Death at a Country Mansion
No one would ever accuse famous opera star Dame Serena Levanté of lacking a flair for the dramatic. Unfortunately, it’s curtains down on the dysfunctional diva when she’s found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her elegant home. Solving an opera singer’s murder may not be the typical hairdresser’s aria of expertise. But Dame Serena was the mother of Daisy’s best friend Floria, so Daisy must do-or-dye her best to get to the root of the case.
When a priceless Modigliani painting in the house is reported missing, the mystery gets even more tangled. Even though the gruff but handsome Detective Inspector Paul McGuinness tells the stylist to stay out of his hair, Daisy is determined to make sure the killer faces a stern makeover, behind bars.
Series: A Daisy Thorne Mystery – Book #1
Author: Louise R. Innes
Genre/Category: Cozy – Amateur Sleuth/Exoctic Location
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 240
Rating: 
Death at a Country Mansion is filled with interesting and quirky characters, and an opera diva to die for. Daisy is a bit hard to take at times, she is somewhat insensitive but she is also determined and loyal. The first chapter was very well written and hooked the reader right away. The setting was nice, but I could have done with a bit more info about the background characters and the hair salon.
The victim was not at all likable, which is good in many ways, and we never find out how good of an opera singer she was. Although the reader doesn’t care all that much about the victim, they are vested in seeing justice done and the right person arrested for the crime. I would love to have had the murder take place at the hair salon in this first book, but that aside I felt the description of the victim’s house and murder were well done.
There are plenty of suspects, but not one that stands out more than the others. The victim’s daughter, Floria, who is also Daisy’s best friend, is likable, and readers will sympathize with her. Other suspects are not sympathetic, and you find yourself hoping they all did it just to get rid of them permanently. I felt a few of the opera singers’ competitors’ involvement would have made for some interesting scenes but those were not present. Having some of the suspects show up at Daisy’s hair salon would have been intriguing, but unfortunately, the author didn’t bring that into play. Maybe next time.
In the end, the killer is caught, and even though the killer’s identity or the motive may not be a big surprise to readers, it makes for an emotional scene that is worth the read. There isn’t a lot of action in Death at a Country Mansion, not enough of the hair salon, opera, or the people who work there; this story is a good start to a new series that readers will enjoy.
Other engaging plot-driven cozies readers may enjoy include V.M. Burns’s thrilling “Mystery Bookshop” series or Amanda Flower’s delightful “An Amish Matchmaker Mystery”.
About the Author:
Louise is an English author of romantic suspense & cozy mysteries. She loves to write about brave, warm-hearted men and the feisty, independent women who love them. Louise started writing at the age of sixteen and became a full-time writer in 2014. She lives in beautiful Surrey, in a village not unlike the one in her books. When she’s not writing, she can be found traipsing through the parks or kayaking on the River Thames.
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