Mrs. Malory and a Death in the Family

I enjoy Hazel Holt's Sheila Malory novels when I'm in the mood for a well-written cozy mystery, with a generally level-headed protagonist and a cast of characters who might be encountered in real life. In ". . . A Death in the Family," Sheila's obnoxious cousin Bernard has retired from his headmaster position and is obsessed with tracing his family lineage - which includes Sheila and a host of others. Self-absorbed, domineering, and pig-headed, Bernard is making a series of visits to cousins around the country as he pursues his research. Holt deftly introduces Bernard's character with reports to Sheila from two cousins. The strong-minded one dismisses him as a pest, the more passive one refers to his diligent pursuit of his "interesting" research and has unwittingly sicced him onto Sheila by mentioning the old family Bible she owns. Inevitably Bernard and his silently submissive wife Janet appear without warning on Sheila's doorstep. They have taken a holiday cottage nearby for a few weeks to facilitate his research in the area, and thus Sheila is fated to see both of them again. One evening Janet comes via taxi to return to Sheila some photographs Bernard has borrowed. Sheila asks her to stay for tea and finds that the mousy Janet can be a different person away from her husband's overbearing presence. Sheila drives Janet back to the cottage, where the women find the door standing open to the stormy night, Bernard sitting dead in a chair in the living room with a wound on the back of his head, and other evidence of a break-in. What comes next is unexpected, and it spurs Sheila to investigate on her own, to an extent and in a manner that is reasonably believable - she doesn't stupidly wander into dangerous situations or alienate her family with an obsessive quest for justice. She does learn that Bernard was worse than merely pompous and obnoxious, and turns up people with ample motives to bash his head in. I stuck with the story to the end, and didn't guess whodunit until fairly late in the tale.

Once again Hazel Holt draws the reader into her world, all the while crafting a mystery that captivates as well. One longs to sit down with Sheila Mallory, Holt's protagonist, knowing that the charming English woman would surely invite one to tea. Hazel Holt gives hours of enjoyment with each book. Let's hope she keeps it up! Eleanor Sullivan, author of Assumed Dead

Sheila Malory is not happy when her obnoxious cousin Bernard comes to visit her looking for information for the family tree he is working on. It's all she can do to be polite to him and his timid wife Janet. Other family members also aren't pleased to see him - many of them have secrets long buried that he is uncovering. But as bothersome as Bernard is, Sheila is still shocked when he is found in his rented cottage with his head bashed in. Sheila wonders why someone would commit such a violent act and begins to investigate his death. She has plenty of suspects - not only did Bernard dig up secrets people wanted hidden, his actions as headmaster of a private school hurt more than one person. Also, his family isn't exactly grieving - his wife has come out of her shell and admits she never loved him; his daughter Christine has money issues and could use the inheritance; and he kept his gay son Luke from seeing his own mother. "Mrs. Malory and A Death in the Family' is a nice gentle cozy mystery. The emphasis is on cozy because the mystery itself is slight. I don't read Hazel Holt's Mrs. Malory series for the mystery, what I enjoy about the series is the emphasis on the characters and their everyday life. Author Hazel Holt spends much time describing the day to day activities of Mrs. Malory as she goes about shopping, cleaning the house, working in the yard, feeding her pets, doing volunteer work, etc. and she feels like a real live character. The other characters are equally well written especially the obnoxious Bernard; his wife Janet who is not as meek and timid as she appears to be; his gay son Luke who loves his mother and would do anything for her; and daughter Christine who is just like her father. Other well-written characters include Sheila's friend Rosemary who is fretting over plans for her Ruby Wedding Anniversary, Sheila's son Michael, his wife Thea and young daughter Alice. The mystery tends to get lost at times and the ending is a bit abrupt and unsatisfactory, a common flaw in the Mrs. Malory series. Still, I enjoy the character of Sheila Malory and reading about English life in a small village so much that I'm willing to overlook the flaws. Fans of cozy mysteries set in small British villages will enjoy reading about Sheila Malory and her neighbors and friends.

Usually I am able to tell who did it half way into the book. However this one kept me trying to guess how, why and who. I can't wait to read the rest of the series

I have all the titles, soi this is just another great cozy mystery with characcters that are multi-dimensional. I also enjoy the scenery descriptions, as it makes me want to travel to the English countryside.