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hirvimaki's review against another edition
3.0
A standard Daisy tale. This has become the fluff between the more intense books. So sad I'm nearing the end of the series.
gmamartha's review against another edition
3.0
1920s England. Daisy's family tries to find the next heir among several who gather. Accidents and a death precede attempted murder.
gray5217's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
r_skye's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Maybe it would be better if I had read the first few
rebeccabadger's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
dogearedandfurry's review against another edition
4.0
Can be a little confusing, keeping track of the various family tree branches without something to refer to, but a good story.
fruitkate's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
fern17's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
drizcoll's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
bookwyrm_lark's review against another edition
4.0
Entailed estates and the British primogeniture laws are always good mystery fodder, and Dunn takes full advantage of them in Heirs of the Body, the latest mystery featuring Daisy Fletcher, nee Dalrymple. Series fans will remember that Daisy's father was the previous Lord Dalrymple; on her brother's death in World War I, her schoolmaster cousin Edgar inherited, and Daisy and her mother lost their home. But Edgar and his wife Geraldine are childless, so a search must be made for the next heir. This means going back several generations in search of a living male descendant. The trouble is, there are four claimants. So Edgar, Lord Dalrymple, invites them all to stay at Fairacres while efforts are made to sort things out.
I really enjoyed this installment of the series. While the genealogical details were occasionally hard to follow (I highly recommend taking notes!), I loved several of the characters. Geraldine and Edgar are much more sympathetic characters than I expected them to be—particularly Edgar, with his almost obsessive interest in lepidopterology. For all his apparent absentmindedness, though, Edgar is no fool. The children figure prominently throughout the book, particularly the trio made up of Alec and Daisy's Belinda, Daisy's nephew Derek, and young Ben, a charming Jamaican. Ben's stepfather can be charming, but I kept wondering if there were anything sinister behind the charm.
The mystery is as much "who is the real heir" as "is someone trying to injure or kill the other claimants," and in fact, apart from one death which may or may not be accidental, violence and mayhem are pretty mild throughout the book. What keeps things interesting are the disparate personalities—snooty Anglo-French hotelier Vincent, arrogant South African diamond dealer Raymond, and cheerful young Ben are the three claimants in residence, along with Vincent's wife Laurette and Ben's stepfather Frank. The whereabouts of the fourth claimant, Sam, a sailor whose pregnant wife is also at Fairacres, are yet another mystery; he's gone missing somewhere in the Atlantic or Caribbean. Add in Daisy's mother, the Dowager Lady Dalrymple, utterly self-centered and far too aware of her rank and class; Martha, the aforesaid Sam's rather timid wife; and of course Daisy and her detective husband, and you're in for an entertaining house party indeed.
I really enjoyed this installment of the series. While the genealogical details were occasionally hard to follow (I highly recommend taking notes!), I loved several of the characters. Geraldine and Edgar are much more sympathetic characters than I expected them to be—particularly Edgar, with his almost obsessive interest in lepidopterology. For all his apparent absentmindedness, though, Edgar is no fool. The children figure prominently throughout the book, particularly the trio made up of Alec and Daisy's Belinda, Daisy's nephew Derek, and young Ben, a charming Jamaican. Ben's stepfather can be charming, but I kept wondering if there were anything sinister behind the charm.
The mystery is as much "who is the real heir" as "is someone trying to injure or kill the other claimants," and in fact, apart from one death which may or may not be accidental, violence and mayhem are pretty mild throughout the book. What keeps things interesting are the disparate personalities—snooty Anglo-French hotelier Vincent, arrogant South African diamond dealer Raymond, and cheerful young Ben are the three claimants in residence, along with Vincent's wife Laurette and Ben's stepfather Frank. The whereabouts of the fourth claimant, Sam, a sailor whose pregnant wife is also at Fairacres, are yet another mystery; he's gone missing somewhere in the Atlantic or Caribbean. Add in Daisy's mother, the Dowager Lady Dalrymple, utterly self-centered and far too aware of her rank and class; Martha, the aforesaid Sam's rather timid wife; and of course Daisy and her detective husband, and you're in for an entertaining house party indeed.