Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisons

What a delight this book was.
With an opening scene that made you sit up and pay attention.
The main thing that drew me in was the humour... I probably smiled/laughed at this one more times than many comedy books.
The main characters of Skelton,Edgar and Mila were all perfect and interacted with each other beautifully.
Then thrown in there ,we have a possible murderers and women getting the vote and rioting on the streets..
Hugely enjoyable.... I hope

He was called "The Latter-Day Galahad". The Dryden case, the scandal of 1929, was deemed a "masterpiece of forensic eloquence". Hannah Dryden sued her husband for defamation of character after he authored "Mistress of Mayfair", a so-called "true to life account of Hannah's supposed debaucheries". Barrister for the prosecution, Arthur Skelton, wore thick glasses and had a pronounced limp. "...instead of attacking the defence case he praised it...he congratulated Maurice Dryden on his literary invention and his cast of witnesses, on their ability to tell spellbinding stories...as he exposed the implausibility of these stories". Shelton was now recognized everywhere!

Stop the funeral! Mary Dutton's husband cannot be buried! An autopsy was ordered. Pathological findings indicated "substantial amounts of arsenic administered in small doses over a period of time". Mary Dutton is called "The Collingford Poisoner", her picture splashed on the front cover of the Herald. "And now, at last, the British had an arsenic killer all of their own. And she looked like Lillian Gish". Mary didn't have a chance. Rat poison was found in her pantry...but...Ted Dutton was a cruel wife beater. He beat his wife with fists, sticks, kitchen utensils and regularly beat his children. Mary had the means-motive-opportunity to bring about Ted's demise. Did she do it?

A general election was coming. Why not hire the "Latter-Day Galahad" for this potential landmark case. A "Mary Dutton Defence Fund" was established by one of the political candidates running for office. If Skelton wins, his fame will skyrocket, if he loses, his star will crash and burn. Many women, wearing homemade sashes and displaying banners, "Mary Dutton Defence League" quietly gathered while newspapers claimed "the flappers were taking to the streets...the threat of civil unrests, especially where women were involved". "It is clear that the Mary Dutton case is regarded as something of a cause celebre".

Edgar Hobbes, Skelton's assistant helped him to theorize, to determine if someone other than Mary could have poisoned Ted. Ted ran a small holding...mostly sheep. Is it possible that he did not take proper precautions when dipping each sheep separately to remove ticks? Could the sheep dip have contained arsenic? In Edgar's words, "So...the prosecution would keep repeating cruelty, rat poison. Cause, Effect. And we'd be bleating on about sheep dip. She'll hang...".

"Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisons" by David Stafford is a mystery "of old" with flourishes of modern times. Political agendas due to an election, women's rights and corruption at the highest level come to light. Author Stafford uses a broad brush to characterize Shelton and Edgar. As they travel in a chauffeur driven Daimler, rented by the day, Edgar rides with his head out the window so as not to barf from motion sickness in the interior of the elegant vehicle. The Dutton case was one of many cases this duo had pending on the court docket. A reader looking for a fast-paced courtroom thriller will find the action to be slow moving. This tome is character driven with many doses of humor and stops for a cuppa. Epistolary touches add to the investigative fun. This is a lovely, Golden Age type, historical mystery debut I thoroughly enjoyed!

Thank you Allison & Busby and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh how I enjoyed this book!

Light hearted, decent people
Beautifully and wittily written

Great

What a fun, tightly written little book! A bottle mystery of a delightful kind. I would certainly enjoy more of Skeleton's adventures.

Oh my giddy aunt! This was a laugh a minute. Charming, quaint, engaging, and clever all at once, I rather loved it. Mila was marvellous, what a character! She deserves a story all of her own. Arthur, Tommy to her Tuppence, is a firm favourite - I want to see more!

The Rover Sunbeam, Sedgewick the hilarious horse, Pepper pies and Everton Mints, lots of tea drinking, copious amounts of rum where rum is not technically acceptable, Allan and Norah (not being one for religious gatherings, I'd attend one of their religious gatherings, no doubt about it!), this book is chock-full of characters.

The murders mentioned are intricate affairs of what might or might not be a foul deed, and one isn't quite sure of where to draw the line, a line which may or may not be black and white. It did tend to get a bit wordy in parts, but that is really the only (small) criticism I have. I especially loved the bit right at the end, the inspiration behind Arthur Skelton. How clever. I loved it.

Many thanks to Net Galley, David Stafford and Allison & Busby for my ARC.

The book gives a picture of life in England during the 1920s, weaving in actual people from history (e.g. casually mentioning Ramsey McDonald, Baden Powell), as well as describing the social and economic conditions of England at that time, all amidst the backdrop of the main story.

Arthur Skelton, the protagonist, is a lawyer hired to defend Mary Dutton on the charge of poisoning her husband. He is written in such a way that it is easy to identify with him - working class, has some self-doubt, and never seems to fit in with the upper class people.

But the main pull of this novel is the dry wit that many characters exhibit, as well as the memorable characters that are caricatured within, such as Arthur's cousins who are strongly religious, the judge presiding over the case who is also a snob - they bring life to the story, and kept me turning the pages not only just to find out how the case ends, but to also find out more about their antics.

I extremely liked reading this novel, not just for the plot, but just to see what would happen to the characters written by the author. The character building is extremely strong here. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction, and would love to read the sequel when it comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers Allison & Busby for the e-copy to review.

This is a charming romp of homage to the golden age poisoning mysteries.
Although this is a debut novel, the author has a long history of script writing, and this shows, along with his knowledge of the period and setting (1920s England).

Arthur Skelton’s legal reputation is growing but his recent cases aren’t inspiring him. He suspects his marriage may be in trouble but he can’t bring himself to find out more.

He is persuaded to take on the defence of a woman accused of killing her husband. Public opinion has decreed the man was odious, and the woman justified in her action. She simply asserts her innocence.

On a background of increasing women’s suffrage and the run up to a general election that may shake up the status quo, Skelton is under pressure to deliver the ‘right’ result, aided by his motion sick clerk, a trainee solicitor Girl Guide, and an evangelist cousin with and eye for details.

The plot, is of course, twisting and almost inconsequential- stick your head out of the window of a vintage vehicle and enjoy the ride!

Charming, amusing, sometimes-cynical - I very much enjoyed Skelton's Guide to Domestic Poisons. Arthur Skelton is a Leeds-born barrister, taking on a case that seems almost impossible to prove.

I adored the snippets of humour; the very first page had me laughing possibly too hard. I also very much adored how, for lack of a better word, Northern, Skelton was. As a Northerner, the mentions of Vimto, and his accent-caused struggles were oddly relatable, and endeared him to me.

I will admit, I found the pacing a little off. It took a while to get into the main plot, and it seemed stretched out more than it needed to be, but I also found that I didn't mind - I liked reading about Skelton and the cast of characters enough to continue.

I also enjoyed the angle of a barrister throughout this mystery; it was a welcome change to a genre often dominated by police detectives, with little to no variance.

I would recommend this book to fans of mysteries and comedies alike (and probably my fellow Northern-Englishmen). Thank you to Netgalley, and Allison & Busby for the opportunity to read this, in exchange for an honest review.

Delightful from that cheeky cover to the denouement! Boasts wit for miles, murder by poison, a famed Yorkshire barrister who takes on a hopeless case, gutsy suffragettes, and a lively 1920s England. If you love historical mysteries that keep you laughing out loud, this one’s for you. Cheers!

4 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 17 Sep 2020

Thanks to the author, Allison & Busby, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#SkeltonsGuidetoDomesticPoisons #NetGalley

**THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER FOR AN ARC COPY OF THIS TITLE IN EXCHANGE FOR A FAIR AND HONEST REVIEW**
I enjoyed this book. The lead character was quietly charming and just the right amount of flawed to make him very believable. I really liked his wife who was extremely forward-thinking for her time. It's a shame we didn't have more of her!
I'll definitely look out for any more titles in this series.

Witty, charming and engaging in equal measure. Can see this might not be everyone's cup of teas as it doesn't fit the general murder mystery type, but it worked for me as I found the characters often entertaining and sometimes infuriating, just like real life folk! Enjoyed the plot and the back stories of different characters and it as refreshing to have a Northern flavour to the book. Maybe a little clunky in places, hence only four stars but nevertheless a great read

Really enjoyed this - classic murder mystery style.

Skelton is a lawyer, and has been assigned the case of Mary Dutton, accused of poisoning her violent husband. Can he find the truth and get justice for Mary?

Packed full of schemes, interesting characters - I loved Edgar, Skelton's ever car-sick sidekick - and a twisty-turny narrative. Perfect for a quick not-too-taxing read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this gentle 1920’s murder mystery, where barrister Arthur Skelton investigates farmer Ted Dutton’s death in order to exonerate his widow Mary Dutton of a charge of murder by poisoning.

Part of the investigation was carried out by Arthur’s evangelical cousins Alan and Norah who helped solving the crime while spreading the joy of Jesus in a camper van. I really enjoyed their letters sprinkled throughout the story.

All the characters were well drawn and the ending was satisfying. I’d love to read more Arthur Skelton mysteries!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Brilliant! Not a racy, page-turner but the plot was satisfactory and really felt like a period, regional detective story. Loved the characterisations and would read more in a series about Skelton, especially if it included his cousins. Loved the way that they were informers/spies for him. The ending was satisfactory too.

Since I recently joined NetGalley I have either been very lucky or very astute in reviewing a succession of very good books. This is the best of them all so far. Very highly recommended. The author explains that after a long career of writing plays and celebrity biographies, he wrote some radio plays about the famous 1930s barrister Norman Birkett. These inspired him to write this novel with Arthur Skelton as an adaption of Birkett. It’s a great shame the author did not start writing novels till he was 70. His style is excellent. I notice some other reviewers were bored by all the details and digressions. I thought they were wonderful and am delighted there will be a sequel in 2021. No swearing or explicit violence. There are some very subtle sex content but nothing to scare anyone. I’m not fond of sad books - this has some sad incidents of tough times in the 1930s but nothing to scar the memory.

Arthur Skelton, was a quiet, unassuming Yorkshire Barrister, but after winning a rather scandalous case, he is now a celebrity and much in demand. As the 1920’s come to an end, he is offered a case to defend a working class women who is charged with poisoning her husband. If found guilty of murder, she will hang. Set against the back drop of political change and a rising suffragette movement, the upcoming election of 1929 will be the first time all women over 21 can vote, the case becomes a focus for the plight of women and domestic violence.

The political context is juxtaposed with the personal journey of Arthur Skelton. He is coming to terms with the growing freedom and independence of women such as his wife and he hold on to traditions and old fashioned ways. However, in taking the case he shows himself to be a man on the right side of history. At times charming and meandering, and other times more pacey and hard hitting. It’s a novel that doesn’t quite know where to pitch itself. But, it is an engaging read and Skelton a character that holds your attention.

Arthur Skelton is the “latter day Galahad” now that he has won a suitably trashy defamation case his name and face are in the papers but Arthur Skelton is a rare thing - a barrister with a conscience. He takes on the case of Mary Dutton a beaten housewife and mother of six who looks like the adorable Lilian Gish and is accused of poisoning her husband. Everyone thinks she did it and the corrupt police are closing ranks.
This was brilliant and the main reason is because of the chat. The chat in this book is top notch, chatting is severely underrated it’s a gold star skill and is harder than people think. It came as no surprise to find that the writer also writes radio plays, the novel is largely dialogue and that is not to its detriment. Every character has their own definite voice. Especially Arthur’s cousin Alan who gets large monologue through his letters as he acts as Arthur’s semi-reluctant snoop. I would have like to hear Norah’s voice as well, she cuts a swath through Alan’s letters and is just as present.
Special mention for Arthur’s wife Mila who is a goddess and I would absolutely have a pash for her if I was in her archery class especially if she also taught me how to box. What a woman.
This a crime novel but it’s not particularly about the crime it’s about the law and morality, what’s right and wrong. I like that there’s grey areas and flapping ends, life is messy and the truth does leak like a colander.

A great debut! I will be looking out for a sequel.

I found this book to be a little bit Jeeves and Wooster crossed with Sherlock Holmes. A renowned barrister, Arthur Skelton, is given only the most complex of cases and the case of Ted Dutton is no exception. Poisoned but by whom? Accused is his wife Mary and after a lifetime of injury and insults who could blame her? But was she really responsible??

As tales of police corruption, family secrets, and Christian Duty (don’t be put off) unravel a political game is also afoot. Could a reprieve of Mary secure the women’s movement votes that the conservative government need?? All of this is told with a little whimsy and the guffawing of the upper classes ringing in my ears. I would definitely recommend.

A breath of fresh air in the mystery genre - reminiscent of Doyle's writing in Fitzgerald's world.

Arthur Skelton is a newly come to fame barrister who exudes logic and humility. Coming off of a recent, widely publicized trial, Skelton is encouraged to take on the new case of Mary Dutton - a woman accused of poisoning her abusive husband. The case seems un-winnable due to police corruption and involvement, but with the late 20's burgeoning era of female voting, Labour Party politics and highly opinionated newspapers, much of the world is convinced she is innocent. What ensues is a charming novel as Skelton almost stumbles upon the truth to this little mystery.

As an avid reader of mystery and suspense, this book was so delightful to pick up. It was a quick read, and some slang and language was a bit tricky for me to gasp as an American, but overall I was completely enamored with the quirky and searingly logical character of Skelton. The quick banter and dialogue was perfectly written so that I smirked and giggled the whole way through and could actually visualize the characters going back and forth. While not intensely gripping, the mystery was almost calming to follow along with as side stories brought about revelations and questions left you hanging, yet smiling, at the end.

An Infectious, Delightful Dry Wit....
Beautifully drawn, character driven mystery with a Golden Age feel. Characters are painted with a tremendous lightness of touch and dance off the page. A cleverly drawn plot which incorporates an interesting social commentary, much atmosphere and is laced with an infectious and delightful dry wit. A first rate read.

Arthur Skelton is one of the most celebrated lawyers in the country. Despite the likely outcome, he chooses to represent Mary Dutton who is accused killing her husband by poison. Many assume Mary is guilty and some people even think she was justified in her supposed actions against her abusive husband. With a looming general election, the outcome might be more important than the truth in the Mary Dutton case.

I really enjoyed this historical mystery. There’s plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested in the search for the truth. I liked the historical elements and the Birmingham-area setting of much of the novel.

My favourite aspect of this book is the characters. The main characters have vivid personalities with different endearing quirks. I loved the narrative style, alternating between third person narration centring around Skelton, and letters written by Skelton’s cousin. There’s a wonderful humorous edge to much of the book and I would really like to read more books about these characters.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries and interesting, endearing characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the opportunity to read and review this title.