Damsel in Distress
2 Stars

When the American heiress he has taken a shine to is kidnapped, Philip Petrie enlists Daisy's help to get her back. The only snag is that she cannot inform Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher.

Oh no! This was awful.

To begin with, the pacing is excruciatingly slow with far too much description of nonsensical detail. The interactions and dialogue between the members of Daisy's snobby "set" are annoying, and the supposed period vocabulary (right-ho!, silly chump, poor prune, etc...) is ridiculous.

The kidnapping plot has potential but the identity of the American co-conspiritor is laughably obvious at the start, and the idea that a bunch of spoiled, elitist aristocrats would participate in a search for an unknown American woman is completely unrealistic.

The only enjoyable moments are those between Daisy and Alec, and these are few and far between.

Finally, Mia Chariamonte's narration is dreadful. I hope the next book is better.
( )

A review I wrote in February 2020:

Damsel in Distress by Carola Dunn (4.5 stars)

My parents and I all enjoy an easy cosy crime read so we share a lot of books. My mum described
this Daisy Dalrymple mystery as ‘a charming Famous Five for adults’ and having read it, I can’t
fault her description. We’ve read quite a few in this series but this one is Famous Five through and
through.

Set in 1920s upper class England, Daisy’s pal, the Honourable Phil Petrie becomes infatuated
with the daughter of an American millionaire. Just as the new romance starts to blossom Phil’s
beloved “glow-worm” is snatched from under his nose by ransom-demanding kidnappers chasing
her father’s fortune. As Mr Arbuckle frees up funds for the ransom, Philip enlists Daisy’s help to try
and find sweet Gloria in the Worcestershire countryside near to Daisy and Phil’s family estates.

A modern young woman, Daisy works in London writing feature articles for a fashionable
magazine, sharing a flat with a girlfriend and has formed a special friendship with a widowed
Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard, Alec Fletcher. Strictly forbidden to contact the police by the
American millionaire, Daisy tries to resist the urge to call on Alec’s expertise….

Good fun, highly recommended. Some in the series are better than others but we all really
enjoyed this one! You don’t have to read them in any order. Personal relationships develop
throughout the series but if you don’t mind mixing that up then read them in any order. ( )

cosy-mystery, family-dynamics, friendship, abduction, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, situational-humor, verbal-humor, humour, England*****

If you're looking for a simple cosy mystery, you might not like this series, but if you like to laugh your way through the sleuthing and enjoy a bit of a spoof, you'll love it.
This story highlight Phillip, Daisy's cousin and very old friend. He has met the perfect girl for him but she is an American and winds up being abducted because her father is a very wealthy man. The kidnappers give the usual cautions, the father is a mess, Phillip is beyond himself but does ask Daisy for help. Daisy brings other friends into it and it all goes cuckoo. Loved it!
I feel that the narrator would have been wonderful in old time radio or vaudeville. ( )

The easy going Philip Petrie falls in love with an American daughter of a millionaire; so wseeing his beloved Gloria and her father stranded in a breakdown on the side of the road, he stops to fix the vehicle. However, he is hit over the head and both Petrie and Gloria are kidnapped. When Petrie hears that the abductors might kill him, he attacks them and is left bound on the Dalyrmple family estate and calls in Daisy to help. When Alec's visit to her mother coincides with Daisy's activities, he too is drawn into the intrigue of trying to save Gloria and capture the perpetrator before it is too late. A fun addition to this delightful serious. ( )

Sadly, the worst one I have read of the Daisy books. No plot at all, really, and the interpersonal stuff was dull although the story arc moved forward with a clash of the families. ( )