Under the Guise of Death by Vivian Conroy #Review #Mystery #MurderMystery

 

Title: Under the Guise of Death

Series: Murder Will Follow #3

Author: Vivian Conroy

Publisher: Canelo

Published: November 28th, 2019

Rating: 5/5

 

 

My Review:

If you enjoy murder mysteries written in a style similar to Agatha Christie, look no further – Vivian Conroy is her contemporary equivalent! This story is set in the 1920s where retired Scotland Yard detective Jasper is visiting his Venetian counterpart. Whilst there the two attend a masked ball where Jasper is surprised to recognise some of the guests from a case he investigated three years ago following the accidental death of a young lady, Lady Bantham, in a car crash. When the midnight demasqué also reveals that same young lady standing on the balcony,  everyone is astounded – including her husband and his new wife, her lover, her best friend and her father. She quickly disappears but the next morning is found murdered on a bridge over a canal. Just who wanted her to really die this time? What happened three years ago? Who killed her?

With so many secrets, surprising revelations and possible motives this is a fascinating murder mystery. The people who knew her seem to have their own suppositions about what happened in the past that only now are being shared. Jasper can’t resist endeavouring to discover what happened in the past as well as more recently but working in a foreign land can have its own detractions. This is an engrossing read, a page turner to keep you guessing until all the suspects are brought together for the denouement which is classic Christie in style! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and have no hesitation in highly recommending it to anyone who enjoys historical murder mysteries.

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion after finding this a fascinating and intriguing read.

Synopsis:

In the City of Masks, deadly secrets are about to be revealed…

While attending a lavish masked ball in Venice, retired Scotland Yard detective Jasper has a shock when, at the midnight demasqué, he spots a woman whose accidental death he investigated in England three years ago.

Even more stunned than Jasper is the woman’s husband, Lord Bantham, who has since remarried, not to mention his new wife who sees her acquired position and wealth slip away. Then there are her old friends who all seem to have known more about the ‘accident’ than they ever let on.

When the resurrected lady is found dead the next morning on one of Venice’s many bridges, the question is: who wanted Lady Bantham to die, again?

The third book in the Murder Will Follow series, this is a gripping mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Robert Thorogood.