This novel hits all the right notes (Requiem for a Mezzo - Carola Dunn)

Member Name: jillycat

Product:	Requiem for a Mezzo - Carola Dunn
Date:	13/11/09 (81 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great characters and period feel lots of twists and turns

Disadvantages: Russian tangent not necessary

Why this book
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As you may realise if you have read some of my other reviews I am working may way through the Daisy Dalrymple series. Though I have been trying to read them in order this hasn't always been possible as my local library didn't have all the books. However they have recently purchased this book so I have taken a backwards step in the series to book number 3.

About the author
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Born in England in 1946 and lived and study in England. She attended Manchester University and studied Russian and French. She then traveled and meets her husband before settling in the USA. Her first novel a historical romance was published in 1979 however she then switched to crime novels and the Daisy Dalrymple series. That said she still writes some regency romance novels.

About the Series
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The Daisy Dalrymple series is set in Britain the 1920's after the Second World War. This provides a great backdrop for a series as some of the male characters within the series come home altered by the war. There was also the great influenza epidemic that killed thousands which impacts upon several of the characters and their lives. Daisy is an "Honorable" which for those of you who don't know Burke's Peerage (myself included) is a daughter of a viscount.

Daisy herself has been affected by the war and lost her father, brother and fiancé. Following this she talks herself into a magazine job. The Magazine is American and to me seems to be a cross between Tatler, and Country life. Lest you think this series is all gloom and doom, remember this was "The roaring '20s", with newly emancipated women, flappers and full of "bright young things"

In the first book in the series, Daisy meets Alec Fletcher he is the love interest for Daisy the romance is still very new in this book as the couple gradually get to know one another. Alec is the epitome of the England post war in that he is middle class, college educated, a former officer and pilot. Following the he became a Police man and now holds the title of a Chief Inspector at Scotland Yard.


About the book
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Courtesy of her next door neighbor Muriel Westlea, Daisy and Alec have gone to a concert performance of Verdi's Requiem. The performance features Muriel celebrated sister, Bettina who is the Mezzo of the novel. But the show comes to an abrupt end when what emerges from the Bettina's celebrated vocal chords is a dying gasp rather than clear notes. Daisy and Alec soon find out that the diva was notoriously difficult and had more than her share of enemies who would welcome her demise. These include a philandering tenor, a burly Russian bass and even her own vocal coach husband whom she hen pecked and mistreated.


Opinion
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This is a wonderfully written murder mystery in style of Agatha Christie. By this I mean there is a gentle read not gritty murder mysteries in the style of Patricia Cornwell or Ian Rankin say.

The style of writing is very much in keeping with the 1920's despite having been written in 1996. The language used to describe events and the speech of the characters certainly seems to me to be in keeping with the 1920's all of which for me make the novel seem more rounded and amusing to me.

There is lots gathering of information and sounding out theories between Alec and Daisy. There are quite a few red herrings, twists and turns which for me is one of the central appeal of these novels and the series. I love the different theories that Daisy comes up with and presents to Alec all of which turn out in some way or other to be flawed.

The relationships between the core characters in the series of Daisy and Alec continue to develop. In this novel we witness the hesitancy between them as at times both are still unsure of each other and where the relationship is going. We also learn more about Sergeant Tring and Constable Piper both of whom are developing a soft spot for Daisy. Their personalities are more on show here and you can't help but warm to them. As well as being serious these characters tend to provide some of the lighter hearted moments in the story.

The issue of class and how following the First World War that the whole class system was shaken up and is sensitively written. The prejudices that prevailed at the time amongst the upper classes that the any one below then was inferior in some way is written with a sharp edge. The main example of this is Daisy's friend Lucy's disapproval of Daisy dating Alec as he is not "top draw". Added to this there are some elements of the prejudices that people has at the time towards foreigners. This is shown by how to some of the witnesses and suspects report that it is obvious that the Russian is guilty as poisoning and murder is what foreigners do! I wish I could say we have moved on but in some ways these prejudices are still around to today as much as they were following the First World War.

I thought the temperamental world of music and opera made a great backdrop for a murder mystery and the flamboyant list of suspects and characters involved added a different feel to this novel. This contrast with some of the other novels in this series which mainly involve mostly the upper classes either at home or at play.

The only criticism I have of this novel was I found one of the tangents involving the Russian to be a bit far fetched really and though this helped with engineering the backdrop of the ending I didn't really see how this fitted in with the rest of the story really.

As with all the books I have read in the series the pace of the novel is for me pitched right. We are given background information and scene setting as to the temperamental of Bettina and how she really is a first class Diva of the worst sort before her murder. This I find is how I like my murder mystery novels to be as it gives me time to get to know some of the characters and helps with my guessing of who the murderer is.

Dunn pinches her style of ending a bit from Agatha Christie as all the suspects are gathered in one place for a grand unveiling of the murderer but this didn't spoil the enjoyment of the novel for me.

I personally think the cozy world of the Daisy Dalrymple books would make a great Sunday evening program in the same genre of Miss Marple and Midsummer Murders as they are fully of rich wonderful detail that translates well to the small screen.

Overall
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This is an extremely enjoyable murder mystery. Dunn is very adept at creating a compelling portrait of the 1920's Britain and the flamboyant world of Opera and diva's. There's plenty of mystery to spare in this one, with more suspects and clues than Alec and Daisy know what to do with. With lots of red herrings and twists and turns it kept me guessing to very close to the end.


Book details
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Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Robinson (27 Aug 2009)
ISBN-10: 1845297458
ISBN-13: 978-1845297459

Available from Amazon currently for £4.49 or used on Amazon market place from 60 pence

Summary: A wonderful murder mystery set in the 1920's in the world of opera for daisy Dalrymple to solve