A review by booksuperpower
Death at Dovecote Hatch: A 1930s Country House Murder Mystery by Dorothy Cannell
4.0
Death at Dovecote Hatch by Dorothy Cannell is a
Inspector Crane has once again popped into Dovecote Hatch, only this time he's looking for help from Florence and George regarding a suspicious death.
The first book in this series was a bit of a rocky ride, but this second installment was markedly improved.
Florence and George have finally confessed their feelings of love for one another and look forward to marrying one day, but after the murder at Mullings, Florence wants to be sure Ned is truly settled and that the housekeeping staff will manage without her.
In the meantime, she and George work a couple of mysterious cases, one of which directly involves Alf and his wife, Doris, who receives an unexpected inheritance.
The pacing is much faster in this second installment, the dialogue is crisper, and the mystery much more compelling and interesting than what was experienced in the first book.
It was interesting that the sudden deaths that George, Florence, and Crane are concerned about only looked suspicious if you viewed them with a trained eye or if you were quite observant. Otherwise, no one would have been the wiser and the deaths could have been passed off as accidents. This setup made the need for character examination and attention to detail very important. George and Florence make a pretty good team, bouncing ideas and theories off each other, which intensified their cerebral and practical chemistry.
Some of Cannell’s trademark humor, which was MIA in the first book, made a guest appearance a few times here, which was very nice to see.
I rather enjoyed this very British historical mystery. I’m not sure the author intends to continue on with the series, but if not, it ended on a very positive note. However, if Florence were to return again someday, I would love to catch up with the gang at Dovecote Hatch and Mullings Manor.
4 stars
Inspector Crane has once again popped into Dovecote Hatch, only this time he's looking for help from Florence and George regarding a suspicious death.
The first book in this series was a bit of a rocky ride, but this second installment was markedly improved.
Florence and George have finally confessed their feelings of love for one another and look forward to marrying one day, but after the murder at Mullings, Florence wants to be sure Ned is truly settled and that the housekeeping staff will manage without her.
In the meantime, she and George work a couple of mysterious cases, one of which directly involves Alf and his wife, Doris, who receives an unexpected inheritance.
The pacing is much faster in this second installment, the dialogue is crisper, and the mystery much more compelling and interesting than what was experienced in the first book.
It was interesting that the sudden deaths that George, Florence, and Crane are concerned about only looked suspicious if you viewed them with a trained eye or if you were quite observant. Otherwise, no one would have been the wiser and the deaths could have been passed off as accidents. This setup made the need for character examination and attention to detail very important. George and Florence make a pretty good team, bouncing ideas and theories off each other, which intensified their cerebral and practical chemistry.
Some of Cannell’s trademark humor, which was MIA in the first book, made a guest appearance a few times here, which was very nice to see.
I rather enjoyed this very British historical mystery. I’m not sure the author intends to continue on with the series, but if not, it ended on a very positive note. However, if Florence were to return again someday, I would love to catch up with the gang at Dovecote Hatch and Mullings Manor.
4 stars