Reading the Detectives discussion

Welcome to the tenth, and last full-length novel, featuring Angela Marchmont.

After her bruising encounter with the law, Angela Marchmont has vowed to give up detecting, and is doing her best to forget the events of last winter and the terrible lie she told to save herself. So when a letter arrives from beyond the grave requesting her help and reminding her of the past, she is anything but pleased. Drawn reluctantly into one final case and spurred on by her guilty conscience, Angela soon discovers a viper's nest of family betrayals and hidden enmities which have lain undisturbed for years, and which may have led to the deaths of more than one person. Despite her unwillingness to reopen old wounds, Angela knows she must put aside her own feelings and solve the mystery if she is ever to find peace. Can she get to the heart of the matter, right the wrong she has done and be happy at last?

Each of the Angela Marchmont books contains a standalone mystery which is resolved at the end. However, if you are new to the series, please note that Book 10, The Shadow at Greystone Chase, contains spoilers from Book 9, The Scandal at 23 Mount Street and is to some extent a sequel, and the two are best read in order.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

This being the last Angela Marchmont , I think we all knew what was going to be in it. Probably what we all wanted. This book was geared towards the new series by Benson, which I am hoping will be as entertaining as this one has been

I agree, but I tip my hat to Benson for coming up with an intriguing mystery, with a few shifty, menacing possible suspects, and making the new series look appealing by giving the new “star” plenty to do, without diminishing Angela, and “filling out” the character enough to make me want to read it! Up until reading this book, I was amused by the character, figured I’d read the first, but now I feel it could really be fun and entertaining. I’ve read several series (usually ones that are ‘cozier’ - ugh, I hate that term, makes it sound like all the characters are 75, knit, and keep cats!), but anyway, the old leads are rushed off, barely make an appearance, and all the focus is on slogging the next book.

Just closing this thread until the discussion in mid October - see you then!

And we're back! Opening up this thread again as it is now the middle of October. I've just finished the book and do agree with your comments, Jill and Susan - the building up of Freddy's character in this one makes me all the more intrigued to start his series, but it's nice that Angela was given a good send-off.

I totally agree. Freddy is a great character and I am looking forward to reading on.

I do, too, I feel like Benson brought Freddy along well as a character in these last couple books.