When murder hits close to home, Iris must fight to clear her name…
Spring, 1924. Reporter Iris Woodmore plans to move to London to avoid a shocking hometown scandal. Longtime enemy Archie Powell has been threatening to reveal her darkest secret – and she’s desperate to flee before he does.
But when he’s found murdered after a violent argument with her, there’s no escape. Iris must stay and clear her name even though the truth could ruin her reputation.
With the police closing in, Iris has to find the real killer if she’s to keep her secret. Can she prove her innocence without revealing the identity of the one man who can provide her with an alibi?
A gripping new mystery for fans of Verity Bright, Clara McKenna, and Helena Dixon.
Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/MillPondsHouse
In my review of the previous book in the series (found here) I commented on how Archie Powell felt like a genuinely threatening antagonist. There was nothing at the start of this latest instalment in the series to change my mind. It also meant that when he is found murdered, there is no shortage of potential suspects, including Iris herself.
However, by the end of the book, once the murderer has been uncovered and the truth laid bare, I found myself feeling a little sorry for him. In Archie, Michelle Salter had created a cleverly nuanced character who reflects so much of the conflict felt not only by men who had served in WW1, but also of the larger population when faced with the social change which followed it. Women were beginning to make their voices heard and for men who believed this was wrong, it must have been hard to adapt to this change, especially if it came on top of their wartime experiences in the trenches. That’s not to excuse any of his behaviour, far from it, but in providing more of his backstory and not shying away from an acknowledgment of the good he was capable of, Archie becomes someone the reader can empathise with.
Iris also learns some valuable lessons along the way. She too, has a tendency to cling to the past and hold everything close to her chest. Salter has built a cast of characters around her who are loyal and sympathetic and finally Iris realises how much love she is surrounded by.
This is a really strong continuation of the series and once again I find myself eagerly anticipating the next one.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by my author page. You’ll see all my books are classic murder mysteries – because golden age whodunnits are the stories I enjoy reading most.
I love to create memorable characters and devise intriguing plots with a focus on mystery rather than violence.
I live in Hampshire, England, and it’s the setting for many of my books. My standalone novel, Murder at Merewood Hospital, features Sister Helen Hopgood, the last nurse left in a military hospital in Hampshire at the end of the First World War.
I also have family connections to Devon, and the fourth Iris Woodmore Mystery, A Killing at Smugglers Cove, is set on the south coast of Devon in 1923. Iris is back in her native Hampshire for A Corpse in Christmas Close, set in Winchester over Christmas 1923, and Murder at Mill Ponds House, which begins on 1st May 1924.
You can read all of my books as standalone novels, even the Iris Woodmore Mysteries, as each is a separate story, although the characters develop as the series progresses.
I hope you enjoy reading or listening to my books.
Social Media Links –
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Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/michelle-salter
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