Requiem for a Mezzo. Carola Dunn

So far I have read the first three books in the Daisy Dalyrmple Mysteries (this being the third one). Each one gets better and so far this is my favorite. The relationship between Daisy and Alec is slowing building. The story line in this one is great and keeps you guessing right until the big reveal. I would recommend for those that haven't read any in the series yet to start at the beginning.

The third in the Daisy Dalrymple series, Daisy and Alec finally go out on a date. The problem is, the opera singer falls down dead in the middle of a song. Daisy and Alec become embroiled in the mystery of who killed her. Dunn continues to develop the main characters in ways that make sense- Daisy continues to pursue liberation- finally "shingling" her hair, and Alec becomes more developed as a man, not just a detective. Philip makes a brief appearance in this book, but we get to know Daisy's roommate Lucy more. An excellent read.

The Honorable Daisy Dalrymple and Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher are hoping to enjoy a nice quiet afternoon at a performance of Verdi's Requiem. The first half goes well, but after the intermission, Daisy's neighbor, raising mezzo Bettina Westlea, takes a sip from her bottle on stage and drops dead. Alec is upset that Daisy has once again gotten involved in one of his cases, but he must accept her help when suspects start telling her things they refuse to tell the police. Each of them has a different chief suspect in mind, but Bettina has made enough enemies that there are plenty of lesser suspects. Will they find the killer?This book brings 1923 London to vivid life and fills it with interesting characters. The plot does seem to get bogged down a few times with a little too much recap, but it includes a couple of nice twists and kept me guessing. My biggest complain was the ending. It felt rushed, and therefore I felt cheated.If you enjoy mysteries with a historic setting and interesting characters, this series is certainly for you.

Daisy is given a pair of tickets to see her neighbors Muriel Westlea and her sister Bettina Abernathy in a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. She invites her favorite police officer, Alec Fletcher, to go with her. During the concert, Bettina takes a drink from a glass under her chair and immediately falls over dead. There is an odor of almonds. Was it cyanide? She was very unpleasant, but who hated her enough to kill her?This is an excellent addition to the series. The singers are an interesting group of people, to the point of being bizarre. It is interesting to see the development of the relationship of Alec and Daisy.

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. And her growing friendship with Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, a man decidedly NOT of her class, is a bone of contention between Daisy and her friends.In this, the third of the series (preceded by "The Winter Garden Mystery" and followed by "Murder on the Flying Scotsman"), we get a glimpse of Daisy's home life in the Chelsea section of London. Friendly with her next-door neighbors, Daisy accepts their invitation to a concert where they will be singing. When one of them dies in the middle of the concert, Daisy and Alec find themselves, once again, investigating murder.This is an extremely enjoyable and well-done series, and Dunn is adept at creating a compelling portrait of time and place. There's plenty of mystery to spare in this one, with more suspects and clues than Alec and Daisy know what to do with (though the scene in which suspect after suspect confides in Daisy is a bit overdone). It's also refreshing that the "set-up" is so different than in the first two books-instead of sending Daisy on yet another writing assignment at a country manor, Dunn keeps her in London.This is a charming series, and this book is a strong addition to it.