A Murder Mystery Medley

Many thanks go to NetGalley and to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for letting me read advance readers' copies of these books in exchange for honest reviews.

It's time for another dose of murder most foul and diligent detectives as we once again dive into the British Library Crime Classics collection. This time, they are three rather different books...

The Arsenal Stadium Mystery by Leonard Gribble.

When an amateur football player collapses and dies during a match against Arsenal, it's up to Inspector Slade, who has his work cut out, to try to find the murderer among the players and coaching staff of the amateur team, The Trojans.

I liked this book, even though it was nothing special. The writing is really engaging, especially when describing the match at the beginning. The suspects are a typically mixed bunch but are quite believable. Several of them were real people at and around Arsenal FC in the late 1930s, when the book was written.

However, I found the resolution to be a little too forced for my liking. It seemed to come out of the blue, as it were, and let the rest of the book down.

Star rating:3.5/5

This book will be released on 4th December 2018

The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson

When an American financier is found dead with his gun at his side, suicide is the first thought of everyone, including Robert West, parliamentary private secretary. But when the American's granddaughter claims it wasn't murder, West sets out to try to get to the truth, before it spells doom for the government.

This was a really good read. The details of the workings in the Houses of Parliament are really interesting, especially as the writer was an MP herself. The plot is fast paced, the characters believable and the style of writing is easy to read while keeping the reader engaged.

On the negative side, although the reveal was simply brilliant, what came after did let the book down a bit. It seemed too cheap a way to end.

Star rating: 4/5

This book will be available from 4th December 2018

The Belting Inheritance by Julian Symons

Lady Wainwright's health is failing. Her two surviving sons and her great nephew are slightly at odds over the inheritance that could be coming their way. But then a letter arrived, claiming to be from David, one of Lady Wainwright's sons, believed dead in the second world war. Nobody, except Lady Wainwright herself, believes him so it is up to the family to discover the truth about the mysterious stranger when he turns up at their home.

So, obviously this was not a murder mystery, but was a truly enjoyable read nonetheless. The plot was clever, apparently based on a real life Victorian case from many years previously. The solution is brilliant and the characters were very much alive.

Any negatives? Maybe simply the later style made it read a bit strangely this time. It didn't do quite enough to get 5 stars, but was still well worth a read and I would recommend it maybe as an entry point for people new to the genre.

Star rating: 4/5

This book will be released on 8th January 2019