Once again, Holt does not let us down. She could write a book with no mystery at all, and still keep us interested!

Leonora Stavely was one of the first female journalist who became known by taking daring chances in all the hot spots of the world. Now, nearing eighty she has retired to a small cottage living the life of an eccentric recluse. She doesn't see very many people and is more than happy living with her animals for companionship. One of the few people who she stays in touch with her is Sheila Mallory who she has known since she was a child.

When Lenora dies, E. Coli is found in her bloodstream and the Environmental Agency said that there was something that got into the water supply. When Sheila looks closely at the stream that is allegedly the source of the contamination she sees no dead animals or vegetation. Knowing that her friend was getting ready to write her memoirs, Sheila strongly believes her friend was murdered. She just has to find a way to find out who and then try to prove it, no easy task since Leonora had plenty of enemies who would have benefited from her death.

Fans of British cozies will definitely want to read Mrs. Mallory AND DEATH BY WATER. The latest installment in this long running series is full of surprising twists and shocking turns. In trying to solve the who-done-it, Sheila gives the reader some fascinating insights into village life in England. Hazel Holt always has a fascinating story to tell and she does it very well.

Harriet Klausner

Pet owners in the English Seaside village of Taviscombe are in an uproar because the new head veterinarian in the only practice in the area is an arrogant, unfeeling know it all who isn't kind to his patients or their owners. Besides alienating his clients, Malcolm Hardy also causes dissension in the office as well. He fired one vet who has been with the practice for years and is making unreasonable demands on the other partner.

During an operation, the animal dies. Malcolm blames the junior partner but in reality it is his fault. He fires an assistant and replaces her with his girlfriend. When he is found dead in his office, it almost comes as a relief for all concerned. The police rule it a murder but there are so many suspects and few leads that Mrs. Sheila Mallory, a widow who has solved homicides in the past, decides to investigate.

MRS. MALLORY AND DEATH IN PRACTICE is the quintessential British cozy that is rich in characterizations and short on blood and gore. Readers get a fascinating glimpse into life in a small English village where the same families have lived there for generations so that everyone knows their neighbor. Hazel Holt gives the reader an interesting who done it to solve, one that has many viable suspects, all with credible motives.

Harriet Klausner

There are many advantages in having access to both the english and north american editions of Hazel Holt's books - including being able to obtain titles and formats that would otherwise be unavailable. The only difficulty is deciphering the differing titles. 'Mrs Malory: Death among Friends' is actually the ninth book, it's english title being 'Dead and Buried'. It would be interesting to know why the titles are changed. It would almost seem that american publishers think their readers are incapable of remembering author's names but expect a greater recall of a book's main character. Many of the original titles are derived from english literature but this wouldn't seem to a major drawback, British readers would not necessarily recognise the references. However the result, particularly the inclusion of 'Mrs Malory' in each title, tends to suggest that the books resemble the many series of mysteries (many of them fun to read) by American authors who have a distinctly romantic idea of past and present life in Britain. I think this does the books an injustice. They are set in a relatively affluent area of England and most of the characters are fairly intelligent, very well educated people whose lives have mostly been reasonably comfortable (besides suffering bereavement and an incredible number of murders). However, Hazel Holt has an extremely good grasp of social interaction and a sympathetic approach to humanity, with a subtle sense of humour and a touch of cynicism that ensures the books are enjoyable but never unrealistic or sentimental.

Of the other titles available, 'Mrs Malory Wonders Why ' was originally titled 'Superfluous Death', 'Mrs Malory, Detective in Residence' was originally 'Murder on Campus' and 'Mrs Malory and the Only Good Lawyer' was 'The Only Good Lawyer...' (the last subtly different!). -SW

Fun, well written, easy to read. Mrs. Malory is thoroughly likable. It's a treat to be in her world for a few hours.

No sex and only the barest necessary minimum of violence. Nothing about the social problems of our age, except a hint of religious controvery about a vicar who uses the old style prayerbook. Lots of old British theatre (?theater) lore. The author was an associate of Barbara Pym and it's that type of world. Sort of updated Agatha Christie, although not up to Agatha Christie's standards of plotting. It won't make you think or change your life - just enjoy a few hours.

The late Peter Malory first met fellow solicitor Graham Percy in law school. The compassionate Peter could never refuse his fussy old school mate when Graham would weasel an invitation out of him to come visit. Now that Peter is dead, his spouse Sheila has inherited Graham's annual visit to her home in Taviscombe. Several days into his four day stay, Graham is murdered and Sheila, feeling responsible for the well being of a guest, decides to investigate.

She immediately learns that there was a bit more to Graham than a failed and boring attorney. It seems he had a very lucrative blackmailing scheme operating on the side. She also learns that the odd duck annually visited three other school chums. Sheila figures they are primes suspects. A second murder in town has Sheila picking up the pace in an effort to uncover the identity of the killer before someone else is hurt.

MRS. MALORY AND THE ONLY GOOD LAWYER, the eighth novel in the Mrs. Sheila Malory series, is a well written English cozy, highlighted by the charming lead protagonist. However, though the story line quickly moves forward, the audince is going to find the ending a bit abrubt because no clues for motives occur until the final explanation. Still, Hazel Holt scribes a fabulous mystery that will please fans of the series.

Harriet Klausner

Somerset, England villager Sheila Malory is the author of several critically acclaimed books on nineteenth century novelists. She has also stayed in touch with several individuals from her days at Oxford, including the acclaimed author Dame Elizabeth Blackmore. Sheila considers Elizabeth such a close friend, she agrees to meet her buddy in London to catch up on each other's lives. After their wonderful time together in London, Sheila looks forward to seeing Elizabeth some time soon, but before they meet again the latter dies due to a mix-up in the medications she was taking.

Sheila is stunned, but even more surprising to her is that Elizabeth has named her as the estate's literary executor. This means spending an enormous amount of time sifting through the deceased's papers to determine what should be published and writing the definitive biography. However, while digging through the papers, Sheila uncovers a secret that a certain party will kill to keep buried.

MRS. MALORY AND THE FATAL LEGACY is the fundamental British cozy that stimulates the mind of the reader. The warm heroine is a likable person who the audience will appreciate for her self-deprecating wit and willingness to seek out the truth even at the cost of bodily harm or death. Hazel Holt provides sub-genre fans with a first class novel that will send new fans seeking the previous Mrs. Malory stories.

Harriet Klausner

There's a classic piece of advice to would-be authors that goes: "Start out by writing about things you already know about", and it seems that this approach can have benefits for more practised authors as well.

The first part of the book - in which Mrs Malory is asked to become the literary executor of a close friend/best selling author who dies under mildly mysterious circumstances - absolutely crackles with authenticity and pace, and is surely based on Hazel Holt's own experience of acting as literary executor and biographer to English novelist Barbara Pym. (Ms Pym, I hasten to add, did NOT die under mysterious circumstances of any kind!)

As the book approaches its halfway point this initial focus shifts slightly and the pace becomes somewhat more relaxed. Indeed, it almost seems - for a page or two - as though the author is running out of steam....

At this point Ms Holt elegantly drops a bombshell into the proceedings, a bombshell which, it now turns out, she has been subtly preparing us for over the previous 20-30 pages.

There are more such finely calculated surprises to come, and the second half of the book revolves around an excellent development of the previously established plot lines in which - after the fashion of premier thriller-writer Robert Ludlam - nothing and no-one is quite what/who they appear to be.

The final revelation of the killer is managed in true Malory style, sitting round a kitchen table. It is done quietly, even discreetly, and above all, the denoument makes sense.

If I had to offer a criticism it would be that Ms Holt gives little opportunity for the reader to come to their own idea as to "who dunnit".
For example, Mrs Malory's final unravelling of the mystery depends on two key pieces of evidence. Of the two, one is never shown to the reader, whilst the second is (so far as I can tell) deliberately mis-described.
(To be fair, this mis-direction is genuinely essential to the plotting, and an accurate description would have given the game away quite some time before the formal solving of the puzzle.)

Anyway, this one qualification apart, and much as I've enjoyed all of the *previous* books in the series, this is without doubt the best Sheila Malory mystery to date. Easily worthy of a five star rating.

Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy is the ninth contemporary cozy in Hazel Holt's ever British Shelia Malory series, and it's still as fresh as ever. Sheila Malory is fifty...ish, a widow, the mother of a successful son, and a popular writer of nineteenth century novels, but her real claim to fame is her sleuthing skills. Fate has a habit of dropping mysteries into Mrs. Malory's lap knowing she has as an exceptional gift for solving them.

Lately Mrs. Malory has been behaving pretty laid back. She seems comfortable with herself and her life in Somerset, England, so staying home, sipping tea, and sharing an evening with her pets sounds much better than going to a literary party of full of bookish know-it-alls. Her son Michael effectively prompts her to go, and once there, Shelia runs into some old Oxford school chums. One such friend whose name and popularity as a famous novelist hasn't change her true personality is Dame Elizabeth Blackmore, who still goes by Beth. They reminisce, have a good time, and promise to meet up again. Later they talk briefly, Beth shares some things that are concerning her. Soon Sheila gets a call saying her dear friend has passed away and the coroner has ruled it Death by Misadventure. Shelia suddenly finds herself back on the writing arena as Beth's literary executor. She must write a biography of Beth's life and prepare her unpublished work for publishing. Shelia finds her quiet life suddenly overwhelmed with a shocked widower, his angry grown children, a greedy publisher, and some even more greedy scholars. Once she moves in with Aunt Hilda to be near the work, and persons unknown begin reeking havoc on her work, Shelia doesn't think she will ever get back to her quiet, cozy village.

I found Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy to be a smooth, composed read. Shelia's relaxed attitude had me wondering if there was going to be a mystery at all, but then she meets up with the school chums, the feeling of a plot begins; the conversation and characters held my attention, and once the first death occurred, the mystery took off in more than one direction leading to a satisfactory end.

Hazel Holt's Mrs. Malory series is a laid-back cozy coo waiting to tempt its next literary victim into a mystery menagerie of delight.

This book keeps you wondering who done it. This is a must to read for all mystery readers!

Ms. Seeton adventures are the best reads that I have come across. I am a thirty something that loves these types of British sleuthing novels. I re-read these novels several times a year, I have them all. My favorite used bookstore in Los Angeles had the entire series out of out-of-print ones, so I stocked up on all of them at once. They were over with too quickly. .... Maybe I should have waited and only gotten one book a month!!

They are truly one of a kind. I love the time period and the many scrapes that she seems to fall into. They're truly hilarious, while the novels maintain the suspense. I love Britain and try to get to London and environs once every couple of years or so.

This is a lot better than many mysteries I've read recently. The main character is interesting, pleasant, and believable. I do wonder, sometimes, about the police in mystery novels, so ready to let a relative or friend in on the police work, even before following police procedures. It would be nice if the police in these mysteries were also believable.

Many of Hazel Holt's books have alternative titles, 'Mrs Malory Wonders Why ' was originally titled 'Superfluous Death', 'Mrs Malory, Detective in Residence' was originally 'Murder on Campus' and 'Mrs Malory and the Only Good Lawyer' was 'The Only Good Lawyer...' (the last subtly different!). -SW

The Booklist review above has it right: nothing outstanding, but pleasant reading. This one delivers exactly what people read cozy mysteries for: good plotting, a sense of time and place, a logical series of clues, a sufficient collection of suspects, a likeable amateur detective. I have two criticisms: First, some of the characters could have been drawn more vividly. I found myself several times leafing backwards through the book so I could remember just who John Smith or Mary Jones was, when they appear on the scene for the first time in 75 pages. Secondly, the final solution of the mystery depends on facts that are unknown to either the reader or the sleuth until the last 10 pages or so. That is generally considered unfair in mystery-writing, but I must say it doesn't seem at all egregious here. It is not one of those irritating cases in which the hero notices a paper clip on the floor of the library, uses it as the decisive clue, and reveals the presence of the paper clip only on the last page when he is triumphantly announcing the solution. In this book, the decisive information is revealed to us at the same time as it is to the heroine.

So we come back to my original conclusion. If you like cozy mysteries in general, you almost certainly will like this one. If you don't like them, you probably aren't reading this review in the first place!

Many of Hazel Holt's books have alternative titles, 'Mrs Malory Wonders Why ' was originally titled 'Superfluous Death', 'Mrs Malory, Detective in Residence' was originally 'Murder on Campus' and 'Mrs Malory and the Only Good Lawyer' was 'The Only Good Lawyer...' (the last subtly different!). -SW

Hazel Holt writes confidently and spiritedly, and this outing is no exception. This time the plot allows her to indulge her fondness for Stratford-upon-Avon (elsewhere the series visits Oxford) and the concerns of a rural dweller shine through here and there, convincing us that this is an author with knowledge of her settings.

In this novel, Sheila Mallory investigates the sudden death of an unpleasant cleric that she has known since childhood. There are plenty of juicy suspects, and plenty of echoes of the novels of Barbara Pym (whose literary executor Ms. Holt was) in the details of rural and church life. Her busy, confiding tone embraces one, and one almost believes that Taviscombe exists.

Mrs. Mallory's relations with the police are perhaps the weak point of this series - even in the jovial West Country one finds it difficult to believe that professionals would let a late middle aged widow tell them what's what - but then detective fiction of this sort requires some suspension of belief.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this, and other books in this series, and I look forward to seeing many more.

As a long-time Barbara Pym fan, I was curious about Hazel Holt's mysteries. I had previously read her biography of Pym who was her colleague and friend. So, perhaps it was not fair of me to expect or hope for Pymean wit in the work of Ms. Holt. Certainly I found little of it. The main character, Sheila Mallory is a likeable, if dim, amateur sleuth of the bumbling variety. Her various stabs at a solution to the murder of an assistant employed by the Bodlean Library are pathetic. Ultimately, the mystery is easy to solve simply because the list of suspects is so small. The book would be pleasant enough given its Oxford setting, but was ruined for me by the depiction of homosexuals. They are shown as scheming and cruel. (Saying more about their motivations would constitute a spoiler.) Strangely, a novel that seems intended as a pleasant read ends up as a mean-spirited exercise in cliched characters.

An author to replace Christie. Because of her age, I can relate to Ms Holt's Mrs Malory. It's refreshing to be able to read about a woman who has been wife and mother who in midlife can still have a career or two (detecting). I am now a confirmed Hazel Holt fan and cannot wait until her next Mrs Malory adventures are published.