If you’re in the mood for a charming, old-fashioned cozy mystery, then be sure to check out this week’s review. Murder by Numbers by Eric Brown has everything you want for a mid-winter mystery: oodles of atmosphere, a puzzling mystery, and winning characters. Just add a roaring fire, hot cocoa, and your favorite cozy blanket.

Green-blue tray with a dried brown leaf, mug of coffee, on top of a blue-grey sheet in the background. Shows cover of Murder by Numbers by Eric Brown. Cover has title; author; blurb reading, "another fine entry in a reliably entertaining series"; and the words, "A Langham and Dupre mystery"; along with image of an ivy-covered manor house.

Murder by Numbers by Eric Brown

And then there was one . . . can Donald Langham and Maria Dupré stop a killer who’s picking off victims one by one?

December, 1956. Donald Langham‘s wife Maria Dupré receives a chilling invitation to attend a death at the home of Maxwell Falwell Fenton in Essex. The once-prominent artist has a number of enemies, and has faded into obscurity since the war ended. Is the invitation to his own death or someone else’s? Arriving at Winterfield on a cold winter evening, Donald and Maria meet five strangers who have also received numbered invitations. They all had a reason to hate or fear Maxwell, including Maria, who reveals a secret from her own past. But is she telling the whole truth? The soiree produces a gruesome and dramatic twist, but it’s about to get much worse when someone starts picking off the six, one by one. Can Donald untangle lies, betrayal, and incredible revelations to identify the killer before Maria becomes the next victim? (from bookshop.org)

My thoughts

This is it: a traditional cozy mystery that’s smart, witty, and well-written. If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie-style mysteries, where all the pieces of the puzzle are readily available for armchair sleuths, then Eric Brown has you covered.

There’s more than one nod to Christie in the novel. If you read the blurb and thought, hey, didn’t this happen in–? Yes, it did. But Brown takes this in a different, unexpected direction that’s all his own. And if you take a look at the list of guests (and future victims), then they seem like a Christie-ish cast: a beautiful up-and-coming actress, a literary agent, a domineering art critic and her wimpy husband, a doctor with a drinking problem, and a failed poet. Plus there’s the obscure artist/host who might or might be dying and who might or might not be planning suicide. But Brown takes these characters and gives them a life of their own. (Well, until they’re killed off . . .)

The mystery is a real puzzle. Even though I read the last chapter first, I still couldn’t guess how everything all fit together. I appreciated that while the book doesn’t shy away from the horror of a violent death, it doesn’t dwell upon it, either. It’s more focused on solving the mystery than on the nastiness of the death. That’s a refreshing change.

Yet unlike some cozy mystery novels, it also doesn’t become too light-hearted and dismiss the gravity of death. Donald and his partner Ralph banter but they’re never callous and jaded. That’s also a refreshing change in this genre.

Even though this is the first book in the series that I’ve read, I was able to understand the relationships almost immediately. I enjoyed reading about Donald and Maria’s marriage. Even with her worries over a particular issue, there’s a sense of assurance that the couple will survive and be stronger than ever. In a genre filled with troubled relationships, their love and trust shines in contrast. I also enjoyed reading about Maria’s friendship with Donald and Ralph’s secretary, Pamela. It’s also refreshing to see supportive female relationships.

I keep using the word “refreshing,” I know. But all this refreshing-ness is reassuring somehow. Everything in the real world can go wrong; I’ve had a personally tumultuous year, and I know many others have as well. But in the world of the Ryland and Langham Detective Agency, the case will be solved, the marriage will thrive, friends will remain friends, and all will be well.

The writing is crisp and assured, and the pace moves quickly. I read the book in a few hours. It’s perfect for whiling the afternoon away, sipping on hot cocoa and curled up with your kindle.

Recommended

I recommend this for armchair sleuths and cozy mystery fans, as well as readers who like quirky, atmospheric British novels.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Like this? Read that!

Check out my favorite cozy mystery post for more recommendations!