Heirs of the Body: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery

Heirs of the Body is the twenty-first novel to feature Daisy Dalrymple and, if you close one eye, it falls within the definition of a cozy novel (the slight problem being that the main reason she gets into investigations is her husband Alex who’s a senior detective at Scotland Yard). This time, to show the exception which proves the rule, Daisy’s Uncle Edgar (that’s Lord Dalrymple to the likes of you and me), has turned fifty and there’s still no sign of an heir. To protect the estate, he therefore instructs the estate’s solicitor to track down whoever has the best right to the title and all that goes with it.

Due diligence suggests one of four claimants may have the best claim so Daisy is invited to look them over. When they are invited to weekend at the country estate, strange things happen and one dies, possibly of a heart attack. The historical side of the book is masterful. This beautifully captures the class-ridden realities of 1920’s Britain but, for reasons I can’t explain to avoid spoilers, the mystery plot is less exciting than it could have been. So if you like historical mysteries which are strong in the sense of period, this is for you.