Daisy and Alec get the opportunity to go to see a performance of Verdi’s Requiem at the Albert Hall and what more could a couple with a burgeoning relationship wish for on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Pleasant it is not when one of the leading female singers stands up and gives her final performance as she sings her last breath as she collapses to the stage and dies in front of a packed Albert Hall.
Conveniently for those around, Alec is in factor Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard. Inconveniently for him is that Daisy is the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple who seems to have had a knack lately of turning up where murders have happened. Daisy with her journalistic nose, twitching wants to help. Even more so when it is in fact Daisy’s neighbour Muriel Westlea who is closely related to the dead singer. Alec is less than keen, but he knows somehow Daisy seems to be able to get people to talk to her and reveal facts without actually trying. Despite Alec’s best intentions, Daisy seems determined to help in any way that she can. But she has not forgotten that her afternoon out with him has been ruined and hopes that they will be able to make up for it soon.
Family tensions are brought out in the open and enemies seem to be coming from everywhere who has something to say about the dead singer. All readers of mystery crime novels know the smell of one particular poison, but is the smell to obvious and is there perhaps more to this death than is first thought.
The third in the Daisy Dalrymple series and the perfect escapism, although it did take me a while to get into as within the first few pages a number of characters are thrown in and I was unsure of who was who and their relation with each other. That aside, a good book and I look forward to reading the next along in the series.
I had to look up what a mezzo was; a medium soprano female singing voice. OK, so that was what Mezzo was, but I needed to relate to my ear so to speak! (Please excuse the puns!) A bit of googling and the name Katherine Jenkins came up now I understand and know what I would be hearing. Having been to the Albert Hall and sat right at the top along the back, literally the last row I know what a vast venue it is and for me not a very nice place to sit. Don’t look down; the feeling of nausea did not pass. Never was I more glad to get outside and onto the pavement.
I digress, but imagine being the detective who has to say they want to interview all the people in the venue about what they witnessed c. 5500. Luckily for us and probably them, Alec Fletcher and Daisy only have to concern themselves with those on the stage itself.
I wonder what Daisy will get herself involved in next. Whatever it is I am sure Alec will be near by, as their blossoming relationship is quite endearing to read about. A great cosy crime with a sprinkling of romance.
The Book Jotter 