Dead in Tune

by Stephanie Dagg

3.5 out of 5

Synopsis

It’s nearly Christmas, a time for peace and goodwill. Or maybe not.

First the house of a young Spanish family is burned down, and then a Dutch clog dancer is battered almost to death with his own footwear. On the night of the carol service, at which the Worldwide Friendship Club’s choir is singing, a Scottish bagpiper is found dead. By Martha, who has come across enough dead bodies already this year to last her a lifetime.

Convinced there’s a link to the choir, Martha and best friend Lottie set out on the trail of the murderer. Their unconventional sleuthing methods land one of them in rather a lot of trouble…

‘Dead In Tune’, the sequel to ‘Hate Bale’, is an entertaining, festive cosy mystery set in rural France.

Review

Martha has joined a local club, and has been roped into doing a carol service in the run-up to Christmas. When several members of the club are attacked, she and Lottie must find out who is behind the violence.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sequel to Hate Bale. I haven't read the first book, and I didn't feel at a disadvantage starting with this one.

Martha is British, but moved to France. Hoping to gain French citizenship, she's been joining the local Worldwide Friendship Club, in the hope it will look good on her application.

The group is made up of people from various nationalities, and run by the unforgiving Belinda.

Martha is bullied into singing in the carol service, and even having to read a french sermon, when she only knows basic french. It's only made worthwhile by her friend Lottie joining in.

Then a young Spanish family almost dies in a house fire.

As her holiday let is empty, Martha takes them in, and discovers that the fire may not have been accidental.

I really liked the setting for this. Martha's farm is charming, and you get a real feel for life in this small French town. It felt realistic and relatable, for English Martha, and I get the feeling that the author's own experiences have added weight to this narrative.

I also really liked Martha's best friend Lottie. I found that she came off as shallow and abrasive at first, so I was gladly surprised when she won me over. She's just so much fun, and so unfiltered!

The not-so-good.

The pacing was a little slow for my liking. There were lots of musings that didn't lead anywhere.

I felt that information - on the victims/suspects and on living in France - weren't shared in the most natural manner, and sometimes broke the narration.

I don't think the suspects histories and potential motives were explored enough. There were some exciting possibilities brought up, but dismissed too quickly to even be a red herring.

I also thought the actual murderer and motives were thrown into the spotlight and turned into a villain a tad too quick.

Overall, this was a 3.5 out of 5 for me. I enjoyed this cozy mystery, and I look forward to reading more of Martha's adventures!

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