Cathy Ace never fails to deliver a witty, intricately plotted cozy mystery with a charming setting! The Women of the WISE Enquiries Agency make an intrepid team as they work together to solve the missing persons case.

The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer brings the reader right into the Welsh village of Anwen-by-Wye, and my sense is that in this series the setting is one of the characters. For me, that goes a long way toward making up for any flaws. The human characters are also well drawn, though here we touch on my main problem with the book.

I was particularly intrigued by the author's use of multiple main characters (the WISE Enquiries Agency has four sleuths, and they are all Main Characters, with us spending time with and in the heads of each. I wanted to see how this works in part because I've toyed with the idea of writing a book with at least two main characters. I think the book (and, in fact, the author's guest post below) reveals just how difficult this is. The multiple main characters made it harder to keep track of things, especially at the start of the book, where all the characters were strangers to me, and I think four protagonists tests the limits of a reader's ability to identify with the heroine.

That said, I still think this is a very well-written book, and the mystery plot is kept central even while the characters' lives are developed. That mystery, I need to note, isn't quite classic: there's no murder here. There is a mystery, though, and one with enough gravitas to make it matter. I did find it odd that the WISE women were restricted in what they could do by having to play by the rules (or risk losing their license)--and then thought it odd that something so realistic seemed odd! Still, it made a problem in that the main characters are shut out of the conclusion of the case, though they provide the police with the key to it.

My Recommendation:
This is an excellent choice for a reader who likes vivid settings for their mysteries, and who is not troubled by the lack of a corpse. The structure isn't quite classic Cozy, but it's a good story and well-written for those who keep an open mind about the rules of the genre.

The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer gave me several hours of pure reading pleasure, and Cathy Ace has just become one of my favorite mystery writers. I have long been a fan of stories with British small-village settings and it doesn’t get any better than this. Rather than fast-paced action, the well-written narrative is relaxed, filled with interesting historical detail, good characterization, and witty dialogue.

Set in the picturesque village of Anwen-by-Wye in Powys, Wales, The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer is steeped in atmosphere and tradition. According to Dowager Duchess Althea, “Traditions hold fast. Time is allowed to pass us by as we choose. We grasp only at those parts of it we want.”

One of those important traditions is the performance of the Morris Dancers at the wedding of the sitting Duke of Chellingworth, Henry Devereaux Twyst. The dancers consist of a troupe of six Morris men and a dancing Morris musician, who lead the bride and groom and most of the inhabitants of the village along a mile of winding pathways as they make their way from St. David’s Church to Chellingworth Hall. Some even believe this tradition affects the couple’s future fertility. There’s only one problem, however – the musician has gone missing – and this is where the four delightful ladies of the WISE Enquiries Agency step in. From age to cultural background, Mavis, Annie, Carol and Christine couldn’t be more different, yet they are good with people and at making “discreet” inquiries.

I loved everything about The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer and am eager to read more from Cathy Ace. Highly recommended.

I was provided a free copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.