I enjoyed this book, and was impressed by how closely it seemed to hew to the Agatha Christie formula: plenty of suspects, class tension between the local constabulary and the suspects, a drawing room unmasking of the murderer. I also thought it was well-written and nicely paced. It's part of the Royal Spyness series, and there was a little expositionary background offered to help folks who hadn't read the rest of the series to be introduced to all of the returning characters.
In this series, the detective is a duke's daughter who is 35th to the throne, and the murder takes place at a aristocratic home in rural Surrey, complete with fox hunt, so it did feel like very much like something that a Downton Abbey fan might enjoy.
I read it with a book group and several folks described it as fluff. I found myself wondering why that was, exactly, when to me, the book seemed like such a classic Agatha Christie-type mystery.
I'm not sure but I'd guess that tastes have changed, and Agatha Christie-type mysteries seem tame compard to today's suspense thrillers.
Also, this particular book had a surprising ending, one that I didn't at all anticipate, but it perhaps just didn't have the bite and menace that Christie mysteries have.
In this series, the detective is a duke's daughter who is 35th to the throne, and the murder takes place at a aristocratic home in rural Surrey, complete with fox hunt, so it did feel like very much like something that a Downton Abbey fan might enjoy.
I read it with a book group and several folks described it as fluff. I found myself wondering why that was, exactly, when to me, the book seemed like such a classic Agatha Christie-type mystery.
I'm not sure but I'd guess that tastes have changed, and Agatha Christie-type mysteries seem tame compard to today's suspense thrillers.
Also, this particular book had a surprising ending, one that I didn't at all anticipate, but it perhaps just didn't have the bite and menace that Christie mysteries have.
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