Dead in the Water

Kept me reading waaay past my bedtime and worth every minute of it. I love these intriguing mysterys by Ms.Dunn and am reading them in order so I won't miss anything Daisy gets into. Daisy just can't stay out of "trouble". Keep them coming please.

Daisy and Alec are to be the guests of Daisy's aunt Lady Cherington for the Thames Cup boat races. Daisy's cousin Tish's beau, and his teammates, including Tish's cousin Cherry. There is some discord in the team. The Hon Basil DeLancy, an out an out cad, is baiting the cox, a Mr. Bott for not being as well borne or socially apt as the rest of them. Harold Bott has a huge chip on his shoulder and responds just as DeLancey wants him to. This all cumulates in DeLancey pushing Bott in the river after he disgraces himself by being sick during the race. Since DeLancey got him drunk the night before it really was his fault. Then, DeLancey dies after becoming sick during a four man race. Bott is naturally a suspect, and Alec takes over the case. He and Daisy seek the murderer.These golden age mysteries are alot of fun. The murderer was fairly obvious, but getting to the conclusion was still worth reading. The author has a real gift for describing England in the 1920's.

In this Daisy adventure social class biases are a major factor confounding efforts to find the guilty. Daisy's 1920s acquaintances with their prejudices are so different from us modern enlightened folks, aren't they? Or are they? Carola Dunn's meticulous research shows us a heroine who is convincingly of her time, but whose enquiring mind rises above social conventions.

I found plenty of charm and action in this "between thewars" murder mystery. With a twist on the country house party,Carola Dunn puts her slueth, the honourable Daisy Dalrymple, journalist, under the same roof as 9 sporting young men, all members of the same college crew, ranging from the working class cox to the young lording, whom everyone seems to have reason to dislike. But when the latter is found with his head bashed in, the most likely suspect seems the former. Scotland Yard, in the form of Daisy's detective fiance is called in, and they soon discovers plenty of other suspects to muddy the waters. The period details add to the well-plotted mystery, and Daisy is as delightful as usual.