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Police At the Funeral
Albert Campion #4
First published 2007 · 325 pages
A tense, traditional mystery where the stifling weight of Victorian family resentments gives way to chilling, ingenious murder.
What it feels like
Step into a claustrophobic 1930s England where time has stopped and family resentments simmer beneath a veneer of heavy, elaborate Victorian tradition. The reading experience is steady and observant, carefully untangling a web of eccentric, squabbling relatives who are constantly at each other's throats. As the tense tranquility of this isolated fiefdom is punctured by chillingly ingenious murders, the mood shifts from stuffy and archaic to genuinely tense. The prose captures the restrictive atmosphere with a wry, traditional touch, guiding the reader through a maze of red herrings. It is a perfect match for readers who love classic, puzzle-box mysteries where the modern world inevitably crashes into the dark secrets of a stubbornly old-fashioned parlor.
- Mood
- claustrophobic
- tense
- eccentric
- stuffy
- Tone
- wry
- arch
- formal
- observant
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- family resentment · clash of eras · stifling tradition · hidden secrets
- The writing
- Elaborate and observant, capturing the heavy, restrictive atmosphere of a bygone era with a touch of wry detachment.
- The arc
- Moves from stifling, tedious family tension to chilling revelation as the modern world shatters a carefully preserved illusion.
- Who it's for
- Fans of traditional Golden Age mysteries who delight in eccentric, squabbling families and clever, red-herring-strewn puzzles.
Content notes
- murder
- poisoning
- family dysfunction
About the book
The imperious Great Aunt Caroline Faraday runs her old Cambridge residence like a Victorian fiefdom, unconcerned with the fact that it's 1931. Furniture and meals are heavy and elaborate, both motorcars and morning tea are forbidden on account of vulgarity. The Faraday children--now well into middle age--chafe at the restrictions, but with no money of their own, they respond primarily by quarreling amongst themselves. The illustrious Faraday family endless squabbling is tedious, but the tense tranquility is punctured when Nephew Andrew vanished without trace one Sunday morning after church, only to be found dead in a secluded stream. Matters are complicated further by the murder of Julia, his petulant and whining sister, poisoned by her morning cup of tea. Though neither will be much missed, decency demands that Caroline Faraday hire the nearly respectable Albert Campion to investigate away from the bustle of Piccadilly,their untimely ends. Mr. Campion must untangle a web of family resentments, little does he expect to be greeted by a band of eccentric relatives all at daggers with each other. He must unravel a chillingly ingenious plot, strewn with red herrings to get to the real secret of the Faradays. Unfortunately, what Mr. Campion discovers will force the modern world relentlessly into Mrs. Faraday's stuffy Victorian parlor.
Description from Open Library.
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