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Move Your Blooming Corpse

A Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Mystery by D. E. Ireland

Move Your Blooming Corpse by D. E. Ireland

Review: Literary characters Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins are attending the biggest horse race of the season at the Royal Ascot when murder makes an appearance in Move Your Blooming Corpse, the second mystery in this series by D. E. Ireland.

It is June 1913 and Eliza's father, through joining and paying into a syndicate, has recently become a part owner of Donegal Dancer, a colt that could possibly become a champion. In Donegal's first race, the Gold Cup, a man who had a gun in his possession but did not use it ran across the track just as the horses were making their way down to the finish line. Although he was trampled badly, he was taken to the hospital alive. During that same race, Diana Pierce, a part owner of Donegal Dancer, did not turn out quite as well. She was killed in an empty stall used as a spare tack room by someone who hit her on the back of her head and then pierced her body with a pitchfork. The police are having a hard time finding a motive and suspect, though it is known Diana had had affairs with more than one man in the syndicate. The newspapers hint that the killer is a lunatic who supported Women's Suffrage which Diana did not.

Two weeks later at the Henley Regatta the syndicate is preparing a lavish picnic. The food and drinks are set up on tables with chairs by Lady Rachel Turnbill and her servants. They also spread blankets with pillows for those who choose to lounge on the lawn. Later that afternoon Jonathon Turnbill, another owner of Donegal Dancer, is found dead, poisoned, evidentially during the sumptuous luncheon prepared by his wife and servants. Eliza and Henry, although interested in the murders, try not to become too active in the investigations because Eliza's cousin, Jack, is a police officer in charge of the murders. But when Eliza's father is almost killed, Eliza begins her amateur sleuthing, with the reluctant help of Henry.

Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins are delightful characters in this often humorous murder mystery. The fast-paced storyline is a solidly developed one, with just the right amount of complexity and depth to keep one interested in how it will all be resolved. Move Your Blooming Corpse is a strong entry in what is shaping up to be a very entertaining series, and is highly recommended.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Move Your Blooming Corpse.

Acknowledgment: Minotaur Books provided a copy of Move Your Blooming Corpse for this review.

Review Copyright © 2015 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved

Selected reviews of other mysteries by this author …

Mystery Book Review: Wouldn't It Be Deadly by D. E. IrelandWouldn't It Be Deadly
Minotaur Books (Hardcover), September 2014
ISBN-13: 9781250049353; ISBN-10: 1250049350

Location(s) referenced in Move Your Blooming Corpse: England

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Move Your Blooming Corpse by D. E. Ireland

Move Your Blooming Corpse by A Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Mystery

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-1-250-04936-0
Publication Date:
List Price: $26.99

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Page Author: Lance Wright
Site Publisher: Mysterious Reviews

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