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Posie Parker Mystery #3
Murder at Maypole Manor
Lies, Spies, Film Stars and MurderNew Year’s Eve, 1921
Posie has been asked to accompany Inspector Richard Lovelace of Scotland Yard on an undercover mission. Their destination is a glittering New Year’s Eve party at Maypole Manor, the clifftop home of Lord Robin Glaysayer. Among the twelve guests are a famous film star, an artist, an Italian nobleman, a government spy and a clairvoyant.
With a blizzard raging outside, when a killer strikes, the Inspector and Posie’s skills are tested to breaking point as they try to find the murderer before he attacks again.
But danger lurks at every just who exactly is the mysterious thirteenth house guest? Why is Posie being singled out for special attention?
And will she ever see Alaric Boynton-Dale ever again?
This is a classic Golden Age of Crime murder mystery which will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey. 'Murder at Maypole Manor' is the third book in the delightfully classic Posie Parker Mystery Series, although the novel can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story in its own right.
Posie has been asked to accompany Inspector Richard Lovelace of Scotland Yard on an undercover mission. Their destination is a glittering New Year’s Eve party at Maypole Manor, the clifftop home of Lord Robin Glaysayer. Among the twelve guests are a famous film star, an artist, an Italian nobleman, a government spy and a clairvoyant.
With a blizzard raging outside, when a killer strikes, the Inspector and Posie’s skills are tested to breaking point as they try to find the murderer before he attacks again.
But danger lurks at every just who exactly is the mysterious thirteenth house guest? Why is Posie being singled out for special attention?
And will she ever see Alaric Boynton-Dale ever again?
This is a classic Golden Age of Crime murder mystery which will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey. 'Murder at Maypole Manor' is the third book in the delightfully classic Posie Parker Mystery Series, although the novel can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story in its own right.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2016
About the author
L.B. Hathaway
24 books319 followersCambridge-educated, British-born L.B. Hathaway writes historical fiction. She worked as a lawyer at Lincoln’s Inn in London for almost a decade before becoming a full-time writer. She brings her love of detective novels set in the Golden Age of Crime and an obsession with English history to her own writing.
The Posie Parker series of cosy crime novels span the 1920s. They each combine a core central mystery, an exploration of the reckless glamour of the age and a feisty protagonist who you would love to have as your best friend.
Her other interests, in no particular order, are: very fast downhill skiing, theatre-going, drinking strong tea, Tudor history, exploring castles and generally trying to cram as much into life as possible.
The Posie Parker series of cosy crime novels span the 1920s. They each combine a core central mystery, an exploration of the reckless glamour of the age and a feisty protagonist who you would love to have as your best friend.
Her other interests, in no particular order, are: very fast downhill skiing, theatre-going, drinking strong tea, Tudor history, exploring castles and generally trying to cram as much into life as possible.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
February 12, 2021
In the third installment of the Posie Parker Mystery Series, author L.B. Hathaway takes our plucky private detective of the Grape Street Bureau on a new adventure. Posie Parker goes – together with Inspector Richard Lovelace and Bikram the dog- on an undercover mission for Scotland Yard.
In Murder at Maypole Manor, Posie travels to St Margaret’s Bay near Dover, where she and Lovelace are part of an intimate New Year’s Party at the remote clifftop home of Lord Robin Glaysayer. The party is serving as a front for a very hush hush classified operation that involves spies and an exchange of highly coveted blueprints for money. A snow storm traps everyone at the house. With the guests all wildly ambiguous and the first bodies dropping before the New Year’s rung in you can imagine Posie is up for one of the longest and nerve-racking nights of her life.
Narrator Clare Wille remains a revelation. Her many voices and accents are a delight and she is the main reason I started this series. And the series is great! I praise L.B. Hathaway for the solid plot and the most colorful cast members that make these books so hugely entertaining.
I had no idea who the murderer was this time, the plot was (as Blackadder would say) so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel. Onwards to book 4!
The complete series of audiobooks are available on Scribd.
Themes: New Year’s Eve 1921, undercover, Maypole Manor, House of Harlow couture, the walls have ears, what’s wrong with the central heating? smuggling ring, taxidermy galore, spies and double spies, don’t drink the coffee.
4.4
In Murder at Maypole Manor, Posie travels to St Margaret’s Bay near Dover, where she and Lovelace are part of an intimate New Year’s Party at the remote clifftop home of Lord Robin Glaysayer. The party is serving as a front for a very hush hush classified operation that involves spies and an exchange of highly coveted blueprints for money. A snow storm traps everyone at the house. With the guests all wildly ambiguous and the first bodies dropping before the New Year’s rung in you can imagine Posie is up for one of the longest and nerve-racking nights of her life.
Narrator Clare Wille remains a revelation. Her many voices and accents are a delight and she is the main reason I started this series. And the series is great! I praise L.B. Hathaway for the solid plot and the most colorful cast members that make these books so hugely entertaining.
I had no idea who the murderer was this time, the plot was (as Blackadder would say) so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel. Onwards to book 4!
The complete series of audiobooks are available on Scribd.
Themes: New Year’s Eve 1921, undercover, Maypole Manor, House of Harlow couture, the walls have ears, what’s wrong with the central heating? smuggling ring, taxidermy galore, spies and double spies, don’t drink the coffee.
4.4
February 5, 2017
A cozy mystery set in 1920s England where inclement weather leaves guests stranded at a country house party ought to be a winner for me. However, this book was a mess and it’s a complete mystery to me how this book has a 3.92 average rating. I am more than willing to suspend disbelief when reading fiction, but this book required too much of me in that capacity.
You will enjoy this book if:
- You see nothing wrong with the author explaining away gigantic plot holes with “Posie had no idea how xyz could have happened, so she just accepted it and moved on” (hint, hint reader, you are being asked to follow Posie's lead)
- It does not irritate the heck out of you when something glaringly suspicious and criminal happens, and no one who is supposed to be investigating thinks to follow up on it until 100 pages later
- You like mysteries where every motive and clue is established either through Posie giving us backstory on characters and plots (I assume that are from the first two books, but I really have no idea) or by 80% of the characters introducing themselves to Posie then proceeding to tell her all their deepest, darkest, most painful secrets (which is then explained, I kid you not, by “this always happened to Posie, there was just something about her”)
- You do not require the mystery to be developed in such a way that at some point during the story you are able to make a reasonable guess as to whodunit. Furthermore, you do not mind one of the crimes that needs to be explained being committed by a character who did not even appear in the story until the last page
- You don’t mind having to write down who the suspects are in order to even recall what their role in the story is when their name crops up. Jocasta and Jacinta? Could not keep them straight. One was an angry, selfish brat, and one was a psychic with a hunchback. Couldn’t tell you which name goes with which description though. The husband of one of the murder victims? Every time his name came up (referred to by first and last name every single time) I had to wrack my brain trying to recall who the heck he was.
Won’t be reading others in this series.
You will enjoy this book if:
- You see nothing wrong with the author explaining away gigantic plot holes with “Posie had no idea how xyz could have happened, so she just accepted it and moved on” (hint, hint reader, you are being asked to follow Posie's lead)
- It does not irritate the heck out of you when something glaringly suspicious and criminal happens, and no one who is supposed to be investigating thinks to follow up on it until 100 pages later
- You like mysteries where every motive and clue is established either through Posie giving us backstory on characters and plots (I assume that are from the first two books, but I really have no idea) or by 80% of the characters introducing themselves to Posie then proceeding to tell her all their deepest, darkest, most painful secrets (which is then explained, I kid you not, by “this always happened to Posie, there was just something about her”)
- You do not require the mystery to be developed in such a way that at some point during the story you are able to make a reasonable guess as to whodunit. Furthermore, you do not mind one of the crimes that needs to be explained being committed by a character who did not even appear in the story until the last page
- You don’t mind having to write down who the suspects are in order to even recall what their role in the story is when their name crops up. Jocasta and Jacinta? Could not keep them straight. One was an angry, selfish brat, and one was a psychic with a hunchback. Couldn’t tell you which name goes with which description though. The husband of one of the murder victims? Every time his name came up (referred to by first and last name every single time) I had to wrack my brain trying to recall who the heck he was.
Won’t be reading others in this series.
December 28, 2019
This was a historical mystery set in 1920s England which reminded me very much of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody books--with elements of a proper murder mystery but also hints of parody and a touch of the comic. In this one Posie is asked by her friend, Inspector Lovelace to go undercover as his wife to Maypole Manor where some secret documents are to be handed over at the New Year party. Maypole Manor is a bit like Chimneys in Agatha Christie's books, and some of the other elements like the party being cut off in a snow storm with no connection with the outside world are also similar as also the different murders, hidden secrets, and impostors. This was a fun read, and despite the parody elements, I was glad the mystery itself had a sensible enough solution (though may be many things feel exaggerated).
August 31, 2021
3.5 rounded to 4 stars because I had so much fun figuring this out.
The plot, the atmosphere, the characters, everything in this book was greatly presented.
The plot, the atmosphere, the characters, everything in this book was greatly presented.
October 9, 2016
The entire book (except the epilogue) takes places on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1921, and into the following day. Things get pretty hectic as the plot moves along. It's a fun book altogether, and features some of the characters we've met before in the previous volumes of the series.
Oh, the editing is very good. Didn't spot even one typo while reading, so that's golden.
Oh, the editing is very good. Didn't spot even one typo while reading, so that's golden.
September 18, 2016
Mostly I enjoyed reading this 3rd book of Posie Parker Mystery series. But there were 2 things very annoying.
1. Why did Posie suddenly start addressing Inspecter Lovelace "sir"? It sounded unnatural.
2. Too much "sure as bread is(was) bread" expression. 23 times in this book.
1. Why did Posie suddenly start addressing Inspecter Lovelace "sir"? It sounded unnatural.
2. Too much "sure as bread is(was) bread" expression. 23 times in this book.
November 12, 2018
I seem to have stumbled into the midst of another of the "cozy" mystery series that I enjoy and I may well pick up another book in the series some time. Posie Parker is a fun character to spend a few hours with, though I don't think she compares with my other literary detective favorites such as Commissario Guido Brunetti or Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. But for a week when I had a million other stressful things to deal with, it was a pleasant escape.
November 5, 2018
I enjoyed this immensely! Private Investigator Posie Parker is pretending to be the wife of her friend - a Scotland Yard Inspector - at a house party in a remote part of England. They are around to supervise the top-secret transfer of documents for the government. But nothing is what it seems; everyone is keeping secrets and hiding ulterior motives. Things go from bad to worse, and then to even worse!
Posie is likeable and quick and generally fun to read about, and the supporting cast of characters were quirky and interesting. The story moved quickly - with plenty of twists and turns - and I stayed engaged throughout. There were several things that gave me pause (I doubt, for example, that a WW1-era police inspector would use the phrase "I messed up bigtime") but overall the story was an enjoyable diversion.
Posie is likeable and quick and generally fun to read about, and the supporting cast of characters were quirky and interesting. The story moved quickly - with plenty of twists and turns - and I stayed engaged throughout. There were several things that gave me pause (I doubt, for example, that a WW1-era police inspector would use the phrase "I messed up bigtime") but overall the story was an enjoyable diversion.
October 16, 2022
As with the previous books in the series, the plot feels like it’s cobbled together with parts from many different Agatha Christie books. Way too much happens, and it’s so utterly unbelievable that even a willing suspension of disbelief can’t do enough to let you enjoy the story as it is.
I keep giving these books a go because they have some really fun ideas, but it’s so buried by issues that it’s difficult to fully enjoy the good parts. The many historical inaccuracies continue. The rampant abuse of power by the police is annoying.
I really wish that these books had got much more extensive editing. It would make such a difference if a bit more of the writing had gone into character development and consistent storytelling, and perhaps in exchange some of the wild plot points could be trimmed down a bit.
Other than the historical anachronisms, there were some unfortunate terms of phrase. ‘Restless, he moved it restlessly through his fingers’ and ‘Relieved, she sighed in relief’. To my mind, these kinds of things should be fixed in the editing process.
In good news, the tedious Len storyline seems to be over with!
Despite the annoyances, I am somehow still curious to read more and see if it improves; there’s a real spark of something fun at the heart of this series. And yet it’s a frustrating one too. If I have to read the phrase ‘as sure as bread is bread’ again I may scream...
I keep giving these books a go because they have some really fun ideas, but it’s so buried by issues that it’s difficult to fully enjoy the good parts. The many historical inaccuracies continue. The rampant abuse of power by the police is annoying.
I really wish that these books had got much more extensive editing. It would make such a difference if a bit more of the writing had gone into character development and consistent storytelling, and perhaps in exchange some of the wild plot points could be trimmed down a bit.
Other than the historical anachronisms, there were some unfortunate terms of phrase. ‘Restless, he moved it restlessly through his fingers’ and ‘Relieved, she sighed in relief’. To my mind, these kinds of things should be fixed in the editing process.
In good news, the tedious Len storyline seems to be over with!
Despite the annoyances, I am somehow still curious to read more and see if it improves; there’s a real spark of something fun at the heart of this series. And yet it’s a frustrating one too. If I have to read the phrase ‘as sure as bread is bread’ again I may scream...
February 18, 2021
I enjoy the Posie Parker stories and this one was no exception. The story moved along well and I liked the extended cast of characters.
I'm not a fan of stories that keep weaving in the same antagonist and hope that the Count della Rosa story is resolved in the next book or so. It feels like a will they/won't they kind of trope used on TV shows.
I would also say that the author's repeated use of the phrase "as sure as bread is bread" was distracting and a bit annoying by the 3rd or 4th time it popped up.
I'm not a fan of stories that keep weaving in the same antagonist and hope that the Count della Rosa story is resolved in the next book or so. It feels like a will they/won't they kind of trope used on TV shows.
I would also say that the author's repeated use of the phrase "as sure as bread is bread" was distracting and a bit annoying by the 3rd or 4th time it popped up.
July 26, 2020
More like 3.5 stars. The plot on this went all over the place and the writing seemed rushed (lots of typos, actually, and words missing here and there). Posie was a delight, as always, and I was interested enough to read it quickly. I’ll keep reading the series.
July 7, 2022
I listened to book one in this series and thought perhaps I would give the next one a go despite some reservations re historical accuracies (using the saying 'best thing since sliced bread' for example!). Unfortunately book 2 was on a long wait at the library so I skipped to book 3 'Murder at Maypole Manor'. I must say the historical inaccuracies continue, but even if I could forgive these issues, I cannot forgive the writing. I do not want to read sentences such as 'Relieved, she sighed in relief' or 'Restless, he moved it restlessly through his fingers'. As to the plot ... the characters ... it is best I just don't go there.
Others appear to love these books, I am not one of them.
Others appear to love these books, I am not one of them.
June 24, 2024
3-3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book although I had the same problem I had with the previous two books in this series. It starts out really good, then the middle gets all convoluted and all over the place, then the ending is good again. Very strange.
January 18, 2022
I love these Posy Parker mysteries. They are so fun and it takes me a long time to figure out the mystery.
February 20, 2023
This book had too many characters and it was hard to keep up with them. It seemed to be an effort to emulate Agatha Christie. With a locked room mystery, but it was quite successful. I do like Posie though and want to continue reading the series,
January 29, 2019
Review
I liked the pacing of the plot. I sometimes got the characters mixed up but I enjoyed this book. I will read other books by Hathaway.
I liked the pacing of the plot. I sometimes got the characters mixed up but I enjoyed this book. I will read other books by Hathaway.
April 7, 2019
A glorious cast, and a fun read as long as you can cope with the setting not really being England in the 1920s but a fantasy version which gives the impression it was created by someone who has only a vague idea of the period, gleaned from other fiction set in the period rather than actually reading any history...
July 15, 2019
Posie Parker is a great character. I look forward to reading more of this series.
July 27, 2023
3.5 stars on this one! I always like a good country house setting for a murder. Once again, there are many suspects here and many plots to unravel. No one seems to be who they are pretending to be. Or are they? I was surprised by everything, once again. I enjoy Posie's relationship with Inspector Lovelace and his two fellows from Scotland Yard. They are all a good team. I think my other favorite character was Jacinta, surprisingly. She's rather offputting at first. Posie's nemesis shows up again, and I am enjoying that story thread. It's creepy, but effectively so.
December 27, 2017
"Posie Parker": first the name put me off; did they mean Nosy Parker or Nosy Rosie? I suppose that maybe, it was suppose to be cute, perky, & modern?
This is not the first book in the series, but the first that I have come across... being I am a "ROO", it didn't bother me much.
So this PI, Posie, is alone for the New Year, living in her offices as the heat in her building is non-existent, and her friends & boy-friend are all away for the holidays.
She receives a call from Scotland Yard asking her help by posing as a rich mystery novelist wife to the Inspector's Barrister at an exclusive New Year's party at a secluded cliff-top Dover Manor.
The party will also be the venue for an exchange of top secret war-plane blueprints & M15 business.
No one at the party is whom they claim to be or has a clean past and it all comes crashing down with the murder of a nasty tempered film star and the alleged suicide of the host.
I found the book interesting to start and was satisfied through the middle as well, but the ending (most of which I had figured out) was convoluted and a bit much over-done.
I will try reading another, but at this point I have no hope for continuing the series.
February 6, 2020
A very nice "Agatha Christie-esque" whodunnit. I've not read others of the PP series, but happened upon this thinking it was a stand-alone. Fortunately, other than the heroine referring to prior experiences, it didn't hinder my enjoyment of this story. Within a fairly light story, there was intrigue, and enough twists and turns to be appealing and, for the most part, surprising.
SPOILER -- Stop reading now if you prefer.
My only complaint is that, in a whodunnit such as this, there is generally a surprising ending of who the culprit is. Rarely is it a case such as this, where nearly everyone is guilty of some crime, with one plot after the other swirling around each other, and all coming to a hurried conclusion in the final moments. I feel that the book suffered with too many dastardly deeds, tangential crimes, and cross-purposes. Unlike the famous "Orient Express" ending, this had a finale of so many characters being guilty, but also so many crimes that it felt like the endings of multiple books were all jammed into the story. A few minor ones could have been cut to provide a more focused conclusion. (That's just my opinion, so perhaps others would enjoy this type of melee.)
SPOILER -- Stop reading now if you prefer.
My only complaint is that, in a whodunnit such as this, there is generally a surprising ending of who the culprit is. Rarely is it a case such as this, where nearly everyone is guilty of some crime, with one plot after the other swirling around each other, and all coming to a hurried conclusion in the final moments. I feel that the book suffered with too many dastardly deeds, tangential crimes, and cross-purposes. Unlike the famous "Orient Express" ending, this had a finale of so many characters being guilty, but also so many crimes that it felt like the endings of multiple books were all jammed into the story. A few minor ones could have been cut to provide a more focused conclusion. (That's just my opinion, so perhaps others would enjoy this type of melee.)
May 9, 2018
Disappointing Book 3 in this series
The basic set up for this mystery seemed solid if a bit weird; Posie receives a last-minute plea from her favorite Scotland Yard Inspector to help provide cover for the exchange of money for secret plans for a bomber that the British Air Force wants. And that is about the last “plausible’ event that occurs. In mysteries of this sort, I expect some silliness in the plot line, but this novel stretches into the absurd and stays there in a macabre stew of snow (both literal and drug-based), disguises (and disguises within disguises), and falling bodies. A clue, I suppose, to this is to be found in the heavy dose of exposition that is necessary to unpack the book’s ending. I had just started this series and bought books 3-6; I sure hope that book four returns to the light side!
The basic set up for this mystery seemed solid if a bit weird; Posie receives a last-minute plea from her favorite Scotland Yard Inspector to help provide cover for the exchange of money for secret plans for a bomber that the British Air Force wants. And that is about the last “plausible’ event that occurs. In mysteries of this sort, I expect some silliness in the plot line, but this novel stretches into the absurd and stays there in a macabre stew of snow (both literal and drug-based), disguises (and disguises within disguises), and falling bodies. A clue, I suppose, to this is to be found in the heavy dose of exposition that is necessary to unpack the book’s ending. I had just started this series and bought books 3-6; I sure hope that book four returns to the light side!
March 3, 2016
Wow. What a book!
The first bit of the book was a little hard to follow, there was just so much going on. It continued with many, many things happening at once, but you sure couldn't say there was no action! Mysteries, murders, drugs, smuggling, kidnapping, imposters, thefts, multiple villains, reunions, more attempted murders, several different plotlines, some romance and a dodgy stuffed tiger and an unfaithful dog thrown in! Whew! I wasn't kidding when I said there was a lot going on!
I liked the first two books a little more, but still enjoyed this one a lot, and I sure wasn't bored! haha
Highly recommend if your brain likes to multitask. ;)
The first bit of the book was a little hard to follow, there was just so much going on. It continued with many, many things happening at once, but you sure couldn't say there was no action! Mysteries, murders, drugs, smuggling, kidnapping, imposters, thefts, multiple villains, reunions, more attempted murders, several different plotlines, some romance and a dodgy stuffed tiger and an unfaithful dog thrown in! Whew! I wasn't kidding when I said there was a lot going on!
I liked the first two books a little more, but still enjoyed this one a lot, and I sure wasn't bored! haha
Highly recommend if your brain likes to multitask. ;)
October 18, 2020
Despite the fact that the killer is obvious early on, the book is engaging enough until the end. Posie doesn't so much as solve the mystery as is told the solution from various sources. The author continuously refers to the former German East Africa as Tanzania despite the fact that that country didn't exist until 1964. At the time of the novel, it was Tanganyika. That and the modern slang took me out of the story. I may be nitpicking, but the author includes a historical note as if suggesting that the book was well researched. The psychic mumbo jumbo was out of place in an otherwise realistic novel.
February 15, 2016
I have loved all of the Posie Parker books. This one was not quite as good as the previous two books. The story seemed a bit too convoluted, with a couple of unnecessary characters whose only reason for being included seemed to be to muddy the waters. Still, though, I like Posie, and look forward to reading the next book.
December 11, 2018
Sure as bread was bread, if I'd read that expression one more time I'd have thrown a fit. It was a novelty the first time I came across it, but by the umpteenth repetition I was very annoyed.
Other than that, the book was okay albeit far-fetched. If I stumble across another book in this series and it's free, I might read it but I will not go hunting for others.
Other than that, the book was okay albeit far-fetched. If I stumble across another book in this series and it's free, I might read it but I will not go hunting for others.
January 18, 2019
Too convoluted
I think the author tried to use too many plot threads in this story. I found it a bit hard to follow, which may have been partly due to it being the first story in the series I’ve read.
I picked up a few inaccuracies and anachronisms, which the author spends too much of the appendix explaining.
I think the author tried to use too many plot threads in this story. I found it a bit hard to follow, which may have been partly due to it being the first story in the series I’ve read.
I picked up a few inaccuracies and anachronisms, which the author spends too much of the appendix explaining.
November 15, 2018
This is an interesting novel set in the 1920s which took place on New Year’s eve. It is the first one that I have picked up in the series and I enjoyed it. I feel that the characters and the plot could have been developed a little better but otherwise it was a good light hearted read.
January 12, 2019
it’s fun to read this book.but i am not quite sure about the twist at the end when Count Caspian della Rosa showed up. it’s just not feeling quite right for me.
overall I did enjoy the book, but it’s not good enough for me to read the next book right after.
overall I did enjoy the book, but it’s not good enough for me to read the next book right after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2018
Plot got too muddied with too much going on. Too many plot twists.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews