The Body in Belair Park
by Alice Castle
Please Read This Book! I am dying to discuss this book with someone! (I really shouldn’t say “dying” as this book feature a murder!) This is the sixth book in the alliterative “The London Murder Mysteries”. According to Amazon it is a Cozy Mystery. I would say it’s a Crazy Mystery and I adored it. Besides having great characters, and a well-crafted mystery, this book is chock-full of the most amazing descriptions, incredible puns and satiric asides. Entertaining on so many levels. In this post, you will find info about the book, the author, my review and a Giveaway! And “For Heaven’s Sake” let’s discuss this book!
Beth Haldane is on the verge of having everything she’s ever wanted. Her son is starting secondary school, her personal life seems to have settled down – even her pets are getting on. But then the phone rings.
It’s Beth’s high maintenance mother, Wendy, with terrible news. Her bridge partner, Alfie Pole, has died suddenly. While Beth, and most of Dulwich, is convinced that Alfie has pegged out from exhaustion, thanks to playing with Wendy for years, Beth’s mother is certain that there is foul play afoot.
Before she knows it, Beth is plunged into her most complicated mystery yet, involving the Dulwich Bridge Club, allotment holders, the Dulwich Open Garden set and, of course, her long-suffering boyfriend, Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Harry York. The case stirs up old wounds which are much closer to home than Beth would like. Can she come up trumps in time to stop the culprit striking again – or does the murderer hold the winning hand this time?
JENA’S REVIEW
The Body in Belair Park by Alice Castle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had the best time reading Book #6 (!) in The London Murder Mysteries Book series. This book, like the preceding five has an alliterative title. This time it’s “The Body in Belair Park”. I saw that a reviewer described the series as “Hygge-style”. Hygge-style means cozy, charming or special. Yes, this series is billed as a cozy mystery series, but there’s much more going on with that…which I will reveal later, as this review has turned in to my own personal cozy mystery (within a review for a cozy mystery).
Book 6 begins with intrepid heroine Beth Haldane, “SE21’s answer to Miss Marple”, shopping for school shoes for her beloved son Ben, in a crowded department store. Ben will be starting at the prestigious Wyatt’s school the next day. Further headlines in Beth’s life: She has a rescue dog, cat, a friend, a frenemy, an appealing Metropolitan police officer boyfriend, an interesting job as an archivist, plus varied insecurities and worries. We tag along with Beth as she mopes through her days. Until one morning when Beth’s phone rings with “Bridge Over Trouble Water”- the ringtone for her mother…and a new mystery must be solved, involving a death at a duplicate bridge game.
For me, the mystery part of the book was merely one card in a hand filled with so much sparkling and creative writing. The metaphors, similes, puns are so droll and witty. Favorite examples:
“Between them, more weeds burst out exuberantly, like mischievous tufts evading a swimsuit.”
An actor had been the star of last year’s massive Netflix hit, “Blame the Drones…”
“…she drawled in an accent so American that Beth could almost taste the milkshake and fries.”
What kind of marvelous treasure is this book, and series? I asked myself. It’s not really a cozy mystery is it?
I did a bit of sleuthing and learned that on Amazon, Author Castle’s books are classified as “Literary Satire Fiction”! Aha! That explains the wondrous quirkiness of the book. I was a bit disappointed to find out that “Dulwich” really is a town in South London. I had hope that this was another clever creation by the author. FYI- “The name Dulwich is derived from “marshy meadow where dill grows”, and in 1333 had a population of 100 people.” And there really is a Belair House. For more info: http://belairhouse.co.uk
https://www.southwark.gov.uk/parks-an…
The motto of Ben’s school is “For God’s Sake” (which was my first clue that this was a special story.) And yes, For God’s Sake start reading this series. Many thanks to at Rachel’s Random Resources and the publisher for a digital review copy. This is my honest review.
Author Bio –
Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Her first book, Hot Chocolate, set in Brussels and London, was a European hit and sold out in two weeks.
Death in Dulwich was published in September 2017 and has been a number one best-seller in the UK, US, France, Spain and Germany. A sequel, The Girl in the Gallery was published in December 2017 to critical acclaim and also hit the number one spot. Calamity in Camberwell, the third book in the London Murder Mystery series, was published in August 2018, with Homicide in Herne Hill following in October 2018. Revenge on the Rye came out in December 2018. The Body in Belair Park will be published on 25thJune 2019. Alice is currently working on the seventh London Murder Mystery adventure, The Slayings in Sydenham. Once again, it will feature Beth Haldane and DI Harry York.
Alice lives in south London and is married with two children, two step-children and two cats.
Alice is also a mummy blogger and book reviewer via her website: https://www.alicecastleauthor.com
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/alicecastleauthor/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/DDsDiary?lang=en
Links to buy books: http://www.MyBook.to/GirlintheGallery
http://www.myBook.to/1DeathinDulwich,
http://myBook.to/homicideinhernehill
http://myBook.to/revengeontherye
Death in Dulwich is now also out as an audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/B07N1VNMLT/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-140657&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_140657_rh_us
GIVEAWAY!
Win a signed copy of The Body in Belair (Open to UK and US Only)
*Terms and Conditions –US and UK 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.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494238/?
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