Murder at Midwinter Manor by Anita Davison Book Review

About the Book:

Escaping the city doesn’t mean escaping the criminals…

1916, Midwinter Manor: Desperate for a Christmas weekend break from war-torn London, Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet take Bartleby the cat and themselves off to visit Hannah’s sister and her husband, the Earl of Atherton, in their beautiful country estate, deep in the English countryside.

Hannah’s sister has filled the house with relatives, friends and merrymakers, and everyone’s excited to have a Christmas to remember.

But then, when a fellow-guest’s body is found in the library – apparently bludgeoned to death – and a precious ruby is stolen from another guest, it appears that it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

With the house snowed in, and the rural police force completely incapable of finding a single credible suspect, Hannah and Aunt Violet realize that once again it’s going to be down to them to get to the bottom of it.

Because whoever’s behind the crimes must be at Midwinter Manor… And if they’re not found, who knows what their next ‘gift’ will be?

My Review:

I like this cozy mystery series. The historical setting of WW I is presented well. It was a horrible war and some who witnessed devastation were overwhelmed, as is one of the characters in this novel. Shell shock was just beginning to be recognized and Davison gives a good account of one troubled by it. Others were so intimidated by the casualty reports they would do anything to keep from being conscripted.

The characters are what make this cozy mystery so entertaining. Aunt Violet is quite the woman, especially when she is speedily driving her car. I could just see Hannah hanging on for dear life. The relatives they visit are much more of the stately upper society style. It is interesting to see how Hannah's wealthy relatives relate to their servants and friends. There is even an incompetent policeman trying to solve the murder.

This novel reads well on its own even though it is part of a series. There are a number of characters, however, and understanding who all of them are may require reading the previous books in the series. This is a good novel for readers who love historical cozy mysteries.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my reviews of the earlier books in the series: Murder in the Bookshop and Murder in the Library.

About the Author:

Anita is the author of Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mysteries set in WWI from Boldwood Books. Also available are the five Edwardian Flora Maguire Mystery series.

Boldwood Books, 280 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)