Book Review: Mistletoe and Murder

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Mistletoe and Murder     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Carola Dunn
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Historical   Woman Main Character
Series: Daisy Dalyrmple # 11
St. Martin’s, Dec 2002, $23.95, 26 pp.

In 1923, a finally married Daisy Fletcher (nee Dalrymple) accedes to her pushy mother’s demands that the family spend Christmas at Brockdene, a Cornish estate owned by Lord Westmoor because she is writing an article on the holdings. Accompanying the Dalrymple females for the holidays is Daisy’s husband, Scotland Yard Inspector Alec. At Brockdene, they find the Earl does not live there, but the poor side of the extended family, three generations of Norvilles do.

Daisy realizes that the manor contains several angry residents. The matriarch is Susannah Norville, whose husband Albert drowned fifty years ago before she arrived from India with their two sons. Albert’s wealthy family rejected her verbal claim as his widow as spurious. Her oldest son Victor returns from to India accompanied by Reverend Calloway, who claims he wed Albert and Susannah. He also has documented proof to his assertion that alters the line of succession to the earldom. However, someone murders the Reverend. Alec contains the crime scene and sends for his team to help investigate. Daisy makes inquiries too, but the killer willingly will murder again.

Daisy and her mother are fun characters who turn this combo amateur sleuth-police procedural into a lighthearted historical romp. The amusing story line becomes a bit jumbled (keep a family tree or two handy) that leads to some confusion as to who’s who and whom belongs to who (this homicide occurs before Abbott and Costello). Fans of a buoyant easygoing who-Dunn-it that never takes itself serious will want to read MISTLETOE AND MURDER.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner