I promised I'd be back with more contrived murder mysteries and here.I.am.
After the torrent of self-reflection, diligent note-taking, and general brain bogglement of More Than A Body, I needed a "beach book" and indeed I found one in Death Comes to the Fair by Catherine Lloyd.
Both of my longtime readers may recall a couple of reviews I posted this summer of books by Catherine Lloyd: Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder and Death Comes to Kurland Hall. The latter of these two titles was actually the third installment of Lloyd's Kurland St. Mary Mystery series. (Miss Morton is the first of a separate series by the same author.) Death Comes to the Fair is book number four in the Kurland St. Mary series and immediately follows the events of Death Comes to Kurland Hall.
As with its predecessor, I found Death Comes to the Fair at my library's used book store for a quarter. (Sure, why not?) Also like its predecessor, it serves up sizable portions of English stereotypes and obnoxiously proper conventions -- all in only 281 pages! Without spoilers, I will say that I called this one early on and pegged the murderer and his/her cohorts. Still, knowing this didn't make it any less fun openly laughing at the ridiculous antics of Regency England: sending notes with the fast servant that we all have (our wealthy ancestors' equivalent to texting), insisting a grown-ass woman be "chaperoned" on an outing with her equally grown-ass fiancé (heaven forbid they hold eye contact longer than sanctioned), consuming copious amounts of brandy in lieu of breakfast (as we all would if we lived in early 19th century England), slut shaming veiled as public concern with a woman's virtue (Gracious, Amelia! Observe how her bonnet is askew. What promiscuity!). This book has it all!
It was a simpler time.
As with all of these types of novels, I can't exactly say that I'd recommend them to anyone. They aren't particularly thought provoking or meaningful, but not everything has to be, right? Yet there are aspects within that are entirely too cringey, preventing me from offering them as suggestions to friends and family. Nevertheless, they do provide a fun escape into another world where I get to watch other people deal with their problems (while I avoid my own).
A fun read, an ideal "beach book"...and just what I needed.
