I'm always trying to find the perfect mystery series. On one hand we have books where the cover is pink with bits of blue and yellow, there are tea and snacks prominently displayed, a pet (or two), and a punning title like "Hello Murder, Hello Father," while on the other hand we have large sans-serif titles of two words or less called "COLD DEATH" where they shoot a baby in Chapter One, and I would really like something in the middle.

So this first Patrick Grant novel was very welcome, striking the perfect balance between too twee and too dreadful.

Will eagerly pursue Book 2!

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). ( )

This is a book which makes me so glad I don't live in the 60s. Every woman in it is haunted, hunted and harassed , mainly by men. To be honest, the most objectionable character is a woman, and she bullies everyone in sight. The actual crime/mystery is developed and resolved successfully. I will look out for the other four novels in the David Grant series. ( )

This book introduces Dr. Patrick Grant who is a dean of students at St. Mark's College, Oxford. He has come to visit his sister while her husband is out of town. While he is there there is a murder of an older woman who is the beloved housekeeper of the neighbors. Grant who is a very curious fellow gets involved in the investigation.

I enjoyed the story which moves at a good pace and is filled with interesting characters. This is one of those stories where a gifted amateur tries to keep one step ahead of the police to ensure that justice will be done. I am looking forward to reading the entire series which has been republished in nice volumes recently. ( )