Death at Danforth House

The plot of Death at Danforth House, the second in a series, treads a well-worn path – a murder mystery weekend in a mansion. Seeking to identify his natural birth mother, a full-of-himself young mystery writer, invites twelve guests to his house. Their histories, all introduced in a single, dense chapter, are packed with undisclosed secrets, dead relatives, and unsolved murders to the point where they strain credulity. Frequent references to a crossbow and a long-locked ballroom hint at events to come. Originality enters via several twists. Mystery enthusiasts might anticipate the first, but the final surprise has real bite. That said, the ending leaves unsolved the mystery driving the story, an outcome that, while providing a convenient lead-in to the next entry in the series, may leave the reader unsatisfied.

The writing is often trite (If only she knew how right she was to be alarmed) and occasionally pretentious (His eyes threatened to turn lachrymose). Frequent typos (twenty by my count) will also annoy readers. The passable plot and mediocre writing combine to make this, at best, a mildly entertaining read.