Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I am liking Kate Shackleton more with each book in this series! A WWI widow, Kate has become an independent woman and a discreet investigator in an era when women did no such thing! In this installment, Kate's beau, Lucian Simonson have reached a place in their relationship where marriage is a possiblilty. Dr Simonson has inherited a house from his Aunt Freda and offers it to Kate and her niece Harriet, who is recovering from diptheria and has just been released from hospital. A fortnight in the country would be a good thing for Harriet's recovery, and would give Kate an opportunity to see the house and consider if she could live there as the wife of a country doctor.
Almost as soon as they arrive, an old friend of Aunt Freda's asks Kate for her help in solving an old murder and the race is on. Another murder, an attempted murder, mistreated workers, and we have a really busy story!!

As frequent readers know, I especially enjoy mysteries set in England and just finishedA DEATH IN THE DALES by Frances Brody which was released earlier this month. That's the latest entry (#7, I believe) in the Kate Shackleton mystery series which is set in 1920s England. This time, private detective Kate is planning to take a fortnight holiday with her niece in the rural village of Langcliffe.

They soon learn of a case from the previous decade where the wrong man may have been convicted. Somehow combining that quest with a newly missing boy and a suspicious farmer's death, Kate has plenty of questioning to do. The quiet country setting was fun to envision and the multiple story lines had me guessing up until the end. Read these cozy mysteries by Frances Brody especially if you like others from the same period by Jacqueline Winspear or Charles Todd.

Link in live post: http://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2016/09/english-mysteries.html

If you had told me a couple of chapters into this book that I would be giving it four stars, I would have given you the full-on Spock eyebrow. The writing was a little stiff, a little stilted, and I was pretty sure this was going to be a bomb.

It's the seventh book in its series – I really do try to avoid doing that, and keep failing. But I think it worked on its own. I felt I was adequately introduced to Kate Shackleton and her life and career, without being completely spoiled (as far as I know) for the earlier books. I have no idea how the main character's love interest, Lucian, was introduced and built up prior to this installment, but here things are coming to a head: her thirteen-year-old niece is recovering from whooping cough (?), and she has decided to take the girl away from the home where she would be kept busy looking after younger siblings, to a village where she might have the chance to rest and actually recuperate. And Lucian just so happens to have a cottage, left him by his aunt, which will be just the place. And if her stay there – with his frequent visits – lead her to finally agreeing to marry him, well then.

Kate is barely there a minute when a mystery falls into her lap. Apparently her reputation as a detective has preceded her, and as it turns out Aunt Freda witnessed a murder some ten years ago. Despite her eyewitness account that he couldn’t have done it, despite her constant campaigning, a young Irish laborer was arrested, tried, convicted, and hanged for the killing. Now, years after her own death, all of her notes on the case are foisted upon Kate, and whether she wants the job or not she is duty bound to try to clear the name of the man who was executed.

Meanwhile, of course, there are a number of smaller mysteries to clear up along the way, not least of which is what exactly her feelings really are toward Lucian, and which path her life will take.

By the end of the book I was surprised at how much I was enjoying myself. I don't know if I'll make the effort to read the rest of the series, or any books which follow this, but I admit I am curious about the Lucian story thread – so it's not impossible I'll read more. Not overly likely, but not impossible.

One small detail I absolutely loved was:

"Once settled, she banged her head on the pillow eleven-and-a-bit times, to be sure of waking before midnight.
"‘What you doing?’ Madge asked.
"‘Reminding meself.’"

This is a trick I've only ever read about before in E. Nesbit, and it's something I've done ever since: if you want to make sure you wake up at nine o'clock, lift and drop your head on your pillow nine times. I'm not going to say it's infallible – but I'm also not going to say it doesn't work.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

A Death in the Dales by is the seventh book in A Kate Shackleton Mystery series. Kate Shackleton is taking her niece, Harriet on holiday to recover from her bout of diphtheria. They are going to stay in Lilac Cottage owned by Dr. Lucian Simonson, Kate’s beau. He inherited the cottage six months prior when his Aunt Freda. Kate is hoping for a relaxing fortnight in Langcliffe, but the fates are not with her. Kate and Harriet have barely arrived when Mr. Bradley Wigglesworth arrives. Wigglesworth had been a friend of Freda’s, and she had entrusted a box of papers with him before her death. Freda had witnessed the murder of Rufus Holroyd in 1916, but her testimony was discounted. The case haunted Freda for the past ten years, because she knew the wrong man was convicted and hanged for the crime. Kate feels compelled to look through the papers and the case peaks her interest. Harriet meets Beth Young in the village. Beth is worried about her brother, Martin. After the death of their mother, the two siblings were brought to town and put to work. Martin is working at Raistrick Farm. Martin was supposed to show up for the May Day festivities and he never arrived. When he fails to show up soon thereafter, Kate agrees to drive out to the farm to inquire about the young boy. Unfortunately, Kate’s profession as a detective has gotten out in the village and soon she is approached by Mrs. Victoria Trevelyan about a delicate situation. Someone is trying to blackmail Mrs. Trevelyan about letter she wrote to a past lover. Mrs. Trevelyan would like Kate to obtain the letters. It is not turning out to be much of a holiday for Kate. Harriet, though, is thrilled. She is fascinated by her aunt’s business and believes it might be the right profession for her. Harriet wishes to act as Kate’s assistant. Langcliffe may be a small village, but it is rife with secrets. This trip is also about Lucian and Kate making decisions about their future. It does not look promising when Lucian objects to Kate’s exploring the murder of Rufus Holroyd. This holiday is not turning out the way Kate expected.

A Death in the Dales was easy to read and well-written. I have not read the previous books in A Kate Shackleton Mystery series, but it was not a deterrent. The author provided all the information a reader needs to enjoy this novel. I liked the main character, Kate Shackleton. She is a smart, strong woman (thank heavens) and a good example to her niece, Harriet. I liked Harriet as well. I hope the author includes her in future books. I believe A Death in the Dales is the type of book you want to curl up with in a cozy chair on a rainy afternoon (and do not forget to have your favorite beverage and snack nearby). The author did a superb job at capturing the time and place. You can tell that Frances Brody did her research. I give A Death in the Dales 4 out of 5 stars. There is a lot going on in this book, but I was able to keep track of the various storylines and their characters. There are a couple of slow spots, but they did not bother me. The romance portion of the book seemed off. I did not feel any love or passion between Kate and Lucian. It felt like the writer seemed there should be a romance in the book and, therefore, included one. Kate and Lucian did not seem compatible, and I could not see Kate becoming a doctor’s wife (especially since she has no clue about shopping, cooking, and village politics). The murder mystery was entertaining and I liked the puzzle. I was able to figure out the killer before the reveal (you know I love solving the mystery). I believe most readers will be surprised. I am definitely going to read the other books in A Kate Shackleton Mystery series.

This is my first read from the series and the tale is set in 1926, when Mrs Kate Shackleton takes her niece for a holiday in the village of Langcliffe. In the home of her friend Dr Lucien Simonson late aunt, the aunt who ten years previously had witnessed a murder but her testimony was discredited. So while investigating Kate uncovers a few secrets.
I enjoyed this gentle murder mystery, and found it very easy and descriptive read. I liked the main characters, and look forward to start reading the series from Book One.

Loved the female detective Kate, disappointed in her romance. Unusual mystery, good, but yuck!

"A murder most foul: When the landlord of a Yorkshire tavern is killed in plain sight, Freda Simonson, the only witness to the crime, becomes plagued with guilt, believing the wrong man has been convicted. Following her death, it seems that the truth will never be uncovered in the peaceful village of Langcliffe . . .A village of secrets.
But it just so happens that Freda's nephew is courting the renowned amateur sleuth Kate Shackleton, who decides to holiday in Langcliffe with her indomitable teenage niece, Harriet. When Harriet strikes up a friendship with a local girl whose young brother is missing, the search leads Kate to uncover another suspicious death, not to mention an illicit affair.
The case of a lifetime: As the present mysteries merge with the past's mistakes, Kate is thrust into the secrets that Freda left behind and realizes that this courageous woman has entrusted her with solving a murder from beyond the grave. It soon becomes clear to her that nothing in Langcliffe is quite as it appears, and with a murderer on the loose and an ever-growing roster of suspects, this isn't the holiday Kate was expecting . . ."--From the publisher

This series is a true joy. The characters and plot are nuanced and layered and Kate is a relateable, admirable heroine. In this entry, she takes her young niece Harriet on vacation so that the girl can recover from diphtheria and so that Kate can get to know her current beau (future fiance?) a little better. Being Kate, she is trust into investigating a case of murder almost immediately--one that is a decade old and had a profound affect on her suitor's late aunt. Kate's sleuthing brings out the secrets of nearly everyone in the village--could her doctor boyfriend have secrets of his own?
Frances Brody is expert at spinning fascinating strands of mystery and deftly weaving them together in an historical cozy series that is faithful to post World War I time period and the marvelous characters she has created. I can't wait to read about Kate's next adventure.

Full Disclosure--Net Gallery and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.