A murder right on their doorstepWhile staying at Woodridge House in Mayfair, Evie, the Countess of Woodridge, and Tom Winchester are drawn into a case when they rescue a woman from an assailant.Meera Mason, a rising star in the theatre and the target of vicious threats, convinces Evie someone wants to sabotage her career because it’s all written in the stars.Their friend, Phillipa Brady, is on hand to assist them in keeping Meera Mason safe only to become a target herself.When an attempt is made on another stage actress, they have to wonder if someone is trying to rid the world of its rising stars or if they’re targeting anyone close to Meera Mason.Fun-filled 1920s cozy mystery.
Evie and the gang are in attendance at the home they have in the city of London. There's an up and coming socialite staying next door, and her nightly parties are playing havoc with Evie and most of the other's sleeping schedule and the party runs well into the night each night. Toodles and Henrietta seem to be the least affected as they're able to have a lie in most mornings and wake up when they want. There's a string of deaths related to the theater scene, and most of the victims have attended the parties going on next door which places Evie and Tom right in the middle of the action to try and solve the case, this time with the local police approval. It's also nice to see Phillipa again, although her role in this one was minor. Although I did miss Sara in this one.
This fast moving, diabolical work is very enjoyable.
It takes place entirely in London, and I for one, would greatly enjoy reading more stories with the whole crew set in the capitol city.
London, with its myriad opportunities for mischief and mayhem offers opportunities for Evie and Tom to display additional elements of their personalities and detecting abilities which have been missing in the more recent books.
As always I immensely enjoy the shenanigans Evie finds herself in. If you haven't yet read this series and love a good mystery full of fun antics, this one is for you.
Evie, Tom, Toodles and Henrietta are in London for a busy stay. With Edgar and Millicent on hand to fulfill her needs Evie has booked her cherished servants into several plays as they intend to mostly dine out in the evenings.
Unfortunately Evie's new neighbours have rented out their house to one Elsa Gilmore who likes to burn the midnight oil and who holds loud parties with plenty of music well into the wee small hours keeping the whole household awake and operating several strokes below their best.
So when one of her guests dies from arsenic poisoning several hours after attending it doesn't particularly register with Evie beyond a passing glance, until the death of George Fletcher occurs the following night. While the cause is not the same; poor George was rather violently stabbed, it's Henrietta who declares they must be connected.
As Evie's friend and playwright, Phillipa Brady, is left without a backer for her next play Evie's questions for the elusive Detective Inspector O'Neill begin to mount and a third attack on a rising star almost right outside Evie's door only makes it more difficult to work out how on earth they could be connected.
But Evie's not going to stop working through the options and trying to connect the dots.. But will she manage to resolve the case before anyone else is harmed or will the crime wave continue?
Another delightful trip back in time with all the glamour of the period.
I’m not sure why, but for some reason this book didn’t seem to capture my interest as much as the other books did, I seemed to get lost a bait following it and never really seemed to get into the characters. I did early on figure out who the murderer was, the why I didn’t.
I hope the next adventures of Evie and Tom gather a bit more steam.
Must be something about us (Americans) that invites trouble and/or murder in old Britain. Luckily, they have 2 Americans there to help solve these crimes. Evie and Tom along with their friends and relatives always seem to be able to find the bad guys. This time it involves the stage. Love it!
I came to these mysteries when there were thirteen books in the series. What great joy after book one! I had a bounty of a dozen more. These books are clever and intricate. Good character development and well paced. I recommend the whole series. In my opinion, book twelve is the most well written. I am anxiously awaiting book fourteen.
It was a mystery but the new characters involved were rather shallow. Story did not have the depth, funny moments, and misadventures of previous stories! Nothing special and a bit boring ------ I skimmed to reach end and leave it behind me!
Even when I think I may have the correct suspect, I’m way off in motive or the reverse. Sonia Parin writes intricate plots for her very engaging characters. I recommend you read the entire series.
Figured the murderer out VERY early. The red herrings were not compelling enough. Still, enjoy the building camaraderie with Evie and the cast of characters. Looking forward to them leaving town, though. Like them better as a group outside of the bustle of society.
Interesting and fun book to read.The killer had everyone scratching their heads and then there’s the neighbour’s loud house party lasting until the early morning hours to put up with.❣️💃🏻🕵️♀️☺️