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Sheila Malory Mystery, No 20
Hazel Holt
Signet
October 2, 2012 /ISBN: 0451415388
Cozy British Mystery
Amazon
Reviewed
by Brenda Weeaks
In this mystery
Sheila’s best friend Rosemary takes a back seat. Rosemary
resents Sheila joining Monica at a charity shop and tells Sheila
she’ll regret it. Sheila actually finds a sense of purpose
in working with the other ladies. But Desmond, the charity tyrant,
is another matter. It’s through the gossip mill Sheila discovers
what an abrasive, controlling man Desmond can be. Most tolerate
him and go about their business until one day Desmond is found stabbed
to death in the charity closet.
Sheila joins forces with Inspector Morris to solve the murder. The
inspector takes the professional road whereas Sheila follows the
path of personal contact and village gossip. Solving the mystery
relies on people and interaction more than the typical police questioning.
I did note a lack of technology in this mystery and there was no
last minute sleuth-in-danger scene. And it was quite refreshing.
This is sleuth Sheila Malory’s twentieth mystery. In reading
the Malory series I have to put the longevity of it down to a strong
lead character, and the author’s ability to make a reader
feel he/she is taking part in solving the crime. I actually felt
like I was ease-dropping on charity shop gossip. Each time a new
suspect was revealed, I was ready to take that next step with Sheila
to see where it led. I didn’t expect the killer to be the
one actually revealed, but understood once it was. Another entertaining
read for those who enjoy cozy British mysteries.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Mrs
Malory and the Fatal Legacy
Mrs.
Malory and No Cure for Death
Mrs.
Malory and A Death In the Family
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