1917. British intelligence agent Fiona Figg travels to America for a meeting with a notorious spy and to act as chaperone to her boss’s niece. She becomes embroiled in a murder investigation with possible links to the war…
Chaos at Carnegie Hall is an historical spy and murder mystery novel set during the First World War. It is the first book in a new series to feature the author’s already established character, however it is not necessary to have read the earlier books.
Fiona suspects a murder has taken place on board the ship but no one is missing so her fears are dismissed. A night at the opera halfway through the book hosts the first official murder of the book and her nemesis Fredrick Fredricks is caught holding a smoking gun. Surprisingly, Fiona is convinced of his innocence and investigates in order to free him.
The book is written from Fiona’s first person perspective. The tone is light hearted and almost chatty. I loved the personal reflections on the man she loves, the man she despises and the situation of women in 1917.
There is a lot of historical detail so the author has clearly done a huge amount of research. I enjoyed the mix of real and fictional characters and the author’s note at the end unpicks the fact and fiction.
Chaos at Carnegie Hall is a warm and cosy murder mystery and historical spy novel with a wonderful narrative style and lead character.
Chaos at Carnegie Hall
Agatha Christie meets Downton Abbey in the Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mystery series opener.
Can Fiona catch a killer and find a decent cup of tea before her mustache wax melts?
1917 New York.
Notorious spy, Fredrick Fredricks, has invited Fiona to Carnegie Hall to hear a famous soprano. It’s an opportunity the War Office can’t turn down. Fiona and Clifford are soon on their way, but not before Fiona is saddled with chaperon duties for Captain Hall’s niece. Is Fiona a spy or a glorified babysitter?
From the minute Fiona meets the soprano aboard the RMS Adriatic it’s treble on the high C’s. Fiona sees something—or someone—thrown overboard, and then she overhears a chemist plotting in German with one of her own countrymen!
And the trouble doesn’t stop when they disembark. Soon Fiona is doing time with a group of suffragettes and investigating America’s most impressive inventor Thomas Edison.
When her number one suspect turns up dead at the opera and Fredrick Fredricks is caught red-handed, it looks like it’s finally curtains for the notorious spy.
But all the evidence points to his innocence. Will Fiona change her tune and clear her nemesis’ name? Or will she do her duty? And just what is she going to do with the pesky Kitty Lane? Not to mention swoon-worthy Archie Somersby . . .
If Fiona’s going to come out on top, she’s going to have to make the most difficult decision of her life: the choice between her head and her heart.
Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is bringing new titles in the Fiona Figg series to Boldwood, the first of which, Chaos in Carnegie Hall, will be published in November 2022.
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