Death Came Secondhand: A Miss Lamb Mystery

Miss Lamb Mysteries

by Gertrude Lynley

Geraldine Lamb, a kindly volunteer at the Thaxted Hospital Charity Shop, is bewildered when the shop's awful manager, Mr Keith, is murdered in his home. Just days before, James Keith had confided in her that he suspected one of her fellow volunteers of being a murderer concealing her true identity--but he would not say which one.

The police officer in charge of the investigation, Inspector Harrow, doesn't think much of Geraldine's story. He believes Mr Keith was killed when he surprised a burglar, so Geraldine feels she has no choice but to investigate on her own.

Her investigations take her to various places in England, from a smoky nightclub in London to a forbidding Shropshire village. She meets many interesting people, but all along, she suspects the solution to James Keith's murder lies close to home.

Genres: Mystery

153 pages, ebook

Published September 6, 2022

Reviews

[Deity World · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good short read by a new author, did remind me of miss marple/murder she wrote I enjoy those mystery/murder books where an inspector doesn’t solve the crime, hope to read more of this author soon

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...

[Sally Wilsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually finished this book in one day. Geraldine Lamb volunteers in a thrift store for charity. She volunteers with 4 other women run by 1 man. Mr. Keith comes to Geraldine and needs to talk about a theory he has but he never really tells her who only that someone she works with is a killer. The next day he is found dead. The police figure it’s about a burglary but Geraldine figures it’s murder. Geraldine then starts to investigate on her own. This book is full of different characters and plot twists. It is very descriptive of characters and scenes. It will hold your interest and I never did figure out who the killer was. The author is very descriptive of people, places and era. I highly recommend this book to any Cozy Mystery reader And hope to read more adventures from Geraldine Lamb.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy cute and clever. Recommended!

[Sarah Schumacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read! Such a well-executed, neat little mystery. Definitely a good representative of classic British mystery style, with a (more) modern feel. Highly recommend for a cozy, quick read.

[Gabriela Galescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent characterizations

Great plot and mystery, solid writing style - all that would make for a very good book. What brought it to four star, in my opinion, is the interesting, complex and overall compelling characters. All in all a great book to while away the winter evenings.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Steady Sleuth

This story was quite different in its approach to solving a murder. Miss Lamb's gentle and steady methods made her an unlikely sleuth as she worked with consideration and empathy to undercover the murderer. As she neared her conclusions the tension of the plot increased, making us wonder if she had put her own life at risk, as we read with trepidation!
Miss Lamb is a very likeable character and I look forward to reading more!

[Janice Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Afterword from the author, she mentions Death Came Secondhand as a delight to write. As a reader, it was a delight to read. Her main character is quite inquisitive and charming. There were a lot of individuals to keep track of, I did lose track of who was who toward the end, but soldiered on because I had to know who the murderer was. And, to my delight, I got it wrong.

[Carole Marples · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved It!

This offers so much more than the average cozy mystery. There's touches of wry humour but also pathos and unexpected storylines. The plot is well thought out and is full of twists. Geraldine seems an unlikely heroine at first, but she proves to be a dogged, intelligent sleuth, who is constantly underestimated. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Pgchuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short, very quick read, set in a charity shop in 1963. Geraldine's boss tells her he believes one of the other volunteers is a murderer, and then he is himself murdered. Geraldine sets herself the task of working out which of her colleagues is the guilty party, as the police seem to believe her boss was killed by a burglar.

I enjoyed this, although I did feel we got to know more about her colleagues than we did about Geraldine herself. What did she live on? How could she have failed to notice her mother having radiation treatment? The period setting was good - Geraldine would write letters asking for information and wait for the reply rather than Googling things. I got this e-book for a very reasonable price, but subsequent instalments in this series cost more and given how short they are I'm not sure I will read the rest.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a strange story with a very lucky and perhaps too intelligent protagonist, a sense of misandry, and some very strange people. The plot is sometimes misleading, but mysteries are known for that, and the premise is finding the killer before they strike again. I definitely recommend this book.

[Michele Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

English murder mystery

An English murder mystery with thatched cottages., lots of tea.
And seeming English ladies who are not what they seem

[Mfg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't enjoy historical mysteries quite as much as contemporary ones, but this series is terrific. Miss Lamb's character has depth, the behavior & motives are well grounded, & the puzzles are clued fairly. Looking forward to more from this author.
Recommended.