Customer Reviews

Mrs. Malory Investigates (Mrs. Malory Mystery ; no. 1)

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

 

 

I have read many of the Mrs. Malory mysteries by Hazel Holt. No matter which one you choose to read, each one of them is a delight. It is a comfortable read with nothing jumping out at you. If you enjoyed watching the TV series "Murder, She Wrote," then you will love all her books. They are all just a very interesting charming read with a mystery involved.

First off, I am not sure how to spell Malory. The cover of the book spells the name with one L and the written pages spell it with 2 L's

Sheila Mallory, a middle-aged widow, of rural Taviscombe, enjoys her quiet life with a small band of friends that is until her friend Charlie Richardson, brings the quite chic Lee Montgomery home for a visit. Everyone had always thought that Charlie and Sheila would end up together, but sadly, that was not the case. However, Charlie respects Sheila's opinion and would really like for a friends opinion of his fiancé.

When Charlie needs to travel back to America to tie up some business deals, Sheila agrees to check in on her only to find her dead. Well, Sheila takes her responsibilities as a friend seriously and decided that it is her job to find the who and why of the killing; and unfortunately, the more that Sheila digs the more she realizes that Lee definitely had a past and it could have been just about anyone who killed her.

I enjoyed this book, though simple in its style, Ms Holt's writing is very much in the British style with subtle humor and many a leading culprit without overdoing the pitfalls that seem to be prevalent in most cozies mysteries today.

I am new to Hazel Holt and delighted with the writing and especially with Mrs. Mallory.

I used two l's because I have the 1989 release where the cover, title page, and
CIP all use Mrs. Mallory with two l's. BUT throughout this book, Mallory has just one l.

I see later editions use one l. Is that because the misspelling was missed in the original
St. Martin's Press edition of the book?

this is the second mrs. mallory i read. i usually like to read the first in any series, if i don't start with it.

i found nothing 'oddly poignant' about this very slender mystery. most of the people are unpleasant, or spineless, or obnoxious. mrs. mallory herself is unrealistic--we are asked to believe that a middle-aged woman who has achieved a university degree, brought up a child successfully, and writes scholarly works that are academically admired is, nevertheless, a hesitant, tentative doormat. phui.

the main clue to the identity of the murderer is fairly obvious.

i have read three of this series, and i will not be reading any more. this sets what seems to be the pattern: the murder victim is an unpleasant woman whose death is greatly deserved, and the murderer is an unpleasant woman who is only marginally sympathetic.

there are better contemporary cozy british mystery series written by women. cynthia harrod-eagles springs to mind.