BOOK REVIEW: The Skeleton in the Closet, by M.C. Beaton

I've never read an M.C. Beaton mystery that didn't star either Hamish Macbeth or Agatha Raisin, so I'm glad I tracked down this stand-alone novel. It's charming, and written in a style that reminded me of Michael Palin's novel, Hemingway's Chair (which I read years ago and absolutely loved).


The story revolves around two people trying to solve a years old train robbery rather than a murder, though a few people are killed--or nearly killed--along the way. I liked Fellworth and Maggie as the sleuthing couple and almost wish Beaton had given them their own series. They could have been a folksy Tommy and Tuppence, or a shabby Nick and Nora Charles.



Keep reading for a sort-of-but-not-really-and-actually-not-at-all *spoiler*...





The only thing that surprised me, familiar as I am with Beaton's other work, was that there wasn't a literal skeleton in the closet. The title is use in the traditional sense of the phrase to mean "a hidden family secret," which is established early on as the main intrigue (so it's not a spoiler). Still, with M.C. Beaton, I was a little disappointed no bones came tumbling out of the pantry!


BOOK DETAILS:
The Skeleton in the Closet
Author: M.C. Beaton
Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries
Publication Date: March 15, 2002
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Source: my local library