Dandy Gilver & A Deadly Measure of Brimstone by Catriona McPhersonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
It's 1929. the Gilver household is laid low with influenza and Gilver and Osbourne have a case to investigate the death of an elderly woman called Mrs Addie at the Laidlaw Hydropathic Hotel in Moffat (also Scotland for us southerners). When rumours of scarlet fever circulate, Dandy sees an opportunity to take Hugh and their two boys plus their cook, butler and her ladies maid to the hotel and investigate the death at the same time.
The hotel is run by a brother and sister Dorothea and Thomas (Tot) Laidlaw following the death of their father who founded the hotel. Tot is an oily, smirky man too quick with a wink and a nod for Dandy, whereas Dorothea is a studious woman, and a medical doctor to boot. What is distinctly odd is the clientele, half of them are elderly people like Mrs Addie, clearly there to drink the (disgusting) waters and partake of the various therapies, the other half are Bright Young Things and flappers, all loud voices and cocktails. Then a third group start to arrive, flamboyant and theatrical they are seeking ghosts which are said to haunt the hotel.
After my quibbles with the last two books I think Catriona McPherson is right back on track with this one. A hydropathic spa hotel is so very Agatha Christie and I loved the way in which the different strands were woven together. I even guessed the motive for the murder, although there were also plenty of other things I didn't guess too. Also, we see a lot more of Hugh than usual, and of Grant's theatricality. I still find it absolutely fascinating how Catriona McPherson seems able to write Dandy so convincingly, with the attitude and values of a woman of that era, I have no idea if it is authentic but it feels like the real thing.
I've got 10 ARCs to read and review for NetGalley but I might (who am I kidding, I definitely will) just buy the next book in the series.
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