Deadly Primrose

April 1, 2020
In 1958, an amateur sleuth solves some murders as she conceals others. Ever since she took in her late brother Francis' clever cat, Maurice, and his cheerfully bumbling dog, Bouncer, Primrose Oughterard has worked hard to cover up his many misdeeds, including murder. Although he died a hero's death in The Primrose Pursuit (2016), she constantly worries that his past will come back to haunt her. Primrose, who's an artist as well as an amateur detective, often relies on the underworld expertise of Nicholas Ingaza, a shifty gallery owner who knew all her brother's secrets. Despite his warning, she decides to investigate the odd demise of wealthy Elspeth Travers, who drowned even though she hated swimming and wouldn't have been caught dead in the froufrou bathing cap she was wearing. Elspeth's twin sister, Alice Markham, is strangely unmoved by her death. So is Elspeth's languidly insolent son, Aston. A pistol-packing Alice visits to warn Primrose off Councilman Reginald Bewley, whom she covets for herself; continues on a rant about her ex-husband, who had a raft of mistresses, including her own sister; and then blithely describes how she and a friend murdered her sister before roaring down the drive, hitting a gatepost, and getting shot to death herself. Luckily, Maurice and Bouncer, who have their own narratives and viewpoints, are on hand to rescue Primrose from the misadventures and tricky situations that follow as she stumbles on. The pets are the stars of this twisty, sardonically humorous adventure.

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April 6, 2020
In British author Hill’s jaunty seventh mystery set in 1950s Surrey (after 2016’s The Primrose Pursuit), artist Primrose Oughterard, the late vicar’s sister, hears upon returning to Lewes from a refreshing trip abroad that Elspeth Travers drowned in the sea. Primrose is immediately suspicious, because Elspeth was known to go “all green and peculiar” at the mere mention of the word sea. That the deceased was wearing a fanciful pink floral bathing cap—a style Elspeth intensely disliked—is proof positive that her death was no accident. “I intend pursuing this,” Primrose vows. “With so much incompetence about one feels compelled to take the initiative occasionally.” The multiple points of view capture the cadence and vocabulary of English voices, which include dotty upper-class Englishwomen, a plodding police detective, and “the best slippery art dealer on the south coast.” Even Primrose’s pets, Bouncer the dog and Maurice the cat, comment amusingly on the developments in the case. Those in the mood for silly fun will be delighted. Agent: Jane Conway-Gordon, Jane Conway-Gordon (U.K.).

May 1, 2020
Primrose Oughterard has just returned to England from Baden-Baden, Germany, where she ostensibly went to recover from back issues but in reality wanted to escape scrutiny from the local constabulary over some recent unpleasantness. She is suspicious when she learns Elspeth Travers drowned while bathing in the frigid sea at Birling Gap wearing a ridiculous bathing cap. Elspeth, Primrose knows, hated the cold, swimming, and bathing caps. Since the local chief superintendent, whom Primrose despises, is uninterested in pursuing the matter, Primrose begins interviewing people to unravel the mystery. Soon additional deaths occur. Aided by her questionable associate Nicholas Ingaza and forced to suppress incriminating information to protect herself, Primrose perseveres until justice is served. Told from multiple points of view, including Primrose's, her friends, and those of her cat and dog, Maurice and Bouncer, and framed by the life and times of its 1958 Sussex setting, this leisurely paced mystery includes well-drawn characters, especially the acerbic Primrose and her savvy pets. Oblique references to past events, including those that sent her abroad, make this entry best for series fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)