Morwenna Mutton has mixed emotions when a theatre company arrives in Seal Bay. Her granddaughter gets a role in the production which is exciting but the unpopular lead actor starts dating her mother. Then he dies on stage, apparently of natural causes, but Morwenna suspects one of his enemies of murder…
Bloodshed on the Boards is the second book to feature amateur sleuth Morwenna in Cornwall. I have previously read and reviewed the first book in the series, Foul Play at Seal Bay. There are mentions of events and outcomes from the first book but no major spoilers.
Morwenna adores her family so is thrilled when Elowen gets to perform on stage. She is less thrilled that Daniel Kitto is dating her mum Lamorna especially after he almost ran her over on their first meeting! She isn’t the only one who finds Daniel a bit jarring and after his death she believes that someone killed him.
There are a host of suspects and motives after Morwenna ‘borrows’ some evidence and discovers that Daniel was murdered. She can’t help launching into her own investigation: I think she enjoys the sense of purpose it gives her as well as the opportunity to find closure for her grieving mother.
I liked the family focus of the book and the strong relationships across the generations. Elowen’s obsession with getting a dog did start to irritate me a little but seemed an accurate depiction of a small child’s relentless nagging! Morwenna and her ex Ruan get along well to support the family dynamic but there are unresolved issues as both try to move on romantically.
Bloodshed on the Boards is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery. I have to mention the Cornish landscape and culture which thread through the plot, characters and dialogue, vividly bringing the book to life.
Bloodshed on the Boards
There is excitement in the air as the travelling theatre arrives in Seal Bay.
When The Spriggan Travelling Theatre Company arrives in Seal Bay to perform a Cornish version of King Arthur the locals flock to be entertained. But for Morwenna Mutton, sexagenarian librarian, wild swimming enthusiast and amateur sleuth, the theatre brings intrigue too. Actor and director Daniel Kitto is not the most popular member of the cast and unbeknownst to him, his role of Uther Pendragon on the opening night is to be his swansong.
In front of a horrified audience, he collapses during the dying moments of the performance in a pool of fake blood, and although the police are content that the causes of his death are natural, Morwenna isn’t so sure. And once it becomes clear that there are a number of people who stand to gain from Daniel’s death, Morwenna’s investigation takes a dangerous turn.
If you love Miss Marple and The Thursday Murder Club, then you’ll love The Morwenna Mutton mysteries.
Judy Leigh is the USA Today bestselling author of The Old Girls’ Network and Five French Hens and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.
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