Description (from cover): “When the reclusive Earl of Unsworth’s first party in over a decade is spoiled by murder, his Lordship’s loyal and efficient secretary, Mr. Quayle, must unravel a web of red-herrings and old family secrets before the murderer can strike again…
I do not wish to disturb you, your grace, but there is a body in the garden…
England, 1925. When a strange young women is found murdered on the grounds of Unsworth Castle, the Duke and his family are astounded at first, but quickly become enraged when the police begin asking all sorts of impertinent questions.
And when suspicions dare to fall on one of their own, it is up to Mr. Quayle, Lord Unsworth’s exceedingly efficient secretary, to find the true culprit and save the House of Unsworth from scandal and ruin.
My Thoughts:
There is nothing like a British estate murder mystery. For some reason, the British have really nailed this concept like no other and I always find myself drawn to books like this. In this book Lord Unsworth is hosting a party, his first in ten years, in order to celebrate his collection of familial artefacts and to announce his heir. Not being a very social person, this is a major feat for him and he has invited family and friends from far and wide to attend this party. When a guest turns up murdered in the estate’s gardens and no one knows who the young woman is, it appears that sinister things are afoot. Lord Unsworth asks his secretary, Mr. Quayle, to assist the police in the murder investigation on behalf of the family. Mr. Quayle soon finds himself embroiled in the middle of accusations and trying to keep the family’s good name out of the society scandal columns.
I really enjoyed reading this book as I always love a murder mystery set in a grand English house where society comes into play and there are a onslaught of suspects. The author did not disappoint in this regard as there were plenty of suspects and motives for the murder and everyone appears to have secrets. Who exactly wanted this unknown woman dead and who had the means, motive and opportunity to dispose of her body in the estate’s gardens? These are the questions that Mr. Quayle must find out and with the help of the police and their own investigations, Mr. Quayle is determined to find out the solution to the mystery at any and all costs, even if it means losing his job.
It is my understanding that this is the first book in the Mr. Quayle murder mystery series, however, at the end of the book, there was a link to a free copy of a previous publication featuring Mr. Quayle. That book is titled A Quite Deadly Affair and it predates this novel. I am not sure why that book is not considered the first in this series and I have not yet had a chance to read it, but it apparently provides Mr. Quayle’s background as to how he ended up working for Lord Unsworth. I am not sure if it is a full novel or a novella, but I am curious to see if anyone else knows. Nevertheless, this book was a delightful read and I will certainly be looking more from this author in the future. Also, this book is currently listed for preorder at $3.99 for a kindle e-book on Amazon if you want to snag a copy.
Overall Rating: 4 stars
Author: Anthony Slayton
Series: Mr. Quayle Mystery #1
Publisher: N/A
Publication Date: April 3, 2022
Pages: 309
Genre: Historical Mystery
Get It: Amazon
Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.
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