A nice installment in the Daisy Dalrymple series. ( )

From the book jacket: The Honourable Daisy Dalrymple attends a performance of Verdi’s Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall with Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard. What should be a pleasant afternoon is disrupted when Bettina Westlea, the mezzo-soprano, falls dead onstage. But it was no accident – she was poisoned.

My reactions
Book number three in this delightful cozy mystery series set in 1920s England. Daisy may be “to the manor born,” but she is fiercely independent. She’s also observant, intelligent and an astute judge of character. DCI Fletcher seems to rely on her more in this episode, as she was present when the death occurred, and the mezzo was her next-door neighbor. There are plenty of suspects including other performers, jealous lovers, a long-suffering sister, and a possible anarchist. I wish I had been listening to the audiobook, only because of the many “foreign” characters; I think the narrator might have had a great time with all those accents!

It's a fast read with a satisfying resolution. I’ll keep on with this series. ( )

Requiem for a Mezzo
3 Stars

The Honorable Miss Daisy Dalrymple and Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher attend the opera only to find themselves enmeshed in a murder investigation when the Soprano Mezzo, who also happens to be Daisy's neighbor, is poisoned on stage. As the details emerge, it is revealed that more than one person might have wanted the diva dead.

Not as entertaining as the first two books mostly due to the fact that the mystery leaves much to be desired.

To begin with, the victim is a nasty piece of work and it is difficult to drum up any sympathy for her. The suspects, of which there are far too many to keep track of without a notebook, are all stereotypical and cartoonish, and it is easy to figure out the culprit and the motive.

Nevertheless, the ongoing character development for Daisy is engaging and her relationship with Alec is progressing in the right direction. The playful banter between Daisy, Alec, and the two police officers under his command is particularly entertaining.

Overall, not the best effort, but I am enjoying the series and the next one takes place on a train á la Murder on the Orient Express! ( )

cosy-mystery, England, family-dynamics, friendship, infidelity, opera-stars, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, due-diligence, situational-humor, verbal-humor, London*****

Daisy is back in her flat in London and meets the neighbors. This leads to tickets to a musical evening with DCI Fletcher, and that means murder. Lots of suspects and convoluted interpersonal entanglements, laughable interchanges, and even some unexpected interference. Good read for a time at home from weather or pandemic.
Bernadette Dunne continues to embody the characters and join in on the fun. ( )

Cozy - this time set around the death of a mezzo, one that was unlikeable for her self-preoccupation. Multiple characters interviewed by Daisy Dalrymple, assisting her policeman friend, Alex. Reminds me of Phrynie Fisher, although somewhat missing the same flair. ( )