Murder on the Golden Arrow

(Kitty Warthington Mysteries #1)

Magda Alexander

Genre: Historical cosy mystery

Pubisher: Hearts Afire Publishing

Release Date: September 21st 2021

Format: Kindle Edition

Pages:

(Goodreads description)

What’s a bright young woman to do when her brother becomes the main suspect in a murder? Why, solve the case, of course.

England. 1923. After a year away at finishing school where she learned etiquette, deportment, and the difference between a salad fork and a fish one, Kitty Worthington is eager to return home. But minutes after she and her brother Ned board the “Golden Arrow,” the unthinkable happens. A woman with a mysterious connection to her brother is poisoned, and the murderer can only be someone aboard the train.

When Scotland Yard hones in on Ned as the main suspect, Kitty sets out to investigate. Not an easy thing to do while juggling the demands of her debut season and a mother intent on finding a suitable, aristocratic husband for her.

With the aid of her maid, two noble beaus, and a flatulent Basset Hound named Sir Winston, Kitty treads a fearless path through the glamorous world of high society and London’s dark underbelly alike to find the murderer. For if she fails, the insufferable Inspector Crawford will most surely hang a noose around her brother’s neck.

A frolicking historical cozy mystery filled with dodgy suspects, a dastardly villain, and an intrepid heroine sure to win your heart, Murder on the Golden Arrow is the first book in The Kitty Worthington Mysteries. For lovers of Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey alike.

I really, really enjoyed this cosy mystery set in 1920s London.

Well, fine! The mystery was a but convoluted – but no unrealistic. Some things happened a bit too conveniently – but it’s a cosy, and it’s not out of place. But on the whole, it was a joy to read.

The 1920s setting was really nice. I liked in particular the depiction of the British upper-class in the interwar year, because it’s quite obvious the author put a lot of research and effort in it. There are so many details   about how the British upper-class lived, and acted, the many ‘rules’ they had to adhere too, and especially the ever present observance of etiquette. I enjoyed this in particular because it’s not often that this appears in a story.

I also liked the fact that, despite Kitty being a true flapper, a modern woman with ideas and dreams that are modern and contrasting with traditions, she’s also very observant of that tradition. She has an awesome relationship with her parents (especially her mother, I should say) and she loves her siblings dearly. It’s a refreshing situation, because so often, a flapper’s modernity is depicted with tens relations especially with the older population.

The characters are all fantastic. A great many of them is genuinely nice, which concurs to the overall light, easy-going feeling of the book. Yes, maybe the percentage of nice people is higher that life normally allows, but I won’t complain, it was nice to read about them.

Kitty and Inspector Crawford are a great couple in the making. I loved that their attractions wasn’t too centered to the story, and that they both functioned intelligently. It is only the beginning of their story, of course, but I find it very strong and coherent. I loved that.

All other characters are interesting. All of them have a hidden side to their personality, sometimes dark, something just mysterious. Which is nice. It made for more than one surprise in course of the story.

I really enjoyed, and I certainly read more about this series. It’s cute and very well-written. Check it out!

Murder on the Golden Arrow

Excerpt

A fresh-faced young officer stepped in. “Begging your pardon, Sir. But Inspector Brown has a question about one of your cases.”

“I’ll be right there.” He turned back to me. “As you can see, I’m quite busy. If that will be all?”

Wishful thinking on his part because I was not about to leave. “No. It’s not. I have more questions. I’ll wait upon your return.”

He harshed in a breath. “Excuse me,” he said, before dashing out the door.

Having long ago acquired the ability to read upside down, I’d noticed the file folder on his desk clearly labeled ‘Rose Trevvyan’. Without even one iota of regret, I flipped it open. A photograph of Rose spilled out. Covered with a sheet, she was still as death. Of course, she was. Clearly, it had been taken during the postmortem. I swallowed hard. But with no time to indulge my sensibilities, I flipped to the medical examiner’s report as skimmed through it as quickly as could. ‘Cause of death cyanide. Death probably occurred within minutes of ingesting the poison.’ Nothing new. I already knew that from the inquest. I continued scanning the report and found something I didn’t expect. ‘No evidence of pregnancy.’ The pathologist had not mentioned that at the inquest.

She’d blackmailed Ned by telling him the child she was carrying was his and yet she had not been pregnant. I flipped to another section labeled evidence and found a note or a torn, crumbled piece of paper. ‘I need more blunt. If you want me to keep mum about your dirty little secret, bring another 200 quid to Clapham Common next Wednesday at one. Same place as before. If you don’t come, I will tell the coppers, and you will hang.”

“Miss Worthington!”

Startled, I lost hold of the file.

Inspector Crawford slammed the door shut and marched toward me. “How dare you?” Angry did not begin to describe him.

“I’m–“

“Save your breath. The last thing you are is sorry.” He leaned down to recover the folder and the content which had spilled all over the floor.

I thought to offer assistance but thought better of it. He would neither appreciate nor accept my help. “She wasn’t pregnant.”

The Thursday Quotables  was originally a weekly post created by Lisa Wolf for her book blog Bookshelf Fantasy . It isn’t a weekly post anymore, not even for Lisa, but just like her, I still love to share my favourite reads on Thursdays and I still use the original template which included an excerpt.