A famous writers’ Detection Club comes to a local village to raise funds to repair and orphanage and judge the local Murder Club short story contest only for everyone to be faced with a real murder in need of solution.  The second Phyllida Bright mystery builds on the strength of the first one with the engaging characters, wonderful tribute to the real life mystery writers and the historical back drop while showcasing a cunning new murder mystery to solve. 

 

A Trace of Poison is the second book in the series and would work out of order or standalone, but there are introductions to the primary characters and backdrop from book one that made it a good idea to read in order. 

 

I thought it was great fun to see the redoubtable and confident housekeeper right back at it nosing out the answers ahead of the police while famous – and favorite mystery writers- were present.  Phyllida was still full of herself to a certain degree and, again, it was fun to see the household chauffeur Bradford get under her skill and show her that she was not the only clever person around. 

 

She was pretty clever compared to the stolid constable and visiting detective inspector and at times, she let sleuthing supersede self-preservation particularly when she created that big scene near the end only because she insisted she was perfectly fine alone and could take care of herself- incidentally, she was not. 

 

This is very much a cozy in tone and pace, but the historical aspect and the Christie element were perfectly balanced and present.  Phyllida is something of an enigma- as is Bradford, for that matter- and I was hoping the second book would open up a bit about their individual pasts, but it doesn’t.  Maybe next time. 

 

All in all, it was a good second entry in the series with a solid mystery.  Historical cozy fans should put it on the list.  I’m off to nose out book three.