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Thursday, January 19, 2023

Death At Crookham Hall by Michelle Salter - Book Review

Death At Crookham Hall by Michelle Salter

Publication Day: 18th Jan 2023

Series: The Iris Woodmore Mysteries, #1 (Standalone)

Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: An entertaining read (despite a few bumps)  

***

1920 London

Two women MPs are competing in the elections for the first time. Reporter Iris Woodmore has her favorites but knows she will keep her reports as unbiased as possible. She is invited to the House of Commons to cover the proceeds. However, the place has painful memories for her. Iris’ mother fell into River Thames during a suffragette protest. 

When the Big Ben watchman tells Iris that her mother didn’t fall into the river but jumped of her own accord, Iris decides to dig into the past and find out more. It leads her to the disappearance of a maid at Crookham Hall during the same period. Things get complicated when the past and present seem to be tied to each other.  

Can Iris get to the bottom of the truth? 

The story comes in the first-person POV of Iris. 

My Thoughts: 

The story has a decent pace despite dealing with an array of themes of topics. It blends social, political, economical, and feminist themes to create a cozy mystery with a splash of courtroom drama. Some of it works well. 

Iris is a young journalist. She has an analytical mind but is not without her biases. At times, she comes across as a really naïve person, while at times, she proves she can handle a challenge. I’m hoping her character arc with getting steadier in the next books. 

Lady Dauphine and Mrs. Siddons are well-etched and create a stronger impact than Iris. Elijah is another interesting character and a good influence on Iris. 

The mystery is easy enough to guess, especially halfway through the book, when certain information is presented. It ties up with everything provided until then. I could guess almost all the revelations. Not an issue for me, though. I’m not that particular about the surprise element in cozies. 

I couldn’t help but snort at the ending. It is abrupt and even a little anti-climatic but is perfect for the first book in the series. I’m impressed. 

The courtroom scenes aren’t that engrossing compared to the rest of the book. Also, the jump in the timeline at the end is confusing. I read again to guess the missing part. 

The depiction of the then society comes out very well. The multiple references to what women wear, their hairstyles, etc., present a clear picture of the times. Here’s a short blog by the author talking about the inspiration for the plot. 

To summarize, Death At Crookham Hall is a decent start to a new historical cozy mystery series. I’m intrigued enough to read the next book (the blurb sounds cool). 

Thank you, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #DeathAtCrookhamHall 

***

P.S.: The book was previously published as The Suffragette’s Daughter. 

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