Customer Reviews

Black Ship (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you love Daisy Dalrymple mysteries, this one will not disappoint. The family has moved into a new home near Hempstead Heath and a body is found in the square(actually a circle). There is some history of the illegal importation of spirits to America from England during Prohibition woven into the mystery. Be sure to read these mysteries in order--they are so much more enjoyable that way.

This is the fourth book of Carola Dunn's that I have read and I really enjoy her writing. This book, Black Ship is no exception, the characters are well written and I thought the storyline was good. The Black Ship is part of a series, "A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery" so a large part of the cast, if you have read any of the Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries, are familiar names, if not, you will be introduced to them and hopefully want to read other books by Ms Dunn. All of the stories take place in England and Daisy is forever frustrating her poor husband Alec who is a CID detective because she seems to insert herself in whatever murder comes up - it seems to find her! People tell her things that they won't tell the police so she ends up helping the police with solving the crime. The stories are cozy and fun and I recommend them to any one who enjoys reading a good English mystery.

Excellent, mysterious story with a new setting. One of the Best of the Hon. Daisy mysterious, good characters, nice suspense. Highly recommended. Full of wit and charm as well. You can't help loving Daisy and her gileless blue eys!

The 17th adventure of Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher finds her moving house; a wealthy uncle (estranged) of Alex's has died (of natural causes) and left his house near Hampstead Heath and his very considerable residual estate to Alex on the condition that he live in the house. When Daisy inspects it she thinks it will do very nicely for their growing family, after a certain amount of refurbishment, even though the lawyer handling the estate seems to go out of his way to discourage her from moving in (is it because his daughter lives next door, and he doesn't want a policeman too close?). Then an old acquaintance turns up on their doorstep - a rather feckless FBI agent who was involved in the one book in the series I've been unable to locate, The Case of the Murdered Muckraker. (Given the prices it's commanding on the second-hand market I'm surprised Minotaur, or whoever published it, hasn't reissued it.) He's now working for the Treasury Department trying to enforce Prohibition, but he was robbed between Southampton and London and no longer has his credentials or any money. He throws himself on the Fletchers' mercy; they're somewhat reluctant, but don't want to throw him out in the cold and wet. He's actually quite helpful during the renovation of the house and the move, especially since Alex is usually tied up with his work. Then a body turns up in the garden at the center of the circle where they now live, and it's clear that it was murder - and that very possibly the family next door was involved in it. Alex tries to keep Daisy out of it as usual, and as usual she gets involved anyhow, with the case requiring her to travel to Manchester via Boston (the one in Lincolnshire, not its namesake in Massachusetts). While it's pretty clear to the reader whodunit, the means by which he's captured is something of a surprise, or was to me at least. The usual fun tale.

This is one of the best Daisy Dalrymple mysteries I have read. She makes the whole 1920's world of England interesting and exciting. a good read.

This was my first reading of any the Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries. I felt overall the location descriptions were very detailed. The characters became more clear as each was encountered throughout the story which duplicated how people become known in real life. Judging from my introduction to Daisy in Dark Ship, I find her well experienced in gathering information about her case, direct most of the time, sometimes even lucky and amusing at other times. Dark Ship had an ending I found rather unexpected, but it was after all a mystery. A very entertaining reading adventure.

This was a very well written mystery. The culprit was mentioned briefly partly through the book and then forgotten so that is why the ending was a surprise! I've read several of the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries since buying my first book at a local book sale and have enjoyed each and every one of them.

Very enjoyable,cozy, british mystery. One feels as if one is having a cup of tea in Daisy's sitting room.

Great!! One of my favorite authors and this is one of the better books in this series. Everybody will find something in it to enjoy. Well written.

In 1925 with the death of his great uncle, Scotland Yard detective Alec Fletcher inherits a fixer upper home on the outer rim of London. He and his wife Daisy Dalrymple are excited by the size of the large house as they feared space for their growing family; although neither is pleased with their neighbors. Still with their babies, who Daisy enjoys spending time with, the house came to them at the right time; not that either wanted up in the relative to die.

Soon after moving into the Hampstead Heath house, their maid finds a corpse in the garden. Alec begins officially investigating while Daisy sleuths too starting with who he is. Soon the married couple find the case focuses on bootlegging of rum on black ships in which American mobsters are muscling their way into a piece of the action.

Fans of this strong historical mystery series will appreciate the latest entry as the English gentry and servant class perspective to the American inanity called Prohibition makes for a roaring twenties tale. The whodunit is fun, but as with the entire Honorable Daisy Dalrymple saga it is the sense of time and place that brings enthralled readers to a bygone era.

Harriet Klausner