Customer Reviews

Murder on the Flying Scotsman

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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. Her friendship with Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, a widower, has progressed to the point that Daisy has been to his home to meet his disapproving mother and his doting young daughter, Belinda.

In this, the fourth of the series (preceded by "Requiem for a Mezzo" and followed by "Damsel in Distress"), we find Daisy taking the London-to-Edinburgh express, where she runs into an old school friend and her contentious family, all squabbling over the distribution of an impending inheritance. On top of that, Daisy must contend with Belinda, who has stowed away on the train after a fight with her grandmother. When Belinda discovers one of the cantankerous family members dead in his compartment, Daisy has her hands full watching over the young girl and trying to solve a murder.

One of the things I love about this series is the way Dunn avoids the traps that plague so many series writers. In particular, the "set up" of each mystery, and how Daisy AND Alec get involved, feels very genuine, not contrived at all. I dread mysteries where the heroine and the cop keep bumping into each other through a series of unlikely coincidences. Having Daisy call Alec and asking him to get involved is practical and realistic.

I also enjoy that Daisy is interested in solving the mysteries without being a nosy busybody; she simply finds herself in the middle of it all. She relies on Alec (rather than thinking she can handle things herself). He trusts her input (rather than dismissing her ideas).

I'm a fan of the entire series, and this one has a solid plot that keeps you guessing.

This was the first of the series that I had read -- and I didn't feel that somehow I'm missed out on the character development. Admittedly, the plot is a bit creaky for 2002 -- but it certainly harkens back to the golden heyday of mysteries in 1923, the time in which the story is set. It was a fun read. So much so that I'm going to get all the others, too. I'm just sorry I didn't discover Daisy Dalrymple sooner.

Daisy Dalrymple is on the way to Scotland for another article in her stately home series. She encounters a tiresome acquaintance from school and her equally unpleasant relatives. They are all on their way north to convince their grandfather and his twin brother(who is also on the train) to change their wills in favor of one or another of them. Alec's daughter Belinda has run away from home and is stowing away on the same train. Fortunately, she finds Daisy who buys her a ticket. Belinda befriends Uncle Albert and his protegee, Dr. Jagai. The elderly man is murdered and Bel finds the body. The train is full of suspects. Alec is called in to solve the crime.

This is a good addition to the series. Most of the suspects are pretty unlikable and snobbish. This makes Daisy, Alec, and Co. all the more likable. I admit that the mystery was easy to solve, but as usual with Dunn's books, the process is thoroughly enjoyable.

This one does have a lot of characters but given the plot, it's understandable. If you like Daisy and Alec, I would say this book is worth it.

Murder on the Flying Scotsman by Carola Dunn is the fourth book in the Daisy Dalrymple series. Daisy is on the Flying Scotsman train on her way to Scotland to write a magazine article about an estate up there, when she discovers that Belinda Fletcher, the daughter of Scotland Yard Investigator Alec Fletcher has stowed aboard to be with her. Alec and Daisy have been developing a relationship over the previous books that hasn't quite crossed the line from friendship into romance, although Belinda has high hopes. While aboard the train, Daisy and Belinda both get caught up in the drama of the McGowan family who are all traveling up north in hopes of changing the family patriarch's mind about his will. When the presumed heir turns up dead, Daisy calls upon Alec to investigate and help to determine just why Belinda is fearful of going to jail herself. I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries, and Dunn writing is perfect for this genre. She creates a intricate plot, with enough clues for the reader to make their own guesses, includes lots of interesting historical detail, and pokes gentle fun at mysteries for a touch of humor. Dunn writes a breezy and enjoyable historical mystery, and Daisy is a dandy heroine.

This "cozy" mystery was just not my cup of tea! The author began the book by throwing in a large number of characters and the most children I have ever seen in a mystery. It was very hard to get a handle on who they all were (even with the family tree in the frontispiece - which is actually a line from the book). Because there were so many people, I felt they were presented in a very shallow way. I like for characters to have some depth so that I know whether I like or dislike them. This just had a large group of people all wanting money. Greed, greed, and more greed. The intended murder victim was EXTREMELY obvious by page 21 and the murderer before I was halfway through the book.

I think this author is just not for me. If you like true depth of characters, intricately woven plots, and atmosphere which makes you feel you are looking over the shoulder of the sleuth, my recommendation would be to choose another book.