A Death in Chelsea by Lynn Brittney

A Death in Chelsea by Lynn Brittney ISBN-13: 9781912624201 Paperback: 326 pages Publisher: Mirror Books Released: March 14, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Set against the backdrop of WW1, Mayfair 100 is the telephone number for a small, specially-formed crime fighting team based in a house in Mayfair. A call comes through to Mayfair 100, where the intrepid team of investigators eagerly await their next case. A society gossip queen has been found hanged in her room in mysterious circumstances. Her enemies are numerous - and her family are convinced she was murdered. Can the group uncover the truth?


My Review:
A Death in Chelsea is a mystery set in 1915 in London. It's the second book in a series. The author assumed that the reader already knew who the characters were, so it may initially be confusing if you haven't read the previous book. The previous mystery was not spoiled.

A group of intelligent, resourceful women and policemen worked to solve a crime that needed to be kept a secret. It was a very complex mystery because several people were involved in the crime and more crimes were discovered along the way. Each person on the team played an important part on the team and contributed useful information to solving the crime. The crime was so complex that there's no way to guess every nuance before the confession. However, it was a puzzle mystery full of clues, and it was fun to guess as much as I could.

I understand that these characters were very "modern" and had seen some bad things due to the war. However, I'm never comfortable with a detective who decides to be judge and jury – deciding another person's fate, even if they go along with it. The doctor carried out two "mercy killings." She didn't even bother to question them about what they knew regarding the mystery before doing so, either. It just seemed very unprofessional.

One character graphically described what a corpse would look like if the person died from hanging. There was a fair amount of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this 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.