Cozy Review: A Woman Unknown (A Kate Shackleton Mystery)

I've finished "A Woman Unknown" the 4th book in her Kate Shackleton series by Frances Brody.

A winning combination of both intricate plotting and nostalgic post-WWI English country setting, Frances Brody's A Woman Unknown will appeal to fans of both classic murder mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie as well as readers of historical mystery series set in 1920s England, two popular subgenres.

The Woman Unknown: Deirdre Fitzpatrick is married to a man who wants to know where she really goes when supposedly taking care of her sick mother and calls on the expertise of Kate Shackleton, amateur sleuth extraordinaire to investigate.

The Gentleman: Everett Runcie is a banker facing ruin and disgrace. His American heiress wife will no longer pay for his mistakes, or tolerate his infidelity, and is seeking a divorce.

The Murder: When a chambermaid enters Runcie's hotel room, she is shocked to find that he is alone - and dead! Suddenly Kate is thrown into the depths of an altogether more sinister investigation. Can she uncover the truth of her most complex, and personal, case to date?

About the Author

FRANCES BRODY lives in Leeds. Before turning to crime, she wrote historical sagas, winning the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin award for most regionally evocative debut saga of the millennium.

Product Details
Series: A Kate Shackleton Mystery (Book 4)
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (February 10, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250037042
ISBN-13: 978-1250037046

My Review:

3/5

Thanks Minotaur Books for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Cozy Review: Murder in the Afternoon (Kate Shackleton)

I've finished "Murder in the Afternoon" by Kate Shackleton.

An intricate plot in the post-WWI English countryside and Frances Brody's "refreshingly complex heroine" (Kirkus) combine in Murder in the Afternoon, an absorbing mystery perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Agatha Christie.

Dead one minute

Young Harriet and her brother Austin have always been scared of the quarry where their stone mason father works. So when they find him dead on the cold ground, they rush off quickly to look for some help.

Alive the next?

When help arrives, however, the quarry is deserted and there is no sign of the body. Were the children mistaken? Is their father not dead? Did he simply get up and run away?

A sinister disappearing act

It seems like another unusual case requiring the expertise of Kate Shackleton -- and Mary Jane, the children's mother, is adamant that only she can help. But Mary Jane is hiding something -- a secret from Kate's past that raises the stakes and puts both Kate and her family at risk.

Product Details
Series: Kate Shackleton (Book 3)
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (February 11, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250037026
ISBN-13: 978-1250037022

My Review:

Kate's older sister introduces herself to Kate and needs her help in solving her husband's missing body.  She also meets her birth mother, niece and nephew.

I really like the strong relationship that Kate has with her adoptive mother and how it helps her during the case.

3/5

Thanks St. Martin's Press for sending this book to review, greatly appreciated!