Reviewed on Jun 28, 2021

Loved it! 😍

Compelling mystery, laced with humor, features an elderly protagonist in an idyllic British setting

Before starting out on a much deserved holiday with her best friend Wendy Lucas, Doris Lester discovers that her late husband had fathered a child with his mistress.

Doris and Wendy had planned to enjoy the countryside, traveling throughout the Dales in search of famous grave sites. Along the way, Doris drops in to meet her husband’s daughter and explain to her that her father has been dead for fifteen years. Once there, she becomes embroiled in her ‘extended’ family because there has been a murder and also one of their number is missing.

With their holiday cut short, Wendy goes back and lives with Doris for the remainder of the two weeks. She loves it there, sharing the house with her long-time friend Doris and Doris’ cat Belle and dreads returning to her own home in a Sheffield suburb. Wendy also loves the excitement that Doris seems to generate wherever she goes, and helps her friend in her latest investigation.

Doris is a founding member of a private detection agency called “Connection” and she has helped the police many times. The police investigating these cases of murder and missing persons seek Doris’s aid. The police team is led by DCI Grace Stamford.

MY THOUGHTS:

Having never read any of Anita Waller’s novels before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was an enjoyable mystery laced with humor. This was a lighter read than what I was expecting as well. It read almost like a ‘cozy’ mystery.

The septuagenarian protagonist, Doris Lester, was a complete delight. Highly intelligent, with a warm heart, a razor sharp wit and a black belt in karate, she was formidable.

The ‘whodunit’ aspect of story, when revealed did make sense, but I hadn’t suspected the murderer, so that was a definite plus point.

The setting was idyllic and one of my favorites. The Dales of Derbyshire and a charming old English cottage.

All in all, an enjoyable read. I would gladly read more by this author in the future. Recommended to those readers who enjoy lighter mystery fare peopled with intriguing and personable characters.

Reviewed by

Before retirement I was the fiction cataloguer for Halifax Public Libraries in Nova Scotia, Canada. Now I am a full-time book blogger/reviewer. I love to read, and my favorite genre is mystery fiction. I also have a deep appreciation for classic literature, historical and literary fiction.