I’m back with another review! This one is for The Coat of Arms Killer by Frances Lloyd.
Blurb
A killer is stalking the illustrious Fitzwarren family. And any of the clan could be next . . .
Lord Hugo may be heir to the Fitzwarren millions. But everyone knows who rules the roost in his noble old family. His formidable mother, Lady Beatrice. It’s been that way since her husband met his watery end. In a boating accident, poor thing.
Now, on the eve of her seventieth birthday, Lord Hugo plans to give his mama a gift she’ll never forget: a portrait of her dear, departed husband.
Guests gather at the Fitzwarrens’ decadent ancestral pile, waiting with bated breath for a glimpse of the painting. Detective Jack Dawes is among them, his wife Corrie on his arm. A cord is pulled. The curtain falls . . . and Lady B lets out a blood-curdling scream.
It’s not the likeness that has her spooked. It’s the dagger, plunged deep in her husband’s chest. Scrawled beneath, in blood-red paint, there’s a single word. Killer.
Is it a spiteful prank . . . or something more?
Detective Jack’s determined to find out. But he’s got his work cut out — with the frosty Fitzwarrens seeking to shut him down at every turn and Lord Hugo himself mysteriously missing.
Lord Hugo’s family are certain he’ll turn up in his own time. But Jack knows the clock is ticking to solve this baffling case.
Before something worse than paint is spilled . . .
This entertaining and absorbing mystery is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, J.R. Ellis, Faith Martin, Catherine Moloney and P.F. Ford.
My Review
Lord Hugo is obsessed with keeping the Fitzwarren line intact for generations to come. The lengths this has gone to bring out the worst in some people.
There are secrets, lies, and murder. When the police come to investigate, they circle the wagons and refuse to talk. Or speak but with their spin on events.
Corrie, DI Jack Dawes’s wife, hears bits of gossip and passes the information on to her husband, although not always in a timely manner.
I didn’t particularly like the majority of the Fitzwarren family, but I did like the characters of the police and Jack’s wife.
The book wrapped up the loose ends nicely, and what a twist at the end.
Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224032818-the-coat-of-arms-killer-a-brand-new-enthralling-murder-mystery-with-a-tw
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/coatofarms-zbt
About the Author
Frances Lloyd was born in Essex but spent a nomadic childhood being carted between RAF stations until mercifully, she was allowed a crack at a proper education in Cheltenham, studying English and Classics. As an adult, she became something of a wandering minstrel with no physical or spiritual roots apart from a strong work ethic.
Frances has always been a writer. The job that paid the mortgage was in government communications. She also worked as a freelance journalist and photographer but her ambition was always to write crime novels.
She now lives in Northumberland – “Vera” territory – and writes full time. She has published ten DI Dawes murder mysteries.
Married three times but now a widow, Frances’ hobbies are reading, wine tasting and cooking.
Author Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/franlloydmysteries/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flloyd.writes
First up is Amy Scott, twin sister of Michael (from It Happened at Niagara Falls).
Emma Williams, Amy’s friend and co-worker. Both Amy and Emma are nurses at the new hospital in Sudbury, Ontario.
David Carter, Amy’s other half. He’s a finance officer for the City of Greater Sudbury. He’s also not very nice to Amy, but I won’t tell you more because it will ruin the book for you when it comes out.
Kyle Ferris, a Lunenburg local who works in Quality Control at High Liner Foods, and on weekends and holidays leads guided tours through the town. He’s also a descendant of Privateer John Ordronaux.
Here he is dressed for his tour.
Isabelle “Izzy” Morrison, an author who is suffering from a severe case of writer’s block and is writing to deadline not very effectively. She initiates a house swap between herself and Amy, which is how Amy and Seaumus (spelled this was intentionally) end up on the east coast of Canada in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
