Mum's Monday A Dangerous Engagement by Ashley Weaver

 

This book is set in 1933 and being a murder mystery, I found myself reading the first paragraph as I have heard a/the narration over a black and white detective program.

Although it is lovely as to what Amory’s husband Milo said about their wedding, it is his sense that he is being dragged to Tabitha’s wedding that is realistically accurate in some circumstances.

As I read the start of this book I realise that the title of this book is perfect for two reasons, one, and I would say, the main one, is that Tabitha is engaged to be married and two, that a wedding would be classed as a date in the diary/engagement and as this is a murder mystery, yes, dangerous as well.

Well Amory will ‘Never learn’ but then there wouldn’t be a story for this book, if you take out the main character getting involved. I found this little snippet amusing I also found a part previous to this amusing that read ‘This is not a murder mystery’ my thoughts were ‘Just wait, be patient and read on.

This book is easy to read so much that I don’t want to put it down. It is well written to build a story, mystery of a who dunnit. By chapter seven it is still a mystery as to who the victim could be. This is even before we get to the who did it part. This book seems to have two mysteries within it, which, to me, is very clever. Yes, the victim is male and in the wedding party but although the list is short it is building a case for it to be anyone of them. This is cleverly interesting.

Now that the victim has been murdered/uncovered it is as unexpected as it is expected as I thought that it would be the least expected person same as in the case of the culprit is the least expected person. Now I feel the real mystery begins.

Although the investigation is being carried out slowly it has been well written. At the moment there are two options as to where the murderer is placed, I say, at the moment because having read and seen on TV or on films that it is the least expected person who did it, I feel there is room for a third option. However, as this is like an Agatha Christie mystery the culprit in them is mostly a member of the main or known characters to us.

The suspects are mounting up with different reasons for the murder. I am still unsure as to who did it and why. I am however, using the information written in the story to try and solve the case, yet the clues/motives are, to me, not as clear as they have been in other detective crime stories/books.

At the end of chapter eighteen is quite a surprise, no name is given but I do not believe it was who is absent from the group and now I don’t again want to put this book down to find out who they have arrested. I believe it could be one of two people, one possible and one not so possible.

The investigation is well underway, firstly though I felt on the edge of my seat when Amory was asked to enter a room. Yes, it was Leon De Lora’s office but it could so easily been a

room to abduct her or even the outside and she had been thrown out into an alleyway with the bins, that I was picturing, secondly, I don’t actually think Leon De Lora is as bad as the gangster he is being portrayed as, well yes, I feel you have to tread carefully as he doesn’t like disloyalty, who does? But I did find it interesting to read his part.

It is, to me, a surprise that I agree Leon De Lora wasn’t involved in the murder. However, not as surprised as to who turns up to see Mr De Lora and what he has to say, this is such an eye-opening shock.

I had already guessed at the revelation at the end of chapter twenty-one, but as I had forgotten about it with all the investigating going on it not only came as a surprise that I was right but it actually came as a total, out of the blue, surprise as they say.

I like the reference equating the investigation to being out of focus. This is clever and I can picture the story becoming clearer as in looking through a camera lens and adjusting the focus. From such a short sentence/reference comes so much thought/depth. This is cleverly brilliant. It is good now that now Rose, sorry Amory has told the truth more things are coming into focus.

Well that was very very quick and totally unexpected and further on despite Amory’s reservations, I think it is a great idea for an escape plan.

With all the drama of the murder case being solved, I had actually forgotten about the wedding. Now I feel as though the ending is like a checklist, with case solved, check, a growing family, check, and a wonderful wedding, check. After all that is why Amory and a then reluctant Milo had gone to New York.

Yes this is very much like a Agatha Christie mystery, also the bonus being that I am aware of the who dunnit. I am not going to mention the mystery in question as I don’t want or about to give anything away.

Thank you for reading

Sandra