise’s Cissie hears on the fateful night.
A really solid mystery, with a normal woman as the main character, although there are also others who take the narrative from time to time. I’m sure fans of historical mysteries will enjoy the story.
It is a story of a small community and one woman in particualar, Cissie, who doesn’t so much laud anything over her neighbours, but is, perhaps, a little bit of a busy body, although not so much as one who spends all her time watching her neighbours. No, instead Cissie listens to their comings and goings through the open bedroom window each night.
This is a story very much following the minutae of Cissie’s day to day existence as a 1950s housewife, and while some of it feels a little repetitive, the finale does build to a fine mystery which makes absolute sense of all the noise’s Cissie hears on the fateful night.
A really solid mystery, with a normal woman as the main character, although there are also others who take the narrative from time to time. I’m sure fans of historical mysteries will enjoy the story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews