Murder Post-Dated

Tessa Crichton #18

by Anne Morice

When Rosamund McGarth disappeared, friends and neighbors accepted her husband's explanation that she was looking after a sick cousin in London. Then one of the neighbors met the cousin in town - in excellent health and eager for news of Rosamund.
It was suspicious enough for someone to call the police and for a week the village hummed with rumor and speculation. Then a letter came from Rosamund explaining that she'd run off with another man, and her husband, when confronted with this information, admitted he was too ashamed to say he'd been cuckolded.
By this time, however, Tessa Crichton is on the scene and fascinated by this series of events, and also deeply intrigued by the curious behavior of Andrea, a friend's prospective daughter-in-law. Her fascination soon turns to detection when Rosamund's husband makes a strange confession and events in Andrea's family take a sinister turn.

Genres: Mystery

192 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1984

About the author

Birth name: Felicity Shaw

Reviews

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a humorous British cozy set in England in the late 70s or early 80s. The main character is an actress by trade but has a talent for solving crimes along with her husband who works with Scotland Yard.

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tessa Crichton, an actress and wife of a police investigator, receives a note from a friend that there was an "almost murder" in the community where she lived. When Tessa ends up going to to see the friend and work in the area she gets wind of various unusual events and people. While I liked the story line, I found that the story was told mostly through gossip and a few true going to a place and getting physical clues. It took about just over a third of the book to really hook me into it. I guess the multitude of people to keep track of threw me a bit at the start. However, once you're in you can get into trying to figure out the various puzzles and how events interlock. It isn't a true "fair play" mystery cause she Tessa gets information that you see her send off for but is not revealed until the end. However, you do get ideas of what kind of information she is seeking.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tessa Crichton is not on the scene when Rosamond McGrath disappears. But she soon learns that Rosamond's husband, James, is suspected of murdering her. Tessa disagrees, but soon finds herself more involved with her friend Marc's new fiancee, the beautiful, neurotic Andrea, and the problem of how her stepmother came to die.

[Homerun2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 to 4 star series, particularly if you enjoy Brit mysteries. Witty dialogue, interesting characters, devious if sometimes implausible plots.

[dmayr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was enjoyable at the beginning but became quite convoluted in the end, with everything that happens described only through conversations that you have to wonder how these people could go on yapping like these forever. But I'm still intrigued to continue reading the series as I liked Tessa's character.

[Eugene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Last of the dozen entries in this series I’d acquired one way or another, and fully likely to be the last of this series I ever read. Never say never, but I’m having a hard time envisioning what would make me interested in reading another.
In fairness, the series began with a sort of bonhomie and a Carnaby Street atmosphere that made it attractive and fun, but the author didn’t/couldn’t maintain that, and by these later entries (17 & 18 of the 23) they had attained brain numbing vapidity. The plots are essentially just protagonist Tessa Crichton TALKING ABOUT a perceived crime, but there’s no police investigation, and by story’s end, there’s no reveal, and no “solution” or explanation, we’re left with Tessa talking about what she thinks happened and why she thinks it happened…unsatisfying indeed

[Libraryassistant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this. A bit complicated with people that were sometimes tough to keep track of. This might have been remedied by reading them in order from the beginning...but I liked the main character a lot. Will keep on the lookout for more from the series.

[JoLynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Tessa Crichton mystery so far.

[Debbie O'Mahony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant British murder mystery. I would certainly try another by this author.

[Margaret]

This was a lovely British mystery although it had one of those types of endings you would never be able to figure out. I really liked that is was written in first person and the character of Tessa was engaging. I was surprised that this is number 18 in the series as it stands alone well.