About the Book
Snowed in at an isolated stately home in the Cotswolds with an assortment of eccentric characters, is not Inspector Busby’s idea of a fun way to spend the lead up to Christmas 1923.
Added to his troubles is the Honourable Flora Farrington who is insisting on posing as his wife.
It soon transpires that among the house guests is someone who will stop at nothing to steal some diplomatically sensitive papers.
Can Busby find the missing papers before the villain murders Flora?
My Thoughts
This is a delightful holiday outtake for those who have fallen in love with Anna A. Armstrong’s Cotswold cozy mystery series. But, as with all great mysteries, this one has a twist – it doesn’t feature our beloved FitzMorris trio. But the characters are still a delight, and our FMC has just as much spunk as our FitzMorris ladies and would keep them on their toes.
I’ll admit that I can’t remember who the delightful Honourable Flora Farrington is, but I feel like I recall her name from the three full-length novels (a reason, dare I say, to reread them?). And I would love to see more stories featuring this charming lady who reminds me a lot of our modern-day heroines. And her police-detective sidekick (but don’t tell him we called him that), Inspector Busby, is just as charming as our modern-day police fellows.
This is such an incredibly fun little cozy mystery set against a Christmas party backdrop that turns into an absolutely delightful locked-room whodunnit. The twists and turns and surprise ending are all typical of the greats and the great comedy and storytelling I’ve come to expect from Ms. Armstrong.
The addition of the traditional Christmas dinner and the game of Sardines was quite an interesting hook. The mystery was complex and complete for such a short story, and I was surprised in the end.
Who’s It For?
Anyone who loves a good, cozy mystery or a locked room mystery will love this one. If you love a sassy, comedic duo, who will give you lots of good one-liners or up to three-liners.
Content Warnings: Violence, Adult Language/Situations, Xenophobia, Sexism, Classism. This is not meant to serve as a complete list of all subjects a reader may find disturbing or triggering, but as a list of subjects I remembered/took note of while reading.
Question of the Day
Have you ever played (or heard of) the game Sardines?
Answer of the Day
I haven’t, but I’ve played Hide-and-Seek – which is similar, but also completely different.
About the Author
Anna A. Armstrong writes uplifting, cosy mysteries. Set in rural villages, they overflow with friendship, warm family relationships, delicious food, beautiful gardens and romance as well as the odd murder to spice things up. At the heart of her stories are her colourful characters who have their own varied foibles. There is nothing like a spot of murder for revealing who people are and what makes them tick.
Growing up in home counties England, Anna was surrounded with dogs and horses as well as the wide variety of people who make up village life. Her observation skills were further honed by studying Anthropology at university. Much to her family’s embarrassment, she often can’t resist pulling out a pad and sketching random strangers in a restaurant.
When not indulging her love of travelling, Anna divides her time between the quintessentially English village of Burford in the Cotswolds and the rugged Isle of Man, the jewel of the Irish Sea. She is passionate about food, her garden, her three dachshunds, family and latterly trick riding, just in case running off to the circus becomes an option!
Links
Author’s Website: https://thecotswoldwriter.com/
Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.