I enjoyed this book. A historical cozy crime, set in 1929 (the year my dad was born), it tackles some of the social issues that were relevant at the time. Engaging characters too.

I enjoyed this murder mystery. The characters were believable and the pace was good. I enjoyed the interaction of the characters because of the underlying but never to be fulfilled love interest. Althought there was little suspense or drama the story certainly held your interest. I will definitely read more from this author.

I tried reading the first book in the series, but it became harder and harder to pick up again so I eventually put it aside. I will not continue on with the series as I could not finish book 1 and have to read in order.

I appreciated the advance copy of The Poisoned Chalice Murder by Diane James. It was a good story that I did not finish although I enjoyed the fact that it is set in the early 20th century. It follows the cozy mystery style and as such, is complemented by scones and tea. I think I was in the mood for something a bit different. Thank you, #NetGalley.

It’s 1929 and Fran Black and Tom Dod are asked by Tom’s Aunt Hetty to investigate three suspicious deaths in the sleepy village of Durley Dean in Nottinghamshire. The new vicar of Saint Agnes preaches a severe approach in church, and this has upset and alienated most of the parishioners. But the three people who died took open stands against him. Fran and Tom are amateur sleuths and as they investigate, they only come across more questions and theories but never find any facts to lead them to any conclusive proof of foul-play.
The Poisoned Chalice Murder is a fun, old-fashioned whodunit. I felt I was sitting in the same room with Tom and Fran while they went back and forth, discussing their findings, suspicions, and theories, and always being stumped. I guessed along, too, and was surprised to learn who did it. I was also surprised at the relationship between Fran and Tom and their situations. Fran’s husband ran off with another woman, who is now pregnant, and Tom married his deceased brother’s girlfriend in order to give her unborn child a name and a father. Fran and Tom are in love but are up against the demands of their time: being honourable and proper in the face of the dishonourable and the improper.
Reviewed for the Historical Novels Society

While the mystery obviously takes centre stage and needs to be successful, for me the added pleasure with this series is the really likeable, intelligent main character, Fran Black. She is compromised, having been deserted by her husband at a time when divorce carried with it a huge social stigma and was difficult and costly to acquire. Her mother is querulous and demanding, having lost both sons in the Great War and while Fran is able to live on a fixed income without having to work, she is more than happy to become involved in the intricacies of an investigation as an escape from her unsatisfactory home life.

Janes is adept at slipping in all sorts of social and political details of the time without holding up the investigation, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I do like the fact that when someone is arrested and charged with murder, Fran and Tom become very aware that if they cannot find the real murderer, an innocent man will hang, which nicely ups the stakes. As with the previous murder mystery, this one owes its inspiration to the likes of Agatha Christie, with plenty of suspects.

I got there before the big reveal, but to be honest, that wasn’t a dealbreaker as it was only a couple of chapters ahead of the denouement and with all the other issues going on relating to Fran and Tom’s relationship – or lack of it – the plot didn’t stand or fall on the mystery alone. The pacing was nicely judged, the characters memorable and I kept thinking what a cracking TV show this would make. In the meantime, I look forward to the next one in the series as I’m keen to see where Janes will take these characters next. Highly recommended for fans of historical cosy murder mysteries. While I obtained an arc of The Poisoned Chalice Murder from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/1

A lovely and entertaining cozy mystery. I loved the well researched historical background and the lovely cast of characters.
The mystery was good, no plot hole, even if a bit slow at times. It was not hard to guess who culprit was but it was good to read about the twists and turns in the plot.
I really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters, Fran reflections on divorce and women position as well as the cultural clash between her and her mother.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes cozy and historical mystery.
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC

Tom Dod's Aunt Hetty has approached him because she is concerned. Apparently there have been three accidently deaths in her home village of Durley Dean and she is worried that they may not have been accidents. So Tom with his sleuthing friend Mrs Frances Black visit her for the weekend.
With the local feuds, especially concerning the church and its new vicar, there does seem to be plenty of motives. Tom and Frances must sift through their interviews to find the guilty party.
A slow paced well-written cozy mystery set in the late 1920's.

Tom's aunt asks him to come and look into a local murder. He brings his detecting companion and they start asking questions and seeing what they can see. They get answers but it doesn't tell them who the killer is...

Severn House and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published November 1st.

One thing they notice is that the victims had complained to the bishop about the current priest in their church. Some people think their deaths are an act of God. Tom and Frances don't agree.

Tom and Frances are in love, but Tom married his brother's girlfriend to save her the embarrassment of having an illegitimate child. Frances is divorcing her husband who is living with another woman and has gotten her pregnant. At this point, it doesn't look good for Tom or Frances to have a relationship.

They go home with no answers but Frances visits with her girlfriend, Mo, and they finally figure it out.

Don't get too rabid over your beliefs...

Three deaths in a village the size of Durley Dean should make anyone suspicious, especially since all were arguing with the new vicar. This is set in 1929 so don't expect forensics or sophisticated detecting. What you get, however, is a great pair in Frances and Tom, whose Aunt Hetty asked this pair of amateur detectives to come down and poke around. The relationship between Frances and Tom, who today would likely handle their romantic situation differently, is challenging but one of the best parts of the book. The mystery has some twists- in classic cozy fashion. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You'll be fine if you haven't read the first one. For fans of light historical mysteries.

Thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy of the eBook for this novel. The views expressed below are my own:


This is a whodunit puzzle mystery story set in post WW1 England around 1929. Amateur sleuths Francis Black and Tom Dod are enticed into investigating three suspicious deaths in a rural English town with the quaint name of Durley Dean. Tom's great aunt lives there and asks them to look into these deaths. She believes they are connected to a squabble amongst the parishioners of her local Church of England. Two of the three are deemed to be accidents, and . the third one, a natural death. Things change dramatically, when the natural death is found to be a poisoning.

Almost as intriguing as the mystery is the relationship between Fran (as she calls herself) and Tom. There is an obvious attraction between them, but they cannot act on it. He is in a marriage of convenience, having married his brother's fiance in order to legitimize the brother's child that she is carrying. Fran is separated from her husband Michael who has left her for another woman, and the adulterers are now expecting a child. Fran initially refused Michael's request for a divorce. The intricacies of Britain's divorce laws are part of the story, as is the social stigma which is attached to divorced women.

The story is set in the interwar years and the post war changes are slowly taking root. Middle class people still have their domestic staff, but those days are numbered. Car travel is replacing train travel too; Fran and Tm scoot about in Tom's Hudson car.

Fran's mother is a character to see in terms of the social mores. She is scandalized by any hint of Fran considering divorce. She represents the Victorian pre-WW1 past.

Interestingly, the police play little role in the story, even though they are in the background. Unlike many stories with amateur detectives, they do not interfere with Fran and Tom investigating.

This is a clever mystery story with a satisfying resolution. There's a cast of interesting characters populating the small town and in the end most get their just desserts. The stage is set for more Fran and Tom sleuthing.
Recommended.

I haven't read the first book but as I really like a cosy mystery I gave this a go. I am glad I did. Although not gripping as Agatha Christie it's definitely similar flavours. Set in 1920 in a small village, cleverly constructed whodunit. The cosy village of Durley Dean felt like Agatha Christie meeting with Midsummer Murders.
Would recommend fans for cosy mysteries.

This is a second book in a series, first being The Magic Chair Murder. I didn't read that one, but I enjoyed this book, regardless.
It's a great cozy murder that takes place in a gentle village, set in the 1920's. It features 2 amateur sleuths Black and Tod. There are some tragic accidents in the village, but are they accidents really?
It was a soft, crime novel, which I quite liked. I will be looking for the first book and read from the author again.

If you're looking for a soft, cozy crime, this is just spot on.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this copy in exchange for an honest review.

1920’s England and Frances Black and Tom Dod leap at the chance to escape the misery of their personal lives – she wants a much-frowned-upon divorce and he is in a loveless marriage of duty – to investigate a possible murder in the village of Durley Dean. Well, there have been three suspicious deaths amongst people who have spoken out against the new vicar of the parish. Surely one of them was murder…
The Reverend Pinder has divided the local congregation to the extent that some parishioners have defecting to a neighbouring church, but could defending the Reverend actually be a motive for murder. Or is something more sinister going on?
Timing is everything. After a number of cracking reads in a row – Challenge The Impossible, The Singing Masons and Whistle Up The Devil – it’s inevitable that there will be a book that is simply… fine. And that can make it harder to review a book on its own merits when it doesn’t compare to three cast-iron classics.
This is a classic-style mystery, with clues (neatly summarised by our heroes in the denouement) leading to the murderer. The investigation centres on one murder, the poisoning of a woman by arsenic, with the other two, which have more potential to be accidents, and a strong start, the book does get bogged down with conversations paralleled to our heroes banging on a bit too long about their personal circumstances. It picks up again as the denouement approaches with a well-clued solution – interesting but the motive does seem a little on the predictable side.
I’ll be honest, there didn’t seem to be anything new here, just a straightforward cosy murder mystery that could do with the personal angst being dialled back a step or two, and more of a sense of time – apart from a couple of mentions of war, and the outdated attitude to divorce, it’s felt fairly achronic (thanks to Mrs Puzzle Doctor for that possibly made up word). Fans of MC Beaton will probably enjoy this one.

Set in 1920’s England. Three sudden deaths in the village of Dudley Dean are the related? Is the new vicar involved? Frances and Tom are called in by Tom’s aunt to investigate. This is a gentle Miss Marple type mystery with plenty of discussion on the deaths for you to follow the clues.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tom Dodd's Great Aunt has a dilemma. Since the new Vicar has arrived in her village 3 people have died under suspicious circumstances, and she thinks Tom may be able to help. Eager to spend more time with his fellow sleuth, Fran Black, he convinces her to accompany him on another 'case'. Fran, just as eager to spend time with him, uses her plucky courage and shrewd intelligence to aid him.
Another jolly good mystery romp. I am fast becoming obsessed with this series set in post World War I England. Can't wait for the next one. I hope the course of true love runs a little smoother for this compelling pair!

A gentle village murder mystery set in the 1920's featuring amateur sleuths Black and Tod. Are the tragic accidents in the village all that they seem? This is the second book in a series (the first being 'The Magic Chair Murder') - although it read well as a standalone. Gentle and enjoyable amateur sleuthing which provides an hour or so of guaranteed escapism and I shall now be seeking out the first book. A satisfying read.

This is the second mystery featuring amateur detectives Frances Black and Tom Dod, following on from The Magic Chair Murder. As with the first book, this novel is firmly placed within the category of cosy crime - there's nothing graphic or disturbing and the investigations are pretty gentle.

This book is about mysterious deaths occurring in a village resided in by Tom's Aunt Hetty. She calls in the two investigators, still caught up in their near romance but resisting for propriety's sake, and a slow unravelling of events takes place.

I did enjoy this, although it is quite slow and the solution is not wholly unsurprising. The narrative meanders gently though the events and interviews with suspects - there's nothing ground-breaking here, but it is a pleasant and undemanding few hours entertainment.

Diane James’s second 1920s mystery, The Poisoned Chalice Murder, is even more enjoyable than her debut - a stunning accomplishment.  Frances Black and Tom Dod are a charming pair of amateur detectives, working well together despite a frisson of attraction they dare not act upon.  Frances is the more perceptive of the duo, and the novel focuses on her perspective. Diane James skillfully portrays the social dilemmas Frances is faced with.  Being separated from her husband is scandalous, despite the fact that he ran off with another woman. Accepting a divorce, even more so. As a woman on her own, being respectable is of central importance.  Tom is also constrained, as he married his dead brother’s fiancée so their children would be legitimate.


Tom’s aunt has asked them to look into a trio of deaths.  Superficially they don’t appear suspicious, but each of the deceased challenged the changes made by the new vicar.  The village is divided, with some rabidly in support of Rev. Pinder, while others are uncomfortable with the controversial changes and Pinder’s adversarial approach.  This is the first time Frances and Tom have purposefully initiated an investigation, so it is natural that they stumble at times and don’t always ask the right questions- or realize the importance of the answers they have received.  It’s likely, but perfectly understandable that the reader will solve the mystery before they do. This doesn’t detract from the entertainment value. Were the deaths tragic accidents, or murders skillfully hidden? In this case the “how” is as important as the motive.


The Poisoned Chalice Murder is a charming 1920s mystery that can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages.  If you enjoy Agatha Christie or other historical mysteries, you will definitely enjoy this post WWI British mystery series.


5 / 5


I received a copy of The Poisoned Chalice Murder from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


— Crittermom

Set in England with a background of financial scandals, the Stock Market Crash, and the start of the Great Depression, this is the second in a series of mysteries featuring amateur detectives Frances Black and Tom Dod. The title comes from Macbeth’s lines:-

“...this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice
To our own lips.”

Readers may or may not be relieved to find that the reference is metaphorical.

Tom’s aunt is concerned about recent deaths in her village which is wracked with division over the liturgical changes made by the recently-appointed vicar. Two deaths appear to be accidental and one the result of long-term illness, but Aunt Hetty is not convinced.

Frances and Tom interview many of the villagers and their suspicions are fuelled by further death.
Meanwhile there are subtle changes in their relationship. Tom’s marriage of duty is a constant, but Frances hears news of her husband and his lover which makes her reflect seriously on her situation.

The murders are solved and there is a hint of the next investigation.

The plot is fairly straightforward and I did not find the murderer or the motive difficult to spot, despite a few distractors. The characters are well-fleshed-out, but I think most readers would appreciate a little more historical flavour. There are topical references, but I was not entirely convinced that these were late 1920’s people.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the digital ARC.