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The Riddle at Gipsy's Mile (Angela Marchmont Mystery #4)

Clara Benson

Start date: July 14, 2019

Finish date: August 5, 2019

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: The Angela Marchmont mysteries have been popular with members. This is the next in the series.
[close] The Angela Marchmont mysteries have been popular with members. This is the next in the series.

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What Members Thought

Jul 17, 2019 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is the fourth in the Angela Marchmont series. I have to admit that I nearly gave this series up, after being seriously underwhelmed, by the third book. However, I am pleased that I gave this a try, as I liked it much more than the previous one.

Angela Marchmont is on her way to stay with friends on Romney Marsh, when her driver ends up in a ditch and she stumbles over the body of a young woman. Before long, Angela is in the middle of another mystery, aided by the laconic Freddy Pilkington-S ...more

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Dec 15, 2019 Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british, series, angela-marchmont, mystery, murder, clara-benson

This is the fourth in the Angela Marchmont mystery series, set in 1920s England, which I’ve been quite enjoying reading. In this one Angela goes down to Kent, to visit friends at Romney Marsh. But on the way there, when her driver William lands them in a ditch because of very thick fog, they end up stumbling upon the disfigured body of a young woman, and so begins another mystery. (Once again Angela doesn’t really wish to be involved, but ends up investigating all the same.) There is no clue to This is the fourth in the Angela Marchmont mystery series, set in 1920s England, which I’ve been quite enjoying reading. In this one Angela goes down to Kent, to visit friends at Romney Marsh. But on the way there, when her driver William lands them in a ditch because of very thick fog, they end up stumbling upon the disfigured body of a young woman, and so begins another mystery. (Once again Angela doesn’t really wish to be involved, but ends up investigating all the same.) There is no clue to who the mystery woman might be (no handbag or other identifiers are found, nor has anyone been reported missing) or what she might have been doing there. However, it seems that there is more to the murder than meets the eye, since Scotland Yard is called in and with it Inspector Jameson, Angela’s old acquaintance. The mystery takes us into the jazz clubs of London, particularly a club run by Mrs Chang and her son, that thrives on not being all above board, and the country side, with a stately home, as well as an odd mix of guests and an eccentric artist, at the Harrisons’ where Angela is staying. Among the guests is Freddy Pilkington-Soames, a somewhat indolent young man, whose mother has got him a job as a reporter, but who Angela finds is much more perspicacious than it first seems. He too joins in the investigations (The author has a separate mystery series featuring this character). Alongside, Freddy’s mother is intent on getting Angela to give her an interview about her ‘adventurous’ life, while her hostess, Margurite Harrison, an artist, is preparing to have an exhibition of her own and her protégé’s works in the village. At the stately home, Blakeney Park, are Lady Alice, and her son Gil, soon to be married to Lucy Syms who doesn't quite get along with her mother-in-law to be. Between the murder investigations and local happenings, there is plenty going on in this one.

Like the earlier books in the series, I found this to be a quick and enjoyable read. The book is certainly ‘inspired’ by Agatha Christie, specifically A Body in the Library, in many of its aspects like the way in which the body was found (condition I mean—it isn’t found in a library), also who the victim turned out to be and such, though the mystery itself was different from that one. Some of the other characters too, reminded me of those from another Agatha Christie book. Freddy Pilkington-Soames I thought was a fun character to be introduced to—He very much reminded me of Freddie Threepwood from the Blandings books, but of course a version of Freddie with brains. In fact, his set, if one could call it that, and the antics they get up to were very much like characters out of Wodehouse. It would be fun to see what Freddy Pilkington-Soames gets up to in his own series. The puzzle, while not too complex or full of twists (there are some surprises of course) was enjoyable as well. Though (as in an another book in this series) I did manage to more or less guess whodunit, this was still a very pleasant read. Three and a half stars! ...more

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Jun 19, 2019 Susan in NC rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-with-gr-groups

Enjoyable historical mystery - my first in this series, although it’s Clara Benson’s fourth Angela Marchmont mystery - I read this as a buddy read with the Reading the Detectives group. I look forward to more books.

Angela and her chauffeur are driving through the fog on their way to visit friends at Gipsy’s Mile. The Bentley goes off the road into a ditch to avoid an accident; luckily, no one is hurt, but as they crawl out of the ditch to the road, Angela finds a dead young woman, her face badly ...more

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Mar 23, 2014 Damaskcat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Angela Marchmont is on her way to stay with friends on Romney Marsh in Kent when thanks to a combination of thick fog and sheep on the road her Bentley with chauffer, William, at the wheel, lands in a ditch. Neither of them are hurt but while they are scrambling out of the ditch, Angela finds the body of a young woman.

Naturally she is curious about the body especially when it seems clear that it is a case of murder and it is being investigated by her friend Inspector Jameson of Scotland Yard. Th ...more

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Jun 26, 2019 Jill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: clara-benson

Like all GA reads, there are a lot of coincidences taking place, but that is the nature of these. Our main character, Angela Marchmont, finds the body of a young woman, and it all leads on from there. This is the fourth book in the series and this character is definitely becoming one of my favourites. I do enjoy her sense of humour, and the asides that are added. Her relationship with her chauffeur, William, was amusing, and with Freddy, she showed she was human. I enjoyed this episode a lot, an ...more

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