Murder by Suicide (An Ellie Quicke Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: For the most part, a very good English cozy
Review: A small village, interesting characters, interesting murder... Every bit as good as the first one, Murder at the Altar. The only drawback is that the main character, Ellie, allows other people to talk all over her and her daughter is bossy, self-centered, and interfering, with no manners. The book has compared her to her father, in which case you wonder why Ellie misses him so much. Her daughter really is a downpoint for the book and detracted from it. Having her as one of the characters is unfortunate and affects the enjoyment of it. I hope that she is seen far less in future Ellie Quick books, or she grows up a little bit. And that Ellie develops more of a backbone.

Rating:
Summary: an engrossing read
Review: Ellie Quicke (the recently widowed detecting heroine from "Murder By the Altar") returns to her pleasant suburban neighbourhood (after having spent a stressful few weeks taking care of her demanding daughter, Diana, and her grandson) to find that everyone is still reeling from the 'sex' scandal that caused their beloved vicar (the Rev. Gilbert Adams) to be transferred out of the parish. Apparently someone has been sending poison pen letters to parishioners accusing the vicar of having an affair with the church's mousy organist, Nora. Now everyone is angry with Nora, the letters are still pouring in furiously, and Nora is beginning to fall apart at the seams.

And then Nora commits suicide, leaving Ellie feeling both guilty for not having done enough to help help her, and angry at the letter writer for all the misery (s)he has caused. Imagine Ellie's shock then when she becomes the poison pen writer's latest target! But while Ellie is appalled at this turn of events, she's decided that she's not going to take things lying down. And in spite of certain familial complications (both Diana and her aunt-in-law, Drusilla, seem to think that Ellie will jump and do their bidding whenever they open their mouths), and suddenly being courted by not one but two suitors, Elllie is determined to discover who is behind these letters and to put a stop to this campaign of poison before someone else is hurt.

This second installment in the Ellie Quicke mystery series takes place about 4 months after the first one, "Murder at the Altar." As such, a lot of old ground -- Ellie's tendency to cave in the face of a stronger personality (esp where her daughter's, Diana, needs are concerned), and her grief at her husband's recent and sudden death -- still figures prominently into the plot. However, since Ellie is still learning to become her own person, this is something that can be easily overlooked. Though I do hope that this will no longer be an issue in future Ellie Quicke books. Mystery-wise, while a lot of side issues did get in the way of Ellie's investigation into the identity of the poison pen writer, because this series hinges so strongly on the character of Ellie, these issues became an integral part of the novel and did not leave me feeling frustrated at all that investigative bit took a while to unfold. "Murder by Suicide" was a wonderfully riveting read that boasts of possessing a likable heroine that everyone will find easy to identify with. The plot may not be an incredibly complex one but it was an engrossing and entertaining one nevertheless, and is one that is worth recommending as an enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Charming English cozy
Review: When the organist in Ellie Quicke's church starts getting threatening notes, Ellie wants to do something. Before she can get to the bottom of the problem, however, the organist commits suicide. Then the notes start to target Ellie. Someone knows her secrets, her fears, and seems to hate her with an aversion that goes beyond sanity. Ellie needs to find the answers before she, and her new cat, become the next victim.

Ellie's investigations are hampered by a daughter who thinks that the world owes her something, multiple beaux who want to take the place of Ellie's recently departed husband, and an aging aunt who expects Ellie to drop everything and take care of her problems. Still, with the help of friends and a handyman who doesn't know much about gardening but wants to work, Ellie begins to chip away at the evidence.

Author Veronica Heley writes a convincing cozy. Ellie Quicke is an engaging character with her size 18 frame and fear of cars and computers, but with honest good will toward others. Heley's England is a mostly charming place with its pots of tea and hard working waitresses, but it has its threatening side as well.