Murder is in the Air is the 12th Kate Shackleton historical cozy by Frances Brody. Released 6th Oct 2020 by Crooked Lane Books, it's 316 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a gently written, engaging historical (1930s) mystery series set in England. This entry sees Kate and her partner investigating a series of incidents at a brewery in Yorkshire. I love the slow paced golden-age interwar classic feel of these mysteries and this one fits in well. For new readers, it works very well as a standalone; the author is adept at providing backstory in context without info-dumping.

There's a quite impressive verisimilitude. There has clearly been a prodigious amount of research behind the setting and workings of an English brewery of the time, and it shows. The plot is character driven and their interactions as they learn about one another and their interrelationships both past and present allow Kate to disentangle all the plot threads and turn them into a cohesive whole by the end of the book. The denouement was somewhat melancholy for me. Sometimes (most of the time?) there's no perfect "happily ever after" and this is true here as well.

I highly recommend the series as a whole, and this entry specifically to any readers who enjoy golden age interwar classic mysteries in the British style. The writing, plotting, and pacing will draw inevitable comparisons with Josephie Tey and Christie amongst the period selections, as well as Nicola Upson and Imogen Robertson's modern period pieces. This is one series I really look forward to, and this particular offering compares favorably with earlier volumes in the series.

Four stars

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

I’ve read a couple of Francis Brody’s books in this series and I’ve always really enjoyed them. They are set in an era after the First World War and are beautifully descriptive and have you thinking that you are reading an Agatha Christie book. The pace is slow but, set in this era suits it well and I find this way of writing very appealing. I have some more of her books to read and hopefully in time I can get hold of the whole series.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Kate And The Brewery.....
The twelfth Kate Shackleton mystery and Kate is faced with a death in a fermentation room. When Kate is asked to investigate by the brewery she must work hard to uncover the truth. Enjoyable, gentle mystery with plenty of twists and turns as well as a satisfying denouement. A worthy addition to the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Crooked Lane Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “Murder Is in the Air” (called "Death and the Brewery Queen" if you're reading in the UK). All opinions are my own.

Right off the bat we learn what Kate Shackleton does for a living – she’s a private investigator, along with Jim Sykes, her assistant. We’re in 1930 Leeds. She’s been contacted by the owner of a brewery to discuss some irregularities in operations, even to the point of sabotage, we soon learn – “trouble at ‘t mill,” or in this case, the Barleycorn Brewery.

Soon, our cast of characters grows. William Lofthouse and his wife, Eleanor, who own the brewery. A wayward nephew – what is he planning? Joe Finch, who’s there to help all and sundry, to his detriment, unfortunately. And finally, the family Parnaby, a family that includes a son and the daughter who’s the local county brewery “queen,” a young woman who is to represent the business at local events. Father Parnaby is for all intents and purposes an awful person.

Bill Sykes is assigned to work on the brewery case, figuring he’ll have a better insight into things. Pretty soon there’s a murder, a hit and run. Later on, we get another murder. And the troubles at the brewery seem petty in comparison.

Never mind these deaths, this is a story of a wounded family, a mistreated woman and bullied, sad children. The way that Ms. Brody portrays the Parnabys is heartbreaking. I wanted to jump in a time machine and whisk them all out of there. Kate and Jim and Mrs. Sugden, their housekeeper are Good Samaritans through it all. There’s always more to them than mystery-solvers in these books (this is the 12th, by the way. Probably shouldn’t start at this one. And why would you? Begin at the beginning, with this excellent series).

There’s one last drama, one last try at a “get rich quick” scheme. How awful people are, no matter who they are, so Frances Brody shows us. At least the Yorkshire brewery contingent has its day. In praise of ale, indeed!

An author’s note explains about the famous breweries that are the background for the story. One final thing to mention -- this is a multiple viewpoint book. Not everyone’s cup ‘o tea.

The Kate Shackleton books are always well-written, evocative and interesting. That said, I have found some of the settings and situations in earlier books to be less enthralling than others -- no surprise, there, of course. This latest one was, to me, a perfect delight, though. Set in a brewing town, I found the details about brewerys and commerce queens (early beauty queens) to be fascinating and the three interconnecting mysteries to be exciting. Highy recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

This was my second book by this author and she really likes to research her topic, yet it is not force fed back to the reader as some authors are inclined to do.

Murder is in the Air: A Kate Shackleton Mystery is set in Yorkshire, England, in the 1920s and it is set within the local brewing industry. I was extra interested because I lived in the area for several years and know Masham and Theakstone's Brewery well. This book has been published under another title Death and the Brewery Queen which is also very apt.

I enjoyed the book very much but occasionally I felt the author was drawing it out a bit too long, especially towards the end. Certainly there were issues to resolve but it felt like starting a whole new book rather than winding down a finished one. Kate Shackleton is an interesting and likable character as is her partner Sykes. Sergeant the dog is pretty special too. All good and definitely worth 4 stars.

This is the twelfth in the series & is set in the 1930’s in Northern England . William Lofthouse owner of Barleycorn Brewery asks Kate to investigate some mishaps. When there they get caught up in accompanying wages clerk Ruth Parnaby’s engagements as Northern Breweries’ beauty queen. On one of Ruth’s first engagements, a garden party at the brewery, she leads children to the stables for pony rides but the drayman is missing, later found in the last place imaginable--the fermentation room, deceased.
What looked to be a simple case of asphyxiation in the dangerous fermentation room is quickly clarified by the pathologist as murder. Then another murder follows
I am really enjoying this series & like Kate, Jim & the other reoccurring characters, I found this to be a well written book although the pace was slow to begin with it did pick up & what started as a so so read turned into a captivating page turning one. There are plenty of twists & turns as well as red herrings, but the ever level headed Kate works her way through to solving the crimes
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

There have been a number of mishaps at the Barleycorn Brewery. While William Lofthouse, the owner, sees them as minor setbacks, his wife asks him to consult with kate Shackleton, a private investigator. Lofthouse had sent his nephew James to Germany to learn from their brewers in the hope that he would return and take over some of the responsibilities, but James has extended his stay. Kate sends her assistant Jim Sykes to meet the brewery staff and review their accounts and security. He is assisted by Miss Crawford, William’s secretary, who has discovered disturbing news. Before she has a chance to talk with Lofthouse she is murdered. Kate arrives on the scene as everyone is dealing with their grief from this loss.

Miss Crawford’s death comes days before she was to chaperone the brewery’s entry in the Brewery Queen competition. Ruth Parnaby, the wages clerk, is representing Barleycorn in the competition, but not everyone is supportive of her participation. While the event goes well for the brewery, the celebration is marred by the discovery of another body in the fermentation room.

Frances Brody’s story is one of sabotage, abuse, kidnapping and murder that draws the reader into the lives of her characters. From the drayman who adopted an abused pony to the cooper who drove his wife to leave in fear for her life you get to know these characters on a personal level. Kate, who has dealt with the loss of her own husband in the past, displays sympathy and understanding that allows people to open up to her as she investigates. She is a wonderful character that makes Brody’s series one that is easy to recommend. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

Murder is in the Air is another book in Frances Brody's series about Kate Shackleton, investigator in the 1930's.

This time, story is set in a brewery, where local brewery queen Ruth finds a dead body. There are many suspects, one of them even her mean spirited father. So it's up to Kate to help but she will really have to try her hardest to be able to solve the murder.

I enjoy this series, because I especially like the main protagonist, She is smart and level-headed, she is inquisitive but doesn't put herself in danger unnecessarily and she has flair for solving puzzles. Kate is also sensible, emphatic and caring.
There are several recurring characters that are very likeable and bring certain qualities to the books.
I also immensely enjoy both the setting and the time period. I think it was a very difficult yet interesting part of our history and I especially enjoy books set in that time period.
The stories are always smartly presented, with an important issues and raise some serious subject.
This particular book didn't appeal to me so much as it was set in the brewery and I have no interest in the subject. I also sometimes feel that books can be a bit too slow.
However I enjoy reading them.

Kate and Jim have been hired to investigate some odd happening at a brewery in Yorkshire- and it turns into a murder case! This is the 12th installment in a historical cozy series and, frankly, it would have benefited from a bit of scene setting and back story even for those of us who have read some of the books. Kate's a good character, the setting is fun, and I learned a bit about semi-rural England in the 1930s. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Private investigator Kate Shackleton is hired by brewery owner William Lofthouse to discover if there is something going on in his brewery. After years of success, the brewery has experienced some uneven patches. Lofthouse has been awaiting the return of his nephew and heir James from Germany.and he wants to be sure all the bookkeeping is in order. Kate's employee Jim Sykes is sent to comb through the accounts. and he discovers some irregularities that lead to a surprising source. A side story is a Brewery Queen competition featuring one of Lofthouse's employees. Kate Shackleton is one of my favorite characters and this book reinforces that.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have read a few books by this author and have enjoyed them all, this was no exception a real old fashioned who done it.

1930s, England, private-investigators, law-enforcement, greed, historical-research

It's 1930 and Kate is a widow who was a nurse in WW1 but has been working as a private detective with her married partner Jim Sykes, a former police detective, and with the help of her cook, dog, and "niece". The original problem she is to address is a financial one for her friend's husband's brewery and doesn't seem too bad until a key person in the organization is deliberately run down on her way to work. Meanwhile there is a very capable young woman with many secrets who is working in the payroll department and has been entered into a publicity campaign by Kate's friend. Cue another murder! The pace is somewhat irregular but the characters are well presented and the ending is a total twist! Along the way are a host of red herrings and misunderstandings all adding up to a very good read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I'm always eagerly awaiting the next book in the Kate Shackleton series so I was delighted to been given the chance to read this one ahead of publication. I enjoyed it but with reservations. It felt like two different books. The opening chapters deal with family issue at the featured brewery that have no impact on the second part of the book. If I'm being honest, I found the mystery and crime solving of the latter chapters contrived. More worryingly, I didn't hear Kate's voice coming through. Frances Brody writes well so the book was still pleasurable to read but I feel somehow cheated. Nothing in the overarching storyline moved on; the main characters (Kate, Jim Sykes, Harriet) could almost have been written by a different person.

I struggled with the fact that the only connection amongst the plots in this novel was the place. in which they took part (the brewery in a country village) and the agency that was called in for one became embroiled in the lives of a number of the families associated with it..

While there are indeed two deaths, the main villain was absent and so lacked character. Even his motive seemed questionable and so that aspect of the story felt thin. It also only took up a very small part of the novel, so I anticipated that this would develop further. It didn't.

The circumstances around the second death, when revealed, felt implausible and the outcome of that storyline was also a little strange, for me.

I then found the wrap up a little too tidy and unrelated to either of these investigations. So I think, overall, it just didn't gel. The various aspects all had great potential but just didn't come together for me.

I did read the book prior to this one and really enjoyed it.

My thanks to #Netgalley, #Crookedlanepublishers and the author for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of Murder is in the Air, the twelfth novel to feature 1930s private detective Kate Shackleton and her team.

Kate and her assistant, Jim Sykes, are asked to go to the Barleycorn Brewery to investigate some strange incidents and when there they get caught up in wages clerk Ruth Parnaby’s efforts to become the Northern Breweries’ beauty queen. On one of Ruth’s first engagements, a garden party at the brewery, Kate finds the drayman dead in the fermentation room.

I enjoyed Murder is in the Air, which is more a series of crimes with links than one long investigation. It makes for interesting reading with the change of emphasis from one to the next and never allows for a dull moment or boredom for the reader. Of necessity none of the crimes is particularly profound but they mostly have greed at their root. Who knew a small brewery in Yorkshire could be such a hotbed of emotions? As I said, interesting.

The novel is mostly told from Kate’s first person point of view but other third person narratives are inserted to cover the information she can’t access personally but is pertinent to the reader’s understanding of events. It works well, painting a well rounded picture and providing more food for thought.

I like Kate who is a very sensible woman. She knows what to say to comfort people and has an eagle eye for discrepancies, allowing her to solve the crimes she is paid to investigate and those that she isn’t.

Murder is in the Air is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Murder is in the Air by Frances Brody is a wonderful addition to the Kate Shackleton series. Kate and her assistant, Jim Sykes are called in by the husband of Kate’s friend, William Lofthouse, to help figure out some issues at his brewery. About a third of the way into the story a murder takes place and is solved and then almost immediately after another murder takes place. I was pleasantly surprised by this plot twist. The cast of characters all seem to have dark secrets in their past making them all good suspects, but with the Jim’s help Kate solves the mystery. Along the way there are charming descriptions of the British countryside leaving this reader with a strong desire to tromp about some green spaces. Once again Ms. Brody captures the essence of Britain and tells a great murder mystery story.

Another disappointment as far as I'm concerned, I don't know how else to define a detective story in which the mystery is described in such a confused way that the author needed two murders to keep up the tension in a plot really lacking. I don't know if I should continue to read this series, only because in the past I liked it a lot.....

Un'altra delusione per quanto mi riguarda, non saprei come altro definire un giallo in cui il mistero viene descritto in modo talmente confuso da aver bisogno di raccontare (male) ben due omicidi per tenere alta la tensione in una trama veramente carente. Non so se continuare a leggere questa serie, che peró in passato mi piaceva parecchio....

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Probably not best to start with the 12th book in an ongoing series, I suppose... I struggled with the very bland main/recurring characters and the lack of proper historical ground to start with -- Murder in the Air is set in the North of England in 1930 but I'd forgotten this by the time the review copy hit my Kindle, and there were almost no context clues for the first few chapters. I shouldn't have to Google to know what time period a story is set in!

However, the plot did hot up eventually and I found the village characters quite compelling, as well as the brewery setting.

This newest Kate Shackleton mystery, taking place in 1920s Great Britain, has Kate, a private inquiry agent, and her partner, Jim Sykes, hired to look in at the Barleycorn Brewery in Yorkshire, owned by William Lofthouse. Lofthouse, newly married to a young wife, and, wishing to turn more of the running of the company over to his nephew James, hopes Kate and Sykes will spot some little problems that he thinks are keeping the company from running at top efficiency. In the meantime, the brewery is drumming up favorable publicity by promoting a local girl, Ruth Parnaby, who's a whiz in the personnel department, as "brewery queen," a twist on a beauty queen—if Ruth's efforts aren't sabotaged by her drunken father, who's already driven his wife away with both Ruth and young George longing to follow her.

Two plots are running here concurrently: the mystery of who might be sabotaging things at the brewery (a recent new beer was fouled with dirt and rubbish) and also a mystery surrounding one of the workers. It's possible they are both linked, but when two different murders happen, Kate and Sykes discover there are no simple answers in this one.

Brody addresses PTSD (Ruth's dad was not a brute before his war service) and spousal and child abuse against the colorful traditional goings-on in the Great Britain of that era of crowning a pretty young girl "queen" of a certain industry (cloth mills, railways, coal mines) to perk up tough times in industrial towns. Brody reverses the usual "the mysteries are connected" plot in this story, so there are several different endings to several different crimes, leading to several different cliffhangers, and once again Kate's niece Harriet and landlady Mrs. Sugden prove themselves equal to being part of the solution. The local characters (Ruth, George, Annie, Parnaby, Joe Finch, Miss Crawford, William and Eleanor Lofthouse, Miss Boland the music teacher) are all interesting characters in their own right, and several of them will have your sympathy before the story is concluded.