Death at a Country Mansion by Louise R. Innes

Death at a Country Mansion

by Louise R. Innes

Series: Daisy Thorne Mysteries #1
Series Rating:
Published by Kensington Cozies on December 1, 2020
Genres: Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery
Pages: 240
Format: Audible Audiobook, Audio CD, Kindle, Paperback
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Nook

No one would ever accuse famous opera star Dame Serena Levanté of lacking a flare for the dramatic. Unfortunately, it’s curtains down on the dysfunctional diva when she’s found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her elegant home. Solving an opera singer’s murder may not be the typical hairdresser’s aria of expertise. But Dame Serena was the mother of Daisy’s best friend Floria, so Daisy must do-or-dye her best to get to the roots of the case.

When a priceless Modigliani painting in the house is reported missing, the mystery gets even more tangled. Even though the gruff but handsome Detective Inspector Paul McGuinness tells the stylist to stay out of his hair, Daisy is determined to make sure the killer faces a stern makeover—behind bars.

Death at a Country Mansion by Louise R. Innes is a fantastic mystery filled with intrigue and secrets in a picturesque setting.

Who would kill Serena, the opera singer?

Daisy Thorne

Our sleuth is Daisy Thorne. She owns the local hair salon in the village of Edgemead, England, and is studying forensic psychology. Daisy is intelligent, beautiful, and alone. Yet, she has lots of friends that keep her company. Daisy’s parents don’t live in England anymore, and it seems they weren’t very good parents anyway. The one she was close to was her grandfather, a Detective Chief Inspector.

I like Daisy; she is a breath of fresh air when it comes to sleuths. She is smart and knows that but doesn’t lord it over people. In fact, people talk to her freely, and she is kind and considerate of their needs. I think there is a bit of chemistry between her and DI Paul McGuinness. That looks promising, for sure.

The Mystery

The mystery is so well plotted. We have the retired opera singer Dame Selena Lavante, drunk and dead, at the bottom of her grad staircase in her manor house. The woman has been so unhappy since she lost her voice. Dame Serena is a drama queen extraordinaire. She had planned to change her will prior to her death. Why? No one knows. And a valuable painting was stolen the same night. The suspects are endless. There are three ex-husbands, her current husband, her daughter, the help, and more.

Daisy is best friends with Floria, Serena’s daughter.  There is no way that Daisy is going to allow Floria to be the main suspect in the murder of her own mother, even if said mother was the worst of all mothers. Serena does not have a maternal bone in her. The woman was a piece of work. Who cares if her voice was beautiful at one time? Dame Serena Lavante was not a nice person.  I am not saying that she deserved what she got, but… Also, Ms. Innes completely played me, I fell for one of the red herring and dismissed the actual culprit. I was honestly guessing through most of it. However, I did catch a couple of the clues but didn’t see where they fit.

Five Stars

I love it when I am surprised at the end of the mystery. My rating for Death at a Country Mansion by Louise R. Innes is five stars. It is perfectly written, and I enjoyed the characters, along with the setting. I look forward to reading the next couple of books in the series. I highly recommend Death at a Country Mansion. If you haven’t already, check it out.

Daisy Thorne Mysteries

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Death at a Country Mansion by Louise R. Innes.

Until the next time,

 

 

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Jenz 2023 ABC Soup Authors RC
• Jenz 2023 Beachcombers Mystery RC
• Jenz 2023 Cloak and Dagger
• Jenz 2023 Craving the Cozies
• Jenz 2023 Cruisin' thru the Cozies
• Jenz 2023 Goodreads RC
• Jenz 2023 Medical Examiner RC
• Jenz 2023 Six Shooter

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