Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe and her irrepressible cousin-in-law, Edna, arrive in Romania for what should be a tranquil escape, starting with a night at the opera. However, their evening of culture strikes a fatal note when a demanding opera diva is found dead. Who wanted the temperamental star to take her final bow?
When suspicion falls on their fellow traveller Frederick – the victim’s ex-fiancé who she abandoned at the altar decades ago – Marjorie and Edna, alongside companions Horace and Frederick himself, are forced to investigate. Between feuding family members and the unexpected arrival of a vengeful best friend, the unlikely quartet finds themselves chasing a killer who’s orchestrating a deadly encore.
When a second body is discovered, they realise this murderer’s show is far from over… Can Marjorie and her fellow sleuths unmask the killer before the final curtain falls – on them?
This is my first Marjorie Snellthorpe mystery, and I found myself a bit confused. Per Goodreads, this is the first in the series, but as I read the novel, it became clear that there had been other mysteries. I did not understand why Marjorie went on holiday with her cousin-in-law, if she struggled with tolerating Edna. I actually found that I did not like any of the suspects, nor did I like the “amateur sleuths.”
There wasn’t much in the way of description for the setting, not the Opera or the country. However, they did speak a lot of the murdered woman’s history and had quite a few red herrings. As far as a mystery plot, there were plenty of clues, suspects, and possibilities to allow the reader to play detective.
Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.
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