Today I have a cosy crime mystery to introduce to you - The Convalecent Corpse by Nicola Slade. Published by Crooked Cats Books on 20th November, it is the first in a potential historical crime series. I also have a great Giveaway- details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.
A story of Family, Rationing and Inconvenient Corpses.
Life in 1918 has brought loss and grief and hardship to the
three Fyttleton sisters. Helped only by their grandmother (a failed society
belle and expert poacher) and hindered by a difficult suffragette mother, as
well as an unruly chicken-stealing dog and a house full of paying-guests, they
now have to deal with the worrying news that their late – and unlamented –
father may not be dead after all. And on
top of that, there’s a body in the ha-ha.
My Thoughts
This genre of historical cosy crime is one of my favourites so I was delighted to have the opportunity to read The Convalescent Corpse. Set in 1918, it manages to walk the path between the grim backdrop of the war with life with the Fylleton family. Situated next to a convalescent home for wounded soldiers, there is enough detail about life there to remind you of the horrors which the wounded soldiers had to contend with. However, the Fylleton family offer a refreshing and eccentric alternative, bursting with character and sometimes unintentional humour.
This is a promising start for a new series as there is so much to savour in the characterisation. Addy, Alix and Christy are all endearingly idiosyncratic. Add to them, their parents in the form of the allegedly deceased criminal father and suffragette mother and their redoubtable grandmother and you have quite a mix. I also appreciated the range of the wounded officers they met and the gloriously batty but ever hopeful attitude of some of the females towards the wounded young men that they were a source of potentially suitable marriage material, despite everything.
With an easy writing style and a gently humorous plot, I thoroughly enjoyed the read and hope for book 2.
In short: A winner!
About the Author
Nicola Slade lives in Hampshire where she writes historical
and contemporary mysteries and women’s fiction. While her three children were
growing up she wrote stories for children and for women’s magazines before her
first novel, Scuba Dancing, was published in 2005. Among other jobs, Nicola has
been an antiques dealer and a Brown Owl! She loves travelling and at one time,
lived in Egypt for a year. The
Convalescent Corpse is Nicola's 9th novel. Nicola is also a member of a crime
writers’ panel, The Deadly Dames www.facebook.com/DeadlyDames
Thanks to Nicola, Crooked Cats Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Follow the rest of the event!
Giveaway (International)
Win a
paperback copy of The House of Ladywell (Open Internationally) To enter, just follow the link below and good luck!
*Terms
and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.
Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via
Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or
email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to
select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the
competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with
third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed
to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after
which time I will delete the data. I am
not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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