Happy Dean Street December, Friends!
As you know, I absolutely adore the Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow collection (I've read at least 34 books and counting so far...wooo!), but I'm also starting to sample some of their amazing Crime Fiction books. So far, my favorite author from that series is Moray Dalton (dying to read more of her golden age mysteries in 2025!)
Now that DSP has added Sara Woods (a new Crime Fiction author) to their list, I thought it would be a great opportunity to try out one of her books. (I always get excited about a new author, don't you?) Also, I have to give most of the credit to Caro, who recommended the first Sara Woods book to me. If you want to see her beautiful, in-depth and addictive reviews, make sure to start HERE! (don't forget to check out her gorgeous Instagram posts, too!)
So, here's my (as usual) very informal review of Bloody Instructions by Sara Woods:
I'm not a huge fan of crime dramas on television, but mystery books are sometimes different. To me, they are a lot more interesting and less stressful in book form. (Also, reading a mystery book that was written in the 60s makes it even better, in my opinion!) It took me some time to get used to Sara Woods' writing style, but it's mainly because courtroom dialogue and lawyer language sometimes make my head spin.
The characters in this crime fiction novel are distinct, intelligent and interesting. I especially appreciated the parts in Bloody Instructions in which Antony updates his uncle with the details of the murder (and investigation). This rehashing of the situation reminded me of how Poirot would share his thoughts to Hastings in Agatha Christie's books. It really helped me when my brain was working below its normal efficiency—lol.
I was also grateful for the drawing of the layout of the office where the murder occurred because I sometimes have a hard time imagining crime scene details in my head. Although I had no idea how this murder was going to be solved, it was a lot of fun trying to figure it out. I was really surprised to find out who the killer was in the end. Seriously unexpected!
The relationship and conversations between Antony, his wife Jenny, and his uncle Sir Nicholas Harding were my favorite parts. This little family in their unconventional London dwelling are highly amusing (also with a hint of coziness) and I looked forward to every evening dinner discussion with glee.
Although I didn't have an immediate connection to Sara Woods' writing as I did with Moray Dalton, I'm still very interested in reading the rest of the series. (Especially after reading Caro's last post on the Antony Maitland series...she found that the books in this series just got better and better!)
To sum up... If you're highly entertained by mysterious murders with missing motives, complex courtroom conversations and a slew of suspicious characters, you will LOVE this crime classic by Sara Woods!
Let me know which DSP Crime Fiction authors (or books!) are your favorites so far!
Many bookish hugs to you! 💕🌸🤗🌸💕
