Glady's Mitchell's terrific heroine, Mrs Beatrice Bradley, is a recent discovery for me. Six of her 66 novels are currently in e-print from Random House and happily available from my local library. In October, I reported on
The Saltmarsh Murders here. In
Death at the Opera (1934), Mrs Bradley is brought in to investigate the suspicious drowning of a teacher at Hillmaston School; the incident took place during the performance of
The Mikado by the students and staff for the benefit of the parents and local community. Despite drowning in a basin of water in a utility closet, the coroner declares suicide – but the headmaster is not convinced. Enter sly but feisty Mrs Bradley who quickly uncovers dark motives, deep secrets, clandestine love affairs and potential enemies around every corner: seemingly everyone had a motive and an alibi. And then a second murder occurs ...
It's a delicious tale, told at a leisurely pace, full of eccentric but believable characters which will leave you routing for one, then another, to be innocent or spared from an indiscretion being made public. It's not clear to me why other talented writers – contemporaries Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh and others – are still so widely celebrated yet Mitchell is not. One hopes a mini revival is taking place and more of these delightful stories will return to circulation.
Available for
Kobo,
Kindle and from other vendors for about $8.50.