Commentary/review

The first two books in the Lane Winslow mysteries were enjoyable (for me) – each a regular cosy mystery, pretty much without violence, with a lot of dialogue and not too intense. What sets these books apart from many similar productions is the rich and mature international background of the Author. The resulting stories may not be very original in the larger sphere of the crime/mystery genre but are sophisticated in details and certain small choices. These often follow well-bitten paths but are tackled differently by Iona Whishaw who definitely managed to bring something fresh to mystery writing. I especially enjoy a secondary character – constable Ames and his interactions with Lane’s love interest, inspector, nomen omen, Darling.

Book 3 – It Begins in Betrayal – describes a period right after the two main characters begin their serious relationship. In this respect, the series turns into the subgenre represented, among others, by Ngaio Marsh. An emotionally engaging extended romance story in which the mystery or intrigue threaten the beautiful, peaceful world of perfect people, perfectly in love, prosperous, blissful. I stopped reading in Book 3 for now, too engaging for my taste. This does not mean that Book 3 or the remainder of the series are less compelling than books 1-2. But perhaps not for easy sessions between commuting and sleep.

The covers are made in a consistent style which should be commended. I do not like the art style (it looks too much like AI-generated content).

Cover Photo by Rodney Saigeon on Unsplash.