Daisy Dalrymple Mystery

23 primary works • 26 total works

Death at Wentwater Court

by Carola Dunn

Published 15 May 1994

No stranger to sprawling country estates, well-heeled Daisy Dalrymple is breaking new ground at Wentwater Court to cover a story for Town & Country magazine. But her interview gives way to interrogation when suave Lord Stephen Astwick meets a chilly end on the tranquil skating pond.

With evidence that his death was anything but accidental, Daisy joins forces with Scotland Yard so the culprit can't slip through their fingers like the unfortunate Astwick slipped through the ice ...

Praise for The Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries:

'Appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece.' Publishers Weekly

'As always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above... This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries.' Booklist

The Winter Garden Mystery

by Carola Dunn

Published 15 March 1995

So who put the body in with the spring bulbs?

The merest hint of spring has arrived in Cheshire, and so has young reporter Daisy Dalrymple. The feisty flapper's visit is a breath of fresh air for gloomy Occles Hall. But while photographing the rather barren grounds, Daisy spots that someone's been digging among the first green shoots - and much to her horror unearths the corpse of missing parlour maid Grace Moss.

So begins an extraordinary adventure, as first the dead woman's shocking secret is revealed and then Daisy swiftly realizes she needs to catch the killer before she herself is left pushing up the daisies . . .

Praise for the Daisy Dalrymple series:

'Manners (P G Wodehouse-style) and mystery get equal time in a low-key story with considerable charm.' Kirkus Reviews

'Engaging . . . Dunn's style gives an entertaining spark.' Publishers Weekly

Requiem for a Mezzo

by Carola Dunn

Published 15 January 1996

With dashing Scotland Yard detective Alec Fletcher at her side, Daisy Dalrymple is enjoying a splendid performance of Verdi's Requiem featuring her neighbour Muriel Westlea's celebrated sister, Bettina. But the show comes to an abrupt end when what emerges from the star's gifted vocal chords is literally a dying gasp.

Daisy soon learns that the doomed diva was notoriously difficult and had more than her share of enemies. There's a philandering tenor, a burly Russian bass and even her own vocal coach husband, with whom she had a turbulent relationship.

Did one of them poison the singer? Or was it someone determined to see that Daisy's investigation ends on as bitter a note as Bettina's last performance . . .

Praise for the Daisy Dalrymple series:

'Dunn describes 1920s London and the characters in detail and highlights the interplay between Alec and Daisy.' Library Journal

'Engaging . . . Dunn's style gives an entertaining spark.' Publishers Weekly

Murder on the Flying Scotsman

by Carola Dunn

Published 15 November 1996

Daisy's in danger of heading off the rails!

Daisy's embarking on a journey to Edinburgh and her biggest worry is that she has forgotten her book, so how will she pass the time? Her concern proves to be pointless, however, as once the journey begins Daisy finds a pint-sized stowaway on board - Belinda, the daughter of dreamy Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher, Daisy's beau.

No sooner has this problem revealed itself than Daisy and Belinda run into a bickering Scottish clan en route to the deathbed of the head of the family. But before the express reaches its first stop, one of the greedy McGowans has turned up dead. Is it murder? Daisy's willing to bet her first-class ticket it is - after all, the victim was the heir-in-waiting and she's sharing the carriage with an entire family of suspects who have everything to gain by his death...

Praise for the Daisy Dalrymple series:

'Cunning... appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece.' Publishers Weekly

'As always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above the average British cosy. This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries.' Booklist

'For fans of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels' Library Journal

Damsel in Distress

by Carola Dunn

Published 1 September 1997

Simply mad about the girl...

In spring a young man's fancy will turn to love and the Honourable Phillip Petrie is no exception. Daisy's chum is totally smitten with Miss Gloria Arbuckle, daughter of a millionaire Yank. But before the enthusiastic suitor can pop the question, his beloved is abducted by kidnappers. As a distraught Mr Arbuckle begins assembling the ransom, Phillip enlists Daisy to help him recover his missing sweetheart.

Strictly forbidden to contact Scotland Yard, Daisy must resist the temptation to bring dashing Detective Inspector Alec Fletcher onto the case. But as she closes in on the abductors' rural hideway, she begins to suspect that Gloria isn't the only fair damsel whose life hangs in the balance...

Praise for the Daisy Dalrymple series:

'Cunning... appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece.' Publishers Weekly

'As always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above the average British cosy. This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries.' Booklist

'For fans of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels' Library Journal

Dead in the Water

by Carola Dunn

Published 1 September 1998

In July 1923, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple travels to Henley-on-Thames to visit her aunt and uncle, watch the annual intercollegiate rowing races, and spend a quiet weekend with her fiance, Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard. But things go awry when a murder occurs on her cousin's team and Daisy is again in the middle.

Styx and Stones

by Carola Dunn

Published 30 July 1999

In the 1920's, in post-WWI England, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple, newly married to Detective Inspector Alec Fletcher, is asked by her brother-in-law to discreetly investigate a series of poisoned pen letters that many of the local villagers have been receiving. When the pompous and unbearable brother of the local vicar is killed by a very large rock dropped on his head from a great height, it seems clear to all that this campaign of gossip has escalated to murder. With the help of her husband, who'd rather she not get involved in murder, Daisy undertakes to uncover the identity of the viper in the local nest is and who that person has driven to murder before the murderer strikes a second time.

Rattle His Bones

by Carola Dunn

Published 7 June 2000

As a grey drizzle descends upon the damp errand boys and busy omnibuses of London, Daisy Dalrymple is feeling rather cheerful and excited to be showing her nephew and future stepdaughter the glories of Kensington's Natural History Museum. But as closing time draws near, Daisy and Co. hear a tremendous crash and are horrified to discover one of the curators dead - horribly murdered - atop of a pile of dinosaur bones.

Together with her fiance, Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, Daisy is soon investigating a baffling case of missing gems, dispossessed European gentry, fakery and fossils... and where professional grudges boil over into murder!

To Davy Jones Below

by Carola Dunn

Published 7 July 2001

With the peal of wedding bells still ringing in their ears, Daisy Dalrymple and her new husband, Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher, take an ocean trip to America. On board they are joined by a coterie of acquaintances, including American industrialist Caleb P. Arbuckle, his friend, millionaire Jethro Gotobed, and his new wife Wanda, an ex-showgirl with huge ambitions.

But very soon the pleasant voyage dissolves into an atmosphere thick with chaos, intrigue and vicious gossip, followed by a series of suspicious accidents and a sudden death. And with harsh weather and rough seas making the crossing even more perilous, it's up to Daisy and Alec to uncover the tangled secrets and hidden agendas of some very dangerous guests...

The Case of the Murdered Muckraker

by Carola Dunn

Published 14 February 2002

In late 1923, the newly married Daisy Dalrymple and her husband Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, come to America for a honeymoon visit. In the midst of a pleasure trip, however, both work in a bit of business - Alec travels to Washington, D. C. to consult with the U.S. government, Daisy to New York to meet with her American magazine editor. While in New York, Daisy stays at the famed Chelsea Hotel, which is not only close to the Flatiron Building offices of Abroad magazine, where she'll be meeting with her editor, but home to many of New York's artists and writers.
After her late morning meeting, Daisy agrees to accompany her editor, Mr. Thorwald, to lunch but as they are leaving the offices, they hear a gun shot and see a man plummeting down an elevator shaft. The man killed was one of her fellow residents at the Chelsea Hotel, Otis Carmody, who was a journalist with no end of enemies - personal and professional - who would delight in his death. Again in the midst of a murder investigation, Daisy's search for the killer takes her to all levels of society, and even a mad dash across the country itself, as she attempts to solve a puzzle that would baffle even Philo Vance himself.

Mistletoe and Murder

by Carola Dunn

Published 2 December 2002

In December 1923, Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher yields to the demands of her mother and the needs of her writing career and brings her family to an old Cornish estate for Christmas. The estate, occupied by the poor relations of the ancestral lord, has a rich history of lore, ghost stories, and festering resentments - some or all of which leaves them all trapped in a house with a corpse and a murderer.

Die Laughing

by Carola Dunn

Published 19 October 2003

In April 1924, the honourable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher must face her darkest fears and confront the one person she's tried to avoid - the dentist. But upon arriving for her appointment, she discovers the dentist stone-cold dead.

A Mourning Wedding

by Carola Dunn

Published 1 September 2004

When a wedding at the estate of the charming Earl of Haverhill is interrupted by the dual murders of the bride's great aunt and uncle, Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher and her husband, Detective Chief Inspector Alex Fletcher, must deduce who among a horde of wedding guests is the culprit.

Fall of a Philanderer

by Carola Dunn

Published 1 September 2005

In the summer of 1924, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher is off on a summer holiday by the sea with her step daughter Belinda, Belinda's chum Deva, and Daisy's husband, Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard. Daisy is anticipating a relaxing, non-dramatic holiday. But Daisy doesn't have that kind of luck. It seems that a low-rent Don Juan has been busily seducing the local woman folk and, in a town this small, no secret is kept for long. As is amply illustrated when the Fletcher's simple picnic is interrupted by the discovery of a broken body at the foot of the cliff - that of the philandering local innkeeper of bad memory.

Gunpowder Plot

by Carola Dunn

Published 19 September 2006

In the winter of 1924, Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher travels to a school friend's house to witness the estate's famous Guy Fawkes celebration. But she gets more than a quiet weekend at the quaint family manse that she was originally hoping for. The home is the site of some severe family tension - the Viscount and head of family is a strict and unyielding sort, insisting that everyone - especially his children - meet his own unreasonable expectations. On the evening of the Guy Fawkes celebration, the Viscount is found dead on the floor of his study, killed by his own hand. What's more, he apparently first killed a guest - a married woman visiting England from Australia - before turning the gun on himself. Now it's up to Alec Fletcher, Daisy's husband and a DCI of Scotland Yard, to unravel the mystery and the long held family secrets that led to this state of affairs before anyone else can fall prey to the tragic cycle of events - a solution that will require, perhaps, more than a little help from Daisy herself.

The Bloody Tower

by Carola Dunn

Published 4 September 2007

In early 1925, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher, recent mother of twins, resumes her journalistic career by agreeing to write a piece about the Tower of London - The Bloody Tower - for an American magazine. Invited to observe the centuries old ritual Ceremony of the Keys, she's spending the night (her first time away from her babies) since the complex is locked and guarded, and the high walls are surrounded by a disused moat. Having been given a tour of the Crown Jewels, interviewed and observed the Yeoman Warders, and met the Ravenmaster, Daisy has more than enough material for her article and decides to leave as early as possible the next morning to return to her family. But when walking down the stairs, she almost trips over the dead body of one of the Yeoman Warders. That there's something seriously amiss cannot be denied, due to the pike sticking out of his back. With her husband, Scotland Yard DCI Alec Fletcher assigned to resolve the case, Daisy finds herself in the middle of the investigation.

Black Ship

by Carola Dunn

Published 2 September 2008

In 1925, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher, her husband, Alec Fletcher (a Scotland Yard Detective) and their new twin infant children inherit and move to a new, larger house on the outskirts of London proper, in a stage of slight disrepair (thanks to an aged, now deceased, uncle). Set in a small circle of houses and a communal garden, it seems a near idyllic setting. That is until a dead body turns up half-hidden under the bushes of the communal garden, rumors of bootleggers, American gangsters, and an international liquor smuggling operation via black ships turn everything upside down. And it's up to Daisy - well, Alec with some help from Daisy - to find out who the dead man is, why he was murdered and who did him in!

Sheer Folly

by Carola Dunn

Published 15 September 2009

In March of 1926, Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher and her friend Lucy head off for several days at stately home reputed to have the best grotto in the country. Working on a book of architectural follies they plan to research and photograph it.

Leaving her husband and young twins behind, Daisy is expecting a productive weekend at Appsworth Hall, with the only potential difficulty being keeping Lucy from offending the current owner, a manufacturer of plumbing products. Alas, it's not to be quite so simple.

At the home, they find themselves faced with a curious assortment of people including the abominable, tactless Lord Rydal, who is rumored to be having an affair with one of the guests while at the same time in ardent and artless pursuit of the hand in marriage of another. When the grotto explodes with Lord Rydal in it, it's not a question of who would do it - as most who've met him would be sorely tempted - but who actually did do it.

Praise for the Daisy Dalrymple series:

'Cunning... appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece.' Publishers Weekly

'As always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above the average British cosy. This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries.' Booklist

'For fans of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels' Library Journal

Anthem for Doomed Youth

by Carola Dunn

Published 29 March 2011

Alec Fletcher's plans to attend his daughter Belinda's school sports day are thwarted by the discovery of three bodies buried in Epping forest. Sent to investigate, he and his team are hindered from the start by uncooperative Essex policeman, DI Gant, who resents Scotland Yard encroaching on his patch. But a bigger problem, however, is identifying the victims and finding a common link between them to explain their being buried so close together, though at intervals of several months.

When Alec tells Daisy about the case, she's hooked, and with her own bit of digging around, uncovers the fact that one of the victims was a colonel. Is there a military connection? And when the police eventually discover that the other victims did serve with the colonel, this becomes a tragic case with its roots firmly buried in events during the Great War.

Praise for the Daisy Dalrymple series:

Cunning ... appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece. Publisher's Weekly.

As always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above the average British cosy. This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries. Booklist.

For fans of Dorothy L.Sayers novels. Library Journal.

Gone West

by Carola Dunn

Published 1 January 2012

Daisy's hot on the trail of a murdered writer!

September 1926, and Daisy's in Derbyshire, visiting an old school friend who's currently employed by a novelist as his personal secretary. Sylvia Richmond has asked Daisy to investigate discreetly as she suspects something is seriously amiss with him. Upon arrival, Daisy finds a household of relatives and friends all living off the hospitality of Humphrey Birtwhistle who has been supporting them through his pseudonymous Western sales. When he took ill a while back Sylvia carried on penning the books, only to find that her versions led to an increase in sales and advances. And now she fears someone in the house is poisoning Birtwhistle to keep him ill and keep Sylvia writing the better paid versions.

Before Daisy can even begin a bit of decent investigating however, Birtwhistle dies under suspicious circumstances - and Daisy now faces a death to untangle with a household of suspects... and a husband who is less pleased to find his wife in the centre of a murder investigation!

Praise for the Daisy Dalrymple series:

Cunning... appropriate historical detail and witty dialogue are the finishing touches on this engaging 1920s period piece. Publisher's Weekly

As always, Dunn evokes the life and times of 1920s England while providing a plot that is a cut above the average British cosy. This will delight readers who love country-house mysteries. Booklist

For fans of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels. Library Journal