This is a menacing mystery with a hint of humor. I recommend reading the series in order.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I love a new Iris Woodmore 1920s mystery, and A Corpse in Christmas Close is as well-plotted and deeply grounded in the historical events of the day as the previous books in the series.

Iris is a great main character. She is tenacious and outspoken, aware of society's conventions but often keen to ignore them. She and her fellow cast members are all well-drawn and believable.

I almost always determine how much I love a mystery by whether I work out the culprit or not, and once more, I was caught out by the resolution for A Corpse in Christmas Close.

The pacing is great. I'm looking forward to Iris' next adventure.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

Brilliant read with a good storyline and a great cast of characters this story had me gripped and I was drawn in from the beginning can’t wait to read more from this author

Iris is back with a bang. Unfortunately, so are two of her enemies. It isn’t often that I genuinely dislike a villain and find them actually threatening, but in the returning antagonist I’ve added another to that short list. Although Gordon Tolfree is dead set against Iris and her friends, he strikes me as being by more akin to a stereotypical wealthy man of the era, used to power and lashing out when that power is threatened, particularly by those he considers his social inferiors. However, whilst I find him and his views distasteful, he never feels like anything more than this.

The other person, on the other hand, feels like a genuine threat from the moment they are introduced. I didn’t like them first time around. This time I loathe them. Not only are they incredibly mysoginistic, but like many men who are involved in domestic violence and coercive control, they are outwardly charming, making it incredibly difficult for their victims to convince people of the threat they pose. Fortunately for Iris, she has a network of people who know this person’s true nature but that is not enough to stop them worming their way into the Walden community.

Although the main plot is nicely resolved by the end of the book, there is a definite sense of threat and menace looming over Iris in the closing pages and I can’t wait to see what Salter has in store for her heroine in the next instalment.

This is a clever plot with red herrings left, right and centre and I had no idea what the resolution was going to be, but when it came it was perfect!

I obviously thoroughly enjoyed this and can’t wait for the next book. I’ve loved Iris from the first book. I predicted then that she would become a firm favourite in my reading pile and nothing in the series so far has made me change that opinion!

This was such an enjoyable read that made me feel a part of England in the 1920's. I loved the comradery of the main ladies and their discussions about the few options women had at this time, if they were without a husband. I also found this to be very unique in some of the topics it broached as you don't usually have that in most mysteries set at this time. The reveal was so cleverly done, quite the surprise. A great mystery, indeed.

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

1920s, reporter, journalist, newspapers, historical-places-events, historical-mystery, historical-research, local-law-enforcement, friends, friendship, Winchester, family, relatives, relationships, investigation, drugs-issues, drugged, amateur-sleuth, secrets, lies, local-politics, drug-trafficking, women-s-fiction, women-s-rights, sociopath, soap opera, relationship-issues, murders, infidelities, intrigue, intimidation, family-dynamics, family-expectations, family-history, unpleasant-suspect, England****

Politics, murder, personal histories, and cocaine are the true main characters in this story. Iris and her cadre of friends and fellow sleuths plus the savvy local constabulary come together to work on a Gordian Knot of a murder mystery.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. Thank you! Available Aug 24, 2024
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