When an unpopular physician is found stabbed to death in his consulting room, Sheila Malory is not terribly surprised as so many people found the man arrogant and, perhaps, complicit in the death of one of his patients. Since she herself was in the waiting room at the time of the incident, she feels more than usually compelled to find out whatever she can about the case, and the fact that she knows many of the suspects very well helps her to help the police discover the truth….I very much enjoy this cozy series, set in the fictional town of Taviscombe and featuring a slightly more modern Miss Marple type of amateur sleuth; this particular entry, the 16th in the series, continues to showcase life in a small English town, in this case in the early 2000s. However, I have some criticisms of the book because the solution to the mystery comes somewhat out of left field, with no hints given as to the possibilities (unless, of course, I as a reader managed to miss them!); this made the ending feel rushed and not quite satisfying. Still, an enjoyable read overall, so mildly recommended. ( )

Excellent whodunit with a real twist at the end! Another great Mrs. Malory mystery in the style of Agatha Christie. ( )

This one got docked a half star for the plethora of characters. Quite possibly if I'd read all 15 books in the series, instead of having previously read only one of them, it wouldn't be so overwhelming. That's always a problem coming into the middle of a series. However, if the book had grabbed me, it wouldn't have bugged me so much--I'd just feel compelled to start at the beginning. But this was such a rambling story--we get treated to discussions of the main character cleaning out her closets, frex--that I lost track of what the mystery was supposed to be for chapters at a time. ( )