Title
The Merry Month of Murder (The Fyttleton Mysteries #2)
Author
Nicola Slade is an award-winning, bestselling author of historical and contemporary mysteries and romantic fiction, all set in and around Winchester and Romsey in Hampshire–which is where she lives. The House at Ladywell–a contemporary romance novel with historical echoes–won the International Chatelaine Grand Prize for Romantic Fiction at the CIBA awards in April 2019.
She is the author of the mid-Victorian Charlotte Richmond mysteries and the contemporary Harriet Quigley mysteries. The Convalescent Corpse, published November 2018, an Amazon best-seller, the first in a new series, The Fyttleton Mysteries, set in 1918.
Connect with her on her website, her blog, Facebook, and, Twitter.
Book Details
Publication Date: September 10, 2020
Publisher: Darkstroke / Crooked Cat
ISBN: B08D6S6892
Famous First Words
“It was teatime on Tuesday, and nobody had died yet. Nor had anyone risen from a watery grave or descended into the muddy ditch that was grandly known as the ha-ha. This was an improvemnt on the events of last month.”
Book Description
It was teatime on Tuesday, and nobody had died yet…
May 1918
In a world where the men are at war and the women keep the home fires burning, Christabel Fyttletonis faced with domestic crises involving lodgers, rationing, maypole dancers, and KaiserBill (don’t ask!)–as well as her most daunting challenge ever. Not only that! There’s a sudden death–again–as though she hasn’t enough to cope with already.
But is it murder, misadventure, or merely misfortune?
My Thoughts & Takeaways
The Merry Month of Murders is the second book in The Fyttleton Mysteries (the first being The Convalescent Corpse) by Nicola Slade.
The story is set in 1918 during WWI and revolves around a British upper-class family. And, while it is a murder mystery, it’s also about family, romance, and a dash of drama.
That being said, the story does indeed have a body (a dead one, of course) – something Christy seems to have a knack for somehow being involved.
The book is told from the viewpoint of Christy and follows her, her sisters, Alix and Addy, and their grandmother, Lady Elspeth, about their day to day. During the war, even an upper-class family has to make ends meet and that’s certainly what these young ladies do.
Their daily adventures include volunteer nursing, writing books, raising chickens, running a guest house, and somehow having time to have love interests too! They’re definitely doing better than me and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I “love” WWI and WWII history so a historical fiction set during those times will always garner my attention. Slade introduces us to this quirky family and their ways during a difficult period of time in a captivating way.
I would think of this less as a murder mystery and more of a British later version of Little Women. For that reason, this is great for someone that isn’t typically into murder mystery books.
I’m really curious to go back and read the first book too! And, while this is certainly able to be read as a stand-alone (I obviously did it!), I would be inclined to read the first one first next time.
