Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Death at the Dakota by M.K. Graff. It's a cosy murder mystery with an old-fashioned charm to it.
Marni Graff writes The Nora Tierney English Mysteries, featuring an American writer living in England with a nose for murder, and The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries, based on Graff’s real work as a medical consultant for a movie studio. She is Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press, a member of Sisters in Crime, the NC Writers Network, and The International Association of Crime Writers, and writes crime book reviews at Auntie M Writes, www.auntiemwrites.com.
Follow @GraffMarni onTwitter, on Facebook, on Instagram,
Buy Death at the Dakota
About the book
Nurse Trudy Genova is making plans to take her relationship to NYPD detective Ned O'Malley to the next level, when she lands a gig as medical consultant on a film shoot at the famed Dakota apartment building in Manhattan, which John Lennon once called home. Then star Monica Kiley goes missing, a cast member turns up dead, and it appears Trudy might be next. Meanwhile Ned tackles a mysterious murder case in which the victim is burned beyond recognition. When his investigations lead him back to the Dakota, Trudy finds herself wondering: how can she fall in love if she can't even survive?
Readers of Death Unscripted, the first book in the Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery series, will find the same pleasures in this sequel: fast pacing, engaging characters, twists and turns on the way to a satisfying close. From the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney English Mysteries, this second series is a winner. Once again M.K. Graff reveals her talents in crafting this delightful mix of amateur sleuth and police procedural.
This is the second book in the Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery series, however it absolutely can be read as a standalone novel.
This crime solving duo doesn't exactly always work hand-in-hand all the time, but they do compliment the actions and thoughts of the other. It reminded me of Inspector Alleyn and Agatha Troy. Trudy and Ned have the same kind of charm, with the responsible police detective and the more spontaneous woman, who tends to wander straight into the arms of trouble.
Trudy Genova, who is a nurse on the set of a film, is tasked with taking care of the young female lead. When Monica disappears under a cloud of mystery Trudy feels obligated to help find her.
Simultaneously her love interest, Ned, is trying to establish the identity of a murder victim, who has been burnt beyond recognition. The only clue to his identity leads the police to the upper echelon of New York Society.
Everything is connected via the Dakota building and the more affluent members of New York Society. The two-class structure is also an important factor in both the plot and the relationship of Trudy and Ned. The layered structure that allows for the a small number of people in society to experience life in a bubble of privilege, as opposed to the rest of us - the common man or woman.
I liked the way Graff incorporated the history of the Dakota building into the story, and the odd gossipy tidbit. I can only imagine the highbrow discussions that have been had about celebrities that have wanted to live there. It was made a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
It's a cosy murder mystery with an old-fashioned charm to it. The author weaves the two storylines and the characters seamlessly into one to create an enjoyable story. I actually think it is more than cosy, because the author goes beyond just the simple structure of the sub-genre.
Buy Death at the Dakota at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.Published in paperback by Bridle Path Press on 1st April 2019. Buy at Amazon com. BookDepository. Google.
No comments:
Post a Comment