Anthem for Doomed Youth: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries) [Paperback]

Carola Dunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2012 | Series: Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries

In the Spring of 1926, the corpses of three men are found in shallow graves off the beaten path in Epping Forest outside of London—each shot through the heart and bearing no identification. DCI Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, the lead detective, is immediately given two urgent orders by his supervisor at the Yard: solve the murders quickly and keep his wife, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher, away from the case! Thankfully, Daisy’s off visiting their daughter at school. But when a teacher is found dead, Daisy is once again in the thick of it. As Daisy tries to solve one murder, Alec discovers that the three victims in his case were in the same Army company during World War I, that their murders are likely related to specific events that unfolded during that tragic conflict, and that, unless the killer is revealed and stopped, those three might only be the beginning.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in 1926, Dunn's enjoyable 19th Daisy Dalrymple mystery (after 2009's Sheer Folly) will please fans of traditional English whodunits. When the graves of three men turn up in Epping Forest, once a royal hunting preserve just outside London, Det. Chief Insp. Alec Fletcher, the lead investigator, is relieved that his wife, Daisy, along with her friends Melanie and Sakari, are away at their daughters' school for the weekend, so she won't be able to nose her way into the case. Later, Melanie's daughter discovers a dead teacher while lost in the medieval maze of Bridge End Garden. Leave it to clever Daisy to figure out that all the bodies are related to the Great War. The aristocratic but very modern Daisy makes a formidable amateur sleuth as she acts to stop more murders and get justice for the victims. (Apr.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

CAROL A DUNN is the author of the Daisy Dalrymple series as well as other mysteries and historical novels. Born and raised in England, she lives in Eugene, Oregon.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (January 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1250002575
• ISBN-13: 978-1250002570
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carola Dunn is the author of the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries. Born and raised in England, the author now lives in Eugene, Oregon, USA.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fabulous Post WWI murder mystery, April 1, 2011

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Anthem for Doomed Youth: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries) (Hardcover)

In 1926, three male corpses are found in a shallow grave in Epping Forest. Local police officer Di Grant leads the inquiry until Scotland Yard's Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher and his team arrives at the crime scene. Irate with the outside interference, Grant leaves.

Alec knows they must identify the deceased and find what connects them if they are to solve the homicides. To his chagrin as his boss told him to keep his spouse away from the case, his wife, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher, suggest a World War I link. One of the dead was abusive Colonel Pelham, whose wife is euphoric that the bully is dead. The two other victims were much younger than the Colonel so could have served during the war under his command. Meanwhile Daisy and her friends (Melanie and Sakari) attend a sports day at their daughters' school. The three moms meet bully boys game teacher Harriman and other teachers still suffering from their service time. When Melanie's daughter finds Harriman's corpse, Daisy protects the girls from the incompetent investigation conducted by Gant.

This is a fabulous Post WWI murder mystery starring delightful Daisy who goes out of her way to not get involved but that proves Sheer Folly as she ends up the thick of things. The story line is fast-paced yet provides a sense of being in England in 1926 through the Fletcher family and their friends, and especially through the war veterans as many suffered from undiagnosed Battle Fatigue. Fans of the series or anyone who appreciate an entertaining yet insightful early twentieth century British mystery will appreciate Anthem for Doomed Youth.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars a Jacqueline Winspear rip-off, August 7, 2011

By 

Sunnyvale Reader (Sunnyvale, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anthem for Doomed Youth: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Carola Dunn seems to be reaching for ideas in her recent books, and it really shows here. If you've read any of the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear and then read this book, you know exactly where the ideas here came from.

This book is too far a stretch in terms of plotting and detail for this author, and she doesn't have the right touch for the mood she tries to set here. I hope Carola Dunn soon finds her natural rhythm again, and goes back to the fluffy style she does so well.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A darker mystery, April 2, 2011

By 

Sandra "mystery lover" (Philadelphia, PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anthem for Doomed Youth: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The Daisy Dalrymple series is usually a very light-hearted one; however, this particular entry has a darker tone. A trio of murdered bodies involves Daisy's husband, Scotland Yard Inspector Alec Fletcher. Although he does his best to keep his wife from getting caught up in the case, the discovery of a fourth victim inevitably draws her in.

The deaths are all connected with the scarifying events of World War I; as always Daisy helps her husband discover the link.

I generally enjoy these books without reservation; however, in this instance I gave the book only three stars.

I'm never quite comfortable whenever I end up rooting for the murderer!