Vivian Conroy is easily one of my go-to authors for cheerful, easy-reading mysteries and this is no different to her previous books. It's a solid whodunnit with the typical collection of suspects dotted about making you wonder who did what and why. Was she the culprit or was it him? I was hooked from line one, and the light and cheerful writing kept my attention right to the end. It's a stereotypical cosy mystery with a few red herrings, a few clues strewn about and making the reader gather together all the evidence only to be surprised by the end. Like all of the author's books, this is incredibly easy to read, it's perfect for sitting in the garden and spending a few hours in the golden age picking apart a mystery.

The latest book, in the murder, will follow series, is set in Vienna at an archaeological exhibition. This is a complex noir mystery, involving a cursed mask and a deeply disturbed mind. There is a menacing feel to this story. Is the mask cursed? Or is this something the murder is perpetuating to cover their crimes?

Jasper is personally involved. He promised to protect the victim who dies this guilt spurs him on to solve the mystery. The vividly described historical setting gives the story an authentic ambience that makes it enjoyable.

A complex mystery eerie ethos and a well-orchestrated investigation make this another success for the enigmatic Jasper.

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

Former Scotland Yard investigator Jasper is back in the fourth book in the Murder Will Follow series by Vivian Conroy. This time Jasper, travelling with his dog, Red, has been invited by an old friend, museum director Werner Herziger, to attend the opening of a special exhibition at a Vienna museum. The much-anticipated exhibition is that of a golden death mask, which is rumored to be cursed. When a murder occurs the night of the opening, Jasper feels compelled to help investigate the crime and sort out the various motives that could have led to the murder.

Vivian Conroy has created a series that will take readers back to the golden age of mysteries, with plots that are a serious nod to Agatha Christie. With a variety of interesting characters, red herrings, and interwoven stories, Ms Conroy has created a series that will charm any reader who enjoys a 1920s cozy mystery with a solid plot, good dialogue and a beautiful setting. Her latest book, An Exhibition of Murder, is no exception.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

3-3.5*
In this the fourth book of the mysteries that Inspector Jasper of Scotland Yard (Retired) investigates we are in Vienna. He has been invited to visit and attend his hosts museum opening of an archeological exhibition which includes an infamous golden death mask.

His host’s daughter is engaged to the lead archaeologist whose own daughter has asked Jasper to watch over at the opening fearing that something awful will happen.

It is an intriguing storyline with threatening letters, secret meetings, affairs, gossip and indeed murder. A murder that makes Jasper feel most guilty since he was asked to keep the victim safe!

There are plenty of possibilities when it comes to who the murderer might be but the police are determined to blame a cat burglar who has been stealing precious items across the city. Jasper knows this cannot be – why would a thief murder and then leave the scene without the goods?

So begins Jaspers investigation and we are taken on a journey around each of the suspects as Jasper does his utmost to solve this case. He uncovers a possible link to the dig where the mask was discovered and one of the archeological team died a rather horrific death under somewhat strange circumstances.

We travel along with Jasper as he ferrets away – will he discover the murderer? Will you, reader, pick up clues and figure it out?

In true Agatha Christie style Jasper brings together the suspects once again in the museum, secrets are unveiled and the police stand by as Jasper reveals all.

Another really enjoyable read from Vivian Conroy who once again brings us a stunning backdrop to a stylish Murder will Follow mystery.

Vienna
With its beautiful buildings Vienna, capital of Austria 🇦🇹, is known around the world for its cultural heritage from the Vienna Opera to the Spanish Riding School were you can see the famous Lipizzaner horses. From the Vienna Boys Choir to St Stephen’s Cathedral. With Prater Park, the ferris wheel, Christmas markets, it’s museums, New Year’s concerts and The Danube. This is a stunning city and one I really would love to visit again.

Would you like to check out Vienna? You can plan your trip: https://www.wien.gv.at/english/culture-history/tourism/

I couldn’t resist the atmospheric setting of this song… (Vienna - Ultravox)

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|Under the Guise of Death

The fourth foray for retired Scotland Yard Inspector Jasper, set in the roaring 20s in the magical city of Vienna with an intriguing archaeological exhibition at the centre of the story. A fun romp through a homage to the Golden Age of murder mysteries.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for asking me to read and review.
This story was a wonderful read.
It is well written with some great characters and as a reader you feel you are right there with them. The plot draws you in and keeps you turning those pages.
A brilliant, heartwarming read.

Jasper In Vienna.....
Book four in the Murder Will Follow series from Vivian Conroy finds, retired Scotland Yard Inspector, Jasper in the beautiful city of Vienna for the grand opening of an archaeological exhibition. Murder and mayhem follow him rather like the cursed death mask of this tale. A fun and entertaining read from start to finish and a worthy addition to the series.

Yet another exciting murder mystery from Vivian Conroy! It was great to be reunited with former investigator Jasper and join him on another thrilling case. I really enjoyed the setting of Vienna and the varied cast of characters. The plot was very intriguing and the twists were mostly unexpected.

My main gripe with the book was that there were too many suspects for quite a short book. It was very difficult to keep track of all the new characters bring introduced and their relationships with the victim and with each other. If the novel had been longer, it would have been easier to get to keep track and to really delve into their personalities and complex relationships.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and recommend it to fans of the murder mystery genre.

Thanks Netgalley nd the Publisher. I enjoyed the storyline, the characters and found that this was a nice easy read.

This series never disappoints and it's always engrossing and entertaining.
This book is no exception.
I liked the plot and the solid mystery even if it wasn't hard to guess the culprit.
The cast of characters is well developed and interesting.
Can't wait to read the next instalment.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Retired Scotland Yard investigator Jasper wants to have a holiday in the beautiful city of Vienna. He does not envisage being dragged into a murder with leading figures of the art world all involved in one way or another.

An exhibition of a gold mask from an archaeological site is the highlight and the curse that follows this mask seems to be true as one by one people connected to the excavation are murdered.

Jasper has to work hard to unravel the pieces of the puzzle. Being an outsider to the Viennese police does not really help as they feel this is their job to solve. But there are too many high ranking people involved and there seems to be many conflicting interests.

I liked the various strands that played into the story - neurotic, highly strung women, a beautiful city though not as descriptive as other cities in other books, lots of psychology, a lot of star crossed lovers, then intrigue where all are jockeying for wealth position and power. Lots of things to interest one and keep a story going and go it did.

I only wish Vienna was brought a bit more into the story.

An Exhibition of Murder, Vivian Conroy's newest installment of Murder Will Follow, is my favorite so far.

Jasper heads to Vienna to view a new exhibition in an old friend's museum. He is hoping for a vacation, but after what happened in the Riveria and Naples, he's pretty sure there won't be much pleasure in this trip either.

I like going to museums, but I don't often go to them. So I don't know if it is all the staying home I'm doing or what, but the opening chapters of this story with the mention of death mask being displayed at the museum really made me want to go to a museum.

I've visited Vienna so maybe I felt more comfortable with the setting and that is why I enjoyed this book more than the others.

This winter I watched Vienna Blood on PBS. When Baum was introduced to the story as a scientist interested in the intersection of psychology and crime I thought of that show. Having that historical reference in my head may also have been why I enjoyed this story more. I definitely liked the inclusion, along with the prominence of Freund's dream theory, of this historical aspect. Unlike the previous installments, An Exhibition of Murder felt like it was set in the 1920s.

I think the main reason I liked this story more than the others is because I felt the reader had all the clues by the time Jasper gathered everyone together for the reveal. Sometimes I have felt that there was a crucial clue that Jasper knew but not the reader so there was no way the reader could solve the mystery. This time I felt like I knew who the murderer might be. Or perhaps I'm just getting use to the big reveal (not a device I'm usually fond of).

It isn't necessary to have read the other books in this series as the only recurring character is the retired Scotland Yard Inspector Jasper. And it is definitely a great distraction from all the is currently going on in our world.

Published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/03/an-exhibition-of-murder-by-vivian.html

This is another brilliant murder mystery set in 1920s Vienna. Jasper and his trusty companion, Red, are off to stay with an old friend in Vienna. Needless to say, soon after he arrives a murder occurs and Jasper can't resist investigating . . . . His old friend is opening a new archaeological exhibition to showcase the recently discovered golden death mask of an ancient king. The person who originally discovered it died shortly after when part of the dig collapsed and now there are rumours of it being evil and cursed - was his death really a curse, an accident or murder? Jasper is asked by the daughter of the man now owning the mask to protect her father . . . . and so an enthralling murder mystery begins!

This story is packed with intrigue, plenty of potential suspects, lies, deception, misdirection and, of course, murder. With an infamous cat burglar, the Lynx, initially suspected of the murder, can Jasper trust what he claims to have seen? Get ready for a large cast of possible killers, each with their own motives. Nothing is as straight forward as it initially seemed in this page turner investigation. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! It is a great addition to a fantastic series though it will work well as a  standalone, too. I can't wait to read more books by this author - and more involving Jasper as the detective!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.

Hi and welcome to my review of An Exhibition of Murder! First of all, a huge thankyou to Canelo and Vivian Conroy for sending me a NetGalley widget!

An Exhibition of Murder is the fourth Murder Will Follow Mystery, a series of cosy crime mysteries set in the 1920s and written in the spirit of Agatha Christie. You might laugh at me when I tell you that I bless the day I spotted the first one (A Testament to Murder) on NetGalley and decided to click on it, but I do! I’ve been having so much fun with this series, and this latest instalment is no exception. For the record, An Exhibition of Murder can be read as a standalone, because the story itself is a standalone, the slate is wiped clean for every book.

At the heart of this series is Jasper, a retired Scotland Yard inspector. The poor man is trying to enjoy his retirement, travelling Europe, but unfortunately, murder keeps following him wherever he goes. While he could just walk away, he never seems to be able to, solving puzzles is who he is and what he does, it’s part of him.

After the Provence (A Testament of Murder), Greece (Honeymoon with Death) and Venice (Under the Guise of Death), An Exhibition of Murder finds Jasper in Vienna. He’s been invited to an exhibition (bet you didn’t see that one coming), but not any old exhibition, no sirree, but a very prestigious archaeological one in a very prestigious museum. The showpiece is a death mask, rumoured to be cursed, since one of the archaeologists died while excavating it. His two partners have been receiving death threats, blaming them for their colleague’s untimely demise. What happened during the excavation, and who gets murdered at the exhibition, and why? Only one man can find out, since he is the only one dead-set on finding out (you can take the man out of Scotland Yard, but you can’t take Scotland Yard out of the man).

A whole cast of plausible suspects is paraded in front of the reader’s eyes, and a whole array of plausible scenarios are laid out, until this particular reader didn’t know left from right anymore. So yeah, I failed miserably at finding the culprit, but I did have a lot of sleuthing fun!

An Exhibition of Murder is a fun, quick read, and absolutely perfect for shaking up your reading routine. I highly recommend it to fans of Agatha Christie and cosy crime lovers!

More adventures of Inspector Jasper! This series is wonderful and seems like it’s right out of the golden age of mysteries. This one has museums, archeology and artifacts and like the rest in the series it’s a joy to read! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Here is an author I always enjoy; their latest novel is an intricate and very satisfying read!

At the opening of an exhibition showing off items from an archeological dig, a golden death mask is the main exhibit. However when it is discovered on the face of a dead body, word has it that it carries a curse . . .

Books in this series are never a straightforward 'whodunnit'; with no shortage of suspects (and believe me, at some point or other I thought every character was guilty) this is one to keep the reader on their toes. Who the murderer was is only part of the equation - just as important is why? And into the midst of it all pops up Inspector Jasper and his faithful companion, Red. Even Jasper finds this one complicated and it takes some serious work to unravel the puzzle and get to the bottom of it all. Absolutely enjoyable, as always, and more than anything a very clever piece of writing. Definitely worth all five sparkling stars!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Engaging WhoDunnit
This is a classic whodunnit, complete with the dramatic reveal with all of the suspects in the room. It is a fun mystery in keeping with the Golden Age. This is a new novel written in classic form. There are many suspects, all with great motives and opportunities. I was pleasantly surprised by the reveal. I have read several of the author's books and they have all been great mysteries of high quality. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

My thanks to Canelo for inviting me to receive a digital edition via NetGalley of Vivian Conroy’s ‘An Exhibition of Murder’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fourth in her Agatha Christie inspired ‘A Murder Will Follow’ series of cosy mysteries set in 1920s Europe. They feature Former Inspector Jasper of Scotland Yard, who is enjoying his retirement by touring various glamorous European locations. Yet everywhere he and his loyal canine companion, Red, visit - a murder follows!

Here it is the turn of the cultured city of Vienna. At the opening of an archaeological exhibition that features a fabled cursed golden death mask, death strikes. It is not the first death that has occurred among members of the team that discovered a burial site from one of the fabled (fictional) Lykean kings, who had ruled the Mediterranean seas many centuries ago.

Jasper is asked to uncover the truth and discovers that there are plenty of suspects including a famous cat burglar, various members of the archeological team, a nosy journalist, and family members and friends of the victim.

It’s quite a puzzle and concludes with the classic denouncement when all the suspects are polite enough to gather together to have Jasper unveil the murderer. I certainly had no clue whodunnit.

Conroy continues to have great fun employing the tropes of Golden Age Detective Fiction while taking her readers on a journey to 1920s Vienna.

I have become very fond of Former Inspector Jasper of Scotland Yard and look forward to reading more of his cases in due course.

It’s a novel and series that is bound to delight lovers of historical cosy mysteries.

Trouble seems to wait for retired Scotland Yard Inspector Jaspar (and his trusty companion Red the dog.). This time, he's gone to Vienna for an archeological exhibition and to see an old buddy but of course, there's a murder and he's going to help solve it (well, he's the one to solve it.). Sir Peter Treemore brought a death mask back from his dig in Egypt and it might well be cursed. Certainly, there'a a lot of upheaval (including murder) surrounding it. No spoilers but this is the sort of gentle historical mystery many enjoy for the sense of time and place-and characters. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books; it's fine as a standalone. It's a good read.

Another goodie!

Once again a story with many threads and a “Hercule Poiret” style ending. I have read a number of murder mystery authors and while one understands that there has to be some kind of formula, (ie a number of characters with possible motivation), there are times when the author weaves it all together to keep you interested but you are still left wondering. This is just such an occasion.

I really enjoyed the delving into the psychological aspects, it added another aspect to the story. There are controlling characters and then those who are influenced!

I appreciated the investigative character Jasper, (having met him in “Honeymoon with Death”) even more in this novel.

With thanks to #NetGalley, Canelo and the author for my free advanced reader copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion.