By Naomi Stephens

The Earl of Montfort has died and no one really cares. However, despite how obnoxious the man was in real life, it wouldn’t do to have a sparsely attended funeral. Enter the Halfpenny family – professional mourners for hire. Quality actors, all discreet. But unlike the other gravesides the Halfpennys have grieved at, this one takes a turn for the worst when an extra body is found: the undertaker.

Hippolyta Halfpenny is eager to get out of the family mourning business and be normal. But in order to stop dressing in black, she has to survive first. Trapped in the manor with all the other guests – and the unknown murderer –  Hippolyta finds herself teamed up with the insufferable new Lord Montfort as he tries to unravel her secrets and the secrets his father took to his grave. With a storm raging outside and suspicions ratcheting up amongst the guests, Hippolyta has to protect her family from suspicion and find the real killer before they all end up mourning for real.

Pros: This book has all the charm of a BBC murder mystery mini-series. 1950s setting, a sprawling manor house, a dark and stormy night, convoluted backstories, and an Agatha-Christie-worthy cast of characters. What it has that BBC lacks is a deep subplot about grief, guilt, and moving forward. Overall, it was a delightful book with a sweet romance, witty writing style, and, best of all, I knew what the murder weapon was thanks to my own writing research!

Cons: I was pretty distracted while reading and had to fight to focus and keep track of all the threads. (Don’t know if that was the book or just me.) In the end, I gave up trying to solve it and was just along for the ride and the predictable climax. 

The Bottom Line: A 1950s Agatha Christie-like mystery that’s as satisfying as a night curled up on the couch with a hot beverage and a BBC mini-series. Or, in my case, curled up on a lawn chair by a campfire!