Medal for Murder - (Kate Shackleton Mystery) by Frances Brody (Paperback)

About the Book

Brody's heroine picks up a case that takes her to the refined streets of 1920's Harrogate. A winning combination of both intricate plotting and nostalgic post-WWI English country setting will appeal to fans of both classic murder mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie and Jacqueline Winspear.

Book Synopsis

Kate Shackleton joins Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs... They make excellent heroines. --Literary Review

Frances Brody's refreshingly complex heroine (Kirkus Reviews), picks up a case that takes her to the refined streets of 1920s Harrogate in A Medal for Murder

A pawn-shop robbery

It's no rest for the wicked as Kate Shackleton picks up her second professional sleuthing case. But exposing the culprit of a pawn-shop robbery turns sinister when her investigation takes her to Harrogate in Yorkshire, England - and murder is only one step behind ...

A fatal stabbing

A night at the theatre should have been just what the doctor ordered, until Kate stumbles across a body in the doorway. The knife sticking out of its chest definitely suggests a killer in the theatre's midst.

A ransom demand

Kate likes nothing better than a mystery - and nothing better than solving them. So when a ransom note demands £1,000 for the safe return of the play's leading lady, the refined streets of Harrogate play host to Kate's skills in piecing together clues - and luring criminals out of their lairs...

Review Quotes

"Brody again displays her prodigious talent for misdirection, tempered by her fair play with clues that render the possibility that the reader will not be fooled. But don't bet on it.... Steeped in period color, A Medal for Murder again showcases a winning heroine and a clever plot, a combination reminiscent of the genre's golden age but one made fresh and gripping by an author who melds murder with mercy." --Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Brody's excellent second offers a morally conflicted sleuth, historically detailed flashbacks to the Boer War and a clever mystery indeed." --Kirkus

"This lusciously written historical cozy is an excellent addition to the crowded 1920s market, and Brody's second series entry (after Dying in the Wool) positions her for deserved attention. Her gentle and traditional structure (noteworthy use of flashbacks) pairs nicely with Kerry Greenwood (see review above) and Jacqueline Winspear titles." --Library Journal

"These gentle crime novels, that have you guessing at every turn... are a pure joy. Refreshing and highly entertaining, especially for the winter nights." --Yorkshire Gazette and Herald

"A Medal for Murder contains all the elements of crime fiction - theft, kidnap, murder, a feisty private detective, a handsome Detective Inspector, a (sometimes) dour sidekick, plenty of suspects and all the twists and turns we expect from our genre.... A work of extraordinary depth, lightness of touch and strength of characterization." --Mystery Women

"The first in a planned series introduces a refreshingly complex heroine and adds a fine feeling for the postwar period." --Kirkus on Dying in the Wool

"Brody, who has written historical fiction, presents a carefully researched setting, with accurate references to the popular culture of the day and clear explanations of the dyeing and weaving processes at the mill." --Booklist on Dying in the Wool

"Reminiscent of Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie with a thoroughly likeable protagonist and a plot that held me to the end." --Mignon F. Ballard, author of the Miss Dimple Kilpatrick Mystery Series, on Dying in the Wool

"This well-plotted and atmospheric tale is enriched by technical expertise and a vividly imagined Yorkshire setting. Kate Shackleton joins Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs in a sub-group of young female amateur detectives who survived and were matured by their wartime experiences.... They make excellent heroines." --Literary Review on Dying in the Wool

"Maisie Dobbs in a sub-group of young female amateur detectives who survived and were matured by their wartime experiences.... They make excellent heroines." --Literary Review on Dying in the Wool

About the Author

FRANCES BRODY is the author of Dying in the Wool, A Medal for Murder, and Murder in the Afternoon. She lives in the North of England, where she was born and grew up. Frances started her writing life in radio, with many plays and short stories broadcast by the BBC. She has also written for television and theatre. Before turning to crime, she wrote sagas, winning the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin award for most regionally evocative debut saga of the millennium.