Gunpowder Plot (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries, No. 15) [Hardcover]

Carola Dunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 19, 2006

In the winter of 1924, Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher travels to a school friend's house to witness the estate's famous Guy Fawkes celebration. But she gets more than a quiet weekend at the quaint family manse that she was originally hoping for. The home is the site of some severe family tension - the Viscount and head of family is a strict and unyielding sort, insisting that everyone - especially his children - meet his own unreasonable expectations. On the evening of the Guy Fawkes celebration, the Viscount is found dead on the floor of his study, killed by his own hand. What's more, he apparently first killed a guest  - a married woman visiting England from Australia - before turning the gun on himself. Now it's up to Alec Fletcher, Daisy's husband and a DCI of Scotland Yard, to unravel the mystery and the long held family secrets that led to this state of affairs before anyone else can fall prey to the tragic cycle of events. A solution that will require, perhaps, more than a little help from Daisy herself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of Dunn's diverting 15th Daisy Dalrymple mystery (after 2005's Fall of a Philanderer), a pregnant Daisy joins her former school chum Gwen Tyndall at Edge Manor in Didmarsh-under-Edge for the Tyndalls' 1924 Guy Fawkes fete, an annual celebration the illustrious family has observed since 1606. As fireworks explode above the manor, Daisy realizes all is not well among the fractious family members, who include Gwen's sisters, Adelaide and Barbara; her prodigal brother, Jack; her fragile mother; and irascible father, Sir Harold. When Jack discovers the bodies of his father and an Australian visitor, Mrs. Gooch, it appears Sir Harold shot Mrs. Gooch and then himself. Daisy's husband, DCI Alec Fletcher, arrives to investigate the case, while Daisy exhibits her usual common sense and charm in solving it. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher, pregnant but still working as a journalist, travels to the country estate of her friend Gwen Tyndall to see the famous Guy Fawkes celebration that the family hosts each year. Upon arrival, she meets Gwen's father, the viscount, a strict bully who expects everyone to conform to his often-unreasonable expectations. When someone finds the viscount dead on the floor of his study, it looks like a suicide, complicated by the fact that he apparently killed a visiting Australian woman before taking his own life. Daisy's husband, Alec Fletcher, Detective Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard, must untangle the web of family secrets that led to the tragedy. Of course, the feisty, capable Daisy will provide assistance sorting through the clues and the long list of possible suspects. As always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above the average British cozy. This will delight readers who love -country-house mysteries. Barbara Bibel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (September 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312349890
• ISBN-13: 978-0312349899
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,168,156 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

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a very enjoyable read, October 1, 2006

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gunpowder Plot (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries, No. 15) (Hardcover)

If you enjoy mystery novels set in post W.W.I England, and ones that are engaging, polished and well written, you definitely want to read Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple mystery series, and the latest installment in particular, "Gunpowder Plot."

Gwen Tyndall's (an old school chum of Daisy's) family has been celebrating Guy Fawkes in a big way since 1606, and realising that this would make an excellent article for her magazine, Daisy has decided to travel to Gwen's home in Didmarsh-under-the-Edge in order to observe these celebrations. Daisy soon senses however, that there may be another story in the making at the Tyndall's ancestral home and one that has nothing to do with the festivities at hand. Gwen's father, Sir Harold Tyndall, an autocratic bully, who wants his children to do exactly as he wishes, and is especially displeased right now because his only son, Jack, seems more keen to join an aeronautical company than to run the family estate and farm. Never mind the fact that his eldest daughter, Barbara, has been successfully running things all this while! Also adding to Sir Harold's displeasure is the fact that Gwen seems to be attracted to the very man who is trying to steal his son away from him. All in all, the atmosphere at the Tyndall home isn't turning out to be quite as festive as Daisy had expected it to be. The last things she expected though was that things would end with murder, and that once again she and Alec (her "Scotland Yard" husband) would be in the middle of another murder investigation...

The Daisy Dalrymple mysteries may not be great brain teasers, but they are diverting and intriguing puzzlers in their own right. Carola Dunn does a fantastic job of getting the feel and charm of the period; and Ms Dunn also does a first rate job of maintaining a light and (almost) cheerful tone throughout, even though these mysteries usually center on murder and all the sobering emotions that go with it. Swiftly paced and carefully plotted, "Gunpowder Plot" was a wonderfully absorbing and entertaining read. I especially liked how the author juxtaposed the investigation that Alec his team conducted, with what Daisy discovered all her own -- it gave one a clearer and more complete picture of what was going on. All in all, I spent a very pleasant afternoon pouring over "Gunpowder Plot" -- it was well written and delightful, and very, very absorbing to boot.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NANCY DREW FOR GROWN UPS!, March 4, 2007

By 

Rosceo Street Reader "Roscoe Street Reader" (Winfield, Il) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gunpowder Plot (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries, No. 15) (Hardcover)

I discovered Daisy Dalrymple mysteries while at home with a virus...wanted to read a book that was NOT substantive and did NOT require deep thought. Daisy is a delight. The Daisy books take me back to the pleasure I remember reading Nancy Drew books in the 1960s! The GunPower Plot reviews history, takes us to a "stately home" in the Cotswalds...and provides interesting characters via Dolly, her Scotland Yard husband, Alec... and extended family and friends. So enjoyable a mystery that after reading GUNPOWDER PLOT (the newest of the series) I am going through all the Daisy books, one by one. Excellent character development, plots that hold attention...a good dose of history...great for those of us who grew up with Nancy...and great for those of us given to being Anglophiles.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Honorable Daisy Dalrymple does it again, January 11, 2007

By 

Irene Borgogno (Ambler, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gunpowder Plot (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries, No. 15) (Hardcover)

This 15th installment in adventures of the Honorable Daisy Dalrymple continues the light breezy style of this delightful series. Daisy is a houseguest at a country manor, invited to observe a traditional Guy Fawkes celebration. Her intent is to write an article about the festivities, but when the host and an unexpected guest are shot dead, Daisy is once again inadvertently involved in a murder investigation. The plot line is reasonable. The author's efforts to distract the reader's attention from the culprit are a bit heavy-handed, but this slight failing is amply counter-balanced by a supporting cast of quirky characters who are even more amusing than usual for the series. All in all, this is a highly enjoyable book.