Heirs of the Body: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries)
The long-running Daisy Dalrymple series, set in England in the late 1920s, adds another smart, engaging title. Daisy is charged with helping her cousin Edgar and his wife sort through a convoluted and gap-filled family history to discover who is his rightful heir. Inquiries from Daisy’s attorney brother bring forth some interesting candidates from the family lines throughout the world, but as time passes, the issue becomes still murkier as proposed heirs, gathered at a party, become victims first of accidents and then murder. Daisy and her Scotland Yard detective husband, Alec, disagree over her involvement in the crime, but Daisy’s clever and loving approach to finding answers helps assuage the tension. Slow pacing and complicated family story lines impede the narrative flow a bit, but the immersive period details, appealing main characters, and surprising plot turns generate enough momentum to take readers to the satisfying finish. Fans of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear will find the same depth and feisty female characters here. --Amy Alessio