A Mistake of Murder (Jan Christopher Mysteries)
This is the third cosy mystery to feature Jan Christopher—library assistant and part-time sleuth. It’s set in Chingford, London, at the turn of the new year in 1972. Jan has just become engaged to her police officer fiancé, Sergeant Laurie Walker, who shares some of the storytelling through a series of interludes. This device is effective as it allows us to see how the murders are solved from both the professional and amateur perspectives. Hollick effectively evokes early ‘70s London through period detail about Routemaster buses, and what’s on the TV and radio. The chatty, breezy first-person perspective works well as we join Jan delivering books to her housebound clients.
I found this early part of the book a little slow-paced. Once the plot really got going about a quarter of the way in, I was hooked. I was happy to spend time with an engaging protagonist as she tried to discover whether the two murders were deliberate or unfortunate mistakes. The ending is satisfying, as is the revelation of the way the stories are framed. The prose is confident and assured. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, then this is definitely for you.
