The Body at Carnival Bridge by Michelle Salter - Book Review

Series: Iris Woodmore Mysteries #3 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 11th May 2023

Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery 

4 Stars 

One Liner: A good mystery with some then socially relevant themes 

1922, Waldenmere 

Iris Woodmore is back home after a year of traveling across Europe. She is surprised by the changes in Walden. Constance Timpson has taken over the business and is established equal pay and opportunities for women working in the factories. Though she has support from Mrs. Sybil Siddons, not many are in favor of her ‘radical’ decisions. 

A mysterious sniper fires at Constance, and soon, one of her female employees is found murdered. Iris realizes things are worse than expected and knows they need to find the killer before more women are harmed. 

Can Iris deal with the latest developments in her life and career while solving the crime?

The story comes in Iris’ first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

Though this is book #3, it should work well as a standalone. There are enough bits and pieces of details scattered throughout to fill the gaps. I’m reading the series, so I think I did enjoy it a wee bit more. 

Set in the 1920s, the main and subplots deal with themes like women’s rights, equal pay, lady politicians and business owners, etc. The setting is an integral part of the series and is seamlessly woven into each book. 

Iris is back home in this book and has to deal with the varying responses from her family, friends, and acquaintances. I like most of what we see in the book. It sticks close to reality without exaggeration or drama. While I like the main character’s arc, I’m not sure about some of her choices. I guess it makes her appear real and flawed instead of someone perfect. The idea has merit, but maybe give her a little more stability in the coming books? 

That said, the book depicts relationships quite well. We see a tangled mess here, but it doesn’t get overwhelming. In fact, it makes the coming books more interesting. I sure want to know who will choose whom and why. 

Coming to the main mystery(ies), there is no lack of suspects or red herrings. The information is revealed in stages, giving the readers enough time to guess. I could guess the main culprit (it’s easy if this is your favorite genre). However, the conclusion is satisfactory, as I always like seeing how things are connected and tied up at the end.  

While the pacing is decent, the book slows in the middle and feels like we are going in circles (too many cozies are doing this recently). The plot picks up again at around 70% and sustains from thereon. 

To summarize, The Body at Carnival Bridge is a solid cozy mystery that blends crime and social issues without being preachy or boring. The cover and blurb of book #4 are out, and I look forward to reading it soon. 

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

#NetGalley #TheBodyatCarnivalBridge

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P.S.: Do check out this blog by the author about her inspiration for the book.