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Read The Winter Garden Mystery (2001)

The Winter Garden Mystery (2001)

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3.77 of 5 Votes: 5
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ISBN
1575667517 (ISBN13: 9781575667515)
Language
English

The Winter Garden Mystery (2001) - Plot & Excerpts

3-3.5 starsThe 2nd Daisy Dalrymple has Daisy off to Occles House, where a sporty schoolchum, Bobbie (Roberta) lives with her brother Sebastian, her horror of a mother Lady Valeria, and her dairy-occupied father. Lady Valeria runs the small village, Occleswich, like an iron-maiden. And she coddles Sebastian, keeping him at her side and away from would-be maidens who'd just love to be Mrs. Sebastian (Lady Sebastian in the near future). Oh, and Sebastian is a looker - almost a Greek god, as Daisy puts it. She's a little taken in by his looks, but she's put off by his mamby-pamby misery.Daisy is planning on featuring the Occles House in her next article in Town and Country. When she arrives, she gets an earful from the local lorry-driver, Tom, who tells her about the long-standing feud between Lady V and the smithy, Moss, as well as the tale of how Grace Moss ran off a couple of months ago with a traveling salesman. Upon arrival at Occles House, Daisy discovers that Bobbie only asked her father's permission, not her mum's, and Lady V is none too happy about Daisy's visit. Lady V has put-downs for everyone, and she manages to get a few good ones off on Daisy about working being outside of her "class", etc.So when Daisy's touring the Winter Garden and finds a dead bush, the Welsh under-gardener sets to dig it up... and discovers the body of Grace Moss, a former housemaid who was "stepping out" with the under-gardener, but also rumored to be having a "fling" with Sebastian... she digs up more than anyone ever expected. The local constabulary sends Inspector Dunnet, nicknamed Inspector Dimwit, and Daisy soon finds out why. Within a day, she's on the phone with Chief Detective Inspector Alec Fletcher, asking him to please come out and take over the case. As it so happens, the local Chief Constable isn't happy with Dimwit's investigation, but he's as afraid of Lady V as anyone, so he makes an inquiry of Scotland Yard to help locate the salesman. And then happily turns over the case to CDI Alec Fletcher.Philip Petrie, Daisy's brother's chum, motored up when he heard about the body being discovered, too. And he's none too happy about Alec being on hand. But Philip manages to simmer down and contribute to the investigation, despite his feelings.Daisy uncovers more about the family than anyone wanted revealed... and between them, Daisy and Alec finally solve the case.-------------Not as good as the 1st book. This book seemed drawn-out... as though the author was reluctant to reveal anything for fear of the resolution being known too soon. The problem is, any mystery reader realizes almost immediately who the murderer is - not so with the previous book. But the red herrings and knots abound, so Daisy and Alec must track each down and untie each knot before finally coming to the solution that we, the readers, have known all along. In the midst of the family drama, secrets are revealed - prejudicial secrets for their time. One wonders how Alec will take such secrets... he seems to "do the right thing", though, so the readers can be relieved. (Which, in a way, seems unfair for a modern reader to hold Alec, a man of the 1920s, to modern standards of fairness and acceptance.)I wondered how the author would put Daisy and Alec together again. It's obvious from the ending of the previous book that they're to be love-interests. And it's charming to see Alec have moments of jealousy over Sebastian and a few other men that Daisy has taken under her wing. At the beginning of the book, Alec shows up at the train station to give Daisy a box of chocolates for her journey; and Daisy thinks about Alec and his little girl during the story. So we know that this is to be a longer-term attraction; the question is, will Daisy and Alec ever be able to truly be together? They're still in a class-based society, and Daisy is the "Honorable" Daisy Dalrymple - from gentry - while Alec is a middle-class policeman.We'll just have to see.

The Honorable Daisy Dalyrymple is visiting an old school chum while writing about her ancestral home when a body is discovered in the garden. Although the local police are happy to pin the housemaid's murder on her young foreign swain, Daisy has doubts. She calls in her childhood friend Philip Petrie and her new friend, Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, to help her investigate. Who killed Grace? Was it the beautiful but spineless heir who had gotten her pregnant? His best friend, the jealous Ben? His devoted sister, manipulative mother, or cowardly father? Grace's father or fiance? Or was it the travelling salesman who was seen talking to her only hours before she was killed? There are no physical clues. Only Daisy's stubborn will and insight into human nature can help her solve this case.This is not as good as the first Daisy mystery, Death at Wentwater Court. The main characters have already been introduced, so Dunn spends less time drawing them out. The murder itself is not one of those incredibly convoluted schemes that takes the latest forensic tech to solve. It is just a basic small village murder, and is simply solved by buying rounds of drinks at the village pub and interviewing suspects. The real delight to these books is the 1920s themselves, which Dunn draws with a deft and light hand. Reminders of a depressed economy, rumbles of discontent against the upper classes, growing independence for women, and the damages of the first World War are woven throughout. And the characters themselves are fresh and breezy. Daisy has a great deal of spirit and sympathy, but as smart and kind as she is, she is still very much a product of her upbringing--she can't bring herself to shingle her hair, or stop grouping people according to class. This is, overall, a murder as cozy as a murder can be, and well worth the few hours it will take to read.

What do You think about The Winter Garden Mystery (2001)?

The Winter Garden Mystery is not as good as the first installment, Death at Wentwater Court, but it's not so much criticism as it is praise for how good the first book was. All the same it is still a very enjoyable read and reminded me why I have such a fondness for the classic English country house mysteries. The standout aspect is definitely Carola Dunn's incredible talent of making the reader feel like they're in the 1920s with deft and subtle touches; everything from the language and manners to passing references to food and fashion just oozes historical detail. Once again, Daisy is invited (albeit reluctantly this time by the hostess, Lady Valeria) to a classic manor house to do research for her article in the Town and Country magazine. The cast is varied and interesting, growing increasingly colourful as one moves towards the second half of the novel. Perhaps that is the main point where it compares negatively to Death at Wentwater Court; the first developed the whole cast of characters far more quickly and with more depth. Here, it took awhile for me to feel like I "knew" the residents of Occles Hall. The sole exception is Lady Valeria, whose forceful personality made its mark almost instantly on both the reader and Daisy. Matters moved along much more swiftly once we are better acqainted with Sebastian, Ben and Bobbie.We're familiar with the main characters by now, and meeting them again is almost like meeting old friends. I love Alec Fletcher, Daisy's romantic interest, and I almost cheered when Daisy finally called him in to investigate. The progress in his relationship with Daisy is fairly evident from their quick and easy banter, compared to the reservation with which they spoke to one another in the first book. It is perhaps unfortunate that we don't get to see all these developments, though; at the beginning of The Winter Garden Mystery, Alec is already familiar enough with Daisy to see her off at the train station and buy her a box of chocolates. He later comments that he had met with her several times in between the events of Wentwater Court and the current book, and I couldn't help but keep wishing that we had been privy to those meetings. A small quibble. I also have a particular fondness for Phillip Petrie, Daisy's loyal childhood friend who isn't the brightest crayon in the box but makes up for it with his good-natured personality.The mystery is simpler than that of Death at Wentwater Court, which was more tightly plotted and focused on the tension and hidden malice between members of one household. Here, it comes down to a simple murder in a secluded village, in the style of a Miss Marple mystery. The real draw lies in watching Alec and Daisy interrogate people and slowly gather the clues.All in all, a very charming classic English cozy! Needless to say, I can't wait to move onto the third book, Requiem for a Mezzo, and see how things develop between Daisy and Alec.
—Hannah

This review pertains to the audio version of The Winter Garden Mystery. I bought the book not knowing it was the 2nd of the series so I put off listening to it until after I listen to the 1st (Death at Wentwater Court). Had I bought that book before this one, the Winter Garden Mystery would not have been in my library. So I admit I started this book with low expectations. Now for my thoughts on The Winter Garden Mystery. The non-recurring characters were not (for the most part) very well developed. The characters were mostly one dimensional with 2 of the characters almost making to two dimensional status. Almost. We didn’t get to know the murder victim at all because she was killed before the story started. We also knew very little about the murderer and the accused murder. I find it hard to care about characters I don’t know. We are given some backstory but not enough to get me interested in them. The plot was simplistic. Despite an attempt by the author to explain why several people could have killed Grace Moss, there were really only 2 options one of whom was not very believable as a murderer. The author attempted to explain why several people could be suspects. The explanations were not convincing. Even the character giving the explanations admitted that. The slang of the period was overused. It seemed like almost everything was spiffing old bean. Even riding in the dickey which, although uncomfortable, seemed to have occurred (or was at least thought about) with some regularity. So boring, underdeveloped characters tried to solve a nonmystery while driving to and fro with no petrol station in sight with someone sitting in the dickey of the car as they overused 1920’s slang. Definitely not the series for me.
—Brenda

BOTTOM LINE: #2 Daisy Dalrymple, journalist, February, 1923, rural England; historical, cosy police procedural/amateur sleuth. Another magazine story to write, another dead body to trip over, another lovely visit with Daisy as she wends her way through the aristocratic houses of between-the-wars England. Beautifully done in the best old-fashioned style otherwise, with a good deal of wit and wits about it. Smart and perceptive Daisy gets mixed up in the murderous relationship of a pregnant housemaid and a gorgeous elder son, while further developing her own relationship with DI Fletcher of Scotland Yard, not at all an ordinary policeman. Absolutely jam-packed with cliches that somehow don’t feel silly and plot devices that rattle their bones and sing old songs, and it’s all great fun. Smoothly constructed, well-twisted plot, very good setting in the classic Village Cosy manner, and superb characterizations. One important plot element felt far too modern for the period, but that’s very unusual for Dunn, and is the only real quibble I had with this entertaining novel. (view spoiler)[The treatment of the homosexual relationship thread was far too sweetly done, although I loved reading it, it felt wrong for the period. Alec and/or Daisy ought to have had stronger misgivings, a few more reservations, a bit more to “get over” at first. Their calm and immediate acceptance seemed far too modern. A little more apprehension on Daisy’s part, at least a little embarrassment, shock, or mild disgust on Alec’s, would have been far truer to the time IMO, and yet keep them “in character”. I wonder if the use of Sebastian as a name for one of the gay couple was deliberate, a reminder of Waugh? Probably, another nicely sly touch. (hide spoiler)]
—Abbey

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