Death Plays A Part
Cornish Castle Mystery Book 1
by Vivian Conroy
Book Description
Guinevere arrives at Cornisea castle in Cornwall to take up a summer job cataloging the treasured books of Lord Bolingbrooke. The theatre where she works has closed for refurbishment and Guinevere jumps at the chance to work on the beautiful Cornish island, with its ancient legends and folklore. Guinevere is accompanied by her trusty little Dachshund, Dolly, and will be residing at the castle for the Summer. On arrival, she finds an ancient trial re-enactment taking place by residents, but the atmosphere soon changes when a murder is discovered in a locked dungeon.
It is down to Constable Eal and Inspector LeFevre, to solve the case, but Guinevere has ideas of her own. She is helped by the dashing Oliver who is the son of Lord Bolingbrooke. His father is the main suspect of the crime and the duo plus Dolly don’t leave any stone unturned to clear his name.
First, she must meet the residents and learn about their characters and their backgrounds. Dolly helps to break the ice with the small community and gradually they begin to trust her. Guinevere’s theatrical background helps her unravel the mystery bit by bit. The inhabitants of the island are worried about their livelihoods and appear guarded, there is an air of suspicion and mistrust to the once close-knit community.
As an added dimension there is talk of lost treasure, does it exist? and who knows the secret?
My Review
There is a hint of Agatha Christie to Vivian Conroy’s writing and she beautifully describes the magnificent backdrop, and the plot is intricate and solid. She keeps the Cornish theme alive with Cornish names for the characters and interesting fictional Cornish folklore. Guinevere and Oliver make a great team, Oliver is well traveled and Guinevere has a good head for puzzle solving, is there a slight hint of romance between the amateur sleuths? Any Dachshund owner will relate to Dolly’s character, she is inquisitive and full of energy. The bond between Guinevere and Dolly is truly adorable, you get the feeling that they know what each other is thinking and Dolly is constantly at her companion’s side. I have given the book a very well deserved 4/5 stars.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, Rubies in the Roses which is published soon.
The book was sent to me by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
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Totally agree. All the clues were there to solve the mystery and, although I worked out a few bits, I did need to read to the end for the whole plot to be revealed.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to the follow up, which is out soon.
It was really well thought out and the characters were fab! x