Edward Graham
An Artists Colony of Suspects This is the fifth book in a delightful series of cozy mysteries. The books can be read in any order, but as always, the reader will enjoy it so much more if they are read in order because of the rich background detail. This episode finds the ladies at a neighboring country manor looking into the relationship between the lady of the manor and an artist. The manor is currently hosting both an artists colony and a Girl Guides troop. The plot is great with p[lenty of suspects, motives, and twists. A bit more is revealed about Beryl's past and details about the recent war. The time frame for this series is just after WWI while Britain was still suffering from shortages of both supplies and men. I have really enjoyed this series. The author writes a very good story and captures both the characters and the history very well. I strongly encourage you to read this series. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Janice Tangen
1920s, family-dynamics, false-information, friendship, investigation, murder, private-investigators, law-enforcement, sly-humor, cosy-mystery, domestic-staff, relationships, England***** Beryl is a peripatetic American and Edwina is a proper Britisher, but they were at finishing school together and became good friends. A few months ago Beryl moved in with Edwina and the set up a private enquiry agency with the help of the resourceful gardener and the more than helpful housekeeper. This time they have been engaged to give the appearance of investigating a family problem by a local gentry whose household was involved in cigarettes as well as an artist colony and a group of Girl Guides. Then came the unexpected murder. It could have been a bit bland except for the almost farcical characters and the ever present sly humor which is very snicker-worthy. I really enjoyed this fun cozy! I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!