With the the end of World War II in sight, Daisy Moore losses her mother and home to a fire, that just may have been her fault. Soon after, she finds that she is no longer needed in her job at Whitehall as a codebreaker. Relegated to living in a hostel, Daisy’s interest is piqued when given the opportunity to be general factotum to Jeffrey Berrow, actor and owner of the Dolphin Hotel She’s soon off to the village of Fernfield to keep “JB” organized. But then a woman is found dead in one of the rooms at the Dolphin, and a young man stands accused of her murder. Not convinced of his guilt, Daisy must use her skills as a cryptanalyst to work out the puzzle of who is the real murderer.

I love a good British mystery set around the time of World War II. While it fit the setting and the time period, unfortunately, this book did not fit into the good category. The plot involving the murder should have been a good one, but often got lost in the subplots (of which there were several). The author also chose to write in first person, resulting in stilted dialogue and an awkward narrative.

Several of the characters were OTT (over the top) in every way. Much more caricature than character. There were also far too many of them, making it difficult to keep track. But most disheartening was that the character of Daisy was never fully fleshed out. She was barely drawn and had no real depth. I just could not find myself engaging with her, or any of the characters for that matter, in any way.

So, this was definitely not an enjoyable read for me, and not a book which I would recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the advanced reader copy of this book made available for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

I enjoyed the feistiness and craftiness of the main character, Daisy, and her banter with the other characters in the book; mainly the detective Thaxted and her employer, JB. I wasn’t sure why they introduced the book with such a sinister start- especially when it wasn’t really resolved nor developed further in the book- but it did parallel well to the last conflict between Daisy and the discovered murderer.

The book had snappy dialogue; occasionally some modern terms popped up which I found odd, considering the time period (“fart,” “BO,” calling someone a bitch) but otherwise flowed. I found it a little difficult to keep track of the different characters but the author did a good job of making a point of each having a storyline and featuring in the plot, making it tie up nicely.

All in all, a satisfying mystery that I would recommend, and I hope there are future Daisy books as I feel themes were left to further explore and develop.

World War II just ended and Daisy Moore, has not only lost her mother, home and cat, in a house fire but also her job at Whitehall in London. With the help of the parish priest, she is given an opportunity to be a general helper for Jeffrey Berrow in Fernfield near Oxford. JB lives in Brize Lodge and also has the responsibility of running the Dolphin Hotel. Since Daisy has nowhere to go, she accepts and begins to get into the routine of her job. But just as she was settling in a murder was discovered in one of the hotel rooms. A man is apprehended but Daisy doesn't think that he is responsible, that the murderer is someone at the hotel.
A quick, enjoyable British cozy mystery set in a small village that dislikes outsiders and has secrets of its own.
Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this e-galley proof of "Death At The Dolphin".

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and have my fingers crossed it will be an ongoing series. I am eager to know what happens next to the characters in Fernfield. Also enjoyed how the setting and dialogue suited post WWII England.

A wonderful British mystery that kept me guessing who was the murderer in this post World War II novel. A young woman relocates to a small village near Oxford after a fire that destroyed her home and killed her mother. Filled with remorse that she started the fire, she takes a job in a small hotel with an array of interesting characters. When an elderly woman is found murdered in one of the hotel rooms, she begins investigating who might had done it. I will recommend this book to my friends who enjoy a good British mystery as much as I do.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Daisy Moore's secret work at Whitehall comes to an end at the end of WWII and when her house burns down, killing her mother and her cat, she's left homeless But as luck would have it she's offered a job at the Dolphin Hotel in Oxfordshire. She does miss London though.
When a woman is murdered in the hotel, she finds herself trying to figure out who did the killing, much to the irritation of the lead detecive.
The atmosphere of the book, the characters and the two cats made for a great read, it reminded me if Agatha Christie and I loved it. Highly recommended!

I enjoyed this wonderfully satisfying murder mystery, which is set in 1945 just after the war in a rural setting. The characters are likeable, intriguing and interesting and so believable that I felt I could engage with them. Hopefully this is the start of a new series, as there is so much potential. I am looking forward to seeing how it all develops.

Twisty and complex combination of mystery and character study that has enough secrets and red herrings to keep you up through the night to finish. An eclectic and offbeat cast of characters definitely round out the fun.

Yet another fantastic read from the always brilliant Gretta Mulrooney. This time she has written a cleverly constructed Christie style mystery, set in an English village just after the war. This author really knows how to get the reader involved with the main character (I’m in fictional love with Tyrone) and here she has created a really engaging protagonist. Daisy Moore is intelligent, sassy and kind with a highly developed sense of sniffing out secrets. I hope this is not a standalone, as Daisy and the other characters are too well written not to become a series. If, like me, you love Golden Age crime fiction, you must read this book. Also, it would make a great tv show. Ten stars if I could.