While not without its teething problems, D Is For Death establishes a fun new sleuth in socialite Dora Wildwood, somewhere between Nora Charles and a lost Mitford sister, and has an entertaining, satisfying mystery once the book hits its stride.

📚 ARC Review

D is for Death by Harriet F. Townson
Hodder & Stoughton, 6th June 2024

It's 1935, and Dora's bound for London to evade her arranged marriage. Her determined fiancé follows, with Dora seeking refuge in a library. Stumbling upon the body of a man, Dora's curiously is piqued, leading her to try to ascertain what has transpired.

Following the immensely enjoyable-to-read Dora on her journey was a highlight I wasn't expecting, but relished. I love her as a character, so I'm delighted that this book is the first in a series.
Full of moments I hadn't predicted, shocks and revelations, this should be on every crime reader's shelf!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and the author for providing an eARC via NetGalley; this is my honest review.

I do love books set in this era where young women assert their independence and live their lives flying in the face of the societal norm. And when done with such flair as Dora Wildwood, you can't help but enjoy her adventures, A fun read, perfect for lightening your mood.

A cozy crime set in 1935, London, by Harriet Evans, writing as Harriet F Townson
Although set in the golden age of classic crime it has quite a modern narrative.
Dora Wildwood is a lovable protagonist , quirky and utterly unconventional.
With plenty of humorous incidents - loved how Dora was given a gun rather than the intended sandwiches by her aunt.
Can’t wait to see what Dora does next.
Perfect for lovers of Golden Age detective fiction
Thanks @harrietevansauthor @hodderbooks & @netgalley for the fab funny read

OMG this could be my favourite book of 2024 so far!
If you love crime novels and female detectives/heroines that make you want to snuggle up under a blanket, then D is for Death is the book for you. I loved it from the first page to the final page and I want more than anything for this to be made onto the big screen because it’s such a visual novel in its character descriptions, it’s settings and it’s divine clothes that I need to see it in real life. I loved it, it made me laugh out loud and feel heartbroken too and I didn’t want it to end.

This is not a heavy or complex book, but it's a lovely read. In 1935, a young woman called Dora escapes a marriage she doesn't want, running off to London as he continues to pursue her. Unfortunately, she also finds herself in the middle of a murder scene - and that complicates everything.

This is a perfect book for anyone who enjoys historical or Golden Age mysteries. There's a big more character development than you get with the classics, so it does feel slightly more modern, but that's a good thing. If you enjoy Maisie Dobbs, Enola Holmes, or any of the Golden Age series, definitely give this one a try. With luck, there will be further entries in future.

A story about Dora, who runs off to London to escape her fiancé and a marriage which she does not want to take place. She becomes involved in a murder, and finds herself playing the role of detective as she hunts for the killer. A smart, witty tale which was really enjoyable from beginning to end, I would definitely be interested in following Dora if her adventures continued in further books in a series,

This was a fun read that was part cosy mystery and part comedy as thing keep going wrong for our heroine. The period details were vivid as was the feeling of impending arrival of war. Dora is a likeable somewhat goofy but very intelligent character and I look forward to more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The scene setting is spot on and main characters sparky and delightful, but I couldn't quite believe in this book and found it read more as a tribute to a certain type of Golden Age novel, than a novel in its own right.

I am a huge fan of Harriet Evans and I was so excited to read her latest book under the pen name of Harriet F Townson.
D is for Death is a fantastic read, I loved the protagonist Dora and I did not want the book to end. Dora travels to London from her family home after the death of her mother. She needs to start making her own way in the world but her plans go awry when she becomes embroiled in a murder mystery after finding a body in the British Library.
I felt like the author got the balance just right as I have found with Agatha Christie or Dorothy L.Sayers books. There is a level of coziness created and then this is punctuated with some rather shocking events.
The British Library is such an excellent setting, it was one of my favourite parts of the book. Through the library we are introduced to a range of characters and I loved the descriptions of the stacks and shelves of wonderful books.
I am really hoping there will be more to follow as I would love to know what Dora gets up to next!

I absolutely love Harriet Evans family sagas so was very excited to read her first historical cosy crime novel writing as Harriet F Townson.
It’s 1935 and Dora Wildwood leaves her Somerset home and her fiancée for London. It’s not long before she stumbles over her first dead body in the London library and becomes involved in the police investigation.
This was such a fun and enjoyable caper, I loved the period details and felt immersed in 1930s London. Dora is a charming and adorable heroine and I look forward to meeting her again.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC,

Harriet Evans transitions into Harriet F Townson and cosy crime fiction so seamlessly with D is for Death.
The story follows Dora, a simply wonderful character, who has run away from her hopeless fiancé in the hope of starting fresh in the big city - London. She hopes to have some excitement, see a giraffe and maybe solve her mother's mysterious death whilst she's at it, but instead finds herself caught up in a series of murders with a distinctly literary link.

I loved the characters, all in their own imperfect relatable ways, especially Dora. I do hope we get more of her one day. She's the exact kind of character you wish you could be friends with!

A really great cosy crime novel!

What an interesting book. Dora Wildwood is an interesting heroine who is running away to London hoping to see a giraffe at London zoo and instead gets caught up in murder and mystery with crime writing authors and royalty this book has everything a book set in 1935 should have. Harriet Townson has written a great book and I hope we will find out more about Dora and maybe she will become a detective.

D is for….delightful? Divine? Dazzling? No…D is for Dora!!!!!

I did not want this book to end. I am quite frankly berift now. Urgh.

What a corker of a book. I fell in love from the second page. Dora is fantastic- runaway bridge, optimist, sleuth…giraffe fan?!!! All round good egg, and never far from trouble.

I could not put this down, and I’m devastated I’ve finished it.

Brilliant

My thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.

This is the first book in a new historical crime series by Harriet Evans writing as Harriet F. Townson, and it's a corker.

The story is set in 1935. 21 year-old upper-class Dora Wildwood with a love for peppermint creams, giraffes and independence has just escaped her dreadful boor of a fiance to London, where the first thing she does is fall over a dead body in the London Library. She fancies herself as a bit of a detective so decides to help out DI Fox and his extremely nice forearms, whether he wants it or not.

This is one heck of a book - charming but with dark undertones of misogyny, plus the spectre of war already looming. It starts slow, introducing the characters who all have to do with the book world, whether they are authors, publishers or librarians. There are a lot of quotes from world literature and the book feels like a declaration of love to books, especially crime novels.

At first I wasn't really interested much in who killed the Chief Librarian as he seemed an awful guy, but I loved soaking up the atmosphere and period detail of 1930s London, the old-fashioned language, the clothes, the music and the ambition of young girls who traditionally shouldn't want for much more than being a wife and mother. Dora is lucky that she could just get on a train to London but we see the stories of other young women who haven't got that choice. I have to say hurray for Miss Pym here! It was so descriptive and well-written, I really felt like I was there.

Then the pace really picks up with some clever twists, more murders occur and previous one are linked and it's becoming clear who all this centres around. I love that Dora gets given the opportunity to get everyone together in the library for the final reveal. I love everything about that spirited and unconventional young woman: that she is awfully clever but also kind, runs rings around the Inspector ("it's Detective Inspector!"), wears jumpsuits and sends her fiance packing while falling in love with a man she then gives up for the noblest of reasons.

I say, jolly good, old girl! I should not want to wait long for the next case, which has been set up nicely at the end.

"Books keep you company when there is no one else."

Thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful murder mystery!

Dora Wildwood is not your average detective, always feels out of place, says the wrong thing, notices too much, but that is her greatest strength !

An ode to books full of twists and turns, a clever whodunnit set in 1935, with murdered librarians, persistent ex fiancés, impossible love, new friendships and unexpected discoveries! I’m really hoping to read more of Miss Wildwood’s adventures in the future!

An entertaining historical cosy with an endearing main character and if that isn’t enough to recommend it, it’s set in a library! Fabulous characters especially Ms Pym and the poor bewildered policeman. More please.

3.5 stars

This was a fun and light read following the wonderful Dora Wildwood. On the run from her awful fiance who just wants her to step into his mother's shoes, she escapes to the safety of her godmothers house in London.

The action kicks off as soon as she leaves the train and it doesn't really stop until the end, which has left it open for a second book, which I would certainly look out for!

Oh, I do like Dora Wildwood!

Dora finds herself in the unenviable position of being bethrothed to Charles Silk-Butters who is not the catch of the season that he considers himself to be. Escaping in the middle of the night, Dora catches the London train only to alight at Paddington and discover that he has followed her. Making her escape with him in hot pursuit, she dodges into the London Library and discovers a world where she feels right at home. It is also where she discover her first dead body, and she really cannot walk away until the riddle of how a murder was committed is solved . . .

This is an enigmatic story, told with wit and warmth and will appeal to every reader as libraries are our refuge of choice. Dora Wildwood is far sharper and more observant that the man in charge of the case gives her credit for and I smiled and chuckled to myself as she corrected him in his observations. Very entertaining and definitely a character I would like to read more of. Another novel I'm happy to recommend and, for this one, 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

"That’s the beauty of libraries, you see - everything is laid out perfectly sensibly. There is a pattern. A is for, oh, I don’t know, Albert. B is for Butterflies. C is for . . . C is for Cora. And D is for . . ."

Dora Wildwood runaway bride book lover and aspiring detective. She is unusually tall and different and sees things others don't. When she arrives in London to stay with her godmother Lady Dreda Uglow, Dora stumbles across her first dead body. All is not lost because Dora is going to help Detective Inspector Fox solve it. Oh, she also loves peppermint creams!

This was a brilliant fast-paced read. Dora was a quirky character who I really enjoyed getting to know. I can't wait for the next book!