Murder Comes to Call

World-renowned adventuress and sleuth Beryl Helliwell cited for “reckless” motoring? Why, the very idea! Constable Gibbs has it in for her. The solution? Charm the magistrate, of course. But days after Beryl’s appearance before the bench, she and Edwina pay a visit to the magistrate only to find his home ransacked and the man himself lying dead at the bottom of a grand staircase.

Given the state of the house, his death appears to be connected to a rash of robberies in the village. Declan O’Shea, the handsome helper Beryl hired to assist their aged gardener Simpkins, falls under suspicion after having had his own run-in with the magistrate–but mostly, Beryl believes, because he’s Irish.

While unofficially looking into the magistrate’s murder, the ladies are hired in their official capacity as private inquiry agents to find census reports that have gone missing. Is someone trying to hide something from the census takers–and could that theft have anything to do with the magistrate’s death? Beryl and Edwina are once again in fine form as they engage in a little reckless sleuthing to bring these assorted mysteries to a speedy conclusion.

Series: A Beryl and Edwina Mystery – Book #4
Author: Jessica Ellicott
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Exotic Location/Historical
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 288

Rating:

Nothing quite beats Beryl and Edwina when it comes to finding adventure. The two sleuths step into a mystery the way other people step into having fun, and in Murder Comes to Call, they step into a lot more than usual. They can’t seem to go very long without someone hiring them to solve a murder or another crime. This time they have landed squarely in the middle of a murder investigation and a theft.

Beryl is fun-loving, up for the next adventure, and seriously curious. Edwina is a thinker; she has an analytical mind and uses her brain to solve complex problems. Both characters are easy to like. They compliment each other in all ways. Being a female sleuth that has distinctive ideas about the world and a women’s place in it isn’t always easy in the world these characters live in, and most of the time, it can be downright dangerous. But nothing stops Beryl or Edwina. However, there is a great deal of inner thought rambling through this book, and readers who have not read the others in this series may have a hard time becoming engaged.

The murder of a well-known magistrate has the characters hopping, then the theft of census paperwork makes things even trickier. There is no end to the possible suspects. Motives range from prejudice to money, to relationships, and back again. It takes time and effort to ferret out the villain, but the two sleuths are ready and willing to take on all comers in this new adventure.

Murder Comes to Call is the fourth book in this series; it has all the necessary components for a good mystery with impressionable characters. The two women are great sleuths who live in an era of the total man’s world, yet thrive in the environment. Readers will not be disappointed by this adventure and will enjoy hearing more about Beryl, Edwina, and the wonderful Simpkins.

Other female sleuth books readers may enjoy include Erica Ruth Neubauer’s delightfully intriguing “A Jane Wunderly Mystery” or the adventures of Sister Agatha in Jane Willan’s unique “A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery” series.

About the Author:

Agatha award nominee Jessica Ellicott loves fountain pens, Mini Coopers, and throwing parties. She lives in northern New England with her dark and mysterious husband, exuberant children, and a precocious poodle named Sam.

When away from her desk, she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for grammar rules. She indulges her passion for historical fiction and all things British.

Jessica’s books have twice received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly as well as one from Library Journal. Her first novel won the Daphne du Maurier award for mystery. As Jessica Estevao, she wrote the Change of Fortune Mysteries. When inspiration strikes, she writes contemporary mysteries as Jessie Crockett.

Contact Jessica: