Book Review: Murder Through the English Post by Jessica Ellicott (Beryl and Edwina #6)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters we love in a strong mystery

Cons: All cons lost in the mail

The Bottom Line:

Poison pen letters

Causing trouble in village

In charming story

Who is Writing Deadly Poison Pen Letters?

When I first heard the term “poison pen letter” as a kid, I was picturing a letter that was written in poison ink and it would kill you after touching it.  I’m not sure what this says about me, so let’s not go there.  I bring that up because poison pen letters play a huge part in Murder Through the English Post, the sixth Beryl and Edwina Mystery from Jessica Ellicott.

If you need a refresher, Beryl is an American adventuress and Edwina is the lifelong resident of a small English village.  They have also been lifelong friends, so when Beryl is looking for a place to stay after the Great War, she moves in with Edwina.  Together, the two have started a private enquiry agency, and you’d be surprised at just what they find to investigate.

Edwina has recently taken over as the local magistrate.  At her first session, the final case brought before her is one of two good friends who got into a public brawl.  It turns out that one of them had gotten an anonymous note claiming that the other was saying some nasty things about him.

The fact that someone sent the note concerns Edwina, and that concern only grows when other letters start popping up in the village.  Even Beryl receives one.  It isn’t long before Constable Gibbs is asking Edwina and Beryl to figure out who is sending them.  Can they do it before someone gets seriously hurt?

I’m going to leave the teaser there for fear of spoiling any more than that.  As if often the case with this series, I pieced together a few details before they were revealed to us, but I had missed much of what was happening.  I was actually impressed with how everything came together at the end of the book.

One thing I love about this series is the characters.  We spend time with both Beryl and Edwina as our viewpoint characters, and that allows us to really see how they are growing.  I love watching that almost as much as I do the mystery itself.  Their insights into the citizens of the village are also good.  At times, this goes on a bit longer than it needs to, but that’s a minor complaint.

I also appreciate the different perspectives that Edwina and Beryl bring to things.  Once again, the fact that one is an outsider and the other intimately familiar with village life makes for a more interesting book for us.

As always, the historical setting provides some interesting background to the story.  The characters are still dealing with the aftermath of World War I, and I appreciate the look at how those horrific events impacted everyone.  It adds a more serious tone at times without being overly depressing.

I will once again champion reading the series in order since you’ll better enjoy the character growth and the changes in the ongoing relationships.  There is nothing here that is a major spoiler for the previous books, however, so you could jump in here if you wanted.

Murder Through the English Post is another strong mystery for Beryl and Edwina that will please fans.  If you haven’t enjoyed this charming historical series yet, pick one up today.

Here are the rest of the Beryl and Edwina Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.