A manor house cosy crime with all the hallmarks of an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery.
Devon, 1929. Members of the Pedhurst and de Reve families gather to hear unpopular matriarch Julia Pedhurst (nee de Reve) read from her late husband’s will. One of the house guests is fighter pilot Fred Willets, now an inspector in the Kalgoorlie Gold Squad, who has come to the UK as a beneficiary of the will. When Julia dies before the reading, and another death follows soon after, everybody in the manor house is a possible suspect.
It is up to Willets, assisted by the bright young pharmacist Prudence Meadows, to crack this whodunnit.
(5/5)
The term ‘cosy mystery’ is a wee bit patronising, and I certainly wouldn’t have described this book as such (although the author does!).
A great cast of characters, lots of plot twists, and well-written dialogue. Excellent little glimpses of back stories and just enough historical fact to add a feeling of authenticity to the ‘detecting’. I love it when I can’t pick the murderer until the end reveal, though I did work out some of the clues before Willets did (but no spoilers here)!
A book that anyone can enjoy – murder, romance, detection, greed, and family dynamics, all set in the dying days of the 1920s. Highly recommended.
(1/5)
My review follows a did-not-finish put down at the start of Ch4 (p36). The death of it for me was the naming of a town “Shagwell,” which is in reality “Shadwell.” Where the author was attempting to channel Agatha Christie, they instead channelled Austin Powers!
I was alert to some grammatical clangers which started on p14 with “He’d instructed Lucas not to engage the men if he discovered them but to return to town until he himself had returned”… in which “he” is doing some very heavy-lifting and “return” gets overused.
I could document all of the grammatical concerns, up to p36, to you if you wish. I did laugh as Ch2, p18 opened at “usually private beach” and how such a beach “lay only a couple of hundred yards back over her shoulder” (where the reader did not first comprehend the character’s physical position). Also, personifying the sun was a step too far: “The sun beat down out of the blue sky as if it had not a care in the world”.
(5/5)
I really enjoyed reading Dave Warner’s new book ‘Sound Mind Dead Body’ as it had so many twists and turns, which leaves you guessing until the end whether the victims were murdered and by whom, which is reminiscent of the Agatha Christie books.
The book is set in the year 1929 at a Manor House in Devon, England, where members of two families gather to hear the unpopular matriarch Julia Pedhurst read from her late husband’s will.
There is a pilot named Fred Willets who is an Inspector of Police in the Kalgoorlie Gold Squad in Western Australia, and he has arrived at the Manor because he is a beneficiary the late Thomas Penhurst’s will so when deaths start occurring Fred and a pharmacist Prudence Meadows assist in solving the crimes because the local police had difficulty in reaching the house quickly and clues disappear if the investigation does not commence immediately.
Definitely a book that you cannot put down, as one needs to reach the end to find out who committed the crime.
(4/5)
I was given the opportunity to review an ARC copy of ‘Sound Mind Dead Body’ by Dave Warner by Fremantle Press and Good Reading Magazine for an honest review.
It’s a classic whodunit murder mystery, set in the late 1920s, so it is written in a dignified highbrow style reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s winning formula. The characters are set in a classy manor for a will reading when the body count starts to rise. It’s like a live game of Cluedo. Nobody is safe except the killer, and nobody is safe from the scrutiny of Fred Willets’ discerning eye and his assistant, local pharmacist Prudence Meadows. They are an intelligent pair and go through the facts till they uncover who’s responsible. More than a few plot twists throughout.
(4/5)
Family, Friend, Foe… MURDER!
Dave Warner has captured all the elements of a classic Agatha Christie mystery in his latest publication, ‘Sound Mind Dead Body.’
Set in a beautiful and peaceful English countryside, the family anxiously gathers as beneficiaries of a will, hoping to reveal their anticipated fortune. As tongues unleash, secrets unfold, and desperation is born, the reader becomes instantly hooked with a myriad of twists, turns, and unexpected surprises as the plot quickly thickens into a crime scene.
Bewildered and double-guessing as to who dunnit, this book will appeal to lovers of detective fiction, crime mysteries of any age, and will definitely keep you intrigued and entertained as a guaranteed good read.
(3/5)
In this historically set whodunnit, you’ll be guessing until the very end. A story built on a variety of interesting characters that each play a role in the mystery. A well-written, quick, and easy-to-read book that takes you right back to the 1920s.
(4/5)
If you like Agatha Christie-esque novels, then this one is for you. A whodunnit, country estate mystery set in late 1920s England; throw in a ‘colonial’ detective on leave and you have the perfect scenario for some escapist fun.
The Pedhurst/De Reve family is gathering for the reading of a will. The only outsider is Fred Willets, a police inspector from Australia, who has a link to the family as a result of his WW1 service as a fighter pilot.
As the characters gather, we glimpse the personalities of each and the complex dynamics between them. Everyone seems to have a secret!
Inclement weather and the inability of the local authorities to attend the scene of the crime(s) provide the conditions for Willets to begin investigating with the assistance of local pharmacist, Prudence Meadows.
Willets is a likeable protagonist, as is Prudence, whilst the remainder of the cast of characters are typically flawed and all have plausible motives to have committed the crime.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Was it a perfect literary work? No. It is what it sets out to be – a whodunnit, with red herrings, some escapist reading with mystery and a touch of romance. I didn’t pick the culprit until they were revealed. Bonus!
Warner has ended the novel, leaving us with the possibility of another Willets Meadows mystery!
(4/5)
When former pilot turned detective Fred travels from the goldfields of Australia to a manor house in Devon to collect an item from an inheritance, he does not expect to be solving a murder. But that is just what follows in this classic, intricate whodunnit that has you turning the pages at speed and keeps the reader guessing at every step as clever Fred uncovers family secrets, peels back layers of deception, and follows the twisting trail to the killer.
Full of dry humour and with an eclectic cast of characters, this 1920s-style mystery will appeal to lovers of the Miss Phryne Fisher mysteries.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
(5/5)
This is my second book by this author, so I was thrilled to obtain his latest book.
A real whodunnit murder mystery, with a little romance, family secrets and disputes, the rich and their servants, and throw in a dead body or two.
We delve into the lives of each character and their backgrounds as the families come together for the reading of a will (or wills?). But little do they know what is about to unfold – enter the Australian ‘Willets’, who is a stranger to the family, however, knows a thing or two about crime.
It had me captivated from the very beginning, right till the end when all was revealed.
(4/5)
Devon, England, 1929. Fred Willets – a young Australian policeman – attends Sir Thomas Pedhurst’s will reading, hosted by his widow at Harcroft Manor. Also in attendance are several family members hoping to receive an inheritance. When a mysterious death occurs to delay proceedings, the circumstances are immediately suspicious; each family member has a reason to fear that they will be cut out of the will, and therefore a motive for murder.
In its setting and structure, Sound Mind Dead Body pays homage to classic crime, particularly Agatha Christie. Although it is not so derivative as to be boring. Protagonist Fred is a charismatic detective, and he is joined by a cast of entertaining characters who fit nicely into the whodunnit archetypes. There is even a charming (if slightly saccharine) romantic subplot with a plucky local pharmacist.
The prose is simple, but the story is well-plotted. With fast pacing, an intriguing trail of evidence, and surprising twists without being silly, this book is certainly a page-turner. Most importantly, the denouement feels satisfying and well-earned. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read – perfect for anyone who loves a clever mystery and particularly suitable for fans of golden age detective fiction.
(3/5)
Dave Warner writes with such detail and effect that he really takes you along for the murder & mystery to make you feel like you are immersed in solving the crime yourself, or at least helping a bit!
In this murder mystery, we are taken to the home of matriarch Julia Pedhurst for the reading of her late husband’s will. Two families join to see the divide. What follows next is the death of Julia, then a fellow house guest, leaving everyone a suspect. It is up to Inspector Fred Willets and the offsider Prudence to solve the case.
Will there be a successful solve?
(4.5/5)
This book is a must-read for any Agatha Christie fans. I have read her complete collection and enjoyed reading this book very much.
I have not read any previous books by Dave, and he describes this one as a change from “hard-boiled” to a “cosy mystery”.
When I started to read it, I thought, OK, so a scene is being set.
Then, once you get into the “present day” part of the book, things become very familiar and very Christie in format.
The characters are developed, the settings described very well, and there are enough red herrings to suit any consumer of seafood…
If I were to make note of one thing in particular is that several parts of the plot seem to be taken from almost as many Christie novels. As such, you get very comfortable with the family, the matriarch, and the surrounding settings.
In all, it is a “short” novel and pulls the reader into the landscape and time period very nicely.
The characters are believable, and you definitely get a sense of how they all “fit” together and their backgrounds.
If there was one piece of the story, I found a little too “Agatha” was the way the local inspector was portrayed. I know this is “explained” in the novel, but I feel it was a little too convenient.
All in all, a great story and a very intriguing mystery. The great reveal was exactly as one would expect.
I hope to see more of these from Dave Warner in the future.
(5/5)
Dave Warner may usually write gripping Aussie noir, but he is just as adept at writing a cosy murder mystery set in a grand English estate in Devon in 1929.
We meet Fred Willets, ex-fighter pilot, who is attending the reading of the last will of a wealthy relative, all the way from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. When the deceased’s widow, Julia Pedhurst, dies before the will is read, everyone staying at the house is a suspect.
With Dave’s trademark laconic humour and a cast of great characters, the story that unfolds is full of twists, bad antics, and red herrings in the search for the murderer. Fred teams up with Prudence, a clever young pharmacist from the local village, and they work together to find out who hates Julia enough to kill her.
With sharp wit and clever writing that easily puts you in the time period, this Agatha Christie-esque story has a bit of everything – murder, romance, family jealousy, and of course greed.
A thoroughly entertaining book that had me guessing to the end.
(3/5)
A solid murder mystery set at an English Manor House. I really enjoyed having an Australian detective solving the murder, which is a good twist on the genre. Would recommend for those who enjoyed short-ish cosy mysteries with Australian subplots.
(4.5/5)
Having read a number of Dave Warner’s novels in recent years, I was looking forward to immersing myself in another gritty Australian crime-noir novel. However, his new novel ‘Sound Mind Dead Body’ was an unexpected and delightful diversion, casting back into the early twentieth century and more genteel times in England.
As the author acknowledges in his author’s note, the novel owes a great debt to the crime novels of Agatha Christie. This novel is very much in her style of the privileged and genteel class of English life, but in Dave Warner’s own unique voice.
At the beginning of the novel, you really need to pay attention, as the family structure of Lady Julia Pedhurst and her assorted staff is quite intricate in the setting of Harcroft Manor. But once the characters are established, the story rolls along nicely. Dave Warner introduces a couple of grisly murders early and throughout the book, along with a host of red herrings and false clues to keep us intrigued. The emerging romance of Fred Willets (the Australian character) and the pharmacist Prudence Meadows adds a lighter and sweeter touch to the intrigue. Of course – in true Agatha style – the final scenes reveal the guilty culprit and a dramatic twist that keeps us reviewing the earlier clues thrown up throughout the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Dave Warner. As mentioned earlier, it is a diversion from his more usual gritty style. But it is an intriguing story set in more genteel times that harkens back to the classic crime novels of the early 20th century, and one that does not disappoint. I can highly recommend this book to those readers who love a cosy murder mystery with a solid twist in the tail.
(4/5)
Families can be messy, but this one proves deadly.
The story begins with an unconventional family gathering to hear the reading of a will and quickly spirals into tragedy for all involved. I really enjoyed Dave Warner’s writing style, particularly the subtle breadcrumb trail of clues and the way we uncover information alongside Fred. It made the investigation feel immersive and kept me constantly second-guessing myself.
Just when I thought I had worked out the killer and was feeling quietly smug, Warner completely pulled the rug out from under me. So many moments that felt significant turned out to be clever misdirection, which made the final reveal even more satisfying.
The characters are delightfully unpleasant, mostly unlikable, and positively fascinating. Grudges are plentiful, secrets are held close, and whispers between family members in the dead of night ensure no one is ever boring. Thank goodness for calm, intelligent Fred and the unforgettable Prudence.
That final twist was fantastic and genuinely shocked me. I was gasping out loud.
I sincerely hope we haven’t seen the last of Fred.
(4/5)
The year is 1929. Julia has gathered her family for the reading of a will.
Everyone has something to gain, everyone has something to lose, and everyone has something to hide, but who has it in them to murder to get what they want?
Dave Warner pays homage to the Agatha Christie novels set in the late 1920’s, and fans of the genre will certainly find Sound Mind Dead Body a real treat.
Written in the typical whodunnit style with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing, this was very much a ‘cosy mystery’ reminiscent of Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot. For me, the story was a little slow, but I still enjoyed following the clues until the final reveal, which, in typical Agatha Christie style, is set in the drawing room. Warner describes the characters so well that they came alive in my imagination, and I wasn’t surprised that the basis of the novel had been a play he had written and performed.
Relatively short at 217 pages, Sound Mind Dead Body, I recommend it to the fans of the original Agatha Christie novels as well as fans of the modern version, like Knives Out.
(5/5)
A psychological delight!
Dave Warner’s Sound Mind Dead Body offers a sharp examination of the human psyche and the social mechanisms that govern judgment, reputation, and power.
At its core lies a provocative proposition: everyone can be equal, exploitable, and equally exploitable. Status, wealth, professed virtue, and even familial bonds provide no immunity from manipulation, misinterpretation, or self-interest.
Through the Pedhurst and de Reve families, Warner frames ignorance and desire as central drivers of behaviour. Familial interactions reveal tensions between the authentic self, the concealed self, and the performative persona cultivated to maintain respectability and authority, with reputation functioning as a strategic tool to manage perception, secure loyalty, and avoid consequence.
Familial hierarchy and social status further expose ego, entitlement, and reputational anxiety. Wealth and influence heighten the pressure to maintain moral performance, while those seeking favour often display strategic deference despite private resentment.
The result is a pointed critique of moral inconsistency and the fragile foundations of interpersonal trust, depicting a context in which individuals prioritise their own perceptions and comforts over objective truth, excuse their own actions while judging others, and allow miscommunication and conflicting intentions to erode trust and destabilise their relationships.
Undoubtedly compelling.
(4/5)
This was my first Dave Warner book, and though I have been told that it’s a different style to his other works, I am eager to read others.
This is a manor-house whodunnit with brutal murder, secrets, intrigue, and a Christie-esque mystery.
We are thrown into tense family relations when the beneficiaries of a Will come together, and unfortunately, not everyone survives the reading and distribution of assets. Luckily, though, we have a police officer and a pharmacist who can help unravel the issues.
I liked the character-driven story. I particularly enjoyed there being enough insight into backstories to keep the story interesting.
The mystery kept me guessing, and I enjoyed not being able to unravel everything before its time, although I feel like the resolution was quick.
(5/5)
What a fast and cosy, almost Cluedo-style book. Many lovers of Agatha Christie will enjoy this Deco era book. Once in, solving how Aunty was killed was intriguing and easy to read.
(4/5)
Sound Mind Dead Body by Dave Warner is a delightful, clever murder mystery.
The setup is classic Agatha Christie: a will reading at an English manor house, a room full of suspects, and a cleverly constructed puzzle that keeps you guessing until the final is revealed.
What makes this book special is its characters. Australian WWI veteran Fred Willets and sharp young pharmacist Prudence Meadows make an engaging detective duo. The suspects each have genuine motives, and Warner plays with distractions while still managing to surprise.
If I have one critique, some sections feel slightly repetitive, particularly in the middle, where the investigation circles familiar ground. A tighter edit would have pushed this from very good to exceptional. I really enjoyed reading this book.
(5/5)
Sound Mind Dead Body by Dave Warner is a lovely, slow-burning cosy crime à la Agatha Christie.
The scene is set beautifully from the first page, and the grand house is the perfect setting for a gathering that you know is going to go awry.
The characters are interesting, well-developed, and full of secrets. The handy family tree and house plan included at the start of the book were so handy, I found myself referring back again and again.
As the story develops, little crumbs are dropped, and these had me guessing until the very end on who was involved, why, and what they did. I can honestly say I did not guess the ending.
A little clue dropped in at the end makes me think there’ll be another story coming, hopefully sooner rather than later.
This is the first Dave Warner book that I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Set in 1929 in Devon, England, a group of people is called together for the reading of a will.
A shocking murder occurs, and everyone is a suspect. Luckily, one of those potential beneficiaries is a former Australian soldier and WA police officer who steadily works on solving the mystery.
Think shades of Downton Abbey and Agatha Christie rolled into one whodunnit, with a hint of good old Aussie daring and common sense that keeps you guessing right to the very end.