Happy Saturday! The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates along with Death and a Pot of Chowder by Cornelia Kidd will be out on June 12. Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly comes out on June 26. It is the first book in A Victorian Village Mystery series. I am featuring Mariah Fredericks A Death of No Importance today. It is her first adult mystery. Mariah has written The Girl in the Park, Season of the Witch, and Crunch Time.
A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks takes readers back in time to New York City in May of
1910. Jane Prescott is a lady’s maid for
the Benchley’s daughters, Louise and Charlotte.
Charlotte is the more vivacious and fashionable of the girls. She sets out to capture Robert “Norrie”
Newsome despite the rumors that he is practically engaged to Beatrice
Tyler. In September, Charlotte tells her
mother that Norrie has proposed, and it is decided to announce the event on
Christmas Eve at the Newsome Annual Christmas Eve Ball. When
it is near time for the announcement, Jane goes looking for Charlotte and finds
Norrie dead on the library floor. Inspector
Thomas J. Blackburn is assigned the case and Charlotte finds herself a
suspect. Jane with the aid of reporter,
Michael Behan delves into Norrie’s life.
There is a myriad of suspects who all had good motive to eliminate the victim. Join Jane Prescott as she sets out to catch a
killer in A Death of No Importance.
A Death of No Importance had a
good beginning that drew me into the story.
After a while, though, the pace slowed down and the content was less
captivating. The book became political
with the author being on the side of the poor (the rich industrialist versus
the working-class poor). We get detailed
descriptions of the indulgences of the upper classes. The author tried to capture the time-period
by including various historical happenings including the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
Fire (it was a devastating fire that killed 146 people—mostly immigrant women),
Hull House, and the bombing at the LA Times Building They
were not integrated into the story properly (felt like add-ins) and had nothing
to do with the mystery. The murder mystery appears complex, but the solution
was apparent. The book needed action and
active investigating that would help move the book forward. The investigating that Jane can do is limited
due to her gender and ability to leave her work (she does manage it at times
though). The story is told from an older
Jane Prescott (reliving her younger days).
Jane is an observant main character whose eye for detail aids in her
solving the case. A Death of No Importance had a disappointing ending (a big letdown). A Death of No Importance was not the right fit
for me. I suggest you obtain a sample and see if it attracts you.
Thank you very much for stopping by today. I will be sharing my thoughts on Rockets' Dead Glare by Lynn Cahoon. It is a Kindle Single in A Tourist Trap Mystery series. May you have a fantabulous day. Relax and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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