This is the third in a series, but I didn't feel like I'd missed out on anything for not having read the previous two books.

When the wife of an influential Venetian dies in a car accident, it seems pretty straightforward, until she turns up again three years later, alive, well, and wandering around Venice. At first, it seems like there must be a logical explanation, but when she dies for real, it's clear there's something sinister going on.

Retired Scotland Yard detective Jasper is living in Venice and just happens to have worked on the car accident case. How convenient. Now he needs to discover who murdered the woman and the identity of the woman in the crash so long ago.

This is pure escapism. There's nothing too in depth here, nothing to make you think too deeply about anything, but that's its charm.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

In the City of romance and love, a murder happens. Venice is a gorgeous city, fulfilled with love and desire. But under the mask of romance, lies a mystery that has to be solved. Three years ago, the wife of a respectable citizen dies in a car accident. Today, the rich husband has a new wife but the dead one appears to be alive. Everyone, even the inspector who worked on the case three years ago, thinks that there is some kind of logical explanation, but the dead wife dies again. This time, for real, on the most famous bridge in Venice.

The retired Scotland Yard detective Jasper lives in Venice now. He was working on the car accident case three years ago. It happened in England. Today, in Venice, the dead victim of car accident rises from the dead, just to die again.

Who is the dead woman?

Who killed her? The husband, his new wife, or the former lover?

Who died three years ago?

Venice supposed to be his retirement vacation. Detective Jasper has to solve his case all over again.

An intriguing mystery set in the city of masks. I had a feeling I was attending a masked ball while reading it. The story gives you the sence of being in the middle age, when people wore ball gowns and talked like in Shakespeare’s dramas. And yet, you are here, in twenty-first century, comfortably seated on your couch. An easy read , perfect for a relaxing afternoon. It is a third book in the series, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. Jasper is adorable character, there is nothing out of ordinary about him, like in the other detective’s stories. I adore Venice, been there and always love reading stories set in Venice. Even the murderous ones.

Set in atmospheric and dramatic Venice Jasper finds himself embroiled in another murder investigation. The drama takes place at an iconic masked ball closely followed a death.

There are many people with a motive for murder and Jasper painstakingly investigates all of them, in his imitable style. The 1920's setting is vibrant, and the cast of characters secretive and vividly portrayed. The plot is complex full of misinformation and twists that keep you guessing.

This Agatha Christie-style mystery has all the ingredients glamorous golden age setting, complex characters with realistic motivations for murder and an enigmatic detective who outwits them all.

I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

3.5*
“This was Venice, the flattering and suspect beauty – this city, half fairy tale and half tourist trap, in whose insalubrious air the arts once rankly and voluptuously blossomed, where composers have been inspired to lulling tones of somniferous eroticism.” – Thomas Mann

Jasper is visiting Venice. Lucky man! Nearly went there on a day trip when in Italy last year. However, we decided it would be much better to have a long weekend to properly explore this city. Sadly that’s very unlikely to happen this year. So reading Under the Guise of Death is a lovely distraction travelling not only to Venice but to a Venice of an earlier time. Vivian Conroy summons up a wondrous tale of deception, greed and murder in the midst of this majestic city.

(Enjoy a little music: Vivaldi – Concerti for Violin and Strings, La stravaganza
Arte de Suonatori / Rachel Podger vn
(Channel Classics) CD2) Note: link given in blog.


“Nothing ever seems straightforward in Venice, least of all its romances.” – Roger Ebert

The setting is Venice, the characters are mainly visitors except for the violinist, Leonardo, and his patron. The violinist suffers under the weight of a lost love, a love that was not completely his. Not only that but his patron, Marcheti, supports his marrying a rich widow. She would be able to ensure his lifelong comfort but he does not love her.

Then we have Lord and Lady Bentham – it’s his second marriage. His first wife died, tragically, in a car accident three years before. This marriage is not all that it should be. Certainly that is not helped by George Arundell, Lady Bantham’s brother. What are these two up to? He had a brief dalliance with Lord Bantham’s good friend, Larissa, but her heart yearns for another in unrequited love.

Oh, the vagaries of love!

“Everything in Venice is just a little bit creepy, as much as it’s beautiful.” – Christopher Moore

All our protagonists go to a masked ball whose host – Sir James – is the father of Lord Bantham’s first wife. There are a couple of incidents leading up to and during the evening which shed light on things for Jasper but we get ahead of our selves!

As it approaches midnight the party guests are gathered together for the removal of their masks. As they look toward the clock situated on a balcony a women a in red dress, the importance of which we have already learnt, appears. There are gasps from Sir James, Lord Bantham and others. Shocked reactions, the violinist along with Arundell and Jasper take up the chase. The woman has disappeared.

Was this really the First Lady Bantham returned from the dead? Then who was the woman who died three years earlier? Why has she returned in this fashion? There are so many questions but what prays upon Jasper, for he was the investigating officer, is if this is not a hoax, how did he not investigate more thoroughly the accident three years before?

The next morning brings proof of who the lady in red was but only because she is found dead on one of the many bridges that can be found in Venice. Against the wishes and advice of the Italian local authority Jasper investigates the murder or rather the two murders.

His investigation is thorough and he covers a lot of ground – whilst hot footing it around Venice he uncovers some un-gentleman and un-lady like behaviours, gathers information from the protagonists and from abroad which culminates in inviting all the players back to Sir James’ house to reveal what happened and who the murderer is.

“Though there are some disagreeable things in Venice there is nothing so disagreeable as the visitors.” – Henry James

Set in Venice this murder mystery will have you whirring around from one character to another until ex-Scotland Yard, now retired, Inspector Jasper delivers with just a hint of Miss Marple or, perhaps, with the flourish of Poirot delivers the final exposé of Under the Guise of Death.

Vivian Conroy whilst delivering a splendid murder mystery spreads before the reader this stunning city of Venice evoking it’s decaying splendour which both mirrors and yet still, at least for a while, covers up the crumbling mores of the privileged class in this period.

I found Under the Guise of Death an enjoyable, well written and a thoroughly captivating book.

Thanks

Thanks to Sophie at Canelo for the invite to read Under the Guise of Death by Vivian Conroy and Canelo for an eCopy via NetGalley . All thoughts are my own, I have not received any payment for this review.

Previously read: A Testament to Murder

Nothing Is Quite As It Seems.....
The third in the Murder Will Follow series featuring protagonist, retired Scotland Yard Detective, Jasper. Murder at a masked ball in Venice plunges Jasper deep into a mystery in which nothing can be taken at face value. Entertaining plotline with an atmospheric, stunning backdrop and an all round enjoyable read.

Under the Guise of Death was an interesting and short murder mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of Venice and the vast amount of characters involved in the plot.

The writing was very smooth to read and encapsulated the personality of each character. The plot moved at a steady pace that allowed the reader to do their own investigating.

I wasn't able to figure out the killer as each person was as suspicious as the last, so I appreciated the twists of the book and the fact that it wasn't very obvious as to who the killer was.

Overall, I thought that this was a great murder mystery book and would highly recommend it to those who are new to this genre! I look forward to reading other works by Vivian in the future.

Under the Guise of Death has an Agatha Christie feeling over it, which I really liked. I really liked Jasper and Red. The plot and storyline was interesting and had quite a few red herrings, so I had no clue who the murderer was until the end (especially as several characters had motive).

In general, this is a great homage to the Golden Age mysteries and I enjoyed this book a lot more than the previous book in the series.

‘Solving murders has been a huge part of my life, and somehow, even after I’ve moved away from London, murder keeps following me. But if I do enjoy anything about it, it’s piecing the clues together and unravelling the web of lies. I don’t find any pleasure in the lies themselves and the dark secrets I have to bring to light. I can only hope some good comes out of it, somehow.’

Thus speaks our hero, retired Scotland Yard detective Jasper at the end of this, his third outing in a classic Golden Age-set murder mystery. Each book can easily be read as a stand-alone, for Jasper is the only repeating character (other than his beloved Labrador, Red). Enjoying his retirement and living abroad, the lavish settings of the book give a background of privilege and class, amongst which dark secrets and deadly deeds abound.

The first wife of Lord Bantham was presumed to have been killed in a car crash three years ago; however, at a masked ball in Venice hosted by her father, she returns, only to be found dead later that evening. Jasper, fortunately for us, was also at the ball, a guest of the local police inspector. Jasper sets out on a series of one-to-one interviews with the motley crew of suspects: the ex-husband, his new wife, her brother, the ex-lover, the best friend, and so on. In each of the interviews red herrings are liberally dropped in, accusations fly, and each in turn tries to deflect the inspector’s attention on to someone else. In classic Golden Age style, the dénouement involves each of the suspects being invited back to the scene of the ball, instructed to wear the costumes they had on that particular evening, and Jasper explains how each of them could have done it, before finally revealing the murderer.

It’s all a piece of huge fun, an homage to the great writers of Golden Age detective fiction, and is the perfect way to pass away a wintry afternoon in front of the fire. The fun, of course, is to be had in trying to work out the clues, or simply to enjoy the tropes that makes these books so entertaining. It is, of course, preposterous that Jasper just happens to be there, or that he takes it upon himself to interview the suspects and trample over any semblance of police jurisdiction. But that, again, is what we want from this. The author does a wonderful job of keeping the action rattling along, and we don’t mind the two-dimensional stereotypes that inhabit this world. This is turning into a thoroughly enjoyable series, and I look forward to the next. 4 stars for a diverting, entertaining murder mystery.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

This is a lovely historical cozy mystery I read in one setting as I couldn't put it down.
It's quite fast paced, full of twists and turns and I loved the atmosphere and the description of Venice.
The cast of characters is interesting and well thought.
The mystery is solid and well crafted, it kept me guessing and the solution came as a surprise.
I can't wait for the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

My thanks to Canelo for a digital edition via NetGalley of Vivian Conroy’s ‘Under the Guise of Death’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third in her ‘A Murder Will Follow’ series of cosy mysteries set in various locations in 1920s Europe and featuring Former Inspector Jasper of Scotland Yard. (It amuses me how Jasper is always introduced to others in this fashion).

Jasper is currently enjoying his retirement by touring various glamorous locales and it seems everywhere he goes murder follows!

This one is set in Venice where Jasper is visiting an old friend, who talks him into attending a lavish masquerade party. It turns out that the host, Sir James Lovelane, is known to Jasper as three years previously Jasper had investigated the death of his daughter, Lady Olivia Bantham, in a car accident. Lord Bantham and the new Lady Bantham are also in attendance.

At midnight as the guests unmask a mysterious woman dressed in red reveals herself briefly to be Olivia, Lady Bantham! She flees leaving chaos and confusion in her wake. Is it an elaborate hoax or is the original Lady Bantham somehow still alive? However, the next morning the woman’s body is discovered on one of Venice’s famous bridges and the mystery deepens.

This was a very clever whodunnit consciously created in the tradition of Agatha Christie. I have enjoyed all of this series and feel that they are going from strength to strength. Of the three this has been my favourite.

As in those classic English mysteries there is a convenient pool of suspects on hand and the traditional denouncement and unmasking takes place with Jasper demonstrating his sleuthing skills.

Conroy clearly has great fun playing with the tropes of Golden Age Detective Fiction while creating a sense of the lavish ambiance of 1920s Venice.

A very enjoyable read from start to finish. Hoping that in due course Former Inspector Jasper of Scotland Yard will travel on to another fabulous location where no doubt a murder or two will follow.

Highly recommended for lovers of historical cosy mysteries.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

If you enjoy murder mysteries written in a style similar to Agatha Christie, look no further - Vivian Conroy is her contemporary equivalent! This story is set in the 1920s where retired Scotland Yard detective Jasper is visiting his Venetian counterpart. Whilst there the two attend a masked ball where Jasper is surprised to recognise some of the guests from a case he investigated three years ago following the accidental death of a young lady, Lady Bantham, in a car crash. When the midnight demasqué also reveals that same young lady standing on the balcony,  everyone is astounded - including her husband and his new wife, her lover, her best friend and her father. She quickly disappears but the next morning is found murdered on a bridge over a canal. Just who wanted her to really die this time? What happened three years ago? Who killed her?

With so many secrets, surprising revelations and possible motives this is a fascinating murder mystery. The people who knew her seem to have their own suppositions about what happened in the past that only now are being shared. Jasper can't resist endeavouring to discover what happened in the past as well as more recently but working in a foreign land can have its own detractions. This is an engrossing read, a page turner to keep you guessing until all the suspects are brought together for the denouement which is classic Christie in style! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and have no hesitation in highly recommending it to anyone who enjoys historical murder mysteries.

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion after finding this a fascinating and intriguing read.

After A Testament to Murder and Honeymoon with Death, this is the third Murder Will Follow Mystery, but you can read them all separately and in whichever order you want: they all have an entirely different setting and cast, the only recurring character is Jasper, a former Scotland Yard inspector who is now retired and on a mission to see a little more of the world. Unfortunately for Jasper, death seems to follow the poor bloke wherever he goes!

Under the Guise of Death is quite possibly my favourite instalment in the Murder Will Follow series so far. For one, it’s set in Venice. I’ve never been, but it’s on my travel bucket list and it’s such an atmospheric setting, one that speaks (loudly!) to the imagination. Moreover, this is a double mystery! Three years ago, Lady Bantham died in a car accident in England. Today, she appears on a balcony in Venice, wearing an ostentatious red flamenco dress. Hours later, she is found stabbed to death, clutching a single red rose. Is the woman in red the real Lady Bantham, and if she is, then who was the woman who died in her car all those years ago?

My dear friend Jasper is once more at the right place at the right time. Once again it’s up to Jasper to figure out whodunnit, but this time he also has to figure out what happened three years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed Jasper’s investigations, I loved thinking along with him, trying to find the killer among a plethora of suspects and thinking about what could possibly have happened in the car crash, and trying to figure out all the reasons why.

This year I’ve been rediscovering cosy crime novels, and I have Vivian Conroy to thank for my newly rediscovered love for historical cosy crime. This series has been scratching an Agatha Christie itch I didn’t even know I had! In the midst of all my thrillers with their CSI and data science and DNA / fibre / whatever analysis, I’ve been having loads of fun going back in time, back to basics, Poirot-style, just one sleuth puzzling and putting all the pieces together with little more to go on than his own little grey cells.

Like its predecessors, Under the Guise of Death is a quick, fun, pacey read full of intrigue, well thought out and very addictive. Vivian says in her acknowledgements that she hopes that Jasper’s adventures bring her readers joy, and provide a few hours of sleuthing fun, and I have to say: they most certainly do! Highly recommended to all fans of (historical) cosy crime, and a great place to start if you’re new to the genre and want to give it a whirl.

In Under the Guise of Night, the first Lady Bantham is burned to death in an auto accident allegedly on her way to an assignation with her lover. Three years later, the new Lady Bantham is haunted by a figure that looks suspiciously like the other Lady Bantham. Former Scotland Yard detective Jasper is on hand at a masquerade in Venice when the first Lady Bentham is found murdered three years after she is declared dead in the auto accident by him. Where has she been? Who murdered her? And why? What does this mean for the legality of the second Lady Bentham’s marriage to Lord Bentham?

Under the Guise of Night effectively sets the mood just like a real Agatha Christie tale. There is a large suspect pool with individual clues spread about to eliminate them one by one. The twisty reveal during a confrontation in the ballroom was the perfect final touch. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!

Thanks to Canelo Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Set in Venice, this classical english mystery takes one down the road of a daughter, wife, lover and best friend coming back to life. After some years from being identified as having died in England in a car accident, she pops up at the masquerade function where all her nearest and dearest attend.
The reader is take on a merry ride in this story, with twisted and turns just when they think they are steering straight, lots of suspects and and many secrets to be teased out, with a good ending.

Retired DI Jasper is in Venice visiting a friend and tags along to a ball where, much to his surprise he learns that the first Lady Bantham, whose death he investigated three years ago back in the UK is still alive. BUT, not for long. Her corpse is found the next day and Jasper is pressed into service interviewing some of the same people he interviewed the first time around, some of whom clearly lied to him. The second Lady Bantham is quite odious and while one might hope she would be the next victim or the prime suspects, there are others. This is a 1920s mystery with a fun cast of characters (and it seems like there are a lot of them at first). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Indeed, this would be catnip for Agatha Christie fans.

Set in the 1920s, we have beautiful secretive Venice with all its character, and then we have a British cast. Most of them arrogant, rich and confident with it. All with secrets to hide and histories they wish they could get rid of.

A retired Scotland Yard detective with murder following him wherever he goes. At a masked ball the reappearance of a woman who was supposed to have died in a fiery car accident three years ago sets the cat amongst the pigeons. For the present Lady Bantham, does it mean she is married to a bigamist if his first wife is not dead, for Lord Bantham with many secrets to hide does it mean his life is going to come to an end to Lovelane who is Olivia's father who had a love hate relationship with his only daughter what is the future and to everyone around the implications are enormous. The mysterious lady disappears in a flash but her dead body turns up on a bridge the next day and now the search starts.

The setting of Venice was detailed and descriptive. This alone is enough for me. Then the British characters were so on point - their colonial attitude does not die does it?? It added to the piquancy of the story which was a straight forward mystery as to who had actually died in the earlier car crash and who killed Olivia now and why. It was the story surrounding it that added to the flavour of the book.

I've read just one Vivian Conroy before this one and she is an author I will be looking out for.

This is the third book in the series set in the 1920s with ex Detective Inspector Jasper written by Vivian Conroy and it is every bit as good as her first two in the series. This time Jasper is in Venice to see his old friend Vernassi who is in the Venetian police force, whilst there they are invited to attend a ball dance where everyone is expected to turn up as their favourite Victorian characters and at midnight they are to take off their masks and surprise their friends. As the clock strikes midnight a character appears on a balcony in a red flamenco dress and unmasks, she appears to resemble the late Lady Bantham whose untimely death Jasper investigated three years earlier. Her father who hosted the ball and her husband who has since remarried request Jasper to reinvestigate the case. An exciting plot which takes you through Venice and you actually feel you are in the gondola with him as he travels along the canals questioning suspects. A must for all Agatha Christie fans.

Do you enjoy a story where you root for a character to be murdered? Then Under the Guise of Death by Vivian Conroy is your book.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The third book in Conroy's Murder Will Follow series featuring retired Scotland Yard detective Jasper is set in Venice in the 1920s. It is filled with snobbish and arrogant characters that upon their introduction you hope they are the murder victim in this cozy mystery. These characters also have deep, dangerous secrets to keep which makes them all prime suspects.

I have never hoped so much that a character was the intended murder victim than I did Lady Bantham. There is a saying about knowing the true character of a person by how they treat those lesser than them. The exchange with her maid in the first chapter told me everything I needed to know about this woman. She is snobbish and arrogant.

"Open a window. I'm suffocating."
Lady Bantham snapped her fingers at the maid fussing with the heavy brocade skirt of the costume she was to wear to the party tonight.

...

She clenched her hands shut a moment, her nails digging into her palms. "Open that window! Now."
"Yes, your ladyship. Right away, your ladyship." The maid dropped the costume on the bed and hurried to the window. The latch squeaked as she struggled to get it open. The sound rattled across Lady Bantham's tight nerve ends and she rushed forward. "Leave it be I will do it myself. Tend to the costume. I don't want to see any crinkles in it." (chapter 1)

I can just imagine her hateful, biting tone. As we learn more about her, the picture doesn't getting any better. She's vain and conniving. If there is anything redeeming about her attitude, it is that she is scared. Which is understandable when one builds their life of the shifting sands of lies.

The other characters are equally dislikable. There is a silly, yet volatile violinist whose considerable talent allows his behavior to be overlooked. If there is a character that I feel sorry for, it is probably this violinist as he is young and naive, and therefore, easily taken advantage of. Who is taking advantage of him? His mentor and guardian, Marcheti. Basically, all he sees when he looks at Leonardo Biancci are dollar signs (or whatever the Italien currency is called). Lord Bantham (Lady Bantham's husband who has a temper of his own), Larrissa Kenwood (best friend to both the first and current Lady Banthams), George Arundell (Lady Bantham's brother), and Sir James (father of Olivia, the first Lady Batham) all are characters that you can love to hate.

Yet, it is not any of these characters that meet their untimely end. Instead, it is a case from Jasper's past that comes back to haunt him in this watery renaissance city. As we know from his other Meditteranean attempts at a relaxing retirement, murder seems to follow him.

Under the Guise of Death is a completely stand-alone novel like the previous two books in this series. Jasper is visiting a police friend in Venice and none of the characters in this story have appeared in the others. The other two murders mysteries are only mentioned to establish the series title - Murder Will Follow. Otherwise, you can read these 3 books in any order and not feel confused.

I said in the beginning that it is set in the 1920s, but outside of the mention of telegrams, you would never know it. This story, in particular, felt more like a renaissance period piece. And perhaps that was to convey the true sense of Venice (I've never been there so I wouldn't know, but I believe it would have the old world feel). I would like there to be a few more details to give the story a definite feel of the time period - it is the one complaint that I have with the series. However, if you are thinking historical fiction isn't your thing, then don't worry about that aspect interfering with your enjoyment of the mystery.

As all the characters have ample motive and opportunity to be the murderer. The reader is kept guessing as each clue is revealed and more secrets from the past are uncovered. The mystery is well done and the reader will be hard-pressed to name the murderer before the end.

As this series is a tribute to Agatha Christie and Conroy's admiration of the author, there are definite nods to her that all fans of Christie will appreciate right down to the gathering of all the suspects to reveal the murderer.

The review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2019/11/under-guise-of-death-by-vivian-conroy.html

This is an addition to a great series I looked forward to reading. Once Jasper is on his travels this time in Venice and ends up being embroiled in another murder that had has a personnel attachment to in his detectives past. This series does put one in mind of the old stories written i n the golden age of crime. The book is exceptionally readable and again the reveal is not one that you have seen coming from the start of the book. I look forward to the next in this series

This is third in the series involving Inspector Jasper, retired from Scotland Yard. While attending a masked ball in Venice Jasper is shocked when he sees a woman whose death he investigated in England three years ago.
Also shocked is the woman's husband, Lord Bantham, who has since remarried. Also present are many of her old friends, some of whom may have lied during the original investigation. When the "victim" turns up dead the next day for real this time, Jasper has his work cut out for him. This series is so entertaining and this one was exceptionally well written. Looking forward to #4! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.