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Mirabelle Bevan Mystery #5
Operation Goodwood
1955. When Mirabelle Bevan is rescued from a fire at her home on the Brighton seafront she's lucky to escape unharmed - but the blaze takes the life of her neighbour, Dougie Beaumont, a dashing and successful racing driver living in the flat above. It soon becomes clear that this was arson, raising questions about the young man's death that Mirabelle can't resist investigating further. With her curiosity piqued and on the trail of a potential killer she finds herself taking on the mysterious world of Fleet Street with its long lunches and dodgy deals as well as the glamorous motor racing world at Goodwood. It gradually becomes clear to Mirabelle that Dougie Beaumont's life was not as above-board as it first seemed and that this talented man had many secrets, hidden when he was alive by his international lifestyle where he was constantly on the move. Then, when a second shocking murder takes place, Mirabelle's pursuit is frustrated first by Dougie's well-connected and suspicious family and then by the official investigation - led by her would-be lover Superintendent McGregor. With the help of her colleague at McGuigan & McGuigan Debt Recovery, Vesta, and some of her ex-intelligence service connections, Mirabelle discovers the dark secrets of the glamorous racing driver have ramifications far beyond the English coastline.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2016
4 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Sara Sheridan
46 books431 followersBorn in Edinburgh. I'm a complete swot - love books always have! Currently obsessed with late Georgian/ early Victorian culture, the subject of several of my novels, and with 1950s Britain for my Mirabelle Bevan murder mystery series set across the UK - and even one in Paris. Occasionally write tie-in books for historical dramas on TV, children's picture books and short stories, mostly for charitable causes.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 21, 2024
Operation Goodwood is the fifth novel in a 1950’s based crime series. They are all set in Sussex, with the majority of the books focusing upon Brighton. Despite not having read all the books in the series, it didn’t pose a problem.
Our central characters, former secret service operative, Mirabelle Bevan, and colleague Vesta Evans, are co-owners of a debt collecting agency McGuigan and McGuigan. The nature of their work seems to lead them into investigating and solving murders.
This excursion begins at Goodwood race track, where Mirabelle and her would be lover, Superintendent McGregor are watching the racing. The novel then moves to Brighton where Mirabelle’s block of flats catches fire one night. Mirabelle is lucky to escape, though her neighbour, professional racing driver, Dougie Beaumont unfortunately loses his life. Mirabelle suspects arson.
Mirabelle, aided by her sidekick Vesta, begins to investigate what’s going on, and those investigations reveal some interesting facts about Dougie Beaumont.
The 1950’s setting, along with the locations are very well described . The debt collecting duo are engaging as characters.
Beneath the surface, the novel explores the themes of corruption, sexuality, attitudes to race and colonialism, and I was a little shocked by the casual racism in the novel, which Vesta is exposed to, and also relating to the black servant brought over from Kenya.
This novel is recommended as an enjoyable glimpse into our recent past, and one that gently reminds us that nostalgia for the 1950s, is just that, for there was also darkness.
Our central characters, former secret service operative, Mirabelle Bevan, and colleague Vesta Evans, are co-owners of a debt collecting agency McGuigan and McGuigan. The nature of their work seems to lead them into investigating and solving murders.
This excursion begins at Goodwood race track, where Mirabelle and her would be lover, Superintendent McGregor are watching the racing. The novel then moves to Brighton where Mirabelle’s block of flats catches fire one night. Mirabelle is lucky to escape, though her neighbour, professional racing driver, Dougie Beaumont unfortunately loses his life. Mirabelle suspects arson.
Mirabelle, aided by her sidekick Vesta, begins to investigate what’s going on, and those investigations reveal some interesting facts about Dougie Beaumont.
The 1950’s setting, along with the locations are very well described . The debt collecting duo are engaging as characters.
Beneath the surface, the novel explores the themes of corruption, sexuality, attitudes to race and colonialism, and I was a little shocked by the casual racism in the novel, which Vesta is exposed to, and also relating to the black servant brought over from Kenya.
This novel is recommended as an enjoyable glimpse into our recent past, and one that gently reminds us that nostalgia for the 1950s, is just that, for there was also darkness.
April 15, 2016
Mirabelle Bevan is rescued from a fire in the flats where she lives. She escapes with her life but the fire -which turns out to be arson - claims the life of her upstairs neighbour, glamorous racing driver, Dougie Beaumont. Intrigued because she so nearly lost her life, Mirabelle starts to investigate only to find that the young man's life wasn't as perfect as it seemed. Her investigation gets in the way of the official investigation led by her friend and potential lover - Superintendent Alan McGregor. Vesta Lewis - Mirabelle's business partner and friend - comes to her aid and together they try and uncover the truth.
This is an exciting and well written crime mystery about the seamier side of the glamorous set in 1955. People are looking for ways to make money and to escape what to many seems the drudgery of every day life in austerity Britain. Mirabelle herself is knocked off balance by her narrow escape from death and feels in some way guilty that she survived and Dougie Beaumont didn't.
I like Mirabelle herself and Vesta and it was interesting learning a bit more about her life before she moved to Brighton in this book. I like the way her relationship with McGregor is developing and I think Vesta is an interesting character too. I recommend this book and this series to anyone who likes crime novels with a historical background. The books can be read as standalone novels but it is probably better to read them in order of publication - starting with 'Brighton Belle'
This is an exciting and well written crime mystery about the seamier side of the glamorous set in 1955. People are looking for ways to make money and to escape what to many seems the drudgery of every day life in austerity Britain. Mirabelle herself is knocked off balance by her narrow escape from death and feels in some way guilty that she survived and Dougie Beaumont didn't.
I like Mirabelle herself and Vesta and it was interesting learning a bit more about her life before she moved to Brighton in this book. I like the way her relationship with McGregor is developing and I think Vesta is an interesting character too. I recommend this book and this series to anyone who likes crime novels with a historical background. The books can be read as standalone novels but it is probably better to read them in order of publication - starting with 'Brighton Belle'
June 10, 2018
I enjoyed it
November 30, 2021
Another excellent book in this series, and this time with quite a tangle of a murder to sort out - I must admit, it kept me guessing until the end. This book like the rest of the series has some serious underlying issues, deals with the consequences of war, and also has quite a bit of the developing (or not developing) relationship between Mirabelle and McGregor who I am beginning to suspect has left a bit of a mystery behind in his native Scotland. Thoroughly enjoyed this, and I'll be going back for more soon.
September 14, 2018
Operation Goodwood by Sara Sheridan - Good
Oops! I finished this about six weeks ago and really should have written something up sooner!
So this is the fifth book to feature Mirabelle Bevan, her assistant Vesta and her, almost 'boyfriend', Superintendent Alan McGregor. As such it is now 1955 and, as the author promised, Mirabelle's post war recovery is mirroring that of the country. Slowly but surely rebuilding, the recovery of both is taking place.
When there is a fire at Mirabelle's flats, she's lucky to be rescued but then finds that her upstairs neighbour wasn't so lucky. She'd never met him, but it just so happens to be a famous racing driver that she saw racing at Goodwood only weeks before. Initially, it is thought that he has committed suicide and accidentally set fire to the flat in the process, but it soon turns out to be something more sinister.
Once more Mirabelle is drawn into the mystery and sets about investigating where the police can't.
Good page turner as always.
Oops! I finished this about six weeks ago and really should have written something up sooner!
So this is the fifth book to feature Mirabelle Bevan, her assistant Vesta and her, almost 'boyfriend', Superintendent Alan McGregor. As such it is now 1955 and, as the author promised, Mirabelle's post war recovery is mirroring that of the country. Slowly but surely rebuilding, the recovery of both is taking place.
When there is a fire at Mirabelle's flats, she's lucky to be rescued but then finds that her upstairs neighbour wasn't so lucky. She'd never met him, but it just so happens to be a famous racing driver that she saw racing at Goodwood only weeks before. Initially, it is thought that he has committed suicide and accidentally set fire to the flat in the process, but it soon turns out to be something more sinister.
Once more Mirabelle is drawn into the mystery and sets about investigating where the police can't.
Good page turner as always.
September 16, 2022
This is an interesting 1950s crime story. When I think of Goodwood I think of racehorses, but of course at this time, motor racing was coming to the fore, and every town house now had its own mechanic instead of groom.
Plenty of fast motors and fast living folks, with a female sleuth of sufficient maturity to go about as she pleases, enter Westminster on vague committee work, and befriend a lady of colour if she wishes. This is not your Agatha Christie tale. However, the final outcome is Christie-ish in that a murder suspect decides to escape justice; there may be a policeman in the offing, but it's far from a police procedural.
The author's note at the back tells us that a friend tipped her off to a distressing situation that was under way in the 1950s, about which few of us know much, so I am pleased that she has placed it here for our attention.
Book from Chapters in Dublin. This is an unbiased review.
Plenty of fast motors and fast living folks, with a female sleuth of sufficient maturity to go about as she pleases, enter Westminster on vague committee work, and befriend a lady of colour if she wishes. This is not your Agatha Christie tale. However, the final outcome is Christie-ish in that a murder suspect decides to escape justice; there may be a policeman in the offing, but it's far from a police procedural.
The author's note at the back tells us that a friend tipped her off to a distressing situation that was under way in the 1950s, about which few of us know much, so I am pleased that she has placed it here for our attention.
Book from Chapters in Dublin. This is an unbiased review.
March 14, 2018
Really good entry in the Mirabelle Bevan series set during the time of the Mau Mau uprising. Well researched, the book has themes as diverse as car racing, diamond smuggling, changing cultural mores and British colonialism. I enjoy the depictions of Mirabelle and Vesta as strong, intelligent women. I wish that Superintendent McGregor WS a bit more three dimensional, but maybe that will come as his relationship with Mirabelle develops. Looking forward to more of Mirabelle!
April 22, 2019
I thought this was one of the better books in this series. It was more plausible than some of the previous books. I like the historical aspects of this series. Also Mirabelle seems to finally be adjusting to life without her former lover. I'm still not sure if I think that MacGregor and Mirabelle are right for each other. I didn't understand what the significance is of Mirabelle catching the woman pickpocket and retrieving the money that was taken from a man's pocket.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2017
I thought this was quite a good story with quite a few interesting twists and turns, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous three books. My problem with the book is that although Mirabelle is very intelligent what makes her different from many other amateur sleuths is when she goes into her SOE mode, unfortunately we saw very little of this during this story.
December 8, 2018
Good book. Read it only coz of Goodwood theme. Based in 1955 so mention of the war finishing is mentioned alot but that was a decade before. Anyway good gripping storyline on who killed the 2 men on separate occasions. I have too many series on the go at the moment so I wont concentrate on this series just yet even though Operation Goodwood isn't the first.
August 30, 2019
There are books you can judge by their cover. Then there's Operation Goodwood. Makes The Secret of the Old Clock look like The Maltese Falcon. But... if it's heading toward the end of summer... and it's raining outside.... and Sara Sheridan is the only crime writer you haven't read.... it's not bad. Nothing wrong w a light read, though what McGregor sees in Mirabelle is a mystery to me.
March 22, 2025
This one was much better than the last few in the series have been. (Despite an extremely dorky romance scene on the final page.) This one held my interest, and actually taught me something very new — the MauMau history between UK and Kenya. Very sad.
January 4, 2018
Mirabelle Bevan is a cross between Phryne Fisher and Poirot. Nice diversion from the standard and also great insight into 1950s England.
August 25, 2019
Another excellent Mirabelle book
I really enjoy the Mirabelle Bevan series. This book has Mirabelle and Vesta mostly away from Brighton, at Goodwood and London. Most enjoyable.
I really enjoy the Mirabelle Bevan series. This book has Mirabelle and Vesta mostly away from Brighton, at Goodwood and London. Most enjoyable.
April 19, 2016
Booktrail the locations in the novel here -Operation Goodwood
Whatever you do, don’t let the theme of car racing put you off! I am not a fan but this was fascinating to read about as it was exciting, it gave an impression of what it must have been like in the 1950s when cars were relatively new and car racing was a big deal. Mentions of figures such as Stirling Moss etc really increased the immersion into this world for that’s how it came across – a world I knew nothing of but it made for a really unique angle for a murder mystery!
Sara has now written a few novels in this series and each one is very different but they all have that sense of fun to them – they are about murder and serious crime at that but Sara’s writing for me managed to imbue character and charm into them. I really get a sense of how she’s enjoyed researching and writing the best she can. She creates scenes – the car racing ones were very visual and I would love to see these on the big screen as they would work in so many ways.
Operation Goodwood has so many layers to it that there’s a lot to it despite it being an easy read. The glamour of Brighton and the motor racing world really gave it that unique edge. Now I want to buy a vintage car and ride it with the top down and my hair floating out behind me
Chat with the author here :
Whatever you do, don’t let the theme of car racing put you off! I am not a fan but this was fascinating to read about as it was exciting, it gave an impression of what it must have been like in the 1950s when cars were relatively new and car racing was a big deal. Mentions of figures such as Stirling Moss etc really increased the immersion into this world for that’s how it came across – a world I knew nothing of but it made for a really unique angle for a murder mystery!
Sara has now written a few novels in this series and each one is very different but they all have that sense of fun to them – they are about murder and serious crime at that but Sara’s writing for me managed to imbue character and charm into them. I really get a sense of how she’s enjoyed researching and writing the best she can. She creates scenes – the car racing ones were very visual and I would love to see these on the big screen as they would work in so many ways.
Operation Goodwood has so many layers to it that there’s a lot to it despite it being an easy read. The glamour of Brighton and the motor racing world really gave it that unique edge. Now I want to buy a vintage car and ride it with the top down and my hair floating out behind me
Chat with the author here :
June 11, 2016
ARC honest review for Little, Brown Book Group UK via NetGalley.
In this, the 5th adventure for Mirabelle Bevan finds Mirabelle caught in a fire from the flat above hers. She is rescued, but the new owner isn't! Did the dashing racing driver Dougie Beaumont commit suicide as believed or is there more to it. Mirabelle has to know for her own piece of mind.
I enjoyed the twists and turns in this well written and researched story from Sara Sheridan.
If you like the review and would like to read reviews on other books I have made, visit my blog at www.finalchapterreadersgroup.wordpres... like, comment and follow.
In this, the 5th adventure for Mirabelle Bevan finds Mirabelle caught in a fire from the flat above hers. She is rescued, but the new owner isn't! Did the dashing racing driver Dougie Beaumont commit suicide as believed or is there more to it. Mirabelle has to know for her own piece of mind.
I enjoyed the twists and turns in this well written and researched story from Sara Sheridan.
If you like the review and would like to read reviews on other books I have made, visit my blog at www.finalchapterreadersgroup.wordpres... like, comment and follow.
March 25, 2016
I was fortunate to be given a review copy of this by net galley and am happy to say I loved this book! Highly recommended. A murder/mystery set in Britain in the 1950s. Mirabelle Bevan, ex SOE now a debt collector, and her business partner Vesta are drawn into a investigating a murder after a fire at Mirabelle's apartment building. The trail takes them to the heart of Goodwood and the 1950s motor racing scene, as well as into London and the heart of government. An exciting and gripping read which keeps you wanting to know more. I loved the descriptions of everyday 1950s life and the pictures painted by the location descriptions. A******
March 11, 2016
An intriguing story of life in Brighton and the glamour of Goodwood motor race course, set in the 50's.
Arson has been committed in the flats where Mirabelle Bevan and Dougie Beaumont live.
Beaumont is killed.
The mystery deepens when Beaumont is found to have a dubious past and Mirabelle, her policeman lover and her colleagues have a race against time to solve the murder.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Little, Brown Books Group via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
Arson has been committed in the flats where Mirabelle Bevan and Dougie Beaumont live.
Beaumont is killed.
The mystery deepens when Beaumont is found to have a dubious past and Mirabelle, her policeman lover and her colleagues have a race against time to solve the murder.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Little, Brown Books Group via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
April 28, 2016
Mirabelle gets caught up in the glam world of motor racing when a promising young driver dies in the flat above hers. She finds herself unravelling a mystery that involves politics, drugs, homosexuality and British colonialism. As always, Sheridan's novels are a joy to read. Mirabelle and Vesta are wonderful creations and the storyline has plenty of mystery to untangle. Hope there will be many more adventures for our Brighton Belle.
May 8, 2016
Fantastic book, another great storyline from Sara. This time the characters are developing well and we see foibles as Mirabelle has been shocked with a fire at her flat. We see how she copes with the distress and her feelings towards her boyfriend. Never guessed the ending it was a great storyline and wasn't aware of this period of history either.
June 19, 2016
Compelling murder mystery
A story of corruption, murder and betrayal. All starts at a motor race at Goodwood House. First a fire in the first floor of Mirabelle's flat, where she is rescued. However,as per usual she gets involved as the plot thickens, and another murder happens. With the help of the police,all is solved.
A story of corruption, murder and betrayal. All starts at a motor race at Goodwood House. First a fire in the first floor of Mirabelle's flat, where she is rescued. However,as per usual she gets involved as the plot thickens, and another murder happens. With the help of the police,all is solved.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews