Death at Larch Bridge is the second Daisy Moore historical cozy mystery by Gretta Mulrooney. Released 6th July 2023 by Joffe Books, it's 263 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The first book in the series, as well as much of the author's backlist are also currently available on KU.

This is a exceptionally well written modern golden age style Christie-esque cozy mystery with an appealingly intelligent and honest female protagonist. Set in the very early interwar period (1946), the war is still very much in the picture, with the privations and colossal sadness which affected daily life for decades after in much of the world.

It's a classic whodunnit and does credit to the genre. Although it's the second book in the series, it works perfectly well as a standalone. The prolific author sadly passed away suddenly in 2023, so there presumably won't be any more to come for this, or her other, series works.

Four and a half stars. Very well wrought and eminently readable. It would make a good choice for public library acquisition, home reading, or a good short binge/buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This book took me a few attempts to read it but managed it in the end. I found it slow at the start but began to pick up for me the more I read it.

Death At Larch Bridge by Gretta Mulrooney.
So sad to see that one of my favorite authors died earlier this year. I have enjoyed the Tyrone Swift and Siv Drummond series both, as well as the two books about Daisy the amateur detective.
The post-war Britain setting is interesting with the many privations as well as the ways of making do along with the mystery. The best part is Daisy’s clever investigative skills, helping as well as annoying Inspector Thaxted. I love J.B. and the other recurring characters, mostly. Vera can be a bit of a pain. The mystery may not have been too mysterious but it is a very enjoyable book.
My only caution would be to read the first book before this one because the culprit in book one is mentioned more than once in this book.

Daisy Moore is the manager at The dolphin hotel but to the dismay of Detective Peter Thackston she’s also an amateur sleuth. It is 1946 and people or war weary in the little town of Oxfordshire besides solving crime and cleaning hotel room she likes to hang out with her good friend Jay be an actor and her biggest supporter when hotel guest Ronald Carpenter goes missing his wife needless to say it was upset they were supposed to go to an engagement party and he said he was stepping out to stretch his legs never to return. When his body is found on a farm Daisy of course investigates his wife says they’ve never been to the area and his only friend there is Charles whose engagement party he was supposed to attend the nighty went missing but Daisy will learn something different. This is the second book in the series when I requested this one I didn’t know I had already read the first one and loved it so to realizing that I was so excited this book has lots of great characters and well plotted stories. Some may consider this a cozy mystery but it has a more authentic feel than a fun cozy. I love the relationship between Daisy in Peter and her best friend JB not to mention her boss vera. This is a book I highly recommend and totally love and cannot wait for the third installment. I want to thank Joffe books and Net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Death at Larch Bridge by Gretta Mulrooney is entertaining and engaging. The second in the series, this installment continues the stories of Daisy Moore, Inspector Thaxted, and the rest of the characters around the Dolphin Hotel in Oxfordshire.

I really enjoyed the exchanges between the main characters. Daisy is sharp and eager to be involved. She longs for something meaningful to do after the war. She quite quickly sticks her nose in where it isn't exactly welcome, but Peter, Inspector Thaxted, grows more accustomed to her interference and begins to welcome her help - at times. She get herself in trouble more often than perhaps she should, but help always seems to show up in the nick of time.

If you like historical dramas and an a enjoyable, entertaining read, I recommend this book.

Thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Murder mysteries fans will be completely gripped by Gretta Mulrooney’s intriguing, enjoyable and unpredictable new crime novel, Death at Larch Bridge.

Oxfordshire, 1946 and Lieutenant Ronnie Carpenter and his wife have just arrived at at the Dolphin Hotel. After checking in, Ronnie informs his wife that he’s stepping out for some fresh air – and does not return. The next morning, his body is found slumped in the passenger seat of a stolen car with a bullet through his head. Dolphin manageress Daisy Moore knows that she should leave the investigating to the police, but she cannot help doing some digging of her own…

Ronnie’s long-suffering wife is naturally inconsolable with grief and sorrow, but something tells Daisy that all is not quite what it seems. Daisy cannot shake off this feeling that these tears are all for show prompting her to dig deeper into Ronnie’s marriage – and into the murky secrets which he has gone to great lengths to keep hidden. With a killer on the loose and time not on her side, can Daisy get to the bottom of this mystery and find out whodunnit? Or will more bodies be found before a murderer can be brought to justice?

Gretta Mulrooney’s Death at Larch Bridge is a fun, exciting and hugely enjoyable whodunnit full of riveting twists and turns that will keep readers turning the pages late into the night. With the indefatigable Daisy determined to solve this case, readers will be completely gripped by this brilliantly paced, wonderfully evocative and beautifully crafted historical cozy mystery.

Gretta Mulrooney passed away earlier this year and she will be greatly missed by her legion of fans for her exceptional crime novels that never failed to please.

Escapist novel pur sang, read on yet another drizzly Sunday - this rainy summer is crying out for stories like this! Snuggle down on the sofa with a cup of tea and enjoy this delightful period whodunnit, number two in the series.

This delightful period whodunnit starring sleuth Ms Daisy Moore recounts the disappearance of Mr Ronald Carpenter during his stay at the quiet country hotel the Delphi Hotel. Not much later he is found dead in a car that shortly before nearly ran Daisy off her bike.
The Carpenters indicate that they have never been to these parts before, but is this true?
And what do the father and daughter of the farmhouse where Ronnie Carpenter's body is later found have to do with it? And what brought Ronnie to the Goswick museum?

Read it all in this second part, which can be read separately from the first part without any problems. A quick, smooth read. Despite the comfy feel, the story has a few sad undertones, - it’s 1946 -, and WWII is still shimmering in the background.

A perfect mix of post-war England, and a period whodunnit following the famed Agatha Christie and E.C.R. Loran concept, two of my most favourite authors who I keep re-reading. I will add Gretta Mulrooney to that list. I do hope there will be a sequel, because I am extremely curious to see how and if anything develops between Daisy and Peter.

Highly recommended. Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for this review copy. I leave this review voluntarily.
4 stars.

Before I read Death at Larch Bridge by Gretta Mulrooney, I bought myself a copy of her earlier book in the series, Death at the Dolphin. I'm glad I did so as it was a great introduction to the characters and setting. In the second book, Daisy is established in her new Oxfordshire home and her job as general factotum (his description) to JB, jobbing actor and hotel manager. She still misses the buzz of London, though, and the challenges of her (secret) wartime job in Whitehall. Another murder puts paid to her boredom however and also reunites her with Inspector Peter Thaxted.

I loved the book and was very sorry to catch up with the series. I'm now waiting impatiently for more! The characterisation is excellent and the plots are interesting and just obscure enough. I also enjoyed the underlying humour.

I just reviewed DEATH AT LARCH BRIDGE by Gretta Mulrooney. #DEATHATLARCHBRIDGE #NetGalley

Really enjoyed this cosy murder mystery and May end up buying the other books in the series.

The only problem I’m left with is….. will Daisy and the Inspector realise they REALLY like each other?? 🤔

I have enjoyed this author's other series, so I decided to pick up this new one as well. WWII fiction is not usually my cup of tea, but these are not so heavily steeped in nostalgia to turn my attention. I even purchased #1 in the series before reading this one, to ensure I was up to speed (not necessary for reading this book but I like going in order). I enjoy the characters and how they have continued to develop through both books. The plotline for this one got a bit confusing, as MANY side characters and situations were going on. It kept you wondering whodunit, but it also got a bit confusing to keep up with.

Thank you to Net Galley and Joffe Books for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I really like classic whodunits written during the Golden Age, so this was a perfect book for me. This is the second book in the Daisy Moore Mysteries series, but it can be read alone. I have not read the first one, and I had no trouble getting into this story. This mystery involves the disappearance and murder of hotel guest Ronnie Carpenter. Daisy uses her detective skills to find out what happened to him and why he was murdered. I really enjoyed this book. I plan to read more of this author's work!

A good historical mystery, a classic whodunnit that kept me guessing.
Well plotted, compelling and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for this ARC. I was so excited when i saw there was a second Daisy Moore book, i though the first was a one off, was absolutely brilliant and had hoped for a series. Book 2 is very good as swell but no where near as brilliant as book 1 if you compare the dramatic finale, which i didn't see coming at all. This book did keep me guessing for a while but was able to work it out. However, saying that, I did enjoy character development and will definitely read book 3, if there is one.

Daisy has a missing husband to deal with (not hers, a guest with his wife at the hotel) who subsequently turns up shot) in her otherwise humdrum, non brain stimulating job at a slightly run-down hotel in a sleepy Oxfordshire town. It's 1946, she's lost her job at the War Office 'time to let the gals go back to being housewives and mothers you know'. She also works for an avant garde thespian, and is also his lodger. She's an interesting character as is JB, the thespian, heavily pregnant Vera running the hotel, Inspector Thaxted, still recovering from serious injuries during the war and others. The story covers infidelity, dedication, family aggravation, frustration and all human emotions in a sensitive, complex, and at times, humorous way. I like the banter between Daisy and JB plus Daisy and Thaxted. It's very true to the times, the war may be over but rationing is not and neither are the consequences. Daisy is very organised in her thoughts and these are well articulated. A slight niggle is that she then writes them down, reiterates them to herself and/or others and this become a bit repetitive at times. Still, helps the reader to remember who is who. Look forward to a continuation. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This fab histfic mystery by a beloved late author gripped me from page one to the denouement. I loved the beautifully captured lingo, the gorgeous retro cover, the authenticity of the post WWII British countryside, the intrepid MC Daisy, once a code breaker at Whitehall, back after solving a murder at the Dolphin a year before. Highly recommended for lovers of Agatha Christie and historical mysteries that keep you guessing!

This is the first book by this author that I have read. I found it an enjoyable read with lots of twists and turns. The characters were well-written and the storyline was easy to follow. It kept me guessing till the end. The back ground story of how difficult it was after the war and how everyone had to make do made it even more interesting. I would now like to go back and the first book. I received this as an ARC from Netgalley and freely give my review.

I really enjoyed the first in this series, and the second does not disappoint! Reminiscent of Foyle's War crossed with Miss Marple, we start with all our favorite characters in Oxfordshire and it isn't very long before one of the hotel guests show up dead. The mystery is pleasantly twisty and spending more time with old friends is just the icing on the cake. I look forward to more adventures with Daisy.

The second in the series and an excellent continuation. Daisy tries to solve the murder of an insurance agent who was staying at the Dolphin Hotel in Fernfield. What possible secrets and enemies could an insurance agent have?

The characters are well-drawn, especially Daisy and police inspector Peter Thaxted, but the secondary characters as well. The author's descriptions of the difficulty of life in Britain immediately after the end of World War 2 are fascinating and a part of history often overlooked in the euphoria of the end of war. The plot is complex as the characters keep revealing their secrets thanks to Daisy's persistence and clever questioning. It would be good for a reader to read the first book in the series before this one, but Death at Larch Bridge would also work fairly well as a standalone. I look forward to the next book in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having read the previous book in what looks like becoming a series, I knew what to expect and once again thoroughly enjoyed the read. Doing so, sitting beside a pool in the sunshine added to the overall enjoyment, but having always enjoyed books by Gretna Mulrooney, it was simply an added bonus.
Recommend.

Such a mesmerising book, loved the plot and the characters. Really puts you in the era and is very captivating . Twists and turns makes it very entertaining and keeps you on the ball to solving the crime, fab book.