Dancing with Dusty Fossils

The York Detective Ladies' Agency Mysteries, Book 2

By: Karen Charlton

Narrated by: Corrie James

York, England: June 1940

While Jemma continues to search for her missing husband, the citizens of historic York are shocked by a series of vicious crimes at the city's two museums.

A bungled break-in at the Yorkshire Museum is quickly followed by the brutal murder of Lance Richards, a sub-curator at the neighboring Castle Museum.

The main suspect is Anthony Gill, a quiet and unprepossessing clerk. But Gill doesn't have an alibi and is uncooperative with the police. His desperate lawyer hires Jemma and Bobbie from Smoke & Cracked Mirrors to prove his innocence.

Meanwhile, the two women are led a merry dance by Jodie, a famous and spirited actress, whose aristocrat husband wants evidence for a divorce.

As the nation waits nervously to hear the fate of their sons and brothers trapped at Dunkirk, a twisting series of events whisk Jemma and Bobbie through the glamourous world of the starlet, down corridors of dusty fossils, and into terrifying danger.

Vengeful passions and a dark crime lie beneath the civilized veneer of those elders who preserve our history. But if Anthony Gill didn't murder Lance Richards, who did—and why?

©2022 Karen Charlton (P)2023 Tantor

Book Two in a new series

I really like the characters in this new series. A women's detective agency- or any woman run business would have faced nearly insurmountable odds from mutual areas - social, business, and church. I'm anxious to see how book three addresses the new challenge a returning Michael offers.

Well written, rushed ending.

I have enjoyed the stories and characters. Still a bit difficult to follow narration with similar voices, and noted two errors in the recordings where lines were repeated in Chapter 39 at the 2:23 second mark it repeats flicking ash in ashtray. And Chapter 43 at the 4:37 mark it repeats Bobby sat quietly.

The wrap up of the polar was good, but the wrap up of character arcs felt rushed, like some movies that aren’t sure if they’ll make a sequel or not. They give a satisfactory ending as a “Just in case.” It’s passable, but not as satisfactory an ending as I would have liked.

But it is still well rounded and full of adventure.

A captivating adventure

Jenna and Bobbie, female private investigators continue this interesting series tailing an actress and trying to solve a murder. Superb Narration.