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Daisy Dalrymple #6
Dead in the Water
Daisy Dalrymple visits relatives with fiancé DCI Alec Fletcher, and covers the 1923 Henley Royal Regatta for an American magazine. But tensions escalate between the Ambrose team coxswain Horace Bott - shopkeeper's son and scholarship student at Oxford - and rower Basil DeLancey - the son of an Earl and all-round bounder - who keels over and dies mid-race.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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882 people want to read
About the author
Carola Dunn
91 books886 followersCarola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews
May 23, 2019
EXCERPT: Daisy paused at the top of the brick steps leading down from the terrace. The negro butler had said Lady Cheringham was to be found in the back garden, but there was no sign of Daisy’s aunt.
On either side of the steps, roses flourished, perfuming the still air. From the bottom step, a gravel path cut across the lawn, which, shaded in part by a huge chestnut, sloped smooth as a bowling green to the river. The grey-green Thames slid past around the bend, unhurried yet relentless on its way to London and the sea.
Upstream, Daisy saw the trees on Temple Island, hiding the little town of Henley-on-Thames. Downstream, the white buildings of Hambleden Mill and the pilings dividing the boat channel from the mill-race marked the position of the lock and weir. Beyond the towpath on the far bank of the river, the Berkshire side, Remenham Hill rose to a wooded crown. On the near side, at the foot of the lawn, was a long, low boat-house half-hidden by shrubs and a rampant lilac-flowered clematis. From it, a plank landing-stage ran along the bank, with two bright-cushioned skiffs moored there side by side. On the landing-stage stood two hatless girls in summer frocks, one yellow, one blue.
ABOUT THIS BOOK:
Daisy Dalrymple visits relatives with fiancé DCI Alec Fletcher, and covers the 1923 Henley Royal Regatta for an American magazine. But tensions escalate between the Ambrose team coxswain Horace Bott - shopkeeper's son and scholarship student at Oxford - and rower Basil DeLancey - the son of an Earl and all-round bounder - who keels over and dies mid-race.
MY THOUGHTS: This is another book that may have been better read, than listened to. If you remember a British comedy called Hi-De-Hi set in a Butlins type summer camp, you will be familiar with Gladys, a staff member who affected what she though were upper class tones when she spoke. The narrator was similar. Sometimes it amused me, but most of the time it had me gritting my teeth. The pronunciation was abysmal. The different 'voices' for the characters, excruciating. The listening experience ruined what well may have been a perfectly good story for me.
**.5
THE AUTHOR: Carola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning.
DISCLOSURE: I listened to Dead in the Water by Carola Dunn, narrated by Mia Chiaromonte, and published by Blackstone Audio, via Overdrive courtesy of my local library, the Waitomo District Library in Te Kuiti, New Zealand. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads profile, or the 'about' page on my webpage sandysbookaday/wordpress. This review and others are also published on my webpage.
On either side of the steps, roses flourished, perfuming the still air. From the bottom step, a gravel path cut across the lawn, which, shaded in part by a huge chestnut, sloped smooth as a bowling green to the river. The grey-green Thames slid past around the bend, unhurried yet relentless on its way to London and the sea.
Upstream, Daisy saw the trees on Temple Island, hiding the little town of Henley-on-Thames. Downstream, the white buildings of Hambleden Mill and the pilings dividing the boat channel from the mill-race marked the position of the lock and weir. Beyond the towpath on the far bank of the river, the Berkshire side, Remenham Hill rose to a wooded crown. On the near side, at the foot of the lawn, was a long, low boat-house half-hidden by shrubs and a rampant lilac-flowered clematis. From it, a plank landing-stage ran along the bank, with two bright-cushioned skiffs moored there side by side. On the landing-stage stood two hatless girls in summer frocks, one yellow, one blue.
ABOUT THIS BOOK:
Daisy Dalrymple visits relatives with fiancé DCI Alec Fletcher, and covers the 1923 Henley Royal Regatta for an American magazine. But tensions escalate between the Ambrose team coxswain Horace Bott - shopkeeper's son and scholarship student at Oxford - and rower Basil DeLancey - the son of an Earl and all-round bounder - who keels over and dies mid-race.
MY THOUGHTS: This is another book that may have been better read, than listened to. If you remember a British comedy called Hi-De-Hi set in a Butlins type summer camp, you will be familiar with Gladys, a staff member who affected what she though were upper class tones when she spoke. The narrator was similar. Sometimes it amused me, but most of the time it had me gritting my teeth. The pronunciation was abysmal. The different 'voices' for the characters, excruciating. The listening experience ruined what well may have been a perfectly good story for me.
**.5
THE AUTHOR: Carola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning.
DISCLOSURE: I listened to Dead in the Water by Carola Dunn, narrated by Mia Chiaromonte, and published by Blackstone Audio, via Overdrive courtesy of my local library, the Waitomo District Library in Te Kuiti, New Zealand. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads profile, or the 'about' page on my webpage sandysbookaday/wordpress. This review and others are also published on my webpage.
February 28, 2025
This is another great visit with Daisy and fiancé DCI, Alec Fletcher. Daisy is visiting her aunt and cousin to cover a university rowing competition for the American magazine that she writes for. Alec is planning to arrive for the weekend. A quarrel between teammates, also staying with her aunt, turns deadly and a vacation for Daisy and Alec becomes a working vacation. The ending was a little strange after the crime was solved. I listened to the book via Chirp.
April 7, 2019
Another murder, this time at crew boat races, a very upper crust sport. Daisy & Alec get their weekend together, but not how they planned. You just know going in that it's going to happen, but I really like the way Dunn brings it out in the open & makes fun of it.
As usual, there's some good scenes depicting the class stratification & issues it causes. Also some on the emerging freedom of women. It's not much, but apparently a lot more than in the past. Great characters & narration.
Just plain fun, a cozy mystery set in the post WWI era England. The books stand alone well, but reading them in order is best if you want to keep up with the developing relationships. Yeah, it's kind of a soap opera, Downton Abbey sort of thing.
As usual, there's some good scenes depicting the class stratification & issues it causes. Also some on the emerging freedom of women. It's not much, but apparently a lot more than in the past. Great characters & narration.
Just plain fun, a cozy mystery set in the post WWI era England. The books stand alone well, but reading them in order is best if you want to keep up with the developing relationships. Yeah, it's kind of a soap opera, Downton Abbey sort of thing.
March 6, 2018
This is an easy-to-read cozy mystery series, but this wasn't the best of the bunch. The story seemed to drag a little and the mystery all fell a bit flat.
Still not a bad way to spend some time, and the audio narration is quite good.
Still not a bad way to spend some time, and the audio narration is quite good.
April 23, 2010
Sixth in the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series. After insulting every member of his rowing team, a young titled man dies during a boat race. Daisy and her boyfriend, an inspector with Scotland Yard, sift through the clues.
I think my main problem with this book is really just my problem with the sub-genre itself--I'm tired of slightly quirky characters who stumble upon mysteries in quaint English surroundings. The main character doesn't change or learn anything, and her relationships with other characters don't alter to any real degree. Usually these books are at least good for a few moments of humor, the brain puzzle of guessing whodunnit, and a little window into a historical period. But by book 6 of this series, it's all starting to wear thin. I really hope that something big happens in the next book to shake up Daisy and the comfortable groove this series has found.
I think my main problem with this book is really just my problem with the sub-genre itself--I'm tired of slightly quirky characters who stumble upon mysteries in quaint English surroundings. The main character doesn't change or learn anything, and her relationships with other characters don't alter to any real degree. Usually these books are at least good for a few moments of humor, the brain puzzle of guessing whodunnit, and a little window into a historical period. But by book 6 of this series, it's all starting to wear thin. I really hope that something big happens in the next book to shake up Daisy and the comfortable groove this series has found.
March 17, 2025
3,5 ⭐
Lubię tą serię. Jest taka przyjemna i odprężająca. A przynajmniej dla mnie. Po tym tomie zdecydowanie stwierdzam, że uwielbiam Daisy. Potrafi postawić na swoim, a nawet wmiksować się w sprawę, którą prowadzi jej narzeczony i to za jej prośbą. Podoba mi się relacja między nimi.
Lubię tą serię. Jest taka przyjemna i odprężająca. A przynajmniej dla mnie. Po tym tomie zdecydowanie stwierdzam, że uwielbiam Daisy. Potrafi postawić na swoim, a nawet wmiksować się w sprawę, którą prowadzi jej narzeczony i to za jej prośbą. Podoba mi się relacja między nimi.
April 22, 2009
I had read the earlier installments of this series several years ago, and I had always meant to read more. I finally got around to it, but this book was not really worth it. The mystery is not well constructed, and the ending is rushed (both figuratively and literally--for some reason we get a wierd foot-chase scene that was really out of place). What I found most distasteful was Daisy's attitude. She kept thinking unkind thoughts about the other characters, and then only sort of regretting her meanness. I didn't remember Daisy being so unlikeable before. Since these books are short, I will give them another chance. But they better bounce back quickly.
One note for me, since I've also been reading Robin Paige's Victorian Mysteries: these books take place only 30 years after Paige's, but here finger-printing and other methods of modern forensics are used regularly. In Paige's series the police look upon these methods with a lot of skepticism. The turnaround from distrust to acceptance of these techniques is interesting.
One note for me, since I've also been reading Robin Paige's Victorian Mysteries: these books take place only 30 years after Paige's, but here finger-printing and other methods of modern forensics are used regularly. In Paige's series the police look upon these methods with a lot of skepticism. The turnaround from distrust to acceptance of these techniques is interesting.
November 8, 2018
I had tried and abandoned one other audiobook in this series but, in order to complete a task for a challenge, I decided to give Daisy Dalrymple one more turn at bat. Well, this is two strikes against her, but she will not have a chance to strike out! I am done with this series. The story is almost entirely dialogue, is simplistic and predictable, and is extremely repetitive (not to mention that the narrator's style is -- to use Miss Dalrymple's favourite, and overused, word -- frightfully annoying).
May 23, 2019
The Henley regatta 1923, a superb setting and just right for a murder of one of the rowing crew. The intrepid Daisy Dalrymple happens to be present along with her fiancé Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher. He takes charge but, naturally, Daisy is the catalyst for solving the crime and she does so effectively with a touch of romance just around the corner all the time. A charming romp in bygone times!
Read
November 23, 2020DNF
I started this series when for a little while I was only capable giving attention to the lightest reads. Now that I’m capable of more, I can’t keep my attention on the lightest reads.
It’s a fickle meter of book suitability.
I started this series when for a little while I was only capable giving attention to the lightest reads. Now that I’m capable of more, I can’t keep my attention on the lightest reads.
It’s a fickle meter of book suitability.
December 23, 2021
2.5 stars
I liked this cosy mystery set at the Henley Royal Regatta in July of 1923 featuring amateur sleuth Daisy Dalrymple (of the aristocracy) and her fiance, Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard.
Yes, there is a murder during the boat race of a particularly unlikeable individual...but who would have killed him?? (Nobody really cares 😂)
I must confess I was a little distracted whilst reading this, but it didn't matter as the story is easy to follow and you can guess a lot of it!
I liked this cosy mystery set at the Henley Royal Regatta in July of 1923 featuring amateur sleuth Daisy Dalrymple (of the aristocracy) and her fiance, Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard.
Yes, there is a murder during the boat race of a particularly unlikeable individual...but who would have killed him?? (Nobody really cares 😂)
I must confess I was a little distracted whilst reading this, but it didn't matter as the story is easy to follow and you can guess a lot of it!
June 5, 2022
Dead in the Water
3 Stars
While visiting family and participating in the annual Henley-Upon-Thames regatta, Daisy again finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when one of the college rowers dies.
The murder investigation is very predictable as there is only one possible suspect other than the obvious red herring. Nevertheless, the descriptions of the rowing and the regatta are fun as I have actually been to Henley-Upon-Thames during the races, so it brought back fond memories.
The narrator, Mia Chariamonte, is too awful for words, and I switched to the ebook halfway through. Chariamonte is incapable of producing a British accent and mangles the pronunciation of even the most simple of words, such as "path" (short vowel pAHth instead of long vowel pAAth), invalid (noun) /ˈɪnvəlɪd/ is read as "in valid" /ɪnˈvælɪd/(adjective), and worst of all, mispronouncing Gloucester as "Glowster" instead of "Gloster". It is easy these days to look up the correct pronunciation of a word before recording in the studio, and it is insulting that a narrator would not even bother to do so.
She narrates one more installment, so I will be reading that one rather than listening.
3 Stars
While visiting family and participating in the annual Henley-Upon-Thames regatta, Daisy again finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when one of the college rowers dies.
The murder investigation is very predictable as there is only one possible suspect other than the obvious red herring. Nevertheless, the descriptions of the rowing and the regatta are fun as I have actually been to Henley-Upon-Thames during the races, so it brought back fond memories.
The narrator, Mia Chariamonte, is too awful for words, and I switched to the ebook halfway through. Chariamonte is incapable of producing a British accent and mangles the pronunciation of even the most simple of words, such as "path" (short vowel pAHth instead of long vowel pAAth), invalid (noun) /ˈɪnvəlɪd/ is read as "in valid" /ɪnˈvælɪd/(adjective), and worst of all, mispronouncing Gloucester as "Glowster" instead of "Gloster". It is easy these days to look up the correct pronunciation of a word before recording in the studio, and it is insulting that a narrator would not even bother to do so.
She narrates one more installment, so I will be reading that one rather than listening.
May 1, 2021
I may have read too many of these...harmless and entertaining and changing locations interesting.
August 17, 2021
Ich kam irgendwann mit den ganzen Namen arg durcheinander. Aber an sich ein solider Fall.
September 28, 2021
Not bad but the reader is not as good as some others.
April 9, 2023
Really enjoyable mystery with Daisy mixed up with the murder .
August 15, 2020
Rated 3 stars. Enjoyed reading more adventures
with Daisy Dalrymple and her friends and many relatives in 1920's England. This episode takes place during a rowing Regatta. There is a murder and of course Daisy MUST get involved and Scotland Yard detective, Alex Fletcher, will be on the scene with his two associates. These reads are not gruesome but sometimes I want to read a fun mystery and not tax my brain too much! So if you're in the mood for a "fun" read you might enjoy this series. Even one of my sisters likes this series and she usually prefers SF or contemporary fiction.
with Daisy Dalrymple and her friends and many relatives in 1920's England. This episode takes place during a rowing Regatta. There is a murder and of course Daisy MUST get involved and Scotland Yard detective, Alex Fletcher, will be on the scene with his two associates. These reads are not gruesome but sometimes I want to read a fun mystery and not tax my brain too much! So if you're in the mood for a "fun" read you might enjoy this series. Even one of my sisters likes this series and she usually prefers SF or contemporary fiction.
July 22, 2017
There are constant references in this series to class and the advantages had by those who are fortunate enough to be in the upper classes and this book is no different. The facts are quite believable but the motives are a little strange. I know that in the twenties there were a number of people who hadn't yet learned that law applies to everyone and police who were hampered by senior officers who were subject to pressure from those people and withheld action under it but surely not everyone everywhere.
I do believe the bullying of the scholarship student because we've all seen that happen, but I find the acceptance of Basil DeLancey's appalling behaviour because he was a good cox a bit difficult to accept, even if the others did have touches of the same prejudice against the "lower orders". If a person is subjected to constant bullying they will eventually come to believe that they really are what the bullies call them so Horace's prickliness is understandable and Miss Hopgood will have an uphill job getting him past it.
All the details of the Henley Regatta were fun and enabled me to set the event geographically.
I do enjoy this series and the characters and Tom now has a beautiful blue and white checked summer suit. Wow! They are intended as light reading so it's probably unfair to carp at details.
I do believe the bullying of the scholarship student because we've all seen that happen, but I find the acceptance of Basil DeLancey's appalling behaviour because he was a good cox a bit difficult to accept, even if the others did have touches of the same prejudice against the "lower orders". If a person is subjected to constant bullying they will eventually come to believe that they really are what the bullies call them so Horace's prickliness is understandable and Miss Hopgood will have an uphill job getting him past it.
All the details of the Henley Regatta were fun and enabled me to set the event geographically.
I do enjoy this series and the characters and Tom now has a beautiful blue and white checked summer suit. Wow! They are intended as light reading so it's probably unfair to carp at details.
August 14, 2016
This was a lot more fun than the previous book in this series. (One more and I'm up to date!) Alex and Daisy are engaged and are planning a weekend in the country. There is a regatta going on. Daisy is staying at her aunt's house and has a press pass. She is excited at the idea of being presented to Prince Henry as well. It is quickly obvious that the rowing team members staying at her aunt's house have some problems with the team. The cox is Bott, son of a shopkeeper and a math and science genius. He is one of the few non upper class members, most of whom treat him poorly. He has a huge chip on his shoulder as a result. (The disdain of the wealthy young men for someone whose interest lies in mathematics and science is also an interesting and amusing aside.) One of the team members is the younger son of an earl who is particularly disdainful of Bott and constantly baits him. When his body is discovered, Bott becomes a natural suspect. Daisy, however, is not convinced. Alex would rather she didn't get involved, but we all know that's NOT going to happen.
February 22, 2017
With Dead in the Water, the sixth book in Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series, Daisy visits her aunt's house to cover the social events at the Henley-on-Thames regatta, where her cousin's rowing team for Ambrose College of Oxford is competing. She discovers that the team of 8 has personal conflicts, with the Honourable Basil Delancy going out of his way to be rude to everyone but especially to the cox Horace Bott, who has just graduated with a first (the Oxford version of our summa cum laude) in both science and math, for being the son middle-class son of a shopkeeper instead of aristocracy as Delancy is.
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
November 7, 2019
Boat races! (shades of *The King and I*, the movie; the Crown Prince wants boat races)
There are boat races at Henley, and Daisy goes to visit her aunt and cousins who live on the river nearby, with a plan to have a couple of days with Alec. Of course, that doesn't work out the way they'd planned. Two people drown, lots of questions about who was where and when.
There are boat races at Henley, and Daisy goes to visit her aunt and cousins who live on the river nearby, with a plan to have a couple of days with Alec. Of course, that doesn't work out the way they'd planned. Two people drown, lots of questions about who was where and when.
December 24, 2017
Another seriously light, entertaining mystery with Daisy Dalrymple. Upper & lower class friction & the deaths of 2 truly obnoxious characters.
January 30, 2012
3.5-4 stars
I'm holding back a bit on my rating, because there were SO MANY PEOPLE in this book, it was difficult to keep everyone straight. Which made figuring out who did what more difficult, too. But I enjoyed continuing to see Daisy and Alec (Detective Chief Inspector Fletcher) interact both personally and professionally during the story.
Daisy is now writing for an American magazine, and they want her to cover the Henley Royal Regatta, which includes rowing races. Daisy even has an invite to meet HRH Prince Harry (no, not the current Prince Harry, this is 1923, remember) at a reception. Daisy will bunk in at her aunt's house (her mother's sister), Aunt Cynthia. The rowing crew from Ambrose College at Oxford is also staying at Aunt Cynthia's, as well as Dottie Carrick, Daisy's cousin Tish (Patricia's) college friend. The Ambrose rowing crew will row in the 8-man with a cox and the 4-man without a cox. Tish's boyfriend, Rollo Frieth, is the team's captain, and her cousin (not Daisy's cousin) is Cherry (Erasmus) Cherrington, also on the team. Alec is expected to join Daisy for the weekend, although he'll bunk in at a local inn.
But when Daisy meets the Ambrose team, she quickly finds that there are mounting tensions between Horace Bott and Basil DeLancey. Bott is the son of a shopkeeper and a scholarship student at Oxford; he's intelligent, but he's got a big chip on his shoulder. Seems Bott is excluded from much of the camaraderie and socialization of the college because he's not a gentleman. DeLancey is the youngest son of an earl, and he, especially, likes to make Bott's life hell. Daisy even thinks to herself after witnessing DeLancey push Bott into the river (Bott can't swim), that the two are likely to murder each other if something isn't done to stop them.
DeLancey goads Bott into drinking too much the night before the big 8-man race, and Bott disgraces himself and his team by becoming violently ill during the race. The Ambrose 8 don't even cross the finish line, which causes DeLancey to cause a public row. His brother, the earl, Cedrick DeLancey breaks up the ruckus and forces Basil to apologize to his team, but he manages not to apologize to Bott, who's already stamped off after threatening DeLancey. Cedrick, it seems, is anxious about bad publicity; seems Ceddie was in WWI and panicked, leading his men from behind into a massacre from which there were only 3 survivors, Ceddie included. Because he was an earl's son, it was hushed up, but Cedrick lives in fear that his actions will be revealed, bringing down loads of scandal and reproach upon him and his family. But even Cedrick can't seem to rein in his younger, bratty brother Basil.
Basil decides he's going to guard the 4-men skiff, thinking that Bott will sabotage it that night. No one believes that Bott will harm the skiff, but they wonder about him harming Basil. When Basil stumbles into the room that Daisy shares with Trish, he seems drunk - confused, stumbling, and staggering. Trish is terrified that Basil is trying to seduce or accost her - he's made several passes - and she's almost useless. Daisy, however, sends Trish off to get Basil's roommate to help bring him to bed.
The next morning, Basil seems to be fine, despite a headache, and he even eats a large breakfast. But during the race, Basil becomes violently ill and falls out of the skiff into the water - dead. So much for Daisy and Alec's weekend plans! Because of the many jurisdictions and the river, Alec is assigned the task as Scotland Yard and being on the spot. But when they discover that Basil didn't drown and wasn't drunk, everyone is confused. Until the coroner confirms that Basil has a lump on each side of his head - he died from an internal hemorrhage, bleeding on the brain.
WHO killed Basil DeLancey? Horace Bott seems the lead suspect, but Alec can't seem to rule out any of the rest of the Ambrose team or even Cedrick DeLancey, Basil's brother. When Cherry, Alec, and Daisy are out for an early morning row, they come upon a skirmish on Temple Island... shots are fired, and they discover Horace Bott face-down in the river, with a gunshot wound grazing his temple. But who shot Horace? The likely suspect is Cedrick DeLancey, because Daisy managed to see the back of the other person on Temple Island row towards and get out at the stop where he's staying. But was it Cedrick?
-----------------------
When the action started going, it was non-stop. But there were so many other possible angles, I wasn't satisfied with the results. I especially wasn't happy with Daisy, who managed to get a confession from the person who actually hit Basil - not meaning to kill him, but purely in self-defense. However, Daisy withholds the information, since so many other serious crimes and offenses have occurred... she doesn't tell Alec until the very last pages of the book, and poses it as a hypothetical situation. To which Alec tells her he doesn't want to know. Huh? I suppose there's nothing to be gained, but still... that disappointed me. Both that Daisy protected the party and withheld the information from Alec for so long, and Alec's reaction to it.
I also wonder at the many times that Alec is so exasperated with Daisy. He's constantly thinking to himself that he can't control her actions, which to some extent I understand, since she does rather force her way into situations that can be dangerous. And she is rather nosy, and people do tend to tell her things. But it makes me wonder how they'll get along once they are married - or if they can survive the engagement? Alec knows who Daisy is, so he should be able to accept her, right? And Daisy realizes that Alec isn't always just trying to hold her back, but that he is the voice of reason when she tends to rush into danger. There should be *some* change or compromise between them, or they'll never make it.
Which is why I can't give this book a 4-star rating. Sorry!
I'm holding back a bit on my rating, because there were SO MANY PEOPLE in this book, it was difficult to keep everyone straight. Which made figuring out who did what more difficult, too. But I enjoyed continuing to see Daisy and Alec (Detective Chief Inspector Fletcher) interact both personally and professionally during the story.
Daisy is now writing for an American magazine, and they want her to cover the Henley Royal Regatta, which includes rowing races. Daisy even has an invite to meet HRH Prince Harry (no, not the current Prince Harry, this is 1923, remember) at a reception. Daisy will bunk in at her aunt's house (her mother's sister), Aunt Cynthia. The rowing crew from Ambrose College at Oxford is also staying at Aunt Cynthia's, as well as Dottie Carrick, Daisy's cousin Tish (Patricia's) college friend. The Ambrose rowing crew will row in the 8-man with a cox and the 4-man without a cox. Tish's boyfriend, Rollo Frieth, is the team's captain, and her cousin (not Daisy's cousin) is Cherry (Erasmus) Cherrington, also on the team. Alec is expected to join Daisy for the weekend, although he'll bunk in at a local inn.
But when Daisy meets the Ambrose team, she quickly finds that there are mounting tensions between Horace Bott and Basil DeLancey. Bott is the son of a shopkeeper and a scholarship student at Oxford; he's intelligent, but he's got a big chip on his shoulder. Seems Bott is excluded from much of the camaraderie and socialization of the college because he's not a gentleman. DeLancey is the youngest son of an earl, and he, especially, likes to make Bott's life hell. Daisy even thinks to herself after witnessing DeLancey push Bott into the river (Bott can't swim), that the two are likely to murder each other if something isn't done to stop them.
DeLancey goads Bott into drinking too much the night before the big 8-man race, and Bott disgraces himself and his team by becoming violently ill during the race. The Ambrose 8 don't even cross the finish line, which causes DeLancey to cause a public row. His brother, the earl, Cedrick DeLancey breaks up the ruckus and forces Basil to apologize to his team, but he manages not to apologize to Bott, who's already stamped off after threatening DeLancey. Cedrick, it seems, is anxious about bad publicity; seems Ceddie was in WWI and panicked, leading his men from behind into a massacre from which there were only 3 survivors, Ceddie included. Because he was an earl's son, it was hushed up, but Cedrick lives in fear that his actions will be revealed, bringing down loads of scandal and reproach upon him and his family. But even Cedrick can't seem to rein in his younger, bratty brother Basil.
Basil decides he's going to guard the 4-men skiff, thinking that Bott will sabotage it that night. No one believes that Bott will harm the skiff, but they wonder about him harming Basil. When Basil stumbles into the room that Daisy shares with Trish, he seems drunk - confused, stumbling, and staggering. Trish is terrified that Basil is trying to seduce or accost her - he's made several passes - and she's almost useless. Daisy, however, sends Trish off to get Basil's roommate to help bring him to bed.
The next morning, Basil seems to be fine, despite a headache, and he even eats a large breakfast. But during the race, Basil becomes violently ill and falls out of the skiff into the water - dead. So much for Daisy and Alec's weekend plans! Because of the many jurisdictions and the river, Alec is assigned the task as Scotland Yard and being on the spot. But when they discover that Basil didn't drown and wasn't drunk, everyone is confused. Until the coroner confirms that Basil has a lump on each side of his head - he died from an internal hemorrhage, bleeding on the brain.
WHO killed Basil DeLancey? Horace Bott seems the lead suspect, but Alec can't seem to rule out any of the rest of the Ambrose team or even Cedrick DeLancey, Basil's brother. When Cherry, Alec, and Daisy are out for an early morning row, they come upon a skirmish on Temple Island... shots are fired, and they discover Horace Bott face-down in the river, with a gunshot wound grazing his temple. But who shot Horace? The likely suspect is Cedrick DeLancey, because Daisy managed to see the back of the other person on Temple Island row towards and get out at the stop where he's staying. But was it Cedrick?
-----------------------
When the action started going, it was non-stop. But there were so many other possible angles, I wasn't satisfied with the results. I especially wasn't happy with Daisy, who managed to get a confession from the person who actually hit Basil - not meaning to kill him, but purely in self-defense. However, Daisy withholds the information, since so many other serious crimes and offenses have occurred... she doesn't tell Alec until the very last pages of the book, and poses it as a hypothetical situation. To which Alec tells her he doesn't want to know. Huh? I suppose there's nothing to be gained, but still... that disappointed me. Both that Daisy protected the party and withheld the information from Alec for so long, and Alec's reaction to it.
I also wonder at the many times that Alec is so exasperated with Daisy. He's constantly thinking to himself that he can't control her actions, which to some extent I understand, since she does rather force her way into situations that can be dangerous. And she is rather nosy, and people do tend to tell her things. But it makes me wonder how they'll get along once they are married - or if they can survive the engagement? Alec knows who Daisy is, so he should be able to accept her, right? And Daisy realizes that Alec isn't always just trying to hold her back, but that he is the voice of reason when she tends to rush into danger. There should be *some* change or compromise between them, or they'll never make it.
Which is why I can't give this book a 4-star rating. Sorry!
June 24, 2020
I've read the series in order so far, but this one made me angry. The actual killer is obvious from very early in the book and SPOILER *****
is not punished because of social constraints with both Daisy and Alec merely shrugging it off.
What the heck?!
END SPOILER
*****
is not punished because of social constraints with both Daisy and Alec merely shrugging it off.
What the heck?!
END SPOILER
*****
October 21, 2020
Light, fun mystery. But even better than the solving of the murder are the great characters of Daisy and Alec.
March 18, 2022
A good filler audio book. I'm sure I'll do the next in the series when I'm between other books, but I wouldn't seek them out if they were not included on audible.
July 28, 2023
3.5 stars
April 24, 2024
This is the first book in the Daisy Dalrymple series that I haven’t liked
It was so incredibly boring, a shame but let’s hope the next one is better
2.5*
It was so incredibly boring, a shame but let’s hope the next one is better
2.5*
May 9, 2017
Having been unable to trudge through Damsel in Distress, which seemed to have been written while the author was thinking about something else...perhaps several things...it was with some trepidation that I picked up this installment. It continues to be mental popcorn of the lightest sort, but much better than vol 5. This is the obligatory 1920s "collegiate murder" combined with the "sporting event murder", reinforcing class attitudes along the way as the most popular suspect is the second least popular character (the stiff has that dubious honour), in part because his father is a small time grocer from the wrong region. I'm sure his being intellectually brilliant and surrounded by wealthy jocks didn't help matters, either. Daisy and Alec seemed to think the Oxbridge regatta would be the perfect weekend away--which is odd, since they'd be staying in a houseful of strangers and Daisy's wealthy relatives! I finished the book last night, and while I remember who dun it, I can't for the life of me remember why! I was a bit surprised to read that "A pre-dinner sherry in the lounge with her friends, and wine with the meal, effectively drove Bott's fate from her thoughts." Oh, really? Not the conversation and companionship, not a delicious, many-course meal with her beloved--nope, for Daisy it's the booze that does it. ????
Dunn manages her plots and personages better this time round. I wonder why she feels the need to shoehorn in American characters with impossible names, though in this case they get only a passing mention--which is good; I was ready to cringe at the thought that her stock-character cardboard Yanks might possibly show up. However she continues to commit linguistic solecisms; this time "nookie" finds itself in the mouth of a well-brought-up bourgeoise gel who, having no brothers, one would hope had never been in a position (so to speak) to have heard it. Again, one of the constables says that someone's alibi "sounds like a load of bumf," although "bumph" or "bumf" means paperwork and/or writing paper, not nonsense or lies. A fake alibi might sound like a load of cobblers, but never "bumf." Alec speaks of "fudging" case notes, which I'm not terribly sure was 1920s slang.
However, it was a quick, light read that restored my hopes of the series. It will never be as entertaining as Phryne Fisher, but then I ask too much.
Dunn manages her plots and personages better this time round. I wonder why she feels the need to shoehorn in American characters with impossible names, though in this case they get only a passing mention--which is good; I was ready to cringe at the thought that her stock-character cardboard Yanks might possibly show up. However she continues to commit linguistic solecisms; this time "nookie" finds itself in the mouth of a well-brought-up bourgeoise gel who, having no brothers, one would hope had never been in a position (so to speak) to have heard it. Again, one of the constables says that someone's alibi "sounds like a load of bumf," although "bumph" or "bumf" means paperwork and/or writing paper, not nonsense or lies. A fake alibi might sound like a load of cobblers, but never "bumf." Alec speaks of "fudging" case notes, which I'm not terribly sure was 1920s slang.
However, it was a quick, light read that restored my hopes of the series. It will never be as entertaining as Phryne Fisher, but then I ask too much.
February 11, 2019
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
Dead in the Water is the 6th in the Daisy Dalrymple series. In this book, Daisy and Alec are officially engaged, and he’s actually got to face her family — thankfully, her more likeable aunt, and not more time with her strict and old-fashioned mother! Of course, as usual, Daisy quickly falls over a fraught situation, expects murder, and eventually gets it. The same formula is in place here as usual: a crime is committed, and by the time Alec investigates, Daisy’s picked someone to champion. In this case, it’s actually someone she doesn’t even like, who she feels deserves better than he’s been getting all the same.
It’s little things like that (Daisy not liking the person she champions) that help bring some variety to the series; if it was always the exact same kind of person, it’d quickly get tedious, but there’s always just enough variation that it works. For me, and so far, at least. Daisy herself is a worthy sort of heroine: not totally unflappable, but practical and trying to keep her head; a girl who works for her living when she doesn’t have to (except of course, she considers that she does have to, valuing the work); someone with a sense of justice. Alec, too, is a basically decent guy, doing his best to find the culprits and put aside personal feelings. And their relationship is sweet, too.
It didn’t blow me out of the water (heh), but again it’s a fun entry in a series that’s working for me.
Dead in the Water is the 6th in the Daisy Dalrymple series. In this book, Daisy and Alec are officially engaged, and he’s actually got to face her family — thankfully, her more likeable aunt, and not more time with her strict and old-fashioned mother! Of course, as usual, Daisy quickly falls over a fraught situation, expects murder, and eventually gets it. The same formula is in place here as usual: a crime is committed, and by the time Alec investigates, Daisy’s picked someone to champion. In this case, it’s actually someone she doesn’t even like, who she feels deserves better than he’s been getting all the same.
It’s little things like that (Daisy not liking the person she champions) that help bring some variety to the series; if it was always the exact same kind of person, it’d quickly get tedious, but there’s always just enough variation that it works. For me, and so far, at least. Daisy herself is a worthy sort of heroine: not totally unflappable, but practical and trying to keep her head; a girl who works for her living when she doesn’t have to (except of course, she considers that she does have to, valuing the work); someone with a sense of justice. Alec, too, is a basically decent guy, doing his best to find the culprits and put aside personal feelings. And their relationship is sweet, too.
It didn’t blow me out of the water (heh), but again it’s a fun entry in a series that’s working for me.
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