The Silver Dagger by Angela Dandy
The Silver Dagger by Angela Dandy
The Silver Dagger by Angela Dandy
is published on 22nd May by Gaia Fenrir Publishing.
My thanks to Angela for sending me a copy to review
and to Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.
Synopsis
As the refurbishment of the last of the
outbuildings draws to a close, Stan makes a startling discovery.
Journeying back in time to 1985, the Silveries uncover an unsolved crime that
has lain buried for the past thirty-seven years. Investigative journalist,
Gabby, returns to Magnolia Court and soon finds that there are those who will
go to any length to ensure that the past remains buried.
My Review
I love a cosy mystery and this ticked all the boxes right from the very beginning. Even though it is the third book in The Silveries series it is also an excellent stand alone in its own right, though I will be finding the first two; The Silver Sting and The Silver Dollar;to complete the set so far.
As seems to be the wont with a lot of current cosy mysteries, this is set in a retirement complex with a wonderful group of retirees you immediately warm to and want to drink tea and eat cake with - and believe you me there is a lot of cake eating in this book !!! and Gabby, Amy's niece who is an investigative journalist.
The story is cleverly written around the discovery of a bejewelled "peace" dagger, a notebook and a VHS tape, which reveals a sordid history to Magnolia Court, where they all reside, and how they set about uncovering and solving the crime.
The superb narrative that is evident throughout draws you into the plot and the nuances of the different characters, until you are at a stage where you cannot put the book down. Each of the residents have their own charms and skills to add to the story and they are developed easily as you read the book, along with the wily ways they use to extract the evidence and answers they need as they set about solving the crime and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
The Silveries series is now one of those series that I have added to my "Watch out for "list for the next instalment when I will be making sure that I have plenty of tea, and cake, on standby.
A definite 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read.
About the Author
Angela Dandy is the author of the Silveries series of mysteries,
set around the residents of Magnolia Court retirement community set in
Gloucestershire. She has also written the Gypsy Killer, a mystery/thriller
which explores the Roma community. Other notable successes include the staging
of her one act play, Happy Talk, in Stratford-upon-Avon and the forthcoming
production of her play, The Winds of Change.
In her own words:
"I started writing in 2007 while travelling extensively
with my husband after he had been diagnosed with cancer. Our holidays, once
fast and furious, had to change pace. We bought ourselves an RV [Recreational
Vehicle] which we kept in the USA. We made it our aim to spend most of our time
‘camping’ in the quite awesome National Parks of America. ‘RVers’ form a
community – a rare, classless community always ready and willing to go that
extra mile to help their fellow campers. I grew to admire their values and
treasure their camaraderie. I started writing – about them - in a novel which I
later called Lakeside.
It was worlds apart from my pre-retirement career, where I
managed projects to restructure organisations. Reorganisation was the key to
achieving efficiency and reducing costs and always resulted in a significant
number of redundancies. Those times reminded me of the values of my upbringing
and reinforced the critical importance of empathy, fairness, equality, and
teamwork.
I lost my husband in 2009. Life changed. I finished Lakeside and
dedicated it to my husband's memory.
Five years on, I wrote my way through breast cancer treatment.
That journey - from carer to being cared for in a relatively short space of
time - widened my horizons, deepened my empathy for others, and gave reason for
me to reflect on my own future in later life. Where would I like to live? Who
would I like to live with? How would I like to be treated? How would others
perceive me?
At the same time, my mother was aging with the very early signs
of dementia. I lost her in 2022. Stoic and determined right to the end, she
made the most of every moment - there was always another adventure on the
horizon. I learned never to underestimate the tenacity and resourcefulness of
the elderly.
The Silveries series was born out of all these experiences.
Magnolia Court retirement complex is where you'll find me in later life
enjoying every moment of it.
The Gypsy Killer interrupted the Silveries series for a while.
I'd spotted what I believed to be an injustice. The story had to be told. I
loved writing it.
I now live close to the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. I learn
from and share my ideas with a writing group. I have expanded my horizons into
playwrighting and acting through association with a local playwright and drama
group.
Sad at leaving behind those I have loved, I feel lucky to be
surrounded by a caring community and like-minded people who share my values.
I have made it my mission through my writing to be a voice for
those who are often misunderstood or excluded from society for reasons outside
of their own control.rol.
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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