Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I really, really like the Kate Shackleton stories, but this one I just never got into. I can't quite put my finger on why. I was not enamored with any of the characters, the guy who was murdered NEEDED to be murdered, and the ending was not satisfying. It was obvious almost from the start who the victim would be, he was just begging to be killed. And a lot of people had reason to kill him. The actual murder was cleverly plotted - I didn't figure out how it was done, so kudos for that. It just wasn't my favorite. I will continue to read this series with interest and hope this one is an outlier.

Rural England, 1928 a bucolic sleepy small town in Yorkshire, Kate Shackleton, war widow and former nurse now female private investigator, is a member of the local photography club. Kate's friend, Carine runs the town photography studio, which is named for Carine's grandmother. Carine and her husband run the photography club and while Carine is well liked by the locals her husband Tobias is not. He is overbearing and a bully just like Carine's father.
After the death of Carine's father, the studio is left to Tobias and not Carine. Carine becomes worried for her safety and mentions that fact to many in town. Carine has good reason to fear for her mother disappeared when Carine was five and rumors around town said her father killed her mother because she was leaving him. Edward Chester the love of Carine's life shows up at a photography club meeting. Edward was severely burned in the war. He had asked Tobias to tell Carine he had died because he could not face her scarred as he was. Edward had no idea Tobias would marry her while she was grieving. Edward is back and Carine still yearns for him.
Carine is torn about what to do. If she leaves Tobias he keeps the studio, so she stays much to Edward's dismay. On a photography club outing to the Ponden Inn, Edward joins the group unexpectedly, creating tension.
When one member is murdered, Kate must figure out which of her friends is a murderer and how can she pursue justice and still be a loyal friend.

"A Snapshot of Murder" is my third book I have read from the series. The series is ok for the most part with interesting cases and intriguing historical background but Ms. Brody's writing somehow can't grasp my attention for long. I tend to spend longer hours than I normally would on equivalent books.

We have a standard formula here: An amateur detective with capable assistance(s.) Always get themselves involved with murder cases. Through meticulous observations with their ultra sharp minds, cases are solved within days. In "A Snapshot of Murder," the historical backdrop is weak. Very remotely linking to the Bronte sisters when the characters decided to embark on a weekend photo-taking trip to the Bronte's residence. The characters are one dimensional. And many distracting conversations between characters that were not relevant to the plot. There are plenty of similar historical mystery series on the market, and Ms. Brody's series just lack the distinctive niche to make her series stands out. I so do want to love the series, but so far I haven't been able to develop the same level of excitement as I have given to other series in the genre.

To do the book justice, the plot and the writing are actually very fine in "A Snapshot of Murder." Overall, it's a well constructed story with good bones.

3.5 stars.

A ‘Golden-age’ type murder that features some interesting characters and tidbits of life at the time. Sadly, both the character development and the too-obvious puzzle solution fall short of the real classics.

Kate Shackleton is a fairly young widow who lives in Yorkshire. She's also a talented photographer and belongs to the local Photographic Society. One evening a new member, young Derek Blondell, suggests an outing, a weekend to take pictures, and they decide on the opening of the Bronte museum.

She also has a friend, Carine Murchison, who owns a photographic studio and takes care of her ailing father and a wastrel husband named Tobias, who is also a member but whose time is spent in getting drunk. Carine is startled at the reappearance of her one true love, Edward, that she thought died in the war. It is later, at a pub near the museum, that she discovers Tobias lied to her and between he and her father conspired to have her marry him; now she realizes he is much like her father, and that's not a good thing.

But while on the outing Tobias is killed, and when it's discovered he was murdered, Kate is wondering who might have done the deed. He was much hated, but she doesn't believe for a moment that young Derek could have killed him, even if the police believe so. She is urged by her friend Rita to find the true killer, and what she discovers stuns her to her very core...

This is the tenth book in the Kate Shackleton series, and unfortunately I found it to be the weakest. The writing seems disjointed somehow. We are given the tale from both Kate's view in first person, then everyone else's in third. It didn't flow as well as the other books.

While it started out very interesting, soon the book became depressing. I began to feel heartily sorry for Carine, and watched her unraveling slowly without even realizing it. First betrayed by her mother, then her father and even her own husband, one cannot but feel sorry for her. The other characters - including Kate - took a back seat to Carine in this story; and while it could have been a good thing, I didn't find it to be so.

The tale itself was interesting enough, and the murder not unexpected, considering the type of person Tobias was, but in the end I found myself wishing for something more, and not finding it. I found it slightly gloomy, and probably not the best book to read while listening to the steady beat of rain outside my window.

I was not satisfied with the ending, but then again, that is only my own opinion and others, I am sure, will love this book. Hopefully the next in the series will improve to the quality of many of the others, and I still look forward to reading them.

This series continues to intrigue. More than a cozy historical mysteries series, the book's characterizations and slight quirkiness of the plotting make it stand out. The entire series is worthwhile but this ought to work well as a stand alone.

Private enquiry agent Kate Shackleton, an amateur photographer, belongs to a club that has planned an outing to attend the dedication of a Bronte-related house museum. Included in the group are Kate's niece Harriet, local photography studio owners Carine and Tobias Murchison, ambitious young newspaperman Derek Blondell, and Carine's former fiance Edward Chester plus Rita, a free spirit and world traveler and yet another admirer of Carine.

They (not coincidentally) choose to stay in an old house where Tobias has earned a bad reputation after dalllying with a young woman who later commits suicide. Shop owner Carine is a sweet and appealing woman who seems to attract unrequited love everywhere she goes.

So, when Tobias turns up dead, there's no lack of suspects -- Edward or Derek, for love of Carine? Carine, to escape Tobias' general miserableness? Or one of the house staff in retaliation for the suicide?

The story is told in alternate chapters, Kate's in first person and the supporting characters as third person narrative. Kate is a strong and appealing protagonist and these books are a pleasure. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an ARC in return for my honest review.

Another fascinating entry in the quietly thoughtful, atmospheric Kate Shackleton stories. This time Brody tackles the art of photography, featuring Kate's involvement with a local photography group and a talented young woman with a successful photography studio. Interestingly, the story is placed in the countryside of the famous Bronte family and the setting of <i>Wuthering Heights</i>. Kate and the photography society have an outing to the opening of the Haworth Parsonage, the home of the Bronte family, which opened for the public in 1928. Brody always does an excellent job in bringing real events into her Shackleton stories. The lingering effects of WWI are explored, as usual, in this story. This is a most rewarding series.

There were so many elements in this book to love. The spunky female detective (Kate Shackleton) was charming, the setting is 1920s England, and the story revolves around a group of photographers.

This group of photographers travel to the area of the Yorkshire countryside where the Brontes lived. What should be a fun getaway quickly turns sour as Carine’s old flame shows up unexpectedly, putting them all on edge. Her husband, Tobias, is disliked by everyone, so it’s no surprise when he is murdered.

This was an enjoyable, though predicable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for a review.

The tenth Kate Shackleton murder mystery from Frances Brody. Our amateur sleuth is taking time out to indulge her passion of photography. Needless to say, however, murder is never far away and Kate becomes embroiled in a mystery once again. An enjoyable read and a strong addition to this long running series.

It was supposed to be an excursion for the Photographic Society to the opening of the Bronte museum and to explore the settings of Wuthering Heights. Seven members attended, but by the end of the weekend one was dead. Tobias Murcheson was the chairman of the Society. A bully, a manipulative husband and disliked by almost everyone, the crowd at the dedication provided perfect cover for someone to end his life.

Each of the Society’s members on the excursion had a reason to attack Tobias. Carine Murcheson was pressured into marrying him after he reported the death of her first love, Edward Chester, during an attack in WWI. It is her work that keeps her family’s photography studio going, but on th death of her father the business is left to Tobias. Carine’s friend Rita works in the local pharmacy and believes that Tobias is poisoning Carine. Young Derek Blondell works for the newspaper’s library, but helps in the studio, where he has fallen in love with Carine. Finally, the newest member of the Society is Edward Chester, who survived the war but suffered disfiguring injuries. When he appears at the Society’s meeting, Carine realizes that she was lied to. While each person has a motive to kill Tobias, Kate also discovers that Tobias had ties to the suicide of a young woman from the estate where they are staying, expanding the list of suspects.

As a young war widow, Kate has made a name for herself as an investigator. This is Frances Brody’s tenth Kate Shackleford mystery and as a member of the Photographic Society it once again falls to Kate to assist the police in their investigation. Brody’s story is filled with misdirection and red herrings and will please fans of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series as well as fans of historical mysteries. It is a most enjoyable series that I would not hesitate to recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another pleasant entry in the Kate Shackleton series. I enjoy her company.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Another excellent book in the series! I love reading more about all these great characters and as always, the mystery itself is well plotted and the pacing of the story is well done. Definitely a series to pick up if you like British historical mysteries.

I really enjoyed this book. For years I have seen this series, but for some reason or other, I never read any. Even though this is the tenth title in the series, It made little difference, obviously it is a series that does not need to be read in order. I look forward to reading all the titles that came before this, Frances Brody is definitely an author I want to read more of.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy, all opinions are my own.

This is a "who-and-howdunit" murder mystery story set in 1928 England. Several members of an amateur photography group set out on a weekend field trip to the town of Haworth in Yorkshire. It's the home of the Bronte sisters and a wealthy local aristocrat has donated a property to be a Bronte museum. From the start conflict within the group creates foreboding that things are not going to end well for some of the group. At a museum dedication ceremony, one of them collapses and dies. At first it looks as if the death was either an accident or suicide.
Kate Shackleton, a war widow and amateur detective, is with the group and was standing next to the dead man when he collapsed. Her suspicions of foul play are confirmed and the dead is ruled to be a homicide. The police hold the surviving members of the group for questioning at a rundown country house. The police investigation is further complicated by the discovery of a mummified body in a store belonging to the dead man. Scotland Yard dispatches a detective to the scene to sort things out,
There's several potential killers with sufficient motive to want the victim out of the way. Working through everyone's whereabouts at the time of the murder keeps Kate busy and she uncovers a cunning murderer in a bittersweet conclusion. The story is told against the background of post Great War English society in which women were gaining rights and prominence. Kate is a strong protagonist and represents a new way of life in a country that has lost a generation of young men. The other characters tend to have little or no profile.
This is the tenth book in a series but is can easily be read as a standalone. It's a cleverly plotted mystery with several side-stories to add interest. Recommended for being a good read.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for my review copy of this eBook. The views expressed are my own.

I was disappointed in this book. Based on some previous reviews, I thought it was more of a classic-Golden Age novel, like something from Christie or even Sayers; it wasn't. The point of view kept switching between third person omniscient and first person, and one character made some personal revelations to the protagonist that felt inappropriate for the time period. Even worse, based on some events that happened early in the book, I thought Character A was going to kill Character B. I was hoping there'd be a twist - maybe Character A or Character C would be killed instead, but nope - A killed B. It was more of a 'how done it' rather than a 'who done it' - again, something that felt out of place from Christie. It felt like a modern novel set in the 1920's rather than a book from one of the Golden Age writers.

It wasn't necessary a bad book - the characters, events, and settings were interesting - but when one is expecting tea, and gets coffee instead, it's hard to appreciate the coffee even if it's excellent. I am planning on picking up another book by Ms. Brody with a different mindset, see if I like it better, but this one, based on my preconceived notions, just wasn't for me.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.com and voluntarily chose to review.

Wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed this book although it is the first one I have read in this series. I enjoyed the history of this era of time. Kaye Shackleton is a great amateur sleuth and I look forward to reading more of her detective work. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another wonderfully written mystery about none other than Kate Shackleton. I love everything about this series and this book in particular. Like other reviews, it felt this book was a little less cozy and a little darker than other Kate Shackleton books but still a joy to read. The author does a wonderful job balancing the coziness against mystery. Look forward to more from Frances Brody!

I have read all of the books so far in the series, mostly with enjoyment, but this was different.
It has a bleak setting, mirrored in a bleak view of human relationships. I found it oddly- written, with swaps of viewpoint which were difficult to handle.The writing style seemed rather choppy. I found it impossible to empathise with many of the characters, some of whom were fairly repellent.

It was not difficult to work out who murdered the unlikeable Tobias Murchison, but the ending was rather a cop-out and morally ambiguous. It is certainly not a “cosy” read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the digital ARC.

I greatly enjoyed the voice and tone of Snapshot of Murder. It had the classic feel of Christie or Rinehart but without the narratorial distance. The mystery itself was excellently done as well. An easy 4 stars for this book.

Although the death itself appears later in the book, more than enough suspenseful elements are introduced earlier to hook the reader and keep pages turning. There's a threat, a mysterious possibly returned man, a historical disappearance, and questions--at least for the reader--regarding a seemingly innocent death.

The historical setting and culture add elements not possible in a modern mystery. The main character is a credible rebellion against the expectations of her time period. She supports similar independence in a secondary character.

Through some hints in the novel itself and the book list at the end, I determined this was a later book in a series. Although I'm sure having read more of them would add further facets to the relationships, not having done so didn't leave me feeling left out. I also still felt like there was appropriate depth in enough of the secondary characters.

The writing style was enjoyable and pulled me in while still maintaining a hint of the historical feel. That balance in the style really impressed me. The copy I read, although still an ARC selected from NetGalley, was more cleanly edited and proofread than others I've selected.

Overall a very satisfying and enjoyable read and I'd really like to see more from this author and of this series.

I am a huge fan of the Kate Shackleton series and this one did not disappoint! Believable and well crafted plotting as always and an all round enjoyable mystery. I will say this book was a tiny bit darker than the previous ones in the series but not in a way that would take it out of the cozy category. If you haven’t read the others you can start with this one. The author does an excellent job of keeping the story coherent so you aren’t left trying to figure out things from the past. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy for review.