Author: Ciar Byrne
Series: The Woolf & Byrne Mysteries (Book 2)
Publication: Headline Accent (May 22, 2025)
Description: Tudor Close Hotel, Rottingdean, is the most glamorous venue of the season. And not somewhere Virginia or her sister Vanessa would usually choose to frequent. They're far happier at home with their writing or painting, than brushing shoulders with debutantes or starlets.
But Lady Ottoline has had a difficult year, so - despite her rather outlandish tastes - they let her choose the meeting spot. And when the group bumps into fashion designer Mimi Mason in the hotel bar, they begrudgingly accept an invite to her wedding breakfast the next morning.
No one imagined that, a few cocktails later, Mimi would be dead.
As the sisters are drawn into a new case, it becomes clear that someone meticulously planned this murder. Beneath the glittering exterior, there was a dark side to this beautiful bride - and every wedding guest had a reason to sabotage this happy union.
But which one of them decided it was time to give Mimi a taste of her own poison?
My Thoughts: The second Woolf & Bell mystery begins when Virginia and Vanessa are invited to the Tudor Close Hotel in Rottingdean by their friend Lady Ottoline to hear a proposal from a young man in publishing who is interested in publishing new, illustrated editions of Virginia's work. Besides wanting to do a favor for a friend, a little extra money is always appreciated.
They weren't expecting to be rolled over into the wedding of fashion designer Mimi Mason and Scottish Lord Abernathy. However, they find themselves taking part and finding all sorts of odd things when they realize that the wedding party consists of her three ex-husbands and his two ex-wives. None of whom are happy with the upcoming nuptials. The wedding party also includes Mimi's daughter Vivienne and Mimi's assistant Jean-Paul. Virginia and Vanessa can feel the tensions and manage to overhear a few arguments.
They attend the Wedding Breakfast the next morning and are present when Mimi takes a sip of her Bloody Mary and dies of arsenic poisoning. They are reluctantly attached to Detective Inspector Gripe's investigation of the crime since both would prefer to go home to their writing and painting. But when one of the ex-husbands is also murdered and Virginia was seen arguing with him, their interest in the investigation is heightened.
This was an engaging historical mystery filled with interesting characters.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
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