"A 'locked lift' mystery for Golden Age crime fans, from award-winning author Victoria Dowd.

New Year's Eve 1928 - In the grand residence of Ravenswick Abbey, isolated in the wilds of Dartmoor, nine members of the household step into an ornate lift. The power fails. The lift stops. In the darkness, a single shot is fired.

When the light returns, Charles Ravenswick - the heir to the Ravenswick fortune - is dead on the floor. No one could have got in or out. All have motives, and none have alibis.

A year later under the pretence of reporting on the family's infamous ravens, sparky Charlotte Blood investigates. She finds a house haunted by suspicion and secrets. She must unravel the mystery and with it the terrible truth behind the entire Ravenswick family. Her search will not only lead her down a dangerous path, it will reveal dark secrets that lurk in her own life..."

I mean, murder in such a confined space is an art in and of itself. There was a great episode of Remington Steele about an elevator murder.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Death in the Aviary.

This one pulled me in from the very first page with its rich, atmospheric setting—so vivid and immersive. The descriptive writing is absolutely one of the book’s strengths, creating a moody and suspenseful tone that kept me hooked throughout.

I found the main character both likeable and grounded, the perfect lens through which to untangle a mystery full of secrets. The suspects, on the other hand, were deliciously unlikeable, each with their own motives and hidden agendas. The tension between characters added another compelling layer to the mystery.

There’s a great balance of twists and turns, with enough surprises to keep you guessing but not so many that it feels overdone.

A strong, engaging read—I'll be keeping an eye out for more from this author!