Murder on a Summer's Day (Kate Shackleton Series #5)

by Frances Brody

Overview

A Maharajah on the Moors
When the India Office seeks help in finding Maharajah Narayan, they call upon the expertise of renowned amateur detective Kate Shackleton to investigate.

A Priceless Jewel
But soon a missing persons case turns into murder. Shot through the heart, Narayan's body has obviously not been in the woods overnight. Who brought it here, and from where? And what happened to the hugely valuable diamond that was in the Maharajah's possession?

An Inexplicable Murder . . .
Kate soon discovers that vengeance takes many forms. Was the Maharajah's sacrilegious act of shooting a white doe to blame? Or are growing rumors of a political motive too powerful for Kate to discount?

Frances Brody's Kate Shackleton returns in Murder on a Summer's Day with another mystery that's sure to "hold the reader attention and make them continue reading into the small hours of the night" (York Press, UK).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250067517
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/14/2017
Series:	Kate Shackleton Series , #5
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	507,756
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

FRANCES BRODY lives in Leeds. Before turning to crime, she wrote historical sagas, winning the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin award for most regionally evocative debut saga of the millennium.

Editorial Reviews

"A mash-up of "Masterpiece" series "Indian Summers" and "Downtown Abbey." - New York Post on Murder on a Summer's Day

"Descriptions of the lavish life enjoyed by the Indian elite give a tantalizing glimpse into a foreign world...fans of Maisie Dobbs and Daisy Dalrymple will enjoy the authentic period detail." - Publisher's Weekly on Murder on a Summer's Day

“Frances Brody has that indefinable quality of the born storyteller who knows just how much it takes to hold the reader's attention.” —Daily Mail (UK) on the Kate Shackleton Mysteries

“Frances Brody succeeds brilliantly. . . Her post-war world in which making any sort of living is hard grind and where an independent career woman is viewed with hostility is entirely convincing. Kate is a heroine to like and admire. . . Her further adventures are eagerly awaited.” —The Daily Mail on Murder in the Afternoon

“Brody again displays her prodigious talent for misdirection, tempered by her fair play with clues that render the possibility that the reader will not be fooled. But don't bet on it.... Steeped in period color, A Medal for Murder again showcases a winning heroine and a clever plot, a combination reminiscent of the genre's golden age but one made fresh and gripping by an author who melds murder with mercy.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch on A Medal for Murder

“Brody's excellent second offers a morally conflicted sleuth, historically detailed flashbacks to the Boer War and a clever mystery indeed.” —Kirkus on A Medal for Murder

“This lusciously written historical cozy is an excellent addition to the crowded 1920s market, and Brody's second series entry (after Dying in the Wool) positions her for deserved attention. Her gentle and traditional structure (noteworthy use of flashbacks) pairs nicely with Kerry Greenwood (see review above) and Jacqueline Winspear titles.” —Library Journal on A Medal for Murder

“The traditional British mystery is alive and well, thanks in part to Frances Brody and her lady detective, Kate Shackleton… Kate is very adept at sizing people up and maximizing the information that she can get from them…I especially liked the number of curves the author threw in toward the end of the novel.” —Mystery Scene on A Medal for Murder

“Detective Kate Shackleton solves her second murder mystery in this fun, well-plotted mystery set in 1920s Harrogate Brody presents us with a mystery full of lively characters and significant stories of both past and present. Brody's mystery is expertly crafted and keeps the reader guessing right up until the last pages, as a good mystery should.” —HistoricalNovelSociety.org on A Medal for Murder

“More twists and turns than a country road. I hope that Ms. Brody writes more of these novels because I thoroughly enjoyed this one… I just had to keep reading so that I could try to figure out who the murderer was. I never knew until the last page and then I still wondered if they caught the real murderer.” —NightOwlReviews.com on A Medal for Murder

“These gentle crime novels, that have you guessing at every turn… are a pure joy. Refreshing and highly entertaining, especially for the winter nights.” —Yorkshire Gazette and Herald on A Medal for Murder

“A Medal for Murder contains all the elements of crime fiction - theft, kidnap, murder, a feisty private detective, a handsome Detective Inspector, a (sometimes) dour sidekick, plenty of suspects and all the twists and turns we expect from our genre.... A work of extraordinary depth, lightness of touch and strength of characterisation.” —Mystery Women on A Medal for Murder

“[Kate Shackleton's] lively wit and intuitive abilities serve her well as she steps into the limelight of this drama filled with theft, deception, assumed identities, faked kidnapping, blackmail, and murder—a veritable theatrical trunk full of mystery-plot props. The author's period details— including some flashbacks to the Boer War, involving incidents vital to the present-day plot—add further historical flavor and thoroughly enhance Brody's show.” —bookreviewsbydavidmarshalljames.blogspot.com on A Medal for Murder

“The setting of A Medal for Murder is England in the 1920s, an idyllic time for crime solving. The right mix of mobility (motor cars) and technology (telephone and telegraph) keeps the story moving along at a pleasant place… The story line is enhanced by quips, fashion and social commentary and generally charming banter among the characters.” —josephsreviews.wordpress.com on A Medal for Murder

“The first in a planned series introduces a refreshingly complex heroine and adds a fine feeling for the postwar period.” —Kirkus on Dying in the Wool

“Brody, who has written historical fiction, presents a carefully researched setting, with accurate references to the popular culture of the day and clear explanations of the dyeing and weaving processes at the mill.” —Booklist on Dying in the Wool

“Excellent....Ms. Brody does an excellent job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. DYING IN THE WOOL has a lot of unanticipated twists and turns. I was completely surprised at the end!” —historyundressed.blogspot.com on Dying in the Wool

“Dying in the Wool has a winning heroine, a fresh and fascinating setting, richly detailed and well-woven into the plot, and a mystery that twists and tightens and twists again, before pulling together to a surprising and satisfying solution.” —Catriona McPherson, author of Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains on Dying in the Wool

“Reminiscent of Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie with a thoroughly likeable protagonist and a plot that held me to the end.” —Mignon F. Ballard, author of the Miss Dimple Kilpatrick Mystery Series on Dying in the Wool

“This well-plotted and atmospheric tale is enriched by technical expertise and a vividly imagined Yorkshire setting. Kate Shackleton joins Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs in a sub-group of young female amateur detectives who survived and were matured by their wartime experiences…. They make excellent heroines.” —Literary Review on Dying in the Wool

“Brody's winning tale of textile industry shenanigans is shot through with local color.” —The Independent (UK) on Dying in the Wool

“Highly entertaining… Frances Brody writes with charm and yet knows how to keep the reader guessing at every stage of the book. If you like pure detective novels you will love this.” —Gazette & Herald (UK) on Dying in the Wool

“The story, with its secure setting in the richly-detailed woollen industry, is an excellent read. The characterization is strong and convincing and the sense of period well conveyed.” —Mystery Women on Dying in the Wool

“The background detail of milling and dyeing is spot on … as is her ear for the West Riding accent and dialect. The plot twists nicely and the denouement was, to me, unexpected.” —Country Life on Dying in the Wool

“This is whimsical, colorful stuff and readers will warm to the entrepreneurial yet fragile Kate.” —Take a Break on Dying in the Wool

“Kate Shackleton is a delightful leading character. The flavor of First World War England is beautifully portrayed. The world of the mill and the mill owner has gone, but in this book it is easy to image what it must have been like.” —CrimeSquad.com on Dying in the Wool

“Dying in the Wool is a delightful book… the descriptive detail of the countryside and small village of Bridgestead is so vivid I could literally have been there. Kate Shackleton is a wonderful character and I connected with her immediately.” —BookChickCity.com

“The 1920s are a fascinating and under-used period for new crime fiction, so it's a particular pleasure to have Frances setting her story at that time. Kate Shackleton is a splendid heroine … I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!” —Ann Granger on Dying in the Wool

From the Publisher

12/14/2015
Likable, well-drawn characters lift Brody’s agreeable if at times slow-moving fifth Kate Shackleton mystery (after 2015’s A Woman Unknown). James, a cousin of Kate’s employed at the India Office, rings her early one morning to ask her help in finding Maharajah Narayan Halkwaer of Gattiawan, who has gone missing from Bolton Abbey, the Duke of Devonshire’s vast Yorkshire estate, where the duke will be hosting a large grouse-shooting party in a few days. Among the guests are the maharaja’s English fiancée, set to become his second wife, as well as the maharaja’s first wife and son, not to mention a member of the royal family. Descriptions of the lavish life enjoyed by the Indian elite give a tantalizing glimpse into a foreign world, but even with the discovery of a body, the plot never generates much tension. Still, fans of Maisie Dobbs and Daisy Dalrymple will enjoy the authentic period detail. Agent: Judith Murdoch, Judith Murdoch Literary Agency (U.K.). (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Reminiscent of Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie with a thoroughly likeable protagonist and a plot that held me to the end.

author of the Miss Dimple Kilpatrick Mystery Serie Mignon F. Ballard

Dying in the Wool has a winning heroine, a fresh and fascinating setting, richly detailed and well-woven into the plot, and a mystery that twists and tightens and twists again, before pulling together to a surprising and satisfying solution.

author of Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Catriona McPherson

2015-12-10
The glamour of the Raj comes to rural Yorkshire. An early morning phone call from her cousin James sends Kate Shackleton, a private investigator with society connections, to Bolton Abbey, the 50,000-acre Yorkshire estate of the Duke of Devonshire. The marital status of the duke's guest, Maharajah Narayan, hasn't kept him from visiting Yorkshire with his mistress, Lydia Metcalfe, whose farming family lives nearby. While he was out riding, Narayan shot a white doe, then rode on and vanished. Soon after Kate's arrival, the body of a groom who was with the maharajah is found drowned in the river. The India Office, where James works, is doing its best to cover up Narayan's affair and possible marital plans with a highly unsuitable woman. When Narayan's body is found the next day, hidden in the woods, Kate doubts the story that his horse reared and the gun he was carrying accidentally went off and killed him. Despite her best efforts, the inquest returns a verdict of accidental death. But since an extremely valuable diamond has gone missing, the India Office still wants Kate to keep an eye on Lydia, who, unworthy of accommodations at Bolton Abbey, is staying in Kate's hotel and may have stolen the gem. When a flock of Indian princes arrives for Narayan's funeral, several unpleasant complications suggest that Kate's been correct in her assumptions—if only it's not too late to right a wrong. The latest retro tale from Brody (A Woman Unknown, 2015, etc.) is based on snippets of real-life characters, so one of her best mysteries gains further depth from its historical context.

Kirkus Reviews