I really enjoyed this book and thought that it was well-thought-out and well-written. My interest was kept throughout the entire novel and I am thankful for the opportunity to read and review England Expects. I look forward to reading more books by Sara Sheridan.

England Expects is the third Mirabelle Bevan mystery by Sara Sheridan. Published 27th March 2018 (originally pub. 2014) by Kensington, it's 256 pages and available in ebook format (earlier editions are available in hardcover and paperback formats).

This is a nice period mystery set in 1950s Brighton. The plot is fairly straightforward with a satisfying pace and a number of twisty surprises. The ensemble cast is varied and deftly written. Even though the female lead (Mirabelle) outshines everyone around her, I really like that her associates have and follow their own motivations and the end result is a team effort. There were a few over-the-top scenes, but it's a 1950s mystery/thriller.

It's a clean book, there's no explicit language or sexual content. There is scattered (contextual) racism and several murders (including one throat slashing which was pretty brutal, but not graphic). The book has a sort of noir-light feel in my opinion. It's traditional, but definitely not a cozy.

I did get the sense that the author is very invested in Mirabelle and yes, at times she's a stylish ninja supergirl model secret agent. And yes, the evil illuminati masons conspiracy is a trifle overused, but honestly the plotting and characterization are so perfect and so spot on that I really didn't mind. This is an eminently readable and enjoyable book. The characters (even Ms. Superwoman Mirabelle herself) are well written and (mostly) believable and in character throughout.

I wouldn't recommend this as a standalone, there's a lot of past history which would be lost with a solo read.

All around enjoyable series and this installment lives up to the quality of the previous books. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series (there are 6 books and a handful of shorter works at this point).

Four stars.

I have been a fan of Sara Sheridan's Mirabelle Bevan's mysteries. She has always brought Brighton England to life. Mrs. Sheridan's latest novel did not disappoint. Mirabelle's detective skills has vastly improved. the only thing I did not like about this novel was the mystery was slow going and a little overwhelming. Still, Mrs. Sheridan creates a fantastic setting and complex characters. I am eager to read the next novel!

A really delightful novel that immerses the reader into the golden age of mystery. A read that draws parallels from the great mystery writers of Agatha Christie and Dashiell Hammett. A perfect addition to this series.

England Expects, a mystery set in 1950’s England was a good read. It took a while for me to really get into the story. Perhaps this was because it is not the first book in the series (3rd, actually) and I spent a bit of time wondering about the backstory of the characters. However, once I got into it, the story moved very quickly and logically. The clues were available to follow and the characters believable. Mirabelle was fun. Vesta was a bit less dynamic.

Ms. Sheridan has obviously researched her genre well and creates a picture which feels real. Using poetic license, she weaves a tale involving the reality of 1950’s Brighton and a few of her own creations, developing a story that was not surprising, but certainly satisfying.

I enjoy historical and period mysteries and this , new to me, series looked like one I would enjoy. The setting of Brighton got my attention, too. Mirabelle's backstory intrigued me as well. To say that she is larger than life seems fair - smart, talented, beautiful, able to take care of herself just fine, thank you and never one to pass up a puzzle. Add to that she is nursing a broken heart. Her WW!! experience makes her a good investigator but the police are not fans. With the help of her co-worker, Vesta, they put the pieces together in a satisfying mystery. I liked this entry well enough to go back and find the previous books so I can fill in her backstory.

England Expects begins with the apparently professional murder of newspaper sportswriter Joey Gillingham in Brighton. The reading of a newspaper article about the killing piques Mirabelle's interest and a conversation with Bill, her employee and former policeman, Bill Turpin, indicates a possible connection to the local lodge of Freemasons. Since Mirabelle is always looking for a puzzle to solve, she visits the lodge and is on the scene of yet another murder. By the time the case is resolved, Mirabelle and her friends are in more danger than she could ever have imagined.

I have been a fan of Mirabelle Bevan since the first in the series, Brighton Belle. The 1950's setting is fascinating in itself. Mirabelle is beautiful, fashionable, insightful, and absolutely focused on any case she becomes interested in. However, the Brighton Police, except for Inspector McGregor, does not like her meddling. Inspector McGregor has a personal interest in Mirabelle and knows that her background as a former Special Operations Agent in World WarII gives her excellent investigatory skills. Mirabelle has been sunk in grief after the sudden death of her lover, Jack, several years before, but with the help of her co-workers Bill and Vesta Chamberlain, is finally digging herself out. Vesta Chamberlain is a young black woman whose life gives insight into being a person of color in England at the time. The Freemasonry angle is historically correct because there was a scandal involving the Masons and the Brighton Police in the 1950's; just not as grave as this case. I am happy that Mirabelle seems to unthaw a bit in her personal life and is showing signs of becoming more engaged in life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING-3.5 Stars

This is the third installment of the Mirabelle Bevans mysteries, and each one finds me a little more disappointed than the prior one. In my opinion, the author is just too in love with her own character. Mirabelle is Wonder Woman - she has the looks and wardrobe of a supermodel, the brains of a master detective, and the physical ability of a ninja (no one can scale walls in heels and skirts as nimbly as she can). Mirabelle is super perfect, she is thin and beautiful (b/c she doesn't eat and she ridicules Vesta for needing to eat at some point in the book), and the detective superintendent is in love with her b/c everyone is. Tellingly, one of the book club questions at the end of the book is "Do you think MacGregor is worthy of Mirabelle?" which I found a little ridiculous and completely in line with the rest of the idolization of her character. Why shouldn't it be "Do you think Mirabelle is worthy of MacGregor?" She says she never judges though she does judge Vesta throughout the book for her life choices (oh, the moralizing inner thoughts, oof). She says she wasn't a homewrecker, though she was having an affair with a married man. And finally - and I may be a terrible person for saying this - enough of Jack already. He's long dead and that's enough moping over a man that we've never met and frankly may not have liked that much anyway seeing as how he was cheating on his wife and building a little love nest with Little Miss Perfect.

2 stars b/c the book wasn't terrible, the mystery wasn't bad, and because Charlie is awesome.

I'll admit up front to being a Mirabelle fan- she's certainly unique in the panoply of amateur women detectives, not only because this is set in 1950s Brighton but also because of her background as an SOE. AND, her sidekick, Vera, is black. These two characters, along with McGregor make this worth reading. The arcane world of Masonry is not the most engaging subject matter but it made for an educational read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Learn something new every day!

I received a Kindle version of this title from the publisher in advance so that I could write a voluntary review.

I really liked both of the main characters Vesta and Mirabelle and really enjoyed the chemistry they had between each other as far as being co-workers, friends, and mystery agents as they solve the murders that are happening in their town of Brighton, England. The story intertwines their work at a local debt collection office after the Second World War. Most items that were considered luxury merchandise were found on the black market, such as nylons, some medicines, and alcohol after the war so Mirabelle found herself making new contacts and finding more to the story after a local cleaning lady was found dead in a local Freemasons Lodge. I didn’t realize until I start reading further into this book that it was the 3rd in a series, so one great thing about the book is that you do not have to read the first 2 in the series in order to follow the plot of this one. So that was really nice!

The majority of the book that I really enjoyed was how the author, Sara Sheridan included a lot of historical information along with fictional characterizations and story-telling, to create a fun and quick read. There were definitely details throughout the story that kept me wondering what was going to happen next.

Sara Sheridan has, in Mirabelle Bevan, created a character that will stay with the reader long after the last page of “England Expects.” In this, her third adventure (hopefully you’ll have read the first two; it isn’t absolutely necessary, but it’s always good to get a thorough grounding in the dramatis personae), she is asked to look into the murder of a sportswriter by the man’s sister. Shortly thereafter, based on some interesting information (which becomes the theme of the story), she finds herself at a Brighton location when the building’s cleaner dies suddenly -- and Mirabelle can tell she’s been poisoned. There’s got to be a connection, she thinks, between these two deaths -- and she and Vesta Churchill, her debt collection coworker and sidekick, are off and running.

What everyone realizes from the get go is that the first murder isn’t quite as simple as the police would like you to believe -- and things evolve from there (notes at the back of the book explains the author’s research). Since this is a historical mystery, I appreciated the sense of time and place that’s evident, especially the information about the Royal Pavilion, which becomes a part of the setting.

What is paramount here is Ms. Sheridan’s ability to carry the story along while crafting intricate plotting and situations. Vesta and Charlie, Vesta’s boyfriend and would-be fiancé, and Bill, the ex-policeman at the firm, make contributions that keep the plot rolling. Superintendent McGregor is here, too. There’s much from him about his feelings towards Mirabelle, who remains as enigmatic a character as ever. I’m hoping that more will be revealed in future books. This is one of those stories that keeps you riveted to the pages, and I found myself reading it in one session. I think you might, too.

England Expects, by Sara Sheridan, is an enjoyable murder mystery set in Brighton during the 1950's. On the surface the main character, Mirabelle, is a co-owner of a collections agency but in reality she is a lady detective, erstwhile WWII spy carrying the loss of her lover, Jack, who works daily to assert herself as a women in a man's world. The story line is one of intrigue and double crossing, lots of dead bodies, kidnapping, eaves dropping, blackmail, illegitimate children, forged documents and all the other good things you have come to expect from British detective novels. Sheiridan does not shy away from dealing with minstream issues such as feminism, racism, and even the cultism and secrecy of the Freemasons.
Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the story for me was the geography of Brighton. As a former resident of the city I enjoyed reliving visits to the Royal Pavilion, the Pier, the water front and even the Grand Hotel. Sheridan writes as one who is familiar with the layout of the city – from the train station, to the Clock Tow and past the Old Steine.
Although this book is #3 of a series it makes an excellent stand alone read. If you are a fan of the British lady busy-body detective you will delight in this book!