Book Review: Murder at an English Séance by Jessica Ellicott (Beryl and Edwina #8)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters we love in an engaging story

Cons: One character seems young for his age

The Bottom Line:

Psychic comes to town

But the case leads to murder

Great visit for fans

I Foresee a Fun Book in Your Future

As much as I might enjoy the first and second book in a series, by the time we’ve reached book eight in a series, I really feel like I know the characters and visiting them again is delightful.  So I was looking forward to reading Murder at an English Séance, the latest case for Edwina and Beryl.

If you haven’t met this pair, they are live in the English village of Walmsley Parva in the 1920’s.  Edwina Davenport is a native of the village while Beryl Helliwell is an American adventuress who has come to find the small village home, much to her surprise.  The two met at finishing school years ago.  They are complete opposites, but they complement each other perfectly, which is great for the private enquiry business they’ve started.

As this book opens, the biggest news in the village (well, aside from Beryl’s latest stunt) is the arrival of the Dinsdales.    Miss Dinsdale is a psychic, or so she claims.  Beryl has had previous experiences with so called psychics, and she has her doubts right from the start.  So she is fully on board when the two friends are hired to prove Miss Dinsdale is a fake.

Naturally, that means attending a séance or two to see Miss Dinsdale in action.  What no one expects is for them to find a dead body at one of the sittings.  Edwina and Beryl quickly change the focus of their investigation.  Will they solve their latest case?

The previous book in the series took place outside of Walmsley Parva.  I get it.  There are only so many murders that can happen in a small village.  But it was wonderful to be back.  As much as I love Edwina and Beryl, I enjoyed getting to see the rest of the villagers again as well.  They made me smile with some of their antics and how Edwina and Beryl are able to get the information they need from them.  The new characters are just as entertaining.  I do have to call out one new character who seemed a bit young for the age he must be.

The mystery is strong.  There are some good sub-plots to keep us engaged, too.  I was on board the entire time I was reading and always reluctant to return to the modern area.  The story comes to a logical climax that wrapped things up well.

I mentioned earlier that Edwina and Beryl are opposites.  While they are still very different people, they have rubbed off on each other for the better, and I love seeing how they continue to grow.  It helps that we get the story from both of their points of view.  Likewise, I enjoyed seeing how their relationships with some of the locals have grown over the course of the series.  I’m  curious what is going to happen with one particular relationship next.

While this story doesn’t incorporate any specific history into the plot, it is steeped in the time and place.  I enjoyed getting a sense for what life was like back then.

If you have missed this series, I highly recommend you pick it up today.  Fans will be as delighted as I was to catch up with Edwina and Beryl in Murder at an English Séance.

 Be sure to pick up the rest of the Beryl and Edwina Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.