Someone is killing fairy godmothers in Cinderella... Can Miss Clara Vale crack the case before the clock strikes twelve? 1929, December: Snow is falling, and Miss Clara Vale is wrapped up against the cold as she braves the icy streets of Newcastle in her latest investigation. When a young actress from the touring pantomime of Cinderella arrives at her door, Clara isn't sure what to make of her request. Sybil Langford, the legendary fairy godmother in their production, has mysteriously vanished. Could Clara help track her down? But a few days into Clara's search, Sybil's body is pulled from an icy river, and Clara finds herself in the middle of yet another murder mystery. This is the second in this series and I have not read the first and while it's not necessary to have read the first to understand and know this character, I am going back to read it asap!. This is a delightful Christmas cozy!

This second book in the "Clara Vale" series opens with the vanishing of Sybil Langford, the actress playing the Fairy Godmother in a pantomime. A much younger actress in the troupe, Peggy Rose, is referred to Clara by Juju, Clara's friend and business neighbour.

Sybil Langford’s body turns up some days afterwards, and her replacement also dies, leaving Clara with a more complex case than she anticipated. It leads her to a store's perfume department, where she gets an education in working security, and discovers her case has scheming actors, and a possible tie to smugglers. And to top things off, an oily Jack Danskin involves himself in the case, too.

This was another enjoyable entry in this series. Clara continues to grow as an investigator, and even gains a secretary out of the situation.

I was particularly amused when Clara’s mother, sister and her children arrived unexpectedly on Christmas Eve because of the families' financial difficulties because of the evolving financial crash. Her mother and sister have always looked down on Clara’s need for independence, and to find themselves having to rely on her was no doubt galling to Clara's mother. Though, Clara and her sister gain a better understanding of each other, which was welcome.

Clara continues to build her case files solidly so the police cannot dismiss her conclusions. Her use of photography, fingerprinting, and chemical analysis is innovative to the police she must deal with, but do lend her solutions extra credibility when they lead to the killer.

I again enjoyed this book, and look forward to more in this series

Thank you to Netgalley and to Embla Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

A wonderfully festive cosy crime that made me upset that no murders happened in any pantomimes I have been too

Another fun mystery in the Clara Vale series. Clara is a private investigator, a rare thing for a lady in 1929. She finds herself in the midst of a travelling pantomime when Cinderella's Fairy Godmother is found dead, swiftly followed by a second murder. Poisonings, jewel theft, adulterous spouses and clandestine activities abound in this whodunnit mystery. I loved this one as much as the first. #thepantomimemurders #fionaveitchsmith #claravale #emblabooks

Lovely festive murder mystery.
Easy to follow along with the characters and storyline. Really addictive once you get stuck in!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fiona Veitch Smith's novels are always an entertaining read as they're well written and the FMC is clever and never reckless.
I'm loving this series and this is a festive and well plotted historical mystery. it's solid and full of surprising twists
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Fun holiday read set in London right before the Great Depression. Clara has inherited her uncle’s PI practice and despite being from “good stock” and female she decides to continue on the practice and become a private investigator.
Although this is book 2 in the series I didn’t feel lost as there were enough references to the prior book and her back story.
The mystery was fun and not massively convoluted or super easy to guess which made for a nice balance. Recommended for cozy mystery fans!
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s Christmas 1929, and in Fiona Veitch Smith‘s The Pantomime Murders Clara Vale, the newly minted owner of a detective agency, finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the disappearance and subsequent murder of a fairy godmother scheduled to appear in Cinderella. Juggling the investigation with a shoplifting case, Clara faces societal constraints as a female detective but uses her scientific acumen to crack the complex crimes. The story seamlessly integrates historical elements such as the Wall Street crash and women’s evolving roles into the mystery, which also offers a delightful blend of intriguing characters, clever puzzles and a satisfying resolution. Whether solving crimes or navigating societal norms, Clara proves to be a compelling and smart protagonist, making The Pantomime Murders a delightful historical cosy mystery with a festive backdrop.

Clara Vale is asked to look into the sudden disappearance of Sybil Langford. The woman is legendary in pantomime circles and her professionalism is well-known. For her to leave so quickly and in the middle of the season worries her young friend Peggy. Even as Clara is looking into the information, another person dies.
At the same time, she is hired to help figure out why a local department store is losing so much merchandise. The man who hires for the department store is a familiar name, Jack Danskin. He is eventually brought into the mystery a little bit more and he may become a bigger part of the series as we go on.
I like this book better than the first ones as we are getting to know the characters more and the mystery came together a bit more smoothly.

Four stars
This book comes out November 28, 2023
Follows The Picture House Murders
ARC kindly provided by Embla Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

I hadn't read the previous book in this series but it didn't matter too much.

The characters were great and I really enjoyed the plot! It was great fun!

Thank you for the arc!

The second story in a series of Miss Clara Vale taking over her uncle’s detective agency in 1929.
Set in the theatre a production of Cinderella is beset by murder.
It’s great to see Clara investigating using her own skills developed working for her uncle. In a time, women were not taken seriously she puts herself in danger to prove her case.
A great read you will be waiting for the next in the series.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher, Embla Books) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

“The role of the fairy godmother in the Newcastle leg of the Starlight Players’ northern tour of Cinderella will be played by Miss Isobel Baxter. Miss Baxter will be waving the magic wand in the popular Christmas panto due to the sudden withdrawal of Miss Sybil Langford at the end of the York run.”

My thanks to Embla Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Pantomime Murders’ by Fiona Veitch Smith.

This is Book 2 in a new series of historical cosy mysteries set in the late 1920s. The lead is Miss Clara Vale, who in the summer of 1929 relocated to Newcastle after inheriting her uncle’s estate, including his private detective agency. She has now renamed the business Vale Investigations.

It is now December 1929 and the costumier, Miss Juju Levine brings Miss Peggy Rose, a dancer with the chorus at the Theatre Royal, to meet with Clara. Peggy is concerned about the whereabouts of Sybil Langford, the legendary fairy godmother in the production of Cinderella. She seems to have vanished after suddenly withdrawing from the pantomime and Peggy is concerned. Could Clara help track her down?

So it’s not long until Clara finds herself in the middle of another murder mystery. When the replacement fairy godmother meets a tragic end, the mystery deepens. Can Clara solve the case before another cast member is targeted?

Having enjoyed ‘The Picture House Murders’ last month, I was delighted to read this second outing for Clara. In it Fiona Veitch Smith had already noted the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and here she continues this by incorporating its impact upon the British economy and specifically upon Clara as well as her family in London as her father is in banking.

I enjoyed this very much and appreciated how the author highlighted Clara’s scientific background, bringing these skills to the investigation. It proved more than a simple whodunnit as the motivation behind the murders were skilfully revealed.

I am impressed with how well Fiona Veitch Smith portrays her period setting as well as building on Clara’s character along with her supporting cast.

Overall, I found ‘The Pantomime Murders’ a strong second novel in this entertaining new series of historical cosy mysteries. I also enjoyed its festive theme of the Christmas pantomimes.

The next book is due in May 2024, though having enjoyed these two books, I may well check out her Poppy Denby Investigates series that is also set in 1920s Britain.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

The Pantomime Murders is the second book in this series. I have read the first and I believe that this instalment is an improvement on the first. The storyline was really interesting and I found myself being immersed in the era of the book which is not my usual go to type. I really quite enjoyed this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for my ARC.

Thanks to Embla Books and Netgalley for this ARC. This is another great Clara Vale mystery. I’m really enjoying following Clara and her development as a character and detective. Looking forward to No 3

After inheriting her Uncle’s detective agency, Clara Vale officially launches her career by investigating the mysterious deaths of two Fairy Godmothers in this festive crime novel set in 1929.
From the outset, the influence of the 1930s Golden Age of crime is clear. Being a huge fan of this time period, I was delighted by this. I liked the way history was woven into the story: the impact of the Wall Street crash, the recent opening of votes for all women etc. Vale struggles against the constraints of a society that still very firmly believes in a woman’s place being in the home and definitely not in the world of investigation.
If I’m honest, I wish that the whole story had focused just on the murder mystery. I found the shoplifting storyline distracting and awkwardly placed. It was almost as if Clara just needed a convenient place to meet Vella, then the whole mystery was rapidly resolved and never really mentioned again. It might have been better if there had been a way of tying the main storyline and the sub-plot together.
Another irritation for me were the occasional drawn out tangents where chemistry procedures were described in detail or Vale’s internal monologue on her theories of God, creation and science. They were well-written and thoroughly researched, but just didn’t seem to enhance the story at all and just seemed generally misplaced.
However, despite these minor drawbacks, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone looking for a cosy festive crime novel to keep warm with over the winter months.

Although this is the second title in a series, this was my first encounter with Miss Clara Vale, and it was a pleasure making her acquaintance and joining her on her sleuthing adventures. Furthermore, I can safely say that this book can be read as a stand-alone story.

Historical mysteries with female leads don’t always work for me. All too often the story becomes a little absurd or over the top in order to allow the sleuth to investigate within the world she inhabits. I had no such qualms about Miss Clara Vale. While it was still (very) rare, women were allowed into colleges in England in 1929, so it is plausible that she would be a knowledgeable chemist. The fact that most but not all men she encounters disapprove of her chosen profession and way of life, and try to discourage her, also makes perfect sense but thankfully didn’t take over the story.

I enjoyed the multi-layered mysteries in this book. What starts of as a case of a missing pantomime leading lady soon turns into something a lot darker and more serious when she turns up dead. Clara Vale moves along with developments, adjusting her investigation to new discoveries as required and making good use of science, friends, and associates.

I have to admit that I figured a lot (but not all) of the mysteries in this book out for myself well before Clara and the police arrived at the same conclusions. That’s not a complaint, however. It just means that this is a true puzzle mystery in that the reader is given all the clues they need to solve the riddles.

This story is filled with interesting and well-portrayed characters. I like Miss Clare Vale. She is a smart, practical, and feisty woman who mostly manages to steer clear of stupid decisions. There is a vast cast of secondary characters in this book, and I liked that they were described just enough for them to play their assigned role in the story without turning into boring stereotypes. I’m especially fond of Clara’s new assistant Betty, and I’m looking forward to reading more about her.

Overall, The Pantomime Murders was a delightful surprise. Who could ask for more than a well-plotted mystery, featuring a fascinating main character, intriguing side characters, and a satisfying solution? Especially when it’s all served as a smooth and captivating read. I’ve got a feeling, I’ll be spending more time with Miss Clara Vale in the future.

Kicked off my holiday reading with this cozy mystery tied to the holiday Panto tradition! I would have connected to the characters more if I had read the first book in the series but this was a good standalone book too. I really appreciated all of the historical ties and had a lot of fun reading it!

Panto's always a good time for all--except when the fairy godmother turns up dead! "The Pantomime Murders" by Fiona Veitch Smith is the second book in a cozy historical mystery series featuring private detective Clara Vale. Clara is first brought in to try and find where the actress whose career is on the downslope, playing the fairy godmother has disappeared. At the same time, Clara takes on what she thinks will be a simple job of finding out who's stealing from the local department store. This is all while Clara has to deal with Victorian and Edwardian (it's 1929-many of the characters grew up during those reigns) viewpoints on whether young ladies should be working as private detectives.

There are enough twists and turns, blind alleys, "gotcha" moments, and tangential touches from all three storylines (yes, there's a third storyline!) to keep the reader wondering what will happen next.

"The Pantomime Murders" is the second book in the Clara Vale series, and there are enough references to the investigation and characters in the first book to allow anyone who hasn't read the first book to fill in all the details needed.

The Pantomime Murders" : four stars

My first venture into this series, and it was puzzling!

As 'talkies' begin to hit the cinemas, theatre is finding it harder but pantomime is always a crown pleaser. The different troupes tour the theatres bringing joy to all, but when the leading lady - and fairy godmother no less - goes missing it causes quite the upset. One of her friends is introduced to Clara Vale in the hope she can find out where she has disappeared to . . .

Miss Clara Vale, having inherited her uncle's detective agency, is striving to make a name for herself. When her friend brings along someone from the theatre who is concerned about the missing actress, Clara is determined to get to the bottom of thngs. This is a good read with plenty going on and a very enigmatic mystery at the centre of it. I was, however, a little put off as we had just begun to watch a historical mystery series on tv and the similarities were startling. For me, 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

The Pantomime Murders is book two in a very entertaining and well-researched cozy mystery series. Set in 1929, Clara is an independent woman with an education in science who has also inherited her late uncle's enquiry agency. This makes Clara unique in a few ways compared to similar lady detectives in the genre.



The story takes place during pantomime season giving a festive feel to the book. Fairy godmothers from Cinderella are being killed. This aspect really intrigued me. What kind of character would kill a fairy godmother and what would their motivations be?



Clara does a great job investigating and she is able to use her scientific knowledge to guide her. Not everyone appreciates a woman being involved in these matters but Clara has a couple of friends who assist and encourage.



This was very easy to get into and read in a few hours. It isn't necessary to read book one to enjoy it but you will miss out on another good book if you don't.