Mistletoe and Murder

December 1, 2002
Carola Dunn offers a Christmas-themed crime story in Mistletoe and Murder: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery, the 11th in her winning series of light whodunits set in the 1920s (after 2001's To Davy Jones Below). Here Daisy and family find their holiday stay at Brockdene, a Cornish estate modeled on the real-life Cotehele, rudely interrupted by murder.

December 1, 2002
Lord Westmoor invites magazine writer/series sleuth Daisy Dalrymple (Rattle His Bones), Scotland Yard husband Alec, and Daisy's titled mum to his stately home for Christmas. The earl himself may not be there, but several poor relations will, including offshoots from a younger son who died before proving that he had married his Indian mistress. Now one of the dead man's sons has brought an ancient clergyman from India who has such proof, but before he can give it, someone kills him. Daisy and husband spring into action, surrounded by historic armaments, secret rooms, hidden treasure, and family secrets. For fans of British cozies and Dorothy Sayers's novels, this is a very inviting situation.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2002
The eleventh entry in the Daisy Dalrymple series is replete with well-drawn characters, snappy dialogue, and interesting plot twists. As Christmas 1923 approaches, Daisy--now married to Scotland Yard Inspector Alec Fletcher--turns a holiday visit to Cornwall into a writing assignment. She must profile Brockdene, the historical estate where Lord Westmoor has stashed away some of his lower-class relations. Accompanying her to the estate are Alec, his young daughter Belinda, and Daisy's demanding mother, the Dowager Viscountess Dalrymple. Once ensconced in the old mansion, they get to know the quirky Norville clan, led by bitter Godfrey and his clueless wife, Dora. With its ghost stories and rumors of buried treasure, Brockdene seems a fabulous setting for a murder mystery, and indeed, a despotic chaplain is stabbed in the back, forcing a grumbling Alec to give up his Christmas holiday to investigate. Dunn gracefully imparts historical facts about the house--which is modeled after real-life Cotehele, a National Trust property--while painting a fascinating portrait of human nature. Easily the best entry in a charming series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)