Skelton’s Guide to Domestic Poisons by David Stafford
Skelton, a previously unremarkable lawyer, has found himself thrust into the limelight through his defence of Mary Dutton who was accused of murdering her husband. Most people seem to be convinced of her guilt but with as this is 1929 and women are about to vote for the first time there are those who feel that this case could prove very important. Even though her guilt is deemed a forgone conclusion Skelton agrees to take on the case.
This could be deemed a fairly tame murder mystery but the character of Skelton made this a very entertaining read. He has a slightly quirky manner and which is entertaining to read. The case is based on a real life event in the 1920’s and is an easy read. The plot is full of twists and turns and as the case involves domestic abuse, the media have become involved deciding Mary’s guilt before the trial has even begun. Fortunately Skelton doesn't leap to conclusions without evidence to support his theories. This novel is recommended to those who enjoy historical crime fiction that is a little different to the normal offerings. My thanks to the author, the publishers and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisons is a gently comic novel set in 1929, following the suddenly celebrated barrister Arthur Skelton as he takes on the case of Mary Dutton, accused of poisoning her abusive husband with arsenic.

While based somewhat on a true life case, the book is written in warm, engaging style, much as if PG Wodehouse had tried his hand at re-writing an Agatha Christie. While the mystery itself is overly complex, the strength of the book for me was the characters, and especially the interplay between Arthur and his assistant Edgar, and some of their conversations had me laughing out loud. I'd thoroughly recommend it for a cosy Sunday afternoon in front of the fire.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Arthur Skelton, is one of the most celebrated and recognisable barristers in the land."

Enjoyable read. I loved the rather droll conversations between Skelton and his assistant Edgar. Some slow parts in the middle and I felt some unnecessary back stories that didn't lead anywhere or add to the overall story.

3.5☆

A promising murder mystery overwhelmed by character study. 3.5/5 stars.

I enjoyed this story, especially its varied and colourful range of characters, the often witty dialogue, and the way it dealt with the intricacies of the intersection of law and politics. I also liked that it wasn't entirely London-based and the period details were terrific, you can tell there's a lot of careful research behind the writing.

However, from the first couple of chapters I thought I was in for a thrilling investigative mystery, but that isn't really what the book turns out to be. While Skelton's detective work does take us down a few dead ends and yields some revelations, I felt that the book becomes more a character study than murder mystery.

In fact, I really hope this book is the first in a series. If not, then there is a lot of unnecessary character exposition in the story which could have been cut in the interests of advancing the plot. The oodles of character insight also muffle the stakes, diluting the tension which should have been the heart of the narrative.

Also, while details are great, we are told a lot of information which turns out not to be relevant to the plot. I kept thinking, "Oh, that will surely be significant later or help Skelton to solve the problem," but then it wasn't! So, again, I hope the groundwork laid in this book is paving the way for future installments where all the character building will pay terrific dividends.

Overall: an interesting story with great period details, but not as exciting as I'd hoped with the central mystery muffled by extensive character insights.

Fresh from his recent courtroom success, barrister Arthur Skelton is having to get used to being in the limelight and the adoration of those who regard him as a latter day Galahad, riding to the rescue of damsels in distress. The damsel in question is Mary Dutton, accused of the murder of her violent husband in a seemingly open and shut case.

Arthur sets out to construct a plausible defence for Mary - ideally by identifying others with the means, motive and opportunity. He's assisted in this by his extremely efficient clerk, Edgar, who is a fountain of knowledge and has connections seemingly in every solicitors office in the country. Later they are joined by Rose Critchlow, daughter of the solicitor representing Mary Dutton. Rose has ambitions to pursue a career in law despite it being a largely male preserve so is delighted to get involved. Drawing inspiration from the words of the Girl Guide's Handbook, she can "think of nothing better than to be an everyday heroine whose example might be followed with advantage.'" As it happens, Rose proves to be an extremely adept and industrious investigator, uncovering evidence that would otherwise have remained hidden.

I enjoyed the brief insights into Arthur's other cases and also the glimpses of his home life with wife, Mila, and their two children. Mila is quite a character - clever, independent-minded, an advocate of equal rights and not afraid to voice her opinions. Often, Arthur finds himself marvelling that she should have chosen him over so many others.

The unravelling of the mystery is accompanied by gentle humour. For example, when Arthur and Edgar attend a meeting in a rather seedy pub in Limehouse, Arthur observes, "It was old. Dickens could have drunk here, maybe Shakespeare and Marlowe, and possibly Chaucer, but none of them would have, because they were all too choosy." In another example, as Arthur and his clerk run through Edgar's list (numbered, of course) of other possible suspects or motives, Edgar observes, "Sapphism is a lot more common than you like to believe." "Not in the Midlands", replies Arthur.

There are occasional contributions (in letter form) from Arthur's cousin, Alan, who, with his wife Norah, travels the country in a Rover Sunbeam spreading the word of God, whilst also acting as a useful gatherer of information for Arthur's cases. There's more gentle humour on display here. I chuckled at the descriptions of their meetings which comprise earnest sermons, the enthusiastic singing of hymns and recitals of popular songs, such as 'When Father Papered the Parlour You Couldn't See Pa for Paste'.

I really enjoyed Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisons and I very much hope there are more cases for Skelton to tackle in the future.

This was a very enjoyable historical crime detective/legal novel. Skelton is a popular lawyer called to defend an advised woman accused of poisoning, and the plot includes all sorts of threads about women's suffrage and other cases. I don't read modern crime because of the gore and violence, but I dislike unbelievable,twee, "cosy crime". For me, this fell perfectly in the middle, with lots of 1920s details.

Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisons is a thunderously well written exuberant historical legal procedural set in the late 1920s and written by David Stafford. Released 17th Sept 2020 by Allison & Busby, it's 352 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
The story arc is well plotted, with a plethora of possible suspects and motives. The disparate plot threads (a poisoning, injury compensation, Skelton's cousins Alan & Nora, flappers, suffragettes, skullduggery, official corruption and more) interweave well and culminate in a satisfying and well written denouement. Even the secondary characters are very finely drawn, from Skelton's clerk, his wife (a fervent feminist and lady gym master), to Arthur Skelton himself.

Arthur and his clerk, Edgar, have a solid repartee going on as they investigate, and the whole has a *very* Albert Campion and Lugg vibe. The dialogue is witty and sparkling and cheeky and thoroughly enjoyable. It scintillates and Stafford is a beautifully capable writer. It's not entirely apparent whether this is the beginning of a series or not, but I find myself fervently hoping there's more in store.

For readers who decide to pick it up, the author's notes at the end of the book are absolutely worth a read.

A lovely and entertaining mystery. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Fans of Alan Bradley or Agatha Christie should love this. Great puzzle mystery set in 1929 England.
Historical details and language are right on, and the cast of somewhat eccentric characters remains interesting throughout. Multiple POVs are handled brilliantly.
Quite cerebral, no gore, Wodehouse-style humour, and some interesting parallels to contemporary society.
I was delighted and hope there will be a sequel.

Secrets can be poisonous. Before being propelled to front-page fame by winning the case of the century, Yorkshireman Arthur Skelton was a fairly unremarkable barrister. Now, he is enjoying the attention that being dubbed a hero by the press brings – namely practising his distinguished pose and his autograph – much to the amusement of his wife. But January 1929 brings another high-profile case. Mary Dutton is accused of murdering her husband, although there are few people who dispute her guilt. The case is considered unwinnable, however, despite the odds, Skelton agrees to defend her – a decision that has absolutely nothing to do with her resemblance to a beautiful Hollywood actress. With an army of flappers set to cast their inaugural votes in the looming general election, both sides of the political divide are keen to secure their support by turning the case to their advantage and begin to lean on Skelton. Aided by his trusty clerk Edgar, Skelton faces mounting pressure to find the truth. But will that be enough to save a young woman’s life?

This is a relatively tame 1920s murder mystery just on the verge of becoming a cosy but which has plenty of intrigue and a superbly developed cast of characters who come alive on the page. It's an easy and quick read with a well thought through plot full of twists and turns and not to mention the scheming of some of the characters. Involving domestic abuse, the media mob have become, as they often do, judge and jury deciding that Mary, dubbed ’The Collingford Poisoner’, is guilty of the crime, but luckily Skelton doesn't jump to conclusions without evidence. Based on a real-life case, as explained in the authors note, this is a promising start to a brand new series, and I will certainly be looking out for the next instalment. Highly recommended to those who enjoy historical murder mysteries and crime fiction with a little touch of something different to it. Many thanks to Allison & Busby for an ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Allison and Busby for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

In David Stafford’s Skelton’s Guide to Domestic Poisons, after Mary Dutton is accused of murdering her husband, lawyer Arthur Skelton is called in to defend her. Skelton is riding his own small wave of fame after successfully defending a previous client in a highly-publicized case. In this case, he maneuvers through a tense political climate, a family history full of secrets, and a corrupt police department in an attempt to free his client.

It took me a couple of chapters to really sink into this one, but once I was in, I was in. The cast of characters is varied and entertaining. I loved Skelton—his slightly offhand, tongue-in-cheek manner was humorous and refreshing. His wife, Mila, is the epitome of a strong, forward-thinking woman (looked down upon in 1920s-30s England), and Edgar, Skelton’s clerk, is somehow both formal and quirky. The story moved along at a solid pace and there was nothing too inexplicable or over-the-top; I don’t love over-the-top plot lines in a mystery. Normally, in mysteries I read, the main character is out for the truth of the matter, whatever the outcome. What I found intriguing about this one is that since Skelton is a lawyer, the human part of him wants the truth, but even more, the lawyer part of him wants reasonable doubt, another motive elsewhere that would get his client released. It is a different mindset than what I have been accustomed to and I liked it. My only complaint is that I wish the wrap-up had been a little neater, but it did not ruin the story for me.

I definitely recommend this one. If you’re anything like me and enjoy mysteries, especially British mysteries, pick this one up!

Arthur Skelton is one of the most celebrated lawyers in the country. Despite the likely outcome, he chooses to represent Mary Dutton who is accused killing her husband by poison. Many assume Mary is guilty and some people even think she was justified in her supposed actions against her abusive husband. With a looming general election, the outcome might be more important than the truth in the Mary Dutton case.

I really enjoyed this historical mystery. There’s plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested in the search for the truth. I liked the historical elements and the Birmingham-area setting of much of the novel.

My favourite aspect of this book is the characters. The main characters have vivid personalities with different endearing quirks. I loved the narrative style, alternating between third person narration centring around Skelton, and letters written by Skelton’s cousin. There’s a wonderful humorous edge to much of the book and I would really like to read more books about these characters.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries and interesting, endearing characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the opportunity to read and review this title.

An Infectious, Delightful Dry Wit....
Beautifully drawn, character driven mystery with a Golden Age feel. Characters are painted with a tremendous lightness of touch and dance off the page. A cleverly drawn plot which incorporates an interesting social commentary, much atmosphere and is laced with an infectious and delightful dry wit. A first rate read.

Skelton’s Guide to Domestic Poisons follows Arthur Skelton, a famous barrister, as he takes on a case representing a woman accused of poisoning her abusive husband.
Though this is a mystery novel I found the plot took second place to the characters and other random things happening at the time. I struggled to get hooked into this book as it was quite slow paced. There were frequent scenes that went into random details on tangents from the plot.
I would recommend reading this for its characters and quick paced, witty banter. The scenes with lively conversation between characters were great. It is set in 1929 and you really get a feel of this through the dialogue. The writing has a classic British detective style about it making it feel very authentic to the era.
I didn’t really like the main character, Arthur Skelton, but I really like his Wife Mila. She was an interesting, dynamic character and I would like to read a book just about her instead of her husband.
Overall I would recommend this if you like classic British mystery but are not too focused on the mystery part, but enjoy some good banter.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A breath of fresh air in the mystery genre - reminiscent of Doyle's writing in Fitzgerald's world.

Arthur Skelton is a newly come to fame barrister who exudes logic and humility. Coming off of a recent, widely publicized trial, Skelton is encouraged to take on the new case of Mary Dutton - a woman accused of poisoning her abusive husband. The case seems un-winnable due to police corruption and involvement, but with the late 20's burgeoning era of female voting, Labour Party politics and highly opinionated newspapers, much of the world is convinced she is innocent. What ensues is a charming novel as Skelton almost stumbles upon the truth to this little mystery.

As an avid reader of mystery and suspense, this book was so delightful to pick up. It was a quick read, and some slang and language was a bit tricky for me to gasp as an American, but overall I was completely enamored with the quirky and searingly logical character of Skelton. The quick banter and dialogue was perfectly written so that I smirked and giggled the whole way through and could actually visualize the characters going back and forth. While not intensely gripping, the mystery was almost calming to follow along with as side stories brought about revelations and questions left you hanging, yet smiling, at the end.

Arthur Skelton is the “latter day Galahad” now that he has won a suitably trashy defamation case his name and face are in the papers but Arthur Skelton is a rare thing - a barrister with a conscience. He takes on the case of Mary Dutton a beaten housewife and mother of six who looks like the adorable Lilian Gish and is accused of poisoning her husband. Everyone thinks she did it and the corrupt police are closing ranks.
This was brilliant and the main reason is because of the chat. The chat in this book is top notch, chatting is severely underrated it’s a gold star skill and is harder than people think. It came as no surprise to find that the writer also writes radio plays, the novel is largely dialogue and that is not to its detriment. Every character has their own definite voice. Especially Arthur’s cousin Alan who gets large monologue through his letters as he acts as Arthur’s semi-reluctant snoop. I would have like to hear Norah’s voice as well, she cuts a swath through Alan’s letters and is just as present.
Special mention for Arthur’s wife Mila who is a goddess and I would absolutely have a pash for her if I was in her archery class especially if she also taught me how to box. What a woman.
This a crime novel but it’s not particularly about the crime it’s about the law and morality, what’s right and wrong. I like that there’s grey areas and flapping ends, life is messy and the truth does leak like a colander.

A great debut! I will be looking out for a sequel.

I found this book to be a little bit Jeeves and Wooster crossed with Sherlock Holmes. A renowned barrister, Arthur Skelton, is given only the most complex of cases and the case of Ted Dutton is no exception. Poisoned but by whom? Accused is his wife Mary and after a lifetime of injury and insults who could blame her? But was she really responsible??

As tales of police corruption, family secrets, and Christian Duty (don’t be put off) unravel a political game is also afoot. Could a reprieve of Mary secure the women’s movement votes that the conservative government need?? All of this is told with a little whimsy and the guffawing of the upper classes ringing in my ears. I would definitely recommend.

This is a quirky and entertaining novel that's not quite a mystery and not quite a legal novel. Arthur Skelton, a famous barrister, takes on the case of Mary Duttion, whose abusive husband was poisoned! Did she do it? This delves into the subject of women's suffrage, politics, and a range of other things (sometimes to the determent of what you might think should be the plot line.) The usual review of a book like this would include the line about secrets and lies but since that's a given, I'm going to go with the dialogue is a hoot. The humor is not too broad but rather witty. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Allison & Busby for providing me with an advance copy of David Stafford’s novel, Skelton’s Guide to Domestic Poisons.

This is not a book for everyone. In fact, it may even be the kind of book you have to be in the mood to read. That is not to say that it is bad, because it most certainly is not, but it does require you to pay attention or else you risk missing some of the sharp wit embedded in the prose. While I’m not normally one to enjoy novels set in the past, I would make an exception in this case.

Skelton’s Guide to Domestic Poisons begins with a short prologue wherein a funeral is mid-procession and halted to recall the body. The authorities believe the deceased may have been poisoned and thus need to perform an autopsy. The reader is then swiftly transported to chapter one, which is set approximately one year later, in 1929.

The protagonist, Arthur Skelton, is a barrister in London. After receiving lofty praise from the press for winning a case, him and his clerk, Edgar Hobbes, are bombarded with a number of new cases; one of them being the main plot of the book.

The best thing about this novel is the witty banter. It is fantastic. The first page immediately had me howling with laughter. I have been searching for this type of humor in a fiction work for years, and truly cannot remember the last time I read fiction that had it without venturing outside the genre. So, I was more than pleased to discover that the entire novel continues on like this and that it was not just a red herring to lure the reader and/or publisher into reading it.

Despite the levity that the humor adds to what would otherwise be a straight-forward legal procedural, it is not the kind of book you bring to the beach (or at least I wouldn’t). Again, I cannot stress this enough: you must concentrate when reading this novel or you will lose the plot.

Though it is not a difficult read and the syntax is clear, the style is very old school British. It reads akin to Sherlock or an Agatha Christie novel, rather than anything from present day. Also, if you are not from the UK or familiar with British culture, some references are hard to understand and many cease to exist (e.g., dark jaffarade).

Between the style and unfamiliar references, I found myself slogging through sections that lacked banter. It is possible that some passages were chock-full of unnecessary detail, but I’m not entirely sure since the writing style lends itself to overwriting. For example, we do not meet the primary murder suspect until chapter 11. Since the reader is told who the suspect is early on and she is already in jail, I’m not sure why it took this long to introduce her.

Around chapter 9 we also start encountering letters from Skelton’s cousin. Strange to change up the format this far into the story. I appreciate that we get a sense of the times and how news travels, but I think the details for the case could have been discovered in a different way instead of through letters to some random cousin character to whom the reader really does not have a strong connection.

Speaking of characters, Skelton’s wife, Mila, is my favorite character in the book. I think the author could and should have done a lot more with her; especially, since Skelton alludes to her intelligence numerous times throughout the story. By the end, I was tired of hearing those descriptions (however beautifully written) and wished she played a larger part.

My other gripe was that the book was built up to this huge court case that ends abruptly in one chapter. Everything seems to wrap up quickly in the last two chapters. I liked that it ended with the same husband and wife banter that it began with (a neat little package of sorts), but it was a throwaway comment and I thought it needed a stronger ending.

Overall, three stars for me, considering there were an equal number of things that I enjoyed and didn’t enjoy. If you like British humor and legal procedurals set in the past, then Skelton’s Guide to Domestic Poisons is for you. This book also contains lots of nods to female empowerment, which is slipped in through historical anecdotes and news discussions about events from the times. So if you enjoy history about women empowerment, then this may be up your alley as well.

Interesting plot and characters, I don´t like stories were the main point is an "advocacy story", so I´m really not the public for this book, but if this is your thing, I would highly consider this book

i enjoyed it, but it wasn't as good as i expected. i liked the setting and the concept of the murder/mystery. however, the characters felt a bit flat for me. i also felt like there were parts with a lot more description of thing we didn't need, and others that felt quite rushed.
it was a fast read and i did had fun while reading it.