The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge is the third volume in Martin Edwards' Rachel Savernake "Golden Age" Mysteries series. Technically, it isn't a "Golden Age" mystery, since it's being released for the first time, well after the end of that golden age. Calling it a golden age mystery is, nonetheless, appropriate, as it has all the characteristics of the best golden age mysteries:
• a cast of "types" that are both true to form, but not irritatingly so
• a wealth of clues, some helpful, some misleading
• a mystery that spans centuries
• "goth-ish" elements like caves, seances, precarious cliffs, a sanatorium with suspicious deaths, a rigid and unforgiving vicar, and a small village hostile to outsiders
• an absolutely brilliant denouement scene—followed by yet more surprises
• a "clue finder" at the end—a feature of many Golden Age mysteries that allows readers to identify where clues to specific parts of the mystery were placed within the novel.

What The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge *doesn't* have is also important:
• no excessively graphic violence
• neither sidelining of women nor belittling of women's intelligence
• no stomach-churning thriller/psychological terror elements

The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge offers a more-exciting-than-cozy-but-not-blood-soaked mystery structured with such intelligence that even the most seasoned readers of mysteries will find themselves startled at times. It will make for excellent reading, both on the beach and during a dark and stormy night.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own. ( )

The main reason I'm not a fan of detective novels is the focus on plot over character, whereas I favour character-driven stories. Rachel Savernake is a case in point - the amateur detective herself consists entirely of adjectives, primarily 'beautiful', 'sharp' and 'rich', while never really coming alive for anyone but the author. Tell me the female character has been written by a man without telling me: 'Rachel’s good looks were matched only by her ruthless determination to go her own way.' The supporting characters are weaker still, from the pushy journalist to the policeman-in-my-pocket who hangs around to make the actual arrests. I did like Nell, the female journalist who leads the first half of the story and takes the 'locked room' mystery of Blackstone Tower to Rachel, but because she can't pass for a teenager (gag) and isn't very attractive, her days are numbered. Perhaps if I had read the series in order, instead of jumping to book three on Kindle Unlimited, I might have more of a feel for the cast, but I'm not convinced.

The mystery is actually what drew me to read book three: ‘An abandoned cave dwelling, a dangerous stretch of river, a sinister tower, an asylum on the moors, and deadly marshland. Not to mention a history of mysterious vanishings from a Jacobean gatehouse.’ All of which is set in Yorkshire, including a nod to Hardcastle Crags and Bolton Strid. But even though I don't usually follow the clues while reading mysteries, usually content to let the detective take the lead, I don't think the many convoluted, interwoven murders and general skulduggery here would have made any sense if I was actively trying to solve the puzzle. There's even a list of leading dialogue that the author insists I should have been picking up on in the back of the book, along the lines of 'Oh, you didn't know that this place had a name change in 1915?' and 'Ah yes, the Baconian cipher, of course!' Not that Miss Savernake needs any help, she just has to jump over a river to solve the whole case in a second, while padding out the rest of the book with seances, double identities, priest holes and asylums.

I think what La Savernake needs - apart from a punch in the face - is an everyman (or woman) assistant. Nero Wolfe is insufferable but lets Archie Goodwin do the talking. Morse is also one of the opera and chess set, but good old Lewis is there for the reader. And no, the journalist doesn't count, because he - like every other male in the book - simply adores the woman. If I want to read more about a 'handsome, clever and rich' character, I'll stick with Austen's Emma, thanks. ( )

1930, journalist, locked-room-mystery, rural, Northern-England, cold-case, reclusive, relationships, relatives, friction, frenemy, friendship, frustration, Yorkshire, disappearance, atmospheric, attempted-murder, murder, amateur-sleuth, secrets, lies, suspense*****

A very intricate and sneaky whodunit with more than the usual sidetracks and red herrings. One to read when fully awake and ready to engage but not one to listen to as background while doing a crossword!
The location is a remote area with a former sanitarium and some rather reclusive characters and unexplained disappearances, and the publisher's blurb is a good start.
Challenging and rewarding!
I requested and received an EARC from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )