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The Charters' Mysteries #1
Blind Witness
In 1922 a blind WW1 veteran and former intelligence officer attends a weekend with his aristocratic wife and her family at a country house in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. Fourteen people sit down to dinner on the Friday night; by the end of the weekend there are two murders, an attempted murder and a suicide.
This is book one in a series of humorous murder mysteries and introduces young sleuths The Hon Melissa Charters and her war veteran husband Major Alasdair Charters.
This is book one in a series of humorous murder mysteries and introduces young sleuths The Hon Melissa Charters and her war veteran husband Major Alasdair Charters.
280 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2018
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 14, 2019
It is so very difficult to get a niche in the market to make a book stand out from the rest and well Vicki Goldie seems to have done that. Set in the 1920s amongst the upper classes at a family gathering in the countryside, fourteen people arrive but not all of them will make it back out alive.
This is a real whodunnit read that I couldn't help but become invested in. The two characters that steal the show are The Honourable Melissa Charters and her husband Major Alisdair Charters. Alisdair is a war veteran who was badly injured in the war and is now totally blind. He was part of the Secret Intelligence Service so the skills that he learnt through the war just seem to have intensified. Alisdair is a strikingly handsome man and his wife beautiful. Hours of working on the simplest daily life tasks are paramount to him if he is to rejoin high society and the lifestyle they had.
Whoever is committing the murders has a secret to keep and is willing to permanently quieten any family members that threaten to expose them, in the most brutal way. As fear spreads in the family the Charters form a perfect team to unearth the guilty party.
I loved the detail which the author wrote about Alisdair, who to the world wanted himself to be seen and treated like any other man but inside he had periods of panic as the killer seemed to taunt him at every opportunity. It made me look at things in a different light and try to think like Alisdair. My skin tingled when Alisdair could feel the killer in a room and I felt the frustration like him that the killer was openly enjoying every minute.
Vicki Goldie took me inside Alisdair's mind where a different man lived and it really touched me, skilful and compassionate writing at its best. It is combined then with her passion for the period, elegantly brought to life with decor and clothing and just made a brilliant story for the era.
This is a first in a series of books about this new super-sleuthing couple, who bring with them that little bit of extra sparkle. So looking forward to what the next case they find themselves trust into brings.
This is a real whodunnit read that I couldn't help but become invested in. The two characters that steal the show are The Honourable Melissa Charters and her husband Major Alisdair Charters. Alisdair is a war veteran who was badly injured in the war and is now totally blind. He was part of the Secret Intelligence Service so the skills that he learnt through the war just seem to have intensified. Alisdair is a strikingly handsome man and his wife beautiful. Hours of working on the simplest daily life tasks are paramount to him if he is to rejoin high society and the lifestyle they had.
Whoever is committing the murders has a secret to keep and is willing to permanently quieten any family members that threaten to expose them, in the most brutal way. As fear spreads in the family the Charters form a perfect team to unearth the guilty party.
I loved the detail which the author wrote about Alisdair, who to the world wanted himself to be seen and treated like any other man but inside he had periods of panic as the killer seemed to taunt him at every opportunity. It made me look at things in a different light and try to think like Alisdair. My skin tingled when Alisdair could feel the killer in a room and I felt the frustration like him that the killer was openly enjoying every minute.
Vicki Goldie took me inside Alisdair's mind where a different man lived and it really touched me, skilful and compassionate writing at its best. It is combined then with her passion for the period, elegantly brought to life with decor and clothing and just made a brilliant story for the era.
This is a first in a series of books about this new super-sleuthing couple, who bring with them that little bit of extra sparkle. So looking forward to what the next case they find themselves trust into brings.
November 19, 2019
Book 1 of the Charters’ mystery series.
Set in the 1920’s U.K., this is a classic style whodunnit.
Melissa and her husband, Major Alisdair Charters are at a family event, when a body is found.
Major Charters was blinded by injuries he sustained at war, but his other senses have become enhanced and he is able to listen to those around him, who seem to pretty much disregard him. But he learns so much.
Can he and Melissa discover the killer before any more deaths?
This is a fast paced, easy to read, fun and glitzy whodunnit, all set among the privileged classes. It has plenty of twists and surprises to make this an immensely enjoyable read.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
Set in the 1920’s U.K., this is a classic style whodunnit.
Melissa and her husband, Major Alisdair Charters are at a family event, when a body is found.
Major Charters was blinded by injuries he sustained at war, but his other senses have become enhanced and he is able to listen to those around him, who seem to pretty much disregard him. But he learns so much.
Can he and Melissa discover the killer before any more deaths?
This is a fast paced, easy to read, fun and glitzy whodunnit, all set among the privileged classes. It has plenty of twists and surprises to make this an immensely enjoyable read.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
November 24, 2019
This is a wonderful, readable, exciting and highly desirable book! I have many books to read, but this one kept luring me back. A novel set in 1922, published in 2018, a murder mystery set in a country house. With a full and detailed knowledge of the Golden Age Detective novel, this book has so much going for it. It is the first book in a series featuring the Honourable Melissa Charters and her husband Major Alasdair Charters, and their discovery that together they can form a formidable detective and espionage team. While a wife and husband crime fighting team is not unique, this couple face a significant issue; Alasdair is totally blind as a result of his war service. He is sometimes despairing, frustrated by his inability to cope with daily life, let alone being active in identifying what soon emerges to be a murderer in their midst.
This is more than a conventional murder mystery as there is the suggestion of espionage, especially given the period and the sensitivities of a country so recently involved in a war of so many casualties. The female characters are affected by a war in which they lost sons, lovers and potential husbands. There are fascinating descriptions of the setting, the full chintz of the huge house, contrasted with another local large establishment. Even the outbuildings receive attention, and the importance of Alasdair pacing out and being able to visualize the rooms and layout of the house. The servant problem is especially noted in the circumstances. The clothes worn by Melissa are described in delicious detail, especially as she has the good sense to wear appropriate clothing for her activities. There are also generous details of her eveningwear, which reveals not only extensive research but also a thorough creation of character. Overall there is a terrific sense of time and place in this book, a real depth of understanding of a time and a social system. I was so pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this book.
The book opens with a prologue in which someone hears a noise in the night which sounds significant. The focus soon moves to Alasdair and Melissa going downstairs for dinner. Much is revealed in the description of the couple as he struggles with his white tie, he wants to be independent of his valet and wife, she reflects on the long battle to get him to leave their serviced flat since his discharge from hospital after suffering his serious injury. She has wanted to visit her aunt and uncle for some time, and this weekend houseparty was originally intended to gently reintroduce her husband to society. However, it soon becomes obvious that the number of people dining has increased, as guests include some of Melissa’s cousins, military men and others. A french countess and her companion turn up, and so does an irate banker full of allegations. In a very short time a full compliment of potential victims and possible murderers is installed in the house, and a classic murder mystery is established.
I so enjoyed this book because of the honest way that Melissa and Alisdair’s relationship is described, his frustrations rather than his immediate ability to do everything easily, his vulnerability when he realises the difficulties of defending himself or his wife. Melissa’s abilities are pointed out to her husband quite early in the novel “She grew up in the countryside, crack shot, excellent horsewoman, fit, and above all, intelligent to boot”, but it is not patronising. She is eager to do something to get to the bottom of the mysteries, and her actions balance her concern to protect others in the house, especially her husband.
This is a book I can whole heartedly recommend to all, and my only question remains: how and when can I read the next one in the series?
This is more than a conventional murder mystery as there is the suggestion of espionage, especially given the period and the sensitivities of a country so recently involved in a war of so many casualties. The female characters are affected by a war in which they lost sons, lovers and potential husbands. There are fascinating descriptions of the setting, the full chintz of the huge house, contrasted with another local large establishment. Even the outbuildings receive attention, and the importance of Alasdair pacing out and being able to visualize the rooms and layout of the house. The servant problem is especially noted in the circumstances. The clothes worn by Melissa are described in delicious detail, especially as she has the good sense to wear appropriate clothing for her activities. There are also generous details of her eveningwear, which reveals not only extensive research but also a thorough creation of character. Overall there is a terrific sense of time and place in this book, a real depth of understanding of a time and a social system. I was so pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this book.
The book opens with a prologue in which someone hears a noise in the night which sounds significant. The focus soon moves to Alasdair and Melissa going downstairs for dinner. Much is revealed in the description of the couple as he struggles with his white tie, he wants to be independent of his valet and wife, she reflects on the long battle to get him to leave their serviced flat since his discharge from hospital after suffering his serious injury. She has wanted to visit her aunt and uncle for some time, and this weekend houseparty was originally intended to gently reintroduce her husband to society. However, it soon becomes obvious that the number of people dining has increased, as guests include some of Melissa’s cousins, military men and others. A french countess and her companion turn up, and so does an irate banker full of allegations. In a very short time a full compliment of potential victims and possible murderers is installed in the house, and a classic murder mystery is established.
I so enjoyed this book because of the honest way that Melissa and Alisdair’s relationship is described, his frustrations rather than his immediate ability to do everything easily, his vulnerability when he realises the difficulties of defending himself or his wife. Melissa’s abilities are pointed out to her husband quite early in the novel “She grew up in the countryside, crack shot, excellent horsewoman, fit, and above all, intelligent to boot”, but it is not patronising. She is eager to do something to get to the bottom of the mysteries, and her actions balance her concern to protect others in the house, especially her husband.
This is a book I can whole heartedly recommend to all, and my only question remains: how and when can I read the next one in the series?
November 22, 2019
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You’ve got a fantastically smart aristocratic woman with what seems to be a natural affinity for sleuthing and her husband. The one with the permanent alterations from the war, used to such an independent life and secretive role, finally able to return to what he does best, observations.
The fact that our Mr. Charter doesn’t have eyesight doesn’t deter him and in fact our sleuth uses it to his advantage. He’s living in a time when people sadly equated disabilities like blindness with other assumptions about how their brains work. But, this means they don’t tend to censor what they say within proximity, and when a carefree weekend turns to murder, this point works highly in our ex-Major’s favor as he tries to figure out who the murderer is.
The fact that this book opened up with the first case involving their family meant that we were able as readers to get to know a good deal about the background without deterring from the plot and story and I thought this was rather clever of Goldie.
The mystery itself is really well done, I didn’t see that twist, and the tidbits that were used to throw you off the scent were well planted as I didn’t see them for what they were until the last moment. The reveal was exciting and the ending came too quickly in my opinion, it’s such a quick and enjoyable read!
Overall I could gush about this all day but I won’t, just know if you like Agatha Christie, or murder mysteries set in the golden age, I definitely recommend this book to you.
Thanks to Anne Cater, Vicki Goldie, and Victorina Press for a chance to read and review this honestly as part of the blog tour!
You’ve got a fantastically smart aristocratic woman with what seems to be a natural affinity for sleuthing and her husband. The one with the permanent alterations from the war, used to such an independent life and secretive role, finally able to return to what he does best, observations.
The fact that our Mr. Charter doesn’t have eyesight doesn’t deter him and in fact our sleuth uses it to his advantage. He’s living in a time when people sadly equated disabilities like blindness with other assumptions about how their brains work. But, this means they don’t tend to censor what they say within proximity, and when a carefree weekend turns to murder, this point works highly in our ex-Major’s favor as he tries to figure out who the murderer is.
The fact that this book opened up with the first case involving their family meant that we were able as readers to get to know a good deal about the background without deterring from the plot and story and I thought this was rather clever of Goldie.
The mystery itself is really well done, I didn’t see that twist, and the tidbits that were used to throw you off the scent were well planted as I didn’t see them for what they were until the last moment. The reveal was exciting and the ending came too quickly in my opinion, it’s such a quick and enjoyable read!
Overall I could gush about this all day but I won’t, just know if you like Agatha Christie, or murder mysteries set in the golden age, I definitely recommend this book to you.
Thanks to Anne Cater, Vicki Goldie, and Victorina Press for a chance to read and review this honestly as part of the blog tour!
June 11, 2021
Post WWI Devon England where wounded (blind) soldier attempts to return to normal daily life with the help of his aristocratic wife. They are set to perhaps inherit a Devonshire estate and meet up with the aunt/uncle and cousins who are also in the running for inheritance. A 1922 countryside weekend that presents death and war spy search sets the storyline. A quick 195 page read written in a slightly confusing style where up to three characters all resply within the same paragraph, left me unknowing as to who was saying what.
October 3, 2018
Unusual in that the main character is a visually impaired ex-spy turned into detective. Having lost his vision all his other senses are enhanced and he can ‘observe’ people without them realising that they betray themselves through nuances of voice, smells, behaviour, etc. Set in the 1930’s in the New Forest this mystery murder sees the emergence of a new crime writer author. Looking forward to reading the second in the series.
January 11, 2020
I quite enjoyed this Agatha Christie-style murder/espionage mystery set at a country house party in the 1920s. The hero and heroine, Alisdair (blinded in WWI) and his loyal wife Melissa, were good characters, but the mystery (especially the espionage angle) remained a bit opaque to me.
A quick read, but I suspect a forgettable one.
A quick read, but I suspect a forgettable one.
July 25, 2019
I must congratulate Vicki Goldie on her first novel… in the classic “Agatha Christie” sleuthing genre.
Vicki uses a sleuthing double act, in the case of Melissa and Alasdair Charters, as utilised for Sherlock Holmes & Dr Watson and Poirot & Captain Hastings. Their discussions allow them to present to the reader their observations with regards to motives and opportunities. However, the unique aspect in this case is that Alasdair is blind and so he brings his other senses to the fore. This book offers an interesting insight into blindness, with its advantages as well as its perhaps more obvious vulnerabilities.
Vicki also perfectly captures the times of 1920s post WW1 England with the changes ahead for the privileged class and their way of life.
There are many red herrings in terms of motives and then a great twist at the end. Vicki is able to satisfactorily tie up all the loose ends.
This is an easy read with short chapters that keep the reader intrigued throughout – so I was continually wanting to read just one more chapter! I found myself playing detective… seeking one more clue to get to the bottom of solving the case.
Well done… I very much look forward to their next adventure in the Charters Mysteries Series.
Dawn Perry
Vicki uses a sleuthing double act, in the case of Melissa and Alasdair Charters, as utilised for Sherlock Holmes & Dr Watson and Poirot & Captain Hastings. Their discussions allow them to present to the reader their observations with regards to motives and opportunities. However, the unique aspect in this case is that Alasdair is blind and so he brings his other senses to the fore. This book offers an interesting insight into blindness, with its advantages as well as its perhaps more obvious vulnerabilities.
Vicki also perfectly captures the times of 1920s post WW1 England with the changes ahead for the privileged class and their way of life.
There are many red herrings in terms of motives and then a great twist at the end. Vicki is able to satisfactorily tie up all the loose ends.
This is an easy read with short chapters that keep the reader intrigued throughout – so I was continually wanting to read just one more chapter! I found myself playing detective… seeking one more clue to get to the bottom of solving the case.
Well done… I very much look forward to their next adventure in the Charters Mysteries Series.
Dawn Perry
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews