extraaardvark's review
funny
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
elliemvbrown's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
verityw's review
4.0
As usual this is a clever mystery with a less-cozy-than-normal solution. Dandy's been called to help an old friend who's family is trying to save their fortunes by exploiting their castle's tourist potential. They're in competition with the family down the road - who have been bitter rivals for a couple of generations. There's a curse, a missing ruby and a vanished man for Alec and Dandy to try and work out, but it turns out there are also a myriad of secrets and lies to untangle. I really enjoyed this - the theatre troupe make for an interesting group of side characters and a good foil for (relatively) straight-laced Dandy. I really do like this series.
bananatricky's review
4.0
Well ... for one of the recent books in this series I said I hoped Dandy and Alec would be investigating a murder in high society and my wish sort of came true.
Dandy is invited to a genuine Scottish castle by Minnie, a woman she knew as a debutante, in a letter full of mysterious hints. When Dandy and Alec arrive they find Minnie and her husband Bluey have fallen on hard times. They live in Bewer Castle with Bluey's mother Ottoline.
Right from the start Dandy and Alec don't really know what they are there to investigate. At first they are asked to look for a ruby necklace with a terrible history which was lost when Ottoline's husband Richard left her. Then they are asked to prove whether Richard is still alive or died abroad. What is not very clear is whether they want the necklace found, or Richard to be alive, it all hinges on death duties.
Minnie and Bluey's daughter Penny has caught the acting bug and has been staying with her cousin in Glasgow, until an accident closes the theatre. Now the family have decided to invite the theatre company to Castle Bewer to perform a Shakespeare play to raise money for the upkeep of the castle. Minnie and Bluey have also sold treasure-hunter tickets to the general public with the story of the cursed ruby necklace.
This was yet another convoluted plot that kept me guessing right until the end.
Dandy is invited to a genuine Scottish castle by Minnie, a woman she knew as a debutante, in a letter full of mysterious hints. When Dandy and Alec arrive they find Minnie and her husband Bluey have fallen on hard times. They live in Bewer Castle with Bluey's mother Ottoline.
Right from the start Dandy and Alec don't really know what they are there to investigate. At first they are asked to look for a ruby necklace with a terrible history which was lost when Ottoline's husband Richard left her. Then they are asked to prove whether Richard is still alive or died abroad. What is not very clear is whether they want the necklace found, or Richard to be alive, it all hinges on death duties.
Minnie and Bluey's daughter Penny has caught the acting bug and has been staying with her cousin in Glasgow, until an accident closes the theatre. Now the family have decided to invite the theatre company to Castle Bewer to perform a Shakespeare play to raise money for the upkeep of the castle. Minnie and Bluey have also sold treasure-hunter tickets to the general public with the story of the cursed ruby necklace.
This was yet another convoluted plot that kept me guessing right until the end.
thequietgeordie's review
2.0
I struggled with this one. Whilst this is the twelfth in the series, there was no back story, and the plot was very slow moving.
kjcharles's review
A lot of fun. Nice to have a middle-aged woman starring--mother of two grown children, married, with a young man as a sidekick. The period feel is great, especially the sense of the upper classes adrift in a rapidly changing world, as the last remnants of Golden Age privilege slide from between their fingers and they can only gawp in horror at the youth of today. Enjoyable mystery, good read.
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