Murder at the Majestic Hotel (A Stella and Lyndy Mystery)
The Stella and Lyndy mystery series from Clara McKenna portrays Edwardian England at its most charming. As an American business heiress marrying a peer of the realm, Stella has married Lyndy, a viscount, and become Lady Lyndhurst just before this fourth in the series. She and Lyndy expect time with just each other on their honeymoon at the Majestic Hotel, the finest lodging in York, England. Alas, when they arrive, a corruptible hotel staffer has already given away their reserved honeymoon suite. By morning, that seems like potentially a good thing, since the occupant of the suite, a chocolate and candy magnate, is dead of gas poisoning, and the amateur sleuths are soon convinced this death was murder. Would they have been victims if they’d had the suite?
Investigating the parties involved—whether family members inheriting, or confectionery competitors—takes the romancing couple into the countryside; then with little time to prepare, they receive an invitation to an event featuring the royals of the time. Stella would rather finally have some time with her hunky husband—but he explains, “Sorry, love, but one does not question or say no to Her Royal Highness.”
Viewing royalty and the peerage through Stella’s intelligent but amazed eyes allows McKenna to present scenes and action with wonder and delight. When danger does come close, the burgeoning love and reliable friendship that Stella and Lyndy nurture offer a level of assurance that makes this mystery particularly good for sharing with young adults or those whose life traumas might otherwise make mystery reading too uncomfortable. McKenna also deftly sketches in changes in women’s roles of the time, and provides a clever set of twists with a highly satisfying conclusion.
