Death Sits Down to Dinner (Lady Montfort Mystery #2) by Tessa Arlen

Final Rating: 3.5/5

Another comforting slice of old-fashioned mystery

  It’s one thing to be considered an absolute bore at a distinguished dinner party but it’s quite another to be found face down on your hostess’s pristine white damask table covering in spilled port with a knife in your chest. Unfortunately that’s the scene and final impression Sir Reginald left at the elaborate dinner celebration for the First Lord of the Admiralty but have no fear because these sudden turn of events have piqued the interests of Lady Montfort who is curious to step out of the expected behavior of her glittering circle and seek answers and relive a little of the mystery and indecent secrets that excited her to discover the previous year. A vital lesson learned from that exchange was the killer could be anyone and be waiting anywhere.

  With a wary eye on the upstairs eminent company there is an essential need to also have the outwardly loyal downstairs observed and questioned. Only one person Lady Montfort trusts as this situation needs handled with discretion and quickly because the highlight of the season is approaching, so she calls on her head housekeeper Mrs. Jackson who has an equally inquisitive nature and trained eye for anything out of place. Together these women pull back the velvet curtains of the privileged and push past the green baize door of servants to reveal many shared stations of malice, suspicion, devotion and finally possible motives for murder. But which one of these worlds holds the killer and will this unpleasant business be concluded before the huge charity event? Because you know to be late for the event of the season, simply won’t do.

  For this reader, I found this novel to be another comforting slice of old-fashioned mystery and I look forward to any future novels in this series. Although I enjoyed Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman a bit more and thought that book more attuned to the pre-world war I era of upstairs and downstairs with its: outstanding attention to detail, believable dialogue, situations, descriptions and final reveal to the murder mystery; I still thought Death Sits Down to Dinner delightful and worth recommending to admirers of the mystery classics and assorted historical fiction. Its pages echo Agatha Christie with lists of possible suspects and multi-layered motives, so much so that this novel just may catch the most seasoned murder mystery reader off guard. Like this book’s prequel actual facts and historic names are stirred very nicely into the chapters and closing pages which overall continues to impress this enthusiast of this era and setting. Speaking of names just like the first of this enjoyable series there is a large list of characters and brief descriptions to be found in the front of the novel that can serve wonderfully for anyone who may get intimidated with all the generously sprinkled characters and suspects. Finally if interested readers out there are concerned they missed Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman, this second novel can be read alone and there is no better time to dig in with this delectable cozy mystery series.

*I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy Death Sits Down to Dinner (Lady Montfort Mystery #2)


Title Released: March 29, 2016

Also in this series: 

Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman (Lady Montfort Mystery #1)

by Tessa Arlen