The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson

The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson ISBN-13: 9781464210853 Paperback Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Dec. 4, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
An American financier is found shot in the House of Commons. Suspecting foul play, Robert West, a parliamentary private secretary, takes on the role of amateur sleuth. Used to turning a blind eye to covert dealings, West must now uncover the secrets behind the man's demise, amid distractions from the press and the dead man's enigmatic daughter.

Originally published in 1932, this was the only mystery novel to be written by Ellen Wilkinson, one of the first women to be elected to Parliament. Wilkinson offers a unique insider's perspective of political scandal, replete with sharp satire.


My Review:
The Division Bell Mystery is a mystery set in England and originally published in 1932. It's mainly set in the House of Commons, and it's written by "one of the first women to be elected to Parliament." It provides an inside look at the building, the people in it, and the time period. This aspect in itself kept my interest.

The mystery was a clue-based puzzle mystery. I wasn't surprised by whodunit as it wasn't difficult to guess. But the main character--a parliamentary private secretary--is besotted by a woman who should be a suspect (so he isn't thinking logically) and is more concerned with calming the political crisis. He's simply supposed to be helping the police and others who are working to solve the crime. However, he did poke around some on his own, too. The group of people investigating the crime do combine clues to solve whodunit and finally solve the "locked room" aspect.

There was no sex. There was some bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.