Category: Interwar Period (Nov 1918 – Sep 1939)

The period between the end of WWI and the beginning of WWII

A Deadly Match by Matthew Costello

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, George V - 1910- 1936, Historical Mystery, Interwar Period (Nov 1918 - Sep 1939), Part of a Series2 Comments

A Deadly Match (Mydworth Mysteries #13)

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Mydworth Mysteries #13
Publication Date: 1/30/23
Period: Interwar – 1930s – Mydworth, England
Number of Pages: 140

I always jump for joy when each new book releases, and then slump forlornly when the read is over because I then have to wait for the next release. This series is consistently well-written with wonderful characters and exciting mysteries. I have loved each book in the series, and this is certainly no exception to that. Kat and Sir Harry are made for each other and, as former spies during the war, they are uniquely qualified to solve all of the intrigues that come their way.

Kat and Harry are participating in a tournament at the tennis club when they are approached by a timid woman whose husband browbeats her all the time. She tells them she doesn’t believe the recent accident that took the life of the tennis pro was actually an accident. While the accident certainly looks to be just that, Kat and Harry decide to just do a little looking to see if it is possible. Yep, it definitely is possible and the more they look the more sure they are – and – they are also sure there is something more than murder going on as well.

It appears Kat and Harry have kicked a nest of hornets because things start to buzz – and our erstwhile detectives find themselves in real danger. Not that they can’t handle it, they were, after all, spies in some of the most dangerous places of the war. However, they’d just as soon neither of them got hurt. The investigation takes them in a far different direction than they thought – and the villain(s) will surprise you – or not.

I thoroughly enjoy these books and am always excited when a new one is on the horizon. You’ll absolutely love Kat and Harry as well as the other series regulars like Aunt Lavinia. These are always short, tightly-written, well-developed stories in which you quickly get engrossed and forget there is a ‘real’ world out your window. Should you choose to read the story, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

On By BarbaraIn Audiobook, Barb's Reviews, George V - 1910- 1936, Historical Mystery, Interwar Period (Nov 1918 - Sep 1939), Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #1)

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Series: Saffron Everleigh #1
Publication Date: 6/7/22
Period: George V / Interwar Period (London)
Number of Pages: Audiobook – Narrator Jodie Harris

Woohoo! I think I have discovered a new must-read historical mystery author. This is her debut novel and I can honestly say it is better written, better plotted, and has character development that is right up there with the stars of this genre. I can’t believe I almost passed it by because the period is a bit later than I normally prefer. Whew! So glad I didn’t. Being a romantic at heart, I must have a romance in my historical mysteries – either a married couple or engaged couple, etc. – and this book appears to hint that will be the case in this series. However, that said, the next book is featuring a different male lead and I’m anxious to see where that might go.

Saffron Everleigh has worked hard to be where she is and she has to fight every day to stay. Not only does she have to do her job twice as well, but she has to constantly contend with snide remarks, sexual harassment, and rumors. Mostly she can ignore it because her boss and mentor, Dr. Maxwell, has always been her champion. He encourages her to stay the course, not be discouraged, and not let the good-old-boys win. What would she do without him? Unfortunately, when he is arrested for attempted murder, she might have to find out. She knows he isn’t guilty and is determined to find out who is and clear him.

I love that there are a lot of red herrings and a plethora of suspects. All of those suspects have credible reasons for wanting to commit murder and you’ll just have to work through the plot with the author to find out who the culprit is. Is it – Dr. Lawrence Henry? Or Eris Ermine? Or Harry Snyder? Or Dr. Berking? Or Richard Blake? Or Alexander Ashton? Or could it be that Dr. Maxwell is the guilty party? Oh! My goodness, Saffron has her hands full with this one.

She drags Alexander Ashton into the investigation even though she’s not sure she can trust him. There are so many plots-within-plots and undercurrents and rivalries at the university, they may never unravel it all. As they draw nearer and nearer to the solution, both Saffron and Alexander find themselves in a mortally dangerous situation. Can they thwart the villains and live to tell about it? You’ll just have to read this fast-paced, exciting novel to find out.

I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed the narration. Jodie Harris’s voice is smooth and pleasant, her delivery is nicely paced with appropriately delivered emotions. She does a credible job with the male voices, but, if you were listening to a conversation in real life, you’d quickly identify those voices as female. However, in the world of audio and stories, it works just fine.

I liked the way the author chose not to make the police seem like bumbling incompetents as is so often the case. They did jump the gun in arresting Dr. Maxwell, but they were continuing to investigate rather than just looking for reasons he’s guilty. I like Alexander Ashton as the ‘hero’ in the series because we came to see his flaws and how he is managing to cope with them. Then, he is supportive of Saffron, but very worried about her recklessness as well. Yes, Saffron can be reckless and has some TSTL moments. I will look forward to her becoming more circumspect in her actions in future books. If Ashton isn’t to be the ongoing romantic lead, I hope that role will be quickly settled because I do not enjoy the romantic lead changing from book to book.

I can recommend this excellently written and well-plotted historical mystery. I’m already breathlessly awaiting the next installment in the series – A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality.

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