Manna from Hades

I was fortunate enough to meet Ms. Dunn on a flight on the west coast. She is simply a joy to have met and associated with. can not wait to read all of her books!

"Manna from Hades" is an engaging work of escape fiction involving crime and detection. The protagonist is a likable older woman who can be scatterbrained about things like locking her car and home, and has an unpretentious lifestyle. However, Eleanor Trewynn has retired to a Cornish fishing village after working all over the world for a charitable organization, and she's no fool. Still devoted to the charity she served so long, she volunteers in support of the charity's local resale shop. Actually, there's more: she bought the building and lives in a flat upstairs, and donated the ground floor store premises to the organization. The story purposely is undated, although the author says the period is "1960's or 1970's" - no cell phones, no Google, and no political correctness by the old boys in the police force on the subject of women police officers. The first crime discovered is a corpse in the store's stockroom, and later a big jewel theft comes into the tale. The police investigating the crime include Eleanor's niece Det. Sgt. Megan Pencarrow and DI Scumble, who isn't a fan of women on the force - and he also finds Eleanor very difficult to deal with. I enjoyed this as a character-driven story, more than for the plot. Eleanor, her artist friend, her young police officer niece, and her other friends including the efficient Jocelyn (the vicar's wife), make an interesting bunch, and I wouldn't mind reading more about them. Eleanor lives modestly, and willingly roams the area in her dilapidated old car collecting castoff goods as donations for the store. But she is determined and clever about promoting the charity's interests, with the experience and resources gained in her international career. In one enjoyable scene, Eleanor one-ups a condescending "lady of the manor"- because Eleanor is a longtime friend of an influential aristocratic couple. They even ask for Eleanor's help with some delicate international negotiations because in her work she came to know the politicians involved - and send a private helicopter to fetch her. I hope there are some sequels to this book, because I suspect there are aspects of Eleanor's character and history yet to be disclosed.

I've never been to Cornwall, but reading this book made me feel like I know it well--terrific setting. Love the '60s period feel, too. And since I grew up enjoying the 1960s-era mysteries written by Ngaio Marsh and Agatha Christie and others, the story felt like it belonged among those tales. I'd love to see more of these mysteries--I liked grouchy Inspector Scumble, and I hope Megan ends up with artist Nick and not with the guy from Scotland Yard. I'd like to see Eleanor do the actual investigating (although I guess she would need to bring her practical friend Jocelyn along to actually succeed). I can already picture this as a PBS "Mystery" presentation. Awesome!

This was an enjoyable, not too taxing book to read. The characters I found interesting and likable for the most part, and the setting was interesting because it was an area unfamiliar to me. The plot, while mainly believable, did fall apart rather at the end when coincidence came in a bit too heavily. Carola Dunn doesn't pretend to write either great literature or intellectual puzzles, which is fine, because this book fills the "cosy mystery" niche just fine.

Widow Eleanor "Aunt Nell" Trewynn runs a charity shop in the village of Port Mabyn in Cornwall. At the store, Aunt Nell's dog Teazle finds a corpse of a young male in the storeroom. She notifies Detective Inspector Scumble who initially thinks the victim is a bum. He does not want to investigate with his partner on sick leave and he stuck with Aunt Nell's resolute niece, Detective Sargent Megan Pencarrow, but has no choice as a murder occurred. Aunt Nell drives the gruff senior investigator crazy as she seems to omit critical information because she is forgetful. She is actually more interested in a suitcase of jewelry left at the store that turns out to be stolen loot from a London jewelry. As Aunt Nell and the Vicar's wife Jocelyn work the case, Scumble grumbles about amateurs and London cops. This 1960s - 1970s English village mystery is a wonderful character driven police procedural-amateur sleuth whodunit. The ensemble cast brings to life the small Cornish village through key players who are fully developed with differing personalities. Fans will enjoy Carola Dunn's new series as she moves forward in time four decades from her super Honourable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher 1920s mysteries without missing a beat. Harriet Klausner