Arsenic and Old Lies

Storm Publishing very kindly invited me to read an advance copy of Arsenic and Old Lies, and after reading the synopsis I was only too happy to accept. That was a good decision on my part, because I adored this book. With a title like that, how could I not? (I love the play on that old classic, Arsenic and Old Lace.)

The main characters in the book, and indeed the series, are friends Marius Quin and Lady Bella Montague, who are private detectives. Marius also happens to write murder mysteries. The book opens with Marius returning from a weekend away, to discover a body in his study. The deceased is none other than Gilbert Baines, Bella's fiancé. 🗡

Finding himself shut out of the investigation into Gilbert's death, Marius returns to his writing, and it is while seeking inspiration from old newspapers at the library, he stumbles upon what he deems to be a miscarriage of justice. 🗡

The subsequent investigation undertaken by Marius and Bella makes for interesting reading, not least because the trial Marius read about is based on a real life one. Sadly, the outcome of both differed.

Set in the late 1920's, Arsenic and Old Lies is a fast paced, thrilling read. There's quite the cast of characters, all of them interesting, and all harbouring secrets. There's also a dog, an adorable Basset Hound called Percy, who is Marius's faithful friend. 🐶

There are twists aplenty, and some welcome humour of the dark variety. 🗡

It has become a habit of mine when reading ARCs, to come into a series somewhere in the middle. Arsenic and Old Lies is book 5 in this series. I haven't read the four books which precede it, but I didn't feel like I was missing too much information. I will circle back to read them eventually. 🗡

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the digital ARC.