Loved DEATH AT LARCH BRIDGE by Gretta Mulrooney. This is the second book in the Daisy Moore Mysteries Series, but I definitely recommend you read the Death at the Dolphin first to get a better understanding of the main characters. This mystery story takes place in Fernfield, Oxfordshire, 1946, and within the walls of the famous Dolphin Hotel. Can Daisy solve the mystery of the anonymous letter full of clues or will Inspector Peter Thaxted?
An action packed story with well developed characters, and great world building. A page turner you won’t want to miss. If you enjoy reading Agatha Christie mysteries you will definitely enjoy reading this series.

Thank you Joffe Books for granting me the opportunity to read and review this awesome mystery via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to write a favorable review and all opinions are my own.

This is my first read from this author and I have been unable to put it down! Certainly not a book to skim before bed, every sentence is packed with meaning, humour and great banter. The characters are charming and deliciously flawed and it has me running to read the Daisy book that came before this one. Well paced and stays very true to the era. Colour me delighted!
My thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Joffee Books for this opportunity to review “Death at Larch Bridge.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Daisy Moore is a “general dogsbody” hotel worker and a factotum for a busy actor fellow in the (fictional) village of Fernfield, in post-WWII Oxfordshire. One of those places where murders just seems to find its way. And in “Death in Larch Bridge,” the second in the series by Gretta Mulroney, Daisy is going to have her hands full “assisting the police with their inquiries” in a murder case, whether they like it or not. Well, if she didn’t, there wouldn’t be much of a story, would there?

Our Daisy has been busy -- she’s solved a murder in the first book (“Death at the Dolphin”) -- so she’s got some experience. And after her work helping to defeat Germany during the war (the Official Secrets Acts keeps her clammed up about this), she needs the mental stimulation -- village life ain’t cutting it. So, when a man and wife show up at the hotel, and the man disappears and is then found shot to death, she’s ready to get on the case. And if you don’t mind reading all about it in First Person Present Tense, you will be happy to get tucked up into it, too.

Our author has given us a whole bunch of characters; Daisy definitely stands out, along with Inspector Thaxted, whose injuries emphasize our post-war time and place. And all these characters (and potential suspects) have a part to play (with side stories that figure prominently), as Daisy flits from place to place (including London, which occupies a special place in her heart), putting pieces together, trying to figure out who this apparently mild-mannered insurance agent angered. And what it comes down to is human nature, and anger, and unhappiness. Not much that anyone can do about that, except present it to the police, who are luckily on the spot for the arrest.

The book ends with a visit to London and the victory parade. It’s good to get away with friends and reflect on the times -- the good and the bad. Life will go on in Fernfield, and Daisy will no doubt find another body to stumble upon. In “Death at Larch Bridge,” author Gretta Mulroney has given readers fictional people and a plot that should satisfy anyone looking for an engaging whodunit.

Farnsfield 1946. Ronnie and Thomasina Carpenter have booked in at the Dolphin Hotel to spend the evening at an engagement party. But when Ronnie goes missing that afternoon the police become involved. Then a body is discovered, shot. Hotel employee, Daisy Moore due to an innate curiousity and boredom decides to investigate. While Inspector Peter Thaxted runs his own investigation. But who would want him dead, but everyone has secrets. Can Daisy and Thaxted between them solve the case.
An entertaining historical cozy mystery with its very likeable and interesting main characters. Backed up by a cast of varied characters. A good addition to this series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is set in 1946, just after the war and rationing was still in force and this is included in the descriptions of what life was like after the war. It is set in a small town / village near Oxford, where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Daisy has moved here from London and although she misses the city life, she does enjoy her work with JB, an actor and where she lives. She also works in a local hotel. Daisy has been successful in investigating a murder before and it’s not long before she is involved in another murder. Police Inspector Peter Thaxted has ‘worked’ with Daisy before and includes her in the investigation. There was plenty of banter between them and I wonder if something might develop between them as the series progresses. This was an entertaining read with likeable characters. It was written in a jaunty style that I enjoyed. I hadn’t read the previous book in the series but this didn’t affect my enjoyment. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another lively adventure for Daisy Moore. Life in Oxfordshire is too quiet - most of the time - but trouble seems to find Daisy. As a former worker In the secret Service during WWII, Daisy needs something to keep her brain from atrophying and, again, a murderer steps in to help - much to the dismay of the local police.

Loved it. A funny, exciting and engrossing story, with red herrings and twists galore.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Oxfordshire, 1946. Lieutenant Ronnie Carpenter and his wife check into their chintzy room at the Dolphin Hotel. Then Ronnie steps out for some air. Never to return. The next morning, Ronnie’s body is found, slumped in the passenger seat of a stolen car, abandoned on Broadmeadow Farm. A bullet through his head. Daisy Moore can’t help but be drawn into the investigation. Especially when Ronnie’s long-suffering wife comes crying to her for help.
The second outing for Daisy & another well written cosy mystery. DI Peter Thaxted, again features & could he be warming to Daisy? There’s a spark between them as well as entertaining banter. Well portrayed characters & it flows well. It wouldn’t be a mystery without twists, turns & red herrings but the author does these so well & keeps you guessing until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it & look forward to more
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Pleasurable Whodunit..
The second in the Daisy Moore mystery series and a wholly enjoyable, well written murder mystery set in a 1940’s Oxfordshire. Amidst a peaceful setting, murder rears an ugly head and Daisy cannot help but be drawn into the investigation. Nicely plotted with an intriguing plot populated with a credible and well drawn cast of characters, a well imagined backdrop and twists aplenty.. A pleasurable and engaging whodunit.

A good old fashioned British murder mystery. A unique main character and Mulrooney’s wonderful use of words make this an unpredictable and interesting read.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from NetGalley and Joffe Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was very drawn to this cover when I saw it; after reading the blurb, I was quite happy to get an ARC.

Beware: fatphobia, miscarriage, suicide.

Second in the Daisy Moore mystery series, this novel is set a few months after the murder of local pacifist and refugee champion Lucinda Laidlaw at the Dolphin Hotel. Our intrepid heroine continues her work as general factotum for one Jeffrey Berrow, answering his fan mail when not working as general dogsbody at the hotel. However, a good many people are now aware of just how nosy Daisy can be.

Which, as Inspector Peter Thaxted warns her, can be especially dangerous in the country, where one cannot count on the anonymity of crowds for safety.

And thus things stand when another hotel guest is murdered; fortunately, this time the crime is committed away from the premises.

The Dolphin has seen a few changes since Daisy’s arrival. Vera is now in her third trimester, and after recent events, the staff is short one full time employee, which keeps those who remain busier than usual, even when only a few rooms are occupied.

I really like the world the author has created; there is a real sense of place and time. The war has ended in Europe, but hardship continues, with coupon books controlling most aspects of ordinary life–indeed, rationing in Great Britain will last for almost a decade after V Day, affecting everything from food to clothing to construction materials.

The author paints a good image of how life was in the country; landed gentry perhaps diminished by the financial reversals of war, but still on top, and generally keeping tabs on each other, so that there’s always someone who knows someone else; and the small villages that dot the landscape in between the larger towns and cities, with countless lanes crisscrossing from one to each other.

Daisy is growing as a person without truly realizing it; she still feels guilt over her mother’s death, but the veneer of callousness she affected in the first novel has worn away considerably in the second, and she is naturally kind and considerate, without calculation or ulterior motive, several times in the story.

Inspector Thaxted’s interest is indicated more clearly, though Daisy seems to remain unaware; for that matter, she’s also curiously (or perhaps determinedly) oblivious to JB’s queerness, even as other characters helpfully try to clue her in.

Daisy spends a lot of time actually thinking things through, and most of her reasoning is put down for the reader to follow, which makes this a better than most cozy mysteries I’ve read recently; her growing maturity is evident in that she is direct with Thaxted about what she’s doing, and in asking him to involve her in his own investigations rather than waste her brain just because it’s in a woman’s body.

I enjoyed this one as much as the first one, save for a few things: I wasn’t as convinced about how Inspector Thaxted reached his conclusions in time, as I was in the first one; I wish that had been elaborated a bit more.

Second, the ending seemed…not exactly abrupt, but somewhat out of place, disconnected to the rest of the story.

And finally, the fatphobia.

Long term hotel guest Mrs Ward is once again singled out for her weight. It isn’t just that she’s a gossip, it’s that everything negative about her personality is linked to, and explained by, her being a fat woman–the old fatphobia/misogyny one-two punch. This time we also have a smaller secondary character, a teenager who is, in Daisy’s words, ‘an awkward, comfort-eating girl’. I would have no problem with the description, if it weren’t paired with descriptions of said girl eating that make it clear how disgusting fat people eating is–and both of these incidents happen before we get to 40% of the way.

I have said that I like the writing, and honestly, if the fatphobia were excised, this could be a favorite series to follow. As it is, I’m not sure I’ll read the next.

Death at Larch Bridge gets 8.25 out of 10

sly-humor, small-town, small-business, hospitality-industry, class-consciousness, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-research, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, England, local-law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, 1945, friends, friendship, theft, insurance-fraud, museum*****

With the end of the war Daisy Moore’s wartime work under the Secrets Act came to an end. Then her flat and her mother come to a smoky end, and a friend introduces her to a sometimes actor who needs a general factotum at his Dolphin hotel in Oxfordshire where she also has to help around the hotel.
Daisy did not find the body this time, but the man was a short term guest at the Dolphin when he went missing, leaving his nervous wife in the lurch. The wife believes that her husband has never visited the area before, but Daisy's investigation (after the man's body was found murdered) proves otherwise. Daisy is good at sleuthing, and war veteran DI Peter Thaxted is slowly losing his animosity towards her (interference) sleuthing talents.
All the characters are truly realistic and some of the timely tidbits show that there was solid research done. The sleuthing is a really good deep dive into the victim's past, the plot twists are inspired and the red herrings inventive, A great read!
I requested and received an EARC from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was a great read. It was my first time reading a book in this series, but it won't be the last.
Daisy is a likeable character with an interesting history which isn't perfect. There are the usual quirky characters you get in this type of mystery and the local detective, who is still suffering from a war wound is an interesting and different addition. There were lots of twists and turns to keep my interest. Looking forward to reading more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Fernfield Oxfordshire 1946 book Two.

Daisy Moore Hotel manager at the Dolphin Hotel.
A proper Agatha Christie historical whodunnit.

A brutal murder of Ronnie Carpenter that draws in Daisy with the help of DI Peter Thaxted.
After receiving an anonymous letter she's looking to find who has written it before there's another death in Fernfield.

This book was such a pleasure to read, It's a book that is full of fun and charms the readers, and I am deeply saddened to read that this will be the author's last book, I love this series and Daisy. This author has left a big hole in the book world and will be a big miss, I have enjoyed all of her books throughout the years.

Both book two and book one are a must read for readers of murders and crime reads, as always I award five stars.
A pleasant and inspirational story chapter after chapter

This is the second book in the Daisy Moore series, set in 1946 Oxfordshire. One of Daisy's duties is to work at the hotel owned by her employer. When a couple checks in and the husband disappears, things get chaotic. The next morning, his body is found at a nearby farm. Who would have wanted him dead and why? Daisy sets out to see what she can find out.

This was a great read. It was my first time reading a book in this series, but it won't be the last. Even though I didn't read the first book, there was no problem understanding the relationships and the situation of Daisy--it's all provided. But if you want to read the series, I would definitely suggest reading in order, because the solution to the mystery in the first book, as well as other plot points, were described in detail in this book.

I like the characters in the book. Daisy is a complex character with an interesting back story. The quirky characters one expects to find in a cozy mystery are there, but unusual (in a very good way). I like the relationship between Daisy and the local detective, who is still suffering from a war wound. They are wary around one another, but there is also a mutual respect.

I'm looking forward to reading more about these characters.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Death at Larch Bridge, the second novel to feature “general factotum” Daisy Moore, set in the fictional Oxfordshire town of Fernfield in 1946.

Daisy helps out at the Dolphin Hotel in Fernfield and is working there when Ronald Carpenter and his wife, Tommie, check in. She doesn’t take to the boorish Ronald, but joins the search when he disappears shortly after arriving. The next morning he is found dead in a stolen car left in a field.

I enjoyed Death at Larch Bridge, which is a fun, lighthearted read with a good mystery attached. It is told from Daisy’s point of view, so the reader has no difficulty getting immersed or concentrating on the story.

The basis for the murder is a real mystery. Ronald Carpenter has not been in the area before and has led a blameless life, so who would want him dead? Daisy is a ferret so she spends her downtime talking to people and trying to make sense of all the information she is given. In the course of this ferreting she uncovers some big secrets and a couple of unrelated crimes, much to the exasperation of Inspector Peter Thaxted, the official detective on the case. The novel has a bit of a genre busting vibe that I like, in that Thaxted is not incompetent and draws the same conclusions as Daisy and, as a result, arrives in time to save her from a potentially dangerous situation. It’s a neat twist on the amateur sleuth trope.

The novel has a cheerful tone, unlike her other series that are more serious, and this is down to Daisy’s character. She is a strange mix of knowing and naïve with an unconcerned facade hiding an eventful past and an unsettled mindset. Her modus operandi is chatter to glean the facts and confrontation to dispel the lies, all done artfully and lightly. She has fun, is surrounded by a cast of eccentrics and the reader wonders about a possible romance with the war wounded Peter Thaxted.

Death at Larch Bridge is a good read that I can recommend.

"That's the problem with murder," he says briskly. "It tends to expose all the victim's failings, hopes, dreams and secrets." I am saddened by Ms. Mulrooney's passing earlier this year, b/c I adore her books, and #DeathatLarchBridge is no exception. Daisy Moore is such a terrific character, and I love her interactions with just about everyone in the book, but especially Inspector Thaxted. Lots of cheeky repartee, and a good, twisty plot - so much to love about this book and series. While I do have a backlog to enjoy, I can't imagine we'll have any more Daisy Moore stories, which is a shame.

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley and @joffebooks for the ARC.

The striking cover sets the scene for a good old fashioned murder mystery, which is investigated by Daisy Moore, a village resident. I liked the references to Walthamstow Grenada which is local to me. A good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
This is the second in the Daisy Moore series and as good as the first, I really loved it.
Daisy gets involved in yet another murder, this time it's the husband of a couple come to the village to attend a wedding, having just booked into the hotel where Daisy works.
As usual, Daisy outshines the police with her method meticulous sleuting!
It's a lovely series so far; even though I wasn't born yet in 1946, I still felt nostalgic for those days and Daisy is so likeable. The atmosphere is terrific, the characters very well drawn and the writing excellent as is usual for Ms. Mulrooney.
Terrific, can't wait for no. three!

A British mystery that will capture you, the setting and knowing ones neighbors.
Found it more chatty with words then her other series. Overall a delightful 2 book series.
Given ARC by. Net Galley and Joffe for my voluntary review