The Picture House Murders - Fiona Veitch Smith

'You know a book is good when you get up, realize you finished it last night and are really disappointed that you can't read it with your breakfast. This book reminds me of the best golden age of mystery writers, especially Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers... Can't wait for the next one!' Reader review 5 stars Murder is no occupation for a lady... or is it? 1929: Miss Clara Vale is a woman ahead of her time. Rather than attending Oxford to bag an eligible Duke (as her mother, Lady Vale, so desperately hoped), she threw herself into a degree in chemistry, with aspirations to become a scientist in her own right. But the world isn't ready for Clara. Unable to land a job in science because she's a woman, she is stuck behind the desk at a dingy London library. Until her estranged Uncle dies suddenly, leaving her his private detective agency, and laboratory, in his will.Clara couldn't become a detective, could she? The decision is made for her when one of her uncle's old clients comes to her for help with a case surrounding the local picture house and invites Clara to see the latest show, before they discuss the details.
But during the film, a fire suddenly engulfs the picture house, with tragic consequences.It seems at first an accident, but Clara soon begins to question if it was in fact a carefully orchestrated murder. She's suddenly in the middle of a deadly mystery and will discover her scientific skills make her a sleuth to be reckoned with... Can she catch the killer before they strike again?The first in a brand-new, glittering Golden Age cozy mystery series. Fans of Verity Bright, Helena Dixon and TE Kinsey will be hooked from the very first page to the final breathtaking finale.