Murder on the Flying Scotsman

This one does have a lot of characters but given the plot, it's understandable. If you like Daisy and Alec, I would say this book is worth it.

Daisy Dalrymple is on the way to Scotland for another article in her stately home series. She encounters a tiresome acquaintance from school and her equally unpleasant relatives. They are all on their way north to convince their grandfather and his twin brother(who is also on the train) to change their wills in favor of one or another of them. Alec's daughter Belinda has run away from home and is stowing away on the same train. Fortunately, she finds Daisy who buys her a ticket. Belinda befriends Uncle Albert and his protegee, Dr. Jagai. The elderly man is murdered and Bel finds the body. The train is full of suspects. Alec is called in to solve the crime. This is a good addition to the series. Most of the suspects are pretty unlikable and snobbish. This makes Daisy, Alec, and Co. all the more likable. I admit that the mystery was easy to solve, but as usual with Dunn's books, the process is thoroughly enjoyable.

This was the first of the series that I had read -- and I didn't feel that somehow I'm missed out on the character development. Admittedly, the plot is a bit creaky for 2002 -- but it certainly harkens back to the golden heyday of mysteries in 1923, the time in which the story is set. It was a fun read. So much so that I'm going to get all the others, too. I'm just sorry I didn't discover Daisy Dalrymple sooner.

Set in 1923 England, this series follows the adventures of the Honorable Daisy Dalrymple, a young woman who has defied convention by choosing to make her own living (as a journalist) rather than let her aristocratic family support her. Her friendship with Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, a widower, has progressed to the point that Daisy has been to his home to meet his disapproving mother and his doting young daughter, Belinda.In this, the fourth of the series (preceded by "Requiem for a Mezzo" and followed by "Damsel in Distress"), we find Daisy taking the London-to-Edinburgh express, where she runs into an old school friend and her contentious family, all squabbling over the distribution of an impending inheritance. On top of that, Daisy must contend with Belinda, who has stowed away on the train after a fight with her grandmother. When Belinda discovers one of the cantankerous family members dead in his compartment, Daisy has her hands full watching over the young girl and trying to solve a murder.One of the things I love about this series is the way Dunn avoids the traps that plague so many series writers. In particular, the "set up" of each mystery, and how Daisy AND Alec get involved, feels very genuine, not contrived at all. I dread mysteries where the heroine and the cop keep bumping into each other through a series of unlikely coincidences. Having Daisy call Alec and asking him to get involved is practical and realistic.I also enjoy that Daisy is interested in solving the mysteries without being a nosy busybody; she simply finds herself in the middle of it all. She relies on Alec (rather than thinking she can handle things herself). He trusts her input (rather than dismissing her ideas).I'm a fan of the entire series, and this one has a solid plot that keeps you guessing.