A Death In Dulwich

About the Book

Thirty-something single mum Beth Haldane is forced to become Dulwich’s answer to Miss Marple when she stumbles over a murder victim on her first day at work. To clear her name, Beth is plunged into a cozy mystery that’s a contemporary twist on Golden Age crime classics. But can she pull it off? She already has a bouncy young son, haughty cat, a fringe with a mind of its own and lots of bills to pay, as she struggles to keep up with the yummy mummies of SE21. Join Beth in #1 of the London Murder Mystery series, as she discovers the nastiest secrets can lurk in the nicest places.

My Review

A Death in Dulwich is a good introduction to this cozy crime series. Beth is a character I liked, she was shown to be independent, with a slightly sarcastic opinion on some of the people she met and especially of life in Dulwich. I don’t know the area at all but I can imagine that there are plenty of areas like it. Her new job is one that I would love, I would have the time of my life in that poky, untidy little office! Finding a body, not so much.
It is cozy crime but there is a darker thread to the mystery, some of which is revealed as she tidies the archives and also the murder. It isn’t the main theme in the novel though. The author goes out of her way to make the reader have an interest in the characters. There are a few I’m hoping to read about in book two. Including the cat, Magpie, strangely enough.

The Girl in the Gallery

About the Book

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Dulwich…

It’s a perfect summer’s morning in the plush south London suburb, and thirty-something Beth Haldane sneaks off to visit one of her favourite places – the world-famous Picture Gallery.

She’s enjoying a few moments’ respite from juggling her job at prestigious private school Wyatt’s and her role as single mum to little boy, Ben, when she stumbles across a shocking new exhibit on display. Before she knows it, she’s in the thick of a fresh, and deeply chilling, investigation.

Just who is The Girl in the Gallery?

Join Beth in adventure #2 of The London Murder Mystery series as she tries to uncover the truth about a secret eating away at the very heart of Dulwich.

My Review

You soon realise that Beth has the bad luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. There are many similarities with the previous book, her friendship with Katie, her scathing opinion of all the ‘yummy mummies’ and her often fractious  relationship with York, the police officer who has to investigate the cases that she is has the misfortune to be involved in.
But the case she attempts to solve this time is completely different. More modern, some of it believable with regards to the social media influence. But this is cosy crime and there will always be parts that are less believable but that the reader can still enjoy.
I found this book much more sinister than the first. At times it was creepy, the control that certain people had over others, even down to what they were allowed to eat and the refusal by some parents to see a problem caused by social media.
I have enjoyed both of these books and I’m looking forward to more.