Hiya everyone! I’m on the Blog tour for Death At Crookham Hall by Michelle Salter. Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the book to take part.
A fatal jump. A missing suffragette. An inexplicable murder.
London, 1920. When she catches news of a big story, reporter Iris Woodmore rushes to the House of Commons. But it’s a place that holds painful memories. In 1914, her mother died there when she fell into the River Thames during a daring suffragette protest. But in the shadow of Big Ben, a waterman tells Iris her mother didn’t fall – she jumped.
Iris discovers that the suffragette with her mother that fateful day has been missing for years, disappearing just after the protest. Desperate to know the truth behind the fatal jump, Iris’s investigation leads her to Crookham Hall, an ancestral home where secrets and lies lead to murder…
Set in 1920, this historical mystery is the beginning of a brand new series. A brand new series is always great, and one that’s set in the past is even better.
Iris is our main character, a young reporter for the local newspaper. She is an inquisitive and brave young woman who is also still struggling to come to terms with her mothers death when she was younger. I loved how she wore trousers and raised eyebrows as we went. We need women like that, and we needed them then. Iris discovers
The fact her mother was a Suffragette kind of put the cherry on top for me. Iris discovers her mum jumped into the River Thames and didn’t fall during one of the Suffragette protests of the time. This has her doubting everything, especially when she also discovers one of her mums friends disappeared at the same time. With the help of her workmates and some of the former suffragettes, Ivy investigates.
Michelle Salter brings the 1920s alive in this cosy mystery. I felt like I belonged with Iris. It was written that well. Death At Crookham Hall doesn’t just follow one mystery, Iris and her cohorts are kept busy!
As the story unfolds, we meet plenty of characters that aren’t what I expected. In fact, Michelle Salter does a great job in surprising the reader with the actual murderer and their reasons. The suspense builds fabulously alongside the interesting characters and the even more intriguing time this book is set in.
The saddest part was the issues Michelle Salter includes in her book are ones that are still prevalent today, and I felt that rather keenly. All together, a historical cosy mystery whose pages almost turned themselves. I was ensconced in the 1920s, with Iris and surrounded by times I have been taught, but now I almost felt I was living them.
Well, Michelle Salter, I am a new fan of your work! Watch out, there’s a stalker about!
Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3DuWBSw
Author Bio
Michelle Salter is a historical crime fiction writer based in northeast Hampshire. Many local locations appear in her mystery novels. She’s also a copywriter and has written features for national magazines. When she’s not writing, Michelle can be found knee-deep in mud at her local nature reserve. She enjoys working with a team of volunteers undertaking conservation activities.
Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleSalterWriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleASalter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellesalter_writer/
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/michelle-salter
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