Once again I
have the UK Crime Book Club to thank for telling me about an author and a series
new to me. Followers of 1920s historical mysteries will be delighted to learn
about private investigator Mrs. Iris Jameson and her assistant Marjorie Swallow who have
appeared in three books so far by Anna Sayburn Lane. (The UK Crime Book Club is
a private group on Facebook. The administrators also issue a monthly email of
new releases and organize events in the UK. It is a sure way to expand one’s
reading universe.)
The newest
title in the series was released in early May. Death at Chelsea
(Starling Street, May 2024) finds Mrs. Jameson and Marjorie in the country,
where they have been retained by the Halls to identify the person responsible
for damaging the rare Himalayan lilies on which the Halls have pinned their
financial hopes. Their horticultural firm will be displaying the blue lilies at
the upcoming 1923 Chelsea Flower Show, where they hope to win a prize.
The garden
show is held by the Royal Horticultural Society each year in the spring. Much
more than just a display of flowers and plants, it is the event that kicks off
the social season in London. Members of the royal family invariably attend, and
crowds of enthusiastic, well-heeled gardeners flock to find new and unusual
plants to add to their collections. The show is a gold mine for any business in
the plant and flower industry, and the Halls’ fears are well-founded.
The 2024
Chelsea Flower Show just ended, see the prize winners here: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/awards
When the lead
gardener responsible for the Halls’ exhibit died suddenly just days before
opening and a toxicology review found yew in the dead man’s system, the Jameson
investigation of sabotage expanded to include murder. Fortunately Inspector Peter
Chadwick with whom Iris Jameson had previously worked was assigned to the case.
This story
immediately reminded me of the John Putnam Thatcher case involving plant
research and development, Green Grow the Dollars (Simon & Schuster,
1982). The amount of money generated by the lawn and garden industry has always
been considerable. And where there is money, there is always crime, as Peter
King noted in one of his Gourmet Detective mysteries.
I liked this
book more than I expected. The character of former drapers’ assistant Marjorie,
who provides the narrative, is likable, naïve but learning fast. Her boss Iris
Jameson is enigmatic, at least to Marjorie, but perhaps more will be revealed
as the series unfolds. The period details include references to the political
unrest in England and the great interest in geographical exploration that
absorbed Europe in the early 20th century. The plot resolution
relies more on confession by the culprits than sound police work, though.
This story will
appeal to a broad sector of mystery readers: private detective fans, those who
like original characters, those who favor historical mysteries, especially in
the time between the wars such as the Daisy Dalrymple series and the Dandy
Gilver books, and to admirers of flower and gardening mysteries. The next book
about the Jameson and Swallow duo is scheduled for release in October 2024.
·
Publisher: Starling Street Books
(May 2, 2024)
·
Language: English
·
Paperback: 262 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1739514440
·
ISBN-13: 978-1739514440
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4dNyArn
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2024
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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