A Mind to Murder (An Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon Mystery) by Daniella Bernett

Synopsis
The wicked kill…but the dead speak

Journalist Emmeline Kirby and her jewel thief/insurance investigator husband Gregory Longdon were in the mood for intrigue at the theatre. However, murder was only supposed to take place on stage. All too soon, the evening’s peace is shattered when the ceiling collapses in the Upper Circle.

In the ensuing chaos of the evacuation, Emmeline and Gregory discover tabloid reporter Verena Penrose in her box. Her neck had been snapped. Verena had done a brisk trade in scandal, blackmail and splashy exposés. Her fatal error was tangling with the Raven, an elusive assassin with ties to the Russians and ETA, the Basque separatist group.

Although Verena despised Emmeline, she leaves a cryptic message for her that is too tantalizing to ignore. However the layer upon layer of lies, jealousy and revenge touch too close to home when her brother Adam is implicated in the Raven’s schemes to infiltrate the London Diamond Bourse and to murder a prominent British official.

To restore the family honor, Emmeline and Gregory race to Madrid only to walk into the Raven’s trap.

My Review

I’m always excited when Daniella Bernett e-mails me with the news of an new Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon book, and A Murder in Mind is her latest offering. I love the feeling of recognition when you pick up a book where you know the characters, their personalities and their quirks, its like putting on your favourite pjyamas and snuggling down to read. As always journalist Emmeline Kirby and her husband, the so called reformed jewel thief Gregory Longdon, find themselves at the centre of a murder inquiry after a night at the theatre. The victim, Verena Penrose has a long list of people wanting her dead as she is a journalist who thrives on scandal and gossip. Emmeline, is a not a fan of Verena but finds herself with information that may explain why she was murdered. Emmeline, in her role as editotrial features editior of The Clarion newspaper, needs to find out the truth at all costs, even if it implicates members of her own family.

What makes these books so special for me is the mixture of wonderful characters, an intelligent plot line and the touch of humour. Emmeline and her husband Gregory are one of the most unlikely couples, she an investigate journalist, always searching for the truth, whilst her husband, who may have a legal job now is associated with being a jewel thief. It his charm and wit that reminds me of Carey Grant, particular in his role of the jewel thief ‘the cat’ in To Catch a Thief. However his charm doesn’t adhere him to long suffering Seargant Burnell of Scotland Yard who finds it frustrating that both Gregory and Emmeline are always one step ahead in their investigations by meddling too much. It is the interaction between Seargant Burnell and Gregory that makes me smile, and where Daniella Bernett really captures the British humour and sarcasm, especially in their joint dersion of Assistant Commissioner Cruikshank aka The Boy Wonder.

Daniella Bernett is a masterful storyteller and her plotting is fabulous, I can never guess where her plot will end up. In this case there are plenty of people who wanted Verena dead due to her scandelous writing, but the many twists and turns this book leads to the allusive Raven, a murderer with an interest in diamonds whom she may have been ready to expose. Her writing really captures the nuances of her characters, their relationships and the intricacies of a murder investigation, with that touch of humour that adds light to the dark of the book.

As expected I loved reading this book. I enjoy the development of the characters through the books, their interactions and their complexities. The fast paced plot drew me in and I was gripped as Emmeline, Gregory and the rest of the characters hurtle towards the the conclusion of the book. Well written, with plenty of thrilling moments this is a another brilliant read from Daniella Bernett, and I can’t wait for the next book.

If you haven’t read any of the Emmeline Kirby and Gregory Longdon books I highly recommend you do.