The In Crowd
On the last Saturday in August, politicos and socialites trade tidbits of gossip and sips of Pimm’s under the tasteful bunting of a Richmond garden party. They’d never guess that the police are just a stone’s throw away, pulling a body out of the river Thames. The drowning appears to be a tragic accident – until Detective Caius Beauchamp gets an unexpected tip. The victim, it seems, had enemies in high places. Did being on the wrong side of them get her killed?

What does it do well?
Similar to Vassell’s first book in the series (The Other Half), the friendships Caius has with his fellow officers are delightful: particularly the wholesome, non-toxic banter between him and Matt.

Also similar to the first book, The In Crowd deals well with issues of privilege and wealth. There’s something enormously enjoyable in reading about absolutely awful rich people (particularly when they get their comeuppance…), and Vassell continues to lean in to this element.

The plot twist at the end, where a few dropped hints about government policy changes (I swear, this is more interesting than I’ve made it sound!) all cohere into an “oh fuuuuuck” moment for Caius and his family.

It’s one of a handful of books that I think manages to walk the tricky line of being a book which centres the police (and the Met no less!) while acknowledging the fact that the police are an inherently racist, violent and problematic institution. As someone who loves reading police procedurals but is firmly in the ACAB/defund camp politically, this is always a pleasure to come across.

What doesn’t work so well?
It did make sense for the plot that the vile Rupert, rapist and villain of the first book, made a comeback for this but ugh, it was hard and triggering to read sometimes.

It also emphatically would not work as a standalone – there’s far too much reference to the first book and to the over-arching backstory which I can see developing. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s something to consider if you haven’t read The Other Half.

Would I recommend it?
I really would! Some of the minor issues I had with The Other Half have been ironed out, the plotting felt pacy and gripping and the twist had me gasping. A solid 4 stars: I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next Caius Beauchamp book.

Detective Caius Beauchamp is back and investigating a suspicious death as a woman is pulled from the Thames. Is this a straightforward suicide or something more sinister?

After hearing so much about Charlotte Vassell's first novel I jumped at the chance to read the second book in the series; even though I hadn't read the first novel I felt like could enjoy The In Crowd. The characters and relationships really drew me into the story and I wanted to finish the book as quickly as possible to unravel the story. I loved the twists and turns of the novel and the ending left me with questions which I wanted answers to which is always a good sign!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

Just Delicious..
The second novel featuring Detective Caius Beauchamp and another hugely entertaining murder mystery heavily laced with a searing and biting social satire. As a high society garden party takes place amdist much Pimms and bunting in Richmond, the police are pulling a dead body out of the Thames - worlds are soon to collide. Immersive and compelling with a propulsive plot populated with a deftly drawn and keenly observed cast of characters and a nifty narrative. Beautifully done, perfectly executed. Just delicious.

I was so excited to read this book as I loved The Other Half by Charlotte Vassel and this book definitely did not disappoint, I was hooked as always!

This is the very best book I have read this year.

Firstly the author writes people you know. Not necessarily the rich but everyone knows Caius or Matt or even Amy. The way their friendship is written means that this book is beautiful, Vassell could have written those characters and then written her grocery list and I would have been thrilled. Character study at it's very best.

The mystery element of this book is as exquisite as the first book, salacious, clever, punchy and believable.

You do not need to have read the Other Half to read this book, but if you haven't, why on earth not?

I would love to read more and I hope that is in the works already.

Give this as a gift that the recipient won't forget.

I was sent this ARC by netgalley in return for an honest review, which this is.

As the summer draws to a close, a gathering of the wealthy and powerful is taking place at a party in Richmond, where any number of people are wearing hats - some made by Callie, milliner to the rich and famous, who is in attendance - while planning their forthcoming lavish wedding (in the case of Callie's friend Harriet and her uninspiring fiance Inigo) or their next power move (in the case of Harriet's father)...

Meanwhile, as the body of a near-destitute woman is recovered from the river nearby, her death is initially considered either accidental, or a possible suicide. Until Detective Caius Beauchamp receives a bizarre summons to a gentleman's club where he is given information that indicates that this death was no accident.

Despite being allowed to pursue another somewhat peculiar cold case in exchange for digging deeper into this one, Caius finds himself decidedly outmanoeuvred by the person providing him with this information and is not entirely comfortable with what he has unwittingly become entangled in.

This is a really unusual murder mystery featuring an unexpected cast of characters, from a truly unique detective in Caius Beauchamp, to his two delightful colleagues Amy and Matt, and of course Callie, a hat-maker whose personality and outlook are as unique as her career choice.

It took me a little time to get into the plot but I was so utterly bemused by the characters, I didn't really care about the plot for quite some time anyway! Readers familiar with the oddities of Britain's class system will particularly enjoy this book, which is written with a deftly humorous touch. Quirky and memorable, Vassell is definitely a writer to keep an eye on.