Murder Comes to Call is a delightful mystery that begins with a rash of burglaries in Walmsley Parva, England where Beryl and Edwina live. They are private detectives which was very rare in the 1920s. Beryl and Edwina stumble over the body of the local magistrate, Mr. Faraday. Also it was time for the census to be taken. Not only are there burglaries going on, but someone has stolen the census rolls. So now the hunt becomes one of murder and burglaries. Are these two related? Are they separate crimes? Those are some of the questions that Beryl and Edwina must answer. They are hired to find the census roles, but they believe the two crimes are related.

The only complaint I can make is there is a little too much background information, but it is somewhat necessary to understand the relationships of the characters. Beryl is a flamboyant American who is living at Beeches, the home of Edwina. Edwina is a quiet English lady who has never left Walmsley Parva.

I recommend this cozy mystery. It is well-written with wonderful characters. It is an enjoyable read.

Normally quiet Walmsley Parva is suddenly a hotbed of crime. A rash of burglaries, the death of the magistrate, and the theft of the official census reports overwhelms the local constabulary. Local prejudice blames a newcomer who happens to be Irish. American Beryl is outraged. English Edwina is a little more objective. The pair suspect the crimes are all connected as they undertake their official investigations for the government and for the Irishman. It is fun to observe the continuing shift of Beryl towards becoming a homebody and of Edwina becoming more adventurous.

Following Beryl on her adventures is so fabulous. Each book adds to the last so seamlessly, I often lose track of where one begins and another ends. This book was no exception. While the concept of who killed 'em is simple, I loved the way the author looped her away around the town, keeping you guessing till the end.

England, cosy-mystery, murder-investigation, private-investigators, theft, 1920s, friendship

Edwina is a fibre addict and avid knitter in addition to having a rather British reserve much of the time and owning a rather large home and gardens. Beryl has traveled the the world and has little sense of propriety as she is an American. The women had been at finishing school together and now, years later, are Private Enquiry Agents and have some financial backing from their elderly gardener. There have been burglaries in the village, a burglary with a death probably included in it, and a somewhat contentious constable inclined to listen to local gossip and blame Edwina's new undergardener simply because he is Irish and new to the village. And then there is the rather unusual circumstance surrounding the theft of the census documents. I think that it is a dandy cosy (or is that just because I share Edwina's addictions?). This is the first I have read in the series and I think that it stands alone, but I am curious about non-mystery goings on before this one. I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I really loved the previous 3 books of this series, but this one was just ok for me. I felt like a lot was repetitive and there wasn’t much interaction between characters. More monologues than actual conversations. Of course, I love Beryl and Edwina so I still look forward to more adventures.

When well-known adventuress Beryl Helliwell finds herself in court because of a speeding ticket, she uses her charm to wiggle out of the fine. The brash American has joined forces with demure Brit Edwina Davenport to investigate crimes. When a series of burglaries takes place in Walmsley Parva, they leap at the chance to solve the cases, but local Constable Gibbs has other ideas. It's not until someone is dead that she allows them to join the investigation. The contrasting characters add so much to this series. I enjoy it immensely.

Murder Comes to Call is the fourth book in the Beryl and Edwina historical cozy mystery series.The story takes place in the English Village of Walmsley Parva where the two friends, Beryl the American Adventuress and Edwinda the conventional English woman have opened an Inquiry Agency.

A murder of the Village's Magistrate and town burglaries, the biggest of which is the Consensus Schedules, call Beryl and Edwina "on the case". There is a plot twist at the end you don't see coming..in a good way.

I enjoyed being back with the two friends. With each book their characters grow and you know them even better. I love that they compliment each other so well and that they are loving doing things that they never thought they would be doing in life.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing Corporations for this ARC and the opportunity to read and review.

Beryl and Edwina come together to set up their own private investigations agency in the small village of Warmsley Parva. They really don't have much in common beyond their shared school background, but they complement each other. A number of burglaries have been happening in the village and they are curious. When the local magistrate ends up dead, they want to find out what happened. When the local census taker reports that all of his schedules with villager's private information is missing, they take action. They are hired to find the census schedules and find all three mysteries tied together in the end.

This is the first book I have read in the series and I enjoyed it. It was light weight, just what I needed right now. I didn't feel like I missed much from not reading the previous books in the series, but I would like to eventually. And while Beryl and Edwina call themselves private investigators, the book definitely has a cozy feel to it.

I received this book as an advanced reading copy from NetGalley and I want to say thank you for that. I will be glad to recommend this book to anyone.

Love this series and loved this latest installment. This series is just plain fun. It’s very well written and highly entertaining. I love the characters and their easy banter with each other. The plot and storyline is both interesting and well developed that the reader just wants to keep reading to find out what happens next. I highly recommend this novel. I can’t praise it enough!