In The House on Graveyard Lane, amateur detective Rachel Savernake is once again hunting a killer in 1930s London. However, this time her client, famous artist Damaris, kills herself in full public view. What drove Damaris to suicide? And why didn’t Damaris just expose the reason herself rather than using Rachel’s services?
The plot above is intriguing and made me want to read this book. However, there is a bit of bait and switch to this mystery. The Damaris story is bumped by another plot line, the story of the mysterious fem fatale Kiki. Kiki’s story takes up more than three quarters of the book. It involves tediously long explanations of 1930 British politics that I could barely wade through. There is also a current political hot potato dropped in the story too. Eventually, we circle back to Damaris, but it seems more of an afterthought that the important twist it should have been.
Overall, The House on Graveyard Lane was the worst book in the series so far. I see enough politics in real life, I certainly don’t want it invading my fiction too. I am hopeful that the great Martin Edwards will return to his usual modern golden age mystery plot in his next book without all the political claptrap and thriller tropes that are mucking up this one. A disappointed 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advanced review copy.