Friday 4 March 2022

BOOK REVIEW: Dr. Potter's Private Practice - A Vita Carew Mystery, by Fran Smith


TITLE: Dr. Potter's Private Practice - A Vita Carew Mystery.
AUTHOR: Fran Smith
PUBLISHED BY: Hog Fen Publishing

For readers who enjoy olde-worlde English Christmas stories with an extra frisson of gothic intrigue, this book is definitely for you, a somewhat ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ with a twist. This is Book 3 of 3 of the Vita Carew mysteries but may be read as a stand-alone story.

Set in 1904 at Christmas time, it is a wonderful tale of escapism with a mystery which takes place in Edwardian Cambridge. Vita, the heroine in the story, becomes embroiled in finding the identity of a man who has lost his memory. From there, things become more dangerous for her. A country doctor and his long-standing arrangement with his wealthy clients is brought to light and Vita must plan her escape and convince the police to investigate the many convenient deaths.

I was immediately immersed in the story and enjoyed the variety of characters; additionally, the Edwardian atmosphere achieved through the characters, settings and style of writing is admirable. It is a wonderful olde-worlde tale of murder and lies.

Vita is easy to relate to; she has a knack of getting herself into tricky situations but somehow manages to wriggle out of them at the last minute. Readers are carried along with her through a gripping story fuelled by her curiosity and determination.

It is a chilling tale with two perverse villains or perhaps they are victims; the crimes are evident, the killers known from the beginning; however the author keeps readers guessing throughout and wondering if the conspirators will be apprehended.

I loved all the Christmas details and for me it had just the right amount of humour and believable dialogue, plus all the suspense. It is a truly addictive read with characters readers will love to dislike.

Readers will be transported back in time to Edwardian Cambridge reading this story, becoming immersed in its historical setting along with the elegant, subtle language used; it is a story with charming escapism fraught with multiple dangers.

This is a perfect historical murder story set in a bygone age which I really enjoyed, perfect to relax with. The bonus is the ending which is the icing on the cake.

Reviewer - Anne Pritchard


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