A Maid For Murder (The Sinclair Mysteries) by Bethany Swafford; Ongoing Mystery Makes and Mars Historical Mystery

 A Maid For Murder (The Sinclair Mysteries) by Bethany Swafford; Ongoing Mystery Makes and Mars Historical Mystery 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: It's rare when a mystery series relies entirely on an ongoing mystery that travels from volume to volume. It's different but it can also cause problems while reading. That is the situation found in Bethany Swafford’s Sinclair Mysteries and its second volume, A Maid For Murder.

In the previous volume, The Secret of Burnham House, the brother of Juliet Sinclair, a former lady of standing, was found dead under mysterious circumstances. Her investigation in London offers a lead in Bath.

This volume tells of Juliet's adventures in Bath where she creates the identity of Julie Nelson, a lady's maid to the haughty Miss Dunbar. Juliet's investigation is complicated by Miss Dunbar’s unstable demeanor, her lecherous brother, a former suitor of Juliet's who is definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time, a woman with a connection to Juliet's late brother, and a blackmailer.

The ongoing mystery is both a benefit to the book by making it a unique murder mystery and a drawback to the narrative structure of this volume and the series as a whole.

The ongoing mystery provides much wider stakes than the usual crimes of passion or killing someone for an inheritance or insurance payout that are found in stand alone mystery novels. 

Once the reader becomes used to the idea that anyone could be involved, they become aware how long and how tangled this network really is. In theory, it could go as high as the governing offices. 

This overarching plot leads to genuine moments of suspense as Juliet puts herself in jeopardy while in Bath. Anyone knowing her real name could be an enemy or at the very least could blow her cover. She is held captive or put under suspicion by people who normally would just be among the Dunbar’s frequent callers but often cast wary glances at the familiar looking lady's maid who bears a striking resemblance to a certain London lady who suffered a family tragedy.

Another asset is that it makes the novel more realistic. Sometimes a mystery can't be solved in a short time frame. Sometimes it takes longer. Some may not be solved at all. If the murder occurred in higher offices, it takes a lot more than pluck and determination of one person to bring it down. Sometimes it takes another authority.

Also Swafford chose an interesting protagonist to explore this network. Juliet is the usual scrappy, feisty, opinionated, bright observant amateur detective that this type of book usually calls for. 

It's also fascinating as this volume requires Juliet to work as a lady's maid. She sees first hand the abuse, demands, and constant repetitive tasks that maids have to do, responsibilities she probably never had to think about.

 She also sees how employers treat servants like they are invisible only there to serve needs, agree with orders, and absolutely never have an opinion of their own. It's dehumanizing but at the same time it gives Juliet an advantage so she can observe and listen to leads and clues without being spotted.

Some of the best passages in the book are Juliet’s moments with the Dunbar Siblings who are to say the least pieces of work. Miss Dunbar is a spoiled shrill unstable harridan that Juliet is barely biting back insults and the urge to fight back. Her brother is a lecherous cad and potential rapist who thinks that any woman is his for the taking. 

Many of Juliet's best moments are when she outsmarts and outplays the Dunbars and especially when she is finally put in a situation where she can really let them have it.

However, there are some serious drawbacks to an ongoing murder that lasts through the series and it shows here. The mystery can never be solved in one volume so readers are left trying to figure out the details that threaten to become more convoluted as the series continues. Also, it's intensely frustrating as potential leads and clues slip out from Juliet's grasp which makes one question her detective skills if she can't solve the mystery in one volume.

Then there is a question about the series longevity. How long does Swafford intend to stretch this central mystery? It could only last for so long before the books become repetitive. It's possible that once this central mystery is solved, then another one will begin in subsequent volumes but that removes the potential uniqueness of the series.

Another issue is while earlier I praised the book for its realism in extending the main plot, is realism really what people are going for when they read historical mysteries?

From my experience, no. Mostly we want fantasy. We like empowerment. We want the plucky protagonist who is ahead of her time to face the bad guys and win, especially when it's in the name of a loved one. Is it realistic? No not always but it's comforting. That's why we return to this genre and keep coming back. We want to know that the killer is identified and justice is always met. If it's not true in real life then maybe it can be in fiction.