This well done cozy (appears to be a series debut), set in post WWII Britain, features young Daisy Moore whose services as a codebreaker are no longer needed and who is in need of a job and a home after a catastrophic fire. Her family priest finds her a position as a general factorum at a hotel in the village of Fernfield. Daisy has hardly unpaced before a village do-gooder is murdered at the Dolphin Hotel, and a young Jewish refugee from Austria is blamed. Putting her deductive skills to work, Daisy sets out to find the murderer, much to the chagrin of Inspector Thaxted, who has been officially tasked with the case.

The well-drawn characters, especially Daisy and her boss JB, make the book a pleasure to read and the mystery offers plenty of suspects and red herrings. The plot suffers a bit from the many coincidences that occur that help Daisy solve the mystery and the seemingly out-of-left-field denouement. Despite this, I am looking forward to reading the next series entry and spending more time with Daisy and the denizens of Fernfield again.

Full Disclosure--NetGalley and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

London, VE Day, 1945. As Britain takes its tentative first steps into peace, Daisy Moore’s secret wartime work at Whitehall comes to an end. Daisy finds herself homeless & an orphan so accepts a job at the Dolphin hotel in Fernfield but she misses London. Then a body is found in one of the rooms with the head bashed in by a stone dolphin from the window ledge. The victim is Lucinda Laidlaw, a local charity worker and a pacifist. Daisy is sure she can use her skills to identify the killer. She spent the war decoding ciphers, and murder is surely just another puzzle. But Inspector Thaxted isn’t convinced he needs the help. The list of people who wanted Lucinda dead keeps growing and Thaxted’s investigation is going nowhere. Then Thaxted’s prime suspect Felix Koller, a young Jewish refugee, is attacked and left for dead.
A well written cosy mystery, I really liked Daisy who was an interesting character, some of her comments had me laughing out loud. There are plenty of suspects plus twists, turns & of course, red herrings, I kept thinking I’d worked out who the villain was but was proved wrong each time. I loved the banter between Daisy & Thaxted. A captivating read which I recommend & hope there’s more outings for Daisy
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Set in Oxford just after the Second World War, this murder mystery follows heroine Daisy Moore. Rebuilding her life after a family tragedy, Daisy relocates from London to Oxford and begins work for the owner of a local hotel, The Dolphin. All goes well until a villager, a charitable and kind older lady, is found murdered in one of the hotel rooms, her head bludgeoned with a stone dolphin. Daisy and the wry, stoic police inspector, Peter Thaxted, set about tying to solve the crime. Who could possibly want to brutally kill such a sweet woman? Will Daisy and Thaxted be able to uncover the many secrets and buried resentments of the locals and find the murderer before anyone else is hurt?
I enjoyed this gentle mystery, which falls firmly into the cosy category. Daisy is an intelligent and feisty heroine and Thaxted proves a good foil, bringing dry humour and neat insights to the case. There is a large, lively cast of local characters and an evocative sense of British post-war history, particularly detailed when it comes to food and clothes. The writing is solid and the story well developed.
I did find there were perhaps a couple more subplots than necessary. While a village may hold secrets, there were an awful lot of major revelations for such a small place. The pace was slow and I would have loved a second murder to enliven the story. Daisy faces very little peril until the end of the book and it definitely lacked tension.
Overall this was a satisfying, pleasing mystery and I would happily read more of Daisy’s adventures.

A good story. Daisy worked in Whitehall doing secret work during the war but at the end she was told to go and get married and her brain was expected to be put to rest. When a murder takes place where she works as a general factotum she can't help but try to solve it.

Really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

A thoroughly enjoyable cosy detective read. It's 1945 and Daisy has to return to 'normal' life after her secret wartime work comes to an end - go back home, marry a good man and raise a family, after all that's what women do isn't it? After a fire, where she loses everything, she takes up a post of 'general factotum' to a writer/actor based in a small village. She helps out at his family's hotel as well although still misses "true life" in London. The local charity worker is found murdered so Daisy sets out to solve it, not always to the inclusion of the local Inspector Thaxted. Lovely characters from a small village where outsiders are not easily received and real foreigners and conscientious objectors even less so. Slowly the Inspector and Daisy start to work out their differences and work together well, plenty of little bits of humour too which is a nice touch. The novel felt very much of the time. Would be nice to see more of these two main characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy.

Thanks to Joffe Books and Net Galley for this ARC. I had never heard of this author before and am so glad i was given the opportunity to read this book, i loved it! Its written in the first person and the character is very humorous. Lots of red herrings and I didn't guess the villain which is always good. I would love these characters to become a series but i believe this is a stand alone novel. I will be looking up the authors other books and be reading them though.

The war is over and Daisy Moore is at loose ends. Her parents are dead, her house is burned down and her secret codebreaking job is over. What's a feisty Cockney girl to do? This one leaves London's East End to work as a "factotum" for a plummy-voiced actor in Oxfordshire. Daisy makes tea. Daisy answers fan mail. Daisy hunts down the local do-gooder's killer.
The plot clips along rapidly as long-buried secrets are revealed through Daisy's determined sleuthing. Daisy's street cred is based on her years spent codebreaking at Whitehall but, I don't know. An East End girl who left school at 15 to work in a biscuit factory? Seems a stretch. Her fish out of London water persona rang true. As did that of haunted war veteran Inspector Lestrade, I mean Thaxted. I foresee more sleuthing adventures in their future.

"You say that as if it's a problem. I like to ask questions, find out about people." #deathatthedolphin is absolutely delightful! Daisy moves from London to Fernfield, to serve as a "factotum" for Jeffrey Berrow, who owns the Dolphin Hotel. She is a terrific, smart, fun character. The descriptions of her living arrangements, the food she eats, her co-workers & guests at the hotel ("She yawns, her chins wobbling."), her observations of the area and people around her - so sublime. I guess that's why they call them cozies! I enjoyed every minute spent with the people of Fernfield, and there's a terrific mystery afoot, too. I hope Ms. Mulrooney makes Daisy and her exploits into a series! Highly, highly recommend.

P. S. Thanks to #netgalley and #joffebooks for the ARC.

A classic murder mystery set at the end of WW2. Twenty-four-year-old Daisy Moore needs a job and somewhere to live - with little options open to her she moves from London to become general factotum in the quiet Oxfordshire village of Fernfield. Amongst her jobs is looking after the Dolphin Hotel. When the body of Lucinda Laidlaw is found in one of the hotel bedrooms, Daisy decides to try and find the murderer.
When I read the description I jumped at the chance to read and review this book for NetGalley. I wasn't disappointed. This may not be a taxing read, but it was a perfect light summer mystery. Daisy is a likeable sleuth and I'd be interested to see if more books are written involving Daisy.

Had a hard time getting into it but great story. Good character development and time setting. Would recommend to my book club.

sly-humor, small-town, small-business, class-consciousness, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, entitled-attitude, hospitality-industry, post-WW2, England, actors, 1945, cosy-mystery*****

I can't see how I've missed reading anything by Gretta Mulrooney!
With the end of the war Daisy Moore’s wartime work under the Secrets Act comes to an end. Then her flat and her mother come to a smoky end, and a friend introduces her to a sometimes actor who needs a general factotum at his Dolphin hotel in Oxfordshire. And she's a London girl! Dealing with his correspondence is kind of OK, but she also has to help around the hotel. When one of the locals is found dead in a room all sorts of madness ensues. Daisy meets the older war veteran detective assigned to the case and then...
Great characters, intriguing red herring, and diabolical plot twists kept me reading into the night.
I really hope that this is not a one-off but book one of a new series!
I requested and received a free e-arc from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Death at the Dolphin, a stand-alone cosy novel set in the fictional Oxfordshire town of Fernfield in 1945.

At a loose end after her top secret war work comes to an end and orphaned after a house fire she blames herself for kills her mother Daisy Moore accepts a job as general factotum to actor and hotelier Jeffrey “JB” Berrow in Fernfield. The job isn’t very exciting, looking after JB’s fan Mail and house and standing in at his hotel, The Dolphin, when required, but that changes when Lucinda Laidlaw is killed in Room 1.

I enjoyed Death at the Dolphin, which has an endearing protagonist in Daisy Moore and an absorbing plot. It is told in the first person from Daisy’s point of view so the reader can enjoy her sleuthing and rather caustic take on events.

The plot is interesting with several possible suspects, the staff and guests at The Dolphin, a local landowner and Inspector Thaxted’s prime suspect, Felix Koller, a refugee who was staying with Lucinda. It therefore revolves around Daisy asking questions, making deductions and verbally tangling with Inspector Thaxted over her interference. Personally, I was pretty sure that I had it all worked out by the 50% mark, only to be proved badly wrong in the end, so kudos to the author for misdirection. Who knew there could be so many crimes in a small town?

Daisy is a fun protagonist. Her life has obviously slowed down considerably with the loss of her job and the move from home sometimes makes her homesick, but she deals with it with resolution and an optimistic attitude. Her comments on events and some of the characters make the reader laugh.

Death at the Dolphin is a good read that I can recommend.

DNF. Well, technically I skimmed quickly through it. While the premise caught my interest, the book didn’t.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Daisy Moore has given vital service to her country at Bletchley Park during WWII. So vital Daisy is sworn to lifelong secrecy by signature/pledge on the Official Secrets Act. How can it be that suddenly after VE Day in 1945, Daisy’s life has changed so dramatically?

Jobless, and homeless, Daisy is encouraged to take a position as a general factotum at the Dolphin Hotel in Fernfield, a quiet countryside setting in Oxfordshire and very different from post-war city life in London. Daisy has gradually acclimated to her new life but after the stimulation of daily intrigue, life has become ordinary and dull. In a close-knit village that doesn’t trust foreigners and suspicions linger it is difficult to be accepted. But murder has occurred in the hotel and it stimulates Daisy’s mind and actions to be of vital service to Inspector Peter Thaxted.

This is a captivating historical mystery not only for the adeptly woven plot and atmospheric writing but because it provides meaningful insight into women’s history as men returned from war. Daisy, Inspector Thaxted, Father Hickey, and Daisy’s employer Jeffrey Berrow are characters as the author reveals their strengths but also their flaws and endears them all the more. I was also charmed by the furry-faced, paw-some company of brothers Tybalt and Oberon.

The book is listed as a stand-alone on the author’s website but I remain hopeful that this novel becomes a series introduction as I could easily spend more time with these characters. Until then, I encourage everyone to make a reservation on your tbr list for a read at the Dolphin Hotel.

My sincere thanks to Gretta Mulrooney, and Joffe Books for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

#DeathAtTheDolphin #NetGalley

Absolutely gripping read... Daisy Moore the main character moves from the ruins of her mothers home in London to the village of Fernfield to begin work for an actor as his right hand man.
When a murder occurs at the Dolphin hitel she uses her encoding brain to find the real killer before an innocent man hangs

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

Classic mystery lovers, rejoice! This story feels like Foyle's War mixed with Agatha Christie and sucked me in right away. In fact, it was so compelling it was really hard to put down. (Really hard...as 'it was midnight and I needed to sleep but I couldn't stop' hard.) Set in the chaotic period right after the end of World War II, this has all the best mystery story hallmarks-small town in the middle of the country, quirky insular inhabitants, random giant estates outside town, sharp local police and a main character who is an unwilling transplant but comes to love the area despite herself. There are plenty of little hooks left for future books and I hope this turns out to be a series.

Recommended for classic murder mystery readers and those who would like to read works with a possibly (?) neurodivergent main character.

An enjoyable step back in time with Gretta Mulrooney to the immediate post war years and yet another enjoyable read from the author.
Having read a number of her books I didn’t expect it to disappoint and I was right.. A nice easy going read that keeps you guessing to the end.
Recommend.

1945 VE Day and Daisy Moore in Hailsham House Hostel her parents are dead and now find herself with no job at Whitehall working for the government in central London her boss tells her to find herself a husband.
Father Hickey comes to her rescue and she moves to Fernfield in Oxfordshire working for Mr Jeffrey Berrow who also owns the Dolphin hotel along with two identical cats and living at Brize Lodge she ready to give it a try.
This hotel has eight bedrooms and only five guests at the moment then Daisy encounted her first murder Lucinda Laidlow a retired teacher and Daisy without a doubt is a very observant character in this book, as we read the pre war years that I love.
I find this one of my favourites that I have read by this author.
Sharp witty and fun to read loved it.

The best I've read in a very long time.

Death at the Dolphin was fun with great characters!!

Synopsis:
London, VE Day, 1945. As Britain takes its tentative first steps into peace, Daisy Moore’s secret wartime work at Whitehall comes to an end.

Convinced that she caused her mother’s death, homeless and with no other job in sight, Daisy should be happy to find herself in Fernfield working at the Dolphin hotel. Instead, she finds the quiet corner of Oxfordshire oppressive and small, and she misses London.

Then a body is found in one of the rooms with the head bashed in by a stone dolphin from the window ledge. The victim is Lucinda Laidlaw, a local charity worker and a pacifist. The villagers thought she was a busybody, and they don’t like foreigners.

Daisy is sure she can use her skills to identify the killer. She spent the war decoding ciphers, and murder is surely just another puzzle. But Inspector Thaxted isn’t convinced he needs the help.

The list of people who wanted Lucinda dead keeps growing and Thaxted’s investigation is going nowhere. Then Thaxted’s prime suspect, a young Jewish refugee, is attacked and left for dead. Can Daisy and the inspector work together to find the killer before anyone else dies?

Discover a brilliant 1940s-set murder mystery. Fans of Hilary Green, N.R. Daws, Mike Hollow, Anthony Horowitz, Elly Griffiths and T.P. Fielden will devour it.

With the the end of World War II in sight, Daisy Moore losses her mother and home to a fire, that just may have been her fault. Soon after, she finds that she is no longer needed in her job at Whitehall as a codebreaker. Relegated to living in a hostel, Daisy’s interest is piqued when given the opportunity to be general factotum to Jeffrey Berrow, actor and owner of the Dolphin Hotel She’s soon off to the village of Fernfield to keep “JB” organized. But then a woman is found dead in one of the rooms at the Dolphin, and a young man stands accused of her murder. Not convinced of his guilt, Daisy must use her skills as a cryptanalyst to work out the puzzle of who is the real murderer.

I love a good British mystery set around the time of World War II. While it fit the setting and the time period, unfortunately, this book did not fit into the good category. The plot involving the murder should have been a good one, but often got lost in the subplots (of which there were several). The author also chose to write in first person, resulting in stilted dialogue and an awkward narrative.

Several of the characters were OTT (over the top) in every way. Much more caricature than character. There were also far too many of them, making it difficult to keep track. But most disheartening was that the character of Daisy was never fully fleshed out. She was barely drawn and had no real depth. I just could not find myself engaging with her, or any of the characters for that matter, in any way.

So, this was definitely not an enjoyable read for me, and not a book which I would recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the advanced reader copy of this book made available for my review.