Death at a Country Mansion: A Smart British Mystery with a Surprising Twist

Louise R. Innes

Dec 2020 · A Daisy Thorne Mystery Book 1 · Kensington Cozies

About this ebook

“First in a new series…this lively cozy has glamour, intrigue, and romance.”
—Booklist

Fans of Agatha Christie won’t want to miss this delightful new mystery set in the charming village of Edgemead in Surrey, England, where you’ll find the latest styles, the juiciest gossip—and the most tantalizing murder clues…
 
No one would ever accuse famous opera star Dame Serena Levanté of lacking a flare for the dramatic. Unfortunately, it’s curtains down on the dysfunctional diva when she’s found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her elegant home. Solving an opera singer’s murder may not be the typical hairdresser’s aria of expertise. But Dame Serena was the mother of Daisy’s best friend Floria, so Daisy must do-or-dye her best to get to the roots of the case.
 
When a priceless Modigliani painting in the house is reported missing, the mystery gets even more tangled. Even though the gruff but handsome Detective Inspector Paul McGuinness tells the stylist to stay out of his hair, Daisy is determined to make sure the killer faces a stern makeover—behind bars.
 
“A promising debut with scads of interesting characters, a spirited heroine, and a hint of romance.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Enjoyable…will appeal to readers of Elizabeth J. Duncan’s 'Penny Brannigan' mysteries.”
—Library Journal
 
“Death at a Country Mansion has more twists than a French braid.”
—Sherry Harris
 
“If you enjoy British manor houses, a touch of budding romance, and a good mystery (like I do), I highly recommend Death at a Country Mansion.”
—Vikki Walton
 
“A little romance, a little art history, and a gorgeous mansion . . . a page-turner that is fun and intriguing.”
—ACF Bookens

Ratings and reviews

This is a cute start to a new cozy mystery series. Famous opera singer Serena Levante is found dead in her home. When ex-husbands and secret children descend on the little town, can hairstylist Daisy help the police find out what happened before they all leave again? Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun start to a new cozy series. I liked that the police actually kind of accepted that Daisy was helping them. Especially since she had a better in with the community than the police did. I liked the characters and the story. I'm looking forward to reading more from this series!

I definitely did not see the ending of this book coming. I definitely had the wrong suspect, which to me means that the mystery was well written. There were several red herrings, but Ms. Innes made it interesting and fun to try and sort things out to get to the truth. Daisy is very good at reading people and will probably be even better once she finishes her forensic psychology courses. It will be interesting to see if any type of relationship develops between her and Paul in subsequent books. Daisy is also a very good friend. I do not usually read mysteries, but I am certainly glad that I read this one and I plan to read the next one in the series also.