Murder at Holly House by Denzil Meyrick
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Reviews
Three Stars
Best for:
Those who enjoy a little bit of wry humor with their cozy mystery.
In a nutshell:
Inspector Grasby has been sent to a village to help investigate some thefts, but while there, at least one body is discovered.
Worth quoting:
(Shows the style of humor in the book) “Let me tell you, being assailed at gunpoint is by no means my favourite way to spend time.”
Why I chose it:
I got sucked in by the display at Waterstones.
Review:
This was a fairly fun read. Not my favorite mystery, but it definitely kept me guessing.
Grasby narrates the story from his perspective, though we are told in the beginning that this has been pieced together based on journals his distant cousin has discovered. And it is clearly set up to be the first in a series, as Grasby hints at other stories to tell ‘at another time.’
Grasby is a bit of a screw up, though he hints that he did some brave things during his time as a soldier in WWII. This book is set seven years after the war, and while I found it interesting how often the war was referenced, it eventually does make sense. The town is full of interesting characters, as you’d expect. When Grasby arrives to investigate thefts (a bit of a punishment for messing up a case in his larger city office), it becomes clear that something else is going on. Some of the townsfolk are quite helpful, others are standoffish and rude.
About partway through the book we learn there’s another level to what is going on in the town, but like Grasby, we aren’t entirely sure what should be believed and who should be trusted. As is always the case with a good mystery, eh?
I’ll probably read the follow-up book (I bought that one too), but maybe not until next Christmas.
