The Slayings in Sydenham
(The London Murder Mysteries Book 7)
by Alice Castle
Amazon US / UK / AU / CA
A dangerous move…
Single mum and super sleuth, Beth Haldane, has been set her most daunting task yet by handsome cop boyfriend Inspector Harry York. He wants her to find them a new home – outside Dulwich! Beth can hardly bear the idea, so when a young estate agent turns up dead, she diverts her energies to nailing the killer instead.
As it turns out, more or less everyone in Dulwich who has ever moved house may have a motive. But do some of the richest residents have an even stronger reason to murder the agent than others? What on earth is up with Dr Grover, head of prestigious private school, Wyatt’s? Does Beth’s uber-mummy nemesis, Belinda MacKenzie, have more reason than usual to be swaggering about the village? And who is sending Beth sinister text messages?
Join Beth for her seventh thrilling adventure amid the mean streets of south London, in The Slayings in Sydenham!
My Rating:
Favorite Quotes:
The girl now flicked her eyes very slightly up and down Beth’s own random assembly of clothes and readjusted her smile. A series of noughts seemed to be vanishing off her estimation of Beth’s net worth.
The telly that the three-piece suite had no doubt been grouped around was conspicuous by its absence, leaving the chairs looking like a group of worshippers in search of a deity.
Harry says I’m like a cadaver dog. Honestly, if I never see another dead body as long as I live, that would suit me just fine.
…his funds had to stretch, like cheap prosecco at a second wedding.
It was no good stressing discretion to Nina. If she hadn’t currently worked in the estate agents, her dream job would have been town crier, complete with a medieval-style tabard and handbell as she went around announcing items of juicy gossip to all and sundry.
My Review:
Alice Castle’s clever levity and diabolically witty observations had me smirking and snorting while delving into the latest misadventures of my favorite tiny pixie booted snoop. Beth Haldane is one of my all-time favorite characters. Beth is deliciously flawed, which makes her all the more appealing to me as she is a somewhat lazy and cheapskate busybody who is militantly stubborn and highly prone to daydreaming, equivocation, and procrastination.
I covet Ms. Castle’s clever wordplay and her vocabulary is to be greatly admired, unlike her character of Nina who had me hooting with gleeful delight at her malaprops and misuages, not that I have ever been known to make such grievous errors myself ~ snort. The storylines were well-crafted with a writing style that was as engaging as it was highly amusing and bestowed yet another new word for my Brit Words and Phrases List with wittered on – which means to jabber. Much like my reviewing style…
About the Author
Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Her first book, Hot Chocolate, set in Brussels and London, was a European hit and sold out in two weeks.
Death in Dulwich was published in September 2017 and has been a number one best-seller in the UK, US, France, Spain and Germany. A sequel, The Girl in the Gallery was published in December 2017 to critical acclaim and also hit the number one spot. Calamity in Camberwell, the third book in the London Murder Mystery series, was published in August 2018, with Homicide in Herne Hill following in October 2018. Revenge on the Rye came out in December 2018. The Body in Belair Park will be published on 25th June 2019. Alice is currently working on the seventh London Murder Mystery adventure, The Slayings in Sydenham. Once again, it will feature Beth Haldane and DI Harry York.
Alice is also a mummy blogger and book reviewer via her website: https://www.alicecastleauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alicecastleauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceMCastle
Links to buy books: http://www.MyBook.to/GirlintheGallery http://www.myBook.to/1DeathinDulwich,
http://myBook.to/homicideinhernehill
http://myBook.to/revengeontherye
Death in Dulwich is now also out as an audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/B07N1VNMLT/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-140657&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_140657_rh_us
Alice lives in south London and is married with two children, two step-children and two cats.
Giveaway
Win a signed copy of The Slayings in Sydenham
(Open to UK and US Only)
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Great review
What a gorgeous review, DJ! So pleased you liked The Slayings in Sydenham and I am beyond thrilled that Beth is one of your all-time favourite characters – what an honour! I’ll be smiling all day 🙂 Well, I won’t witter on (unlike Beth) but will just say THANK YOU so much and hope you’ll enjoy the next adventure too x
Glad you enjoyed this book. Seems like you have read a lot of winner lately.
Your reviews are perfect.. I Witter when I have nothing to write about 😂😂😂
Striking cover. I kept staring at the red and black. Thanks for sharing another excellent review.
I always love the additions to your Brit library 🙂 I’ve been in the mood for some murder mysteries – I will be picking this one up in the near future. Great review, as always!