Murder at Ardith Hall

 

Murder at Ardith Hall (2021) by Irina Shapiro

Murder strikes again in the vicinity of Lord Jason Redmond and Inspector Daniel Haze. This time, Mr. Stillman, a guest at a private seance being held at Ardith Hall, dies as the medium begins to channel the spirits. What initially looks like a poisoning winds up being even more sinister--someone had been feeding Stillman a regular diet of ground glass. The arsenic in his pre-seance drink brought on a respiratory attack that ruptured the his already compromised system. So...did the killer get tired of waiting for the glass to do its work and decide to poison their victim? Or are there two hands at work? That's what Redmond and Haze need to find out.

The investigation is complicated by the fact that Daniel's wife Sarah was a member of the seance, invited by the hostess Mrs. Tarrant. She has never recovered from the death of their small son and was desperate to contact his spirit. So, Daniel's superior asks Redmond to take the lead in the investigation--if he refuses, then the Yard will be called in and there may be some very uncomfortable moments for the Haze family. Redmond doesn't want to step on Haze's toes, but he also wants to make things as easy as possible for his friend. So, he agrees

Initially, there seems to be little motive for the murder, Stillman had a business connection with Mr. Tarrant but no known connection with any of the other "seeker." But as the investigation progresses Redmond discovers that Mrs. Lysander, the medium, was right when she told him that every member of the seance had a connection to the victim. Whether they realized it or not... And somewhere in those connections lies the motive for murder.

Another good entry in this series. There are some anachronisms here and there, but I'm willing to overlook them for the characters. I'm enjoying the development of the Redmond and Haze friendship--and the realistic ups and downs that come in this installment. The tensions that creep in because of Sarah's involvement in the seance and Redmond's need to take the lead, test the friendship and it comes out stronger. Given the ending (spoiler--so I can't share), it will be interesting to see where Shapiro takes things next.

The mystery is fairly strong though I still would like to see more valid suspects. We have a nice bunch of possibles here in the seance, but not enough red in the red herrings to distract for long. Overall, an enjoyable series that will keep me reading. ★★★ and 1/2 [Finished 9/2/25]

First line (Prologue): A single candle in a silver holder glowed in the center of the table, casting a golden halo of light onto the tense faces of the people seated around it.

First line (1st Chapter): Jason Redmond gazed at the imposing facade of Ardith Hall as the carriage rolled through the wrought-iron gates and made its way up the sweeping drive.

Last line: He kissed first Katie, then Lily on the forehead, and left the room, eager to see what the day would bring.
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Deaths = 4 (two bled to death; one run over by carriage; one war)