BOOK REVIEW: And Then There Was the One by Martha Waters

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I enjoy a good historical mystery with a romantic subplot. And Then There Was the One by Martha Waters caught my eye, so I was pleased with the chance to review it.

Set in 1930s England, it plays with the genre, both embracing it and spoofing it.

The heroine is Georgiana Radcliffe, daughter of a country gentleman. Georgiana is resigned to spinsterhood, believing that her widowed father and younger sister can’t function without her. In fact, she’s convinced she’s indispensable to her whole tiny Cotswold village, Buncombe-upon-Woolly. This impression was reinforced over the past year when four murders were committed in the otherwise quaint village. Georgiana inadvertently solved the crimes before the constables, thanks to her superior knowledge of poisons. (She is an avid gardener.) 

However, four murders is too many. Now, the town is overrun with Murder Tourists. And when the town’s council chairman dies suddenly, Georgiana is determined to investigate, even though the cause of death was ruled a heart attack. This time, she doesn’t want to go it alone. With the approval of her best friend, Arthur, the town’s very responsible journalist, she invites a renowned investigator from London to help solve the murder (if, in fact, one occurred.) The detective declines, but sends his assistant (actually, his secretary) to help them, Sebastian Fletcher-Ford.

Sebastian is the most handsome man ever seen in the village. He unabashedly uses his good looks and charm to ingratiate himself with the villagers and Murder Tourists. Georgiana refuses to be charmed. She thinks he is annoying and none too bright.

And yet, as their investigation proceeds, she finds there is more to the man than a handsome face, glowing skin, and athletic physique.

This is a smart romp with an interesting mystery at its core, a delightful romance, and a fun supporting cast.