This is the kind of series that you either love or are neutral on. Set in the 1920's in the UK, it features Dandelion (Dandy) Gilver, a married aristocrat whose children are away at boarding school and whose husband apparently accepts detective work as a suitable outlet for his intelligent wife.
In this novel, Dandy is called upon by a Lollie Balfour, a young wife in Edinburgh, Scotland, who reports that her wealthy husband, Pip, is both abusive and threatening. She fears for her life, despite the fact that she still loves Pip deeply, and asks Dandy to pose as a ladies' maid so she can infiltrate the house and get to the bottom of Pip's threats. Dandy learns most of what she needs to know to pose as Miss Fanny Rossiter, ladies' maid, from her own ladies' maid. When Pip is found murdered, new suspects seem to appear on every page, but things just don't add up neatly for Dandy and she brings her friend Alec in on the investigation. Watching Dandy attempt to convincingly move "downstairs" is entertaining in itself, but it can't compare to the slow, intriguing unraveling of the multiple clues and relationships that gradually lead to a very surprising ending. This historical mystery gets a thumbs up from me. The ending may seem a bit far-fetched, but I think it works!
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