Accomplished In Murder, by Dara England – Book Review

Accomplished in Murder by Dara England
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Accomplished in Murder, is the first in a series of historical mysteries featuring heroines of the Victorian era. To be clear, this is a novella, not a full length novel, though the story does not seem rushed or lacking in any way for it.

Drucilla is troubled by a letter she receives from her friend Celeste. Celeste has married and moved to a remote area of Cornwall, and she asks Drucilla to come for a visit. But when Drucilla arrives, to her dismay she discovers that Celeste has died under mysterious circumstances. But was the death an accident or murder? Drucilla vows to find out.

While reading this novella, I was first taken by the author’s grasp of the language and nuance within the Victorian era. The tone felt very realistic without being overly “flowery” or hard to read. Dara England is truly gifted in this regard. Her plotting was excellent, and a few of the twists I didn’t see coming, which is rare for me. Overall, I enjoyed this mystery and I look forward to reading more from England.

The only minor thing I just have to pick at is that I would have liked to have seen more of Celeste before her untimely demise. Grounds for a prequel perhaps, starring Celeste as she solves another mystery?

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