The only problem with Arlen’s mysteries is that there are sometimes too many characters. Manageable, but sometimes frustrating; good story nonetheless. ( )

This is yet another delightful installment of the Lady Montfort mystery series by gifted writer Tessa Arlen. I love books based on historical fact where the author does a goodly amount of research. This one did not disappoint. I look forward to reading more by Ms. Arlen ( )

Death of an Unsung Hero, Tessa Arlen

★ ★ ★ ★

Shades of Downton Abbey meets WW I:

As was the trend in England; Lady & Earl of Monfort have turned the recently emptied Dower House, Haversham Hall, into an auxiliary hospital for English WW I officers suffering from what was then known as "shell-shock" & "neurasthenia".

Mrs. Jackson, former Housekeeper for Lady Monfort is now the Quartermaster (administrator) of the hospital, working closely w/ the patients & scheduling the various staff.

One of the quieter patients, Captain Sir Evelyn Bray, is found in the kitchen garden with is head bashed in, both Lady Monfort & Mrs. Jackson work to find his killer... However accounting for all of the staffs', volunteers' & the other patients' whereabouts within the 2 hour span of his death is quite a grueling task.

To make matters worse, Captain Bray's younger brother has come up to visit and must be told of the murder.

I found this book to be much better than the previous two that I read.

The information on WW I English auxiliary hospitals & the new manner of treating shell-shock was very interesting, as therapy consisted of working on the land, gardening, painting, talking things out, & writing; all these were incorporated into the story and had a major part of solving the murder.

Amazingly there were many in England who were opposed to the auxiliary hospitals and kinder more intelligent type of treatment given to officers and they considered these traumatized men slackers, accusing them of cowardice and merely on an unnecessary vacation leave.

The work that continued throughout most of the English countryside estates by those residents who did not go to fight along with that of the volunteers and how families coped was interesting as well.

There was not as much boring supposition nor Red Herrings to confuse the story line, and I was able to guess out the murderer & motive early on but not the how or the necessary accomplice. ( )

This is a wonderful WWI mystery novel. This is the first one that I have read in this series but it was okay because I was able to figure out who all the people were in this series. I really loved Lady Montfort and Mrs. Jackson. They are great at solving mysteries. I look forward to reading many more of these stories. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur books for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will. ( )