A Most Efficient Murder by Anthony Slayton - Mr. Quayle is one hell of a secretary!

 

Mr. Quayle is one hell of a secretary! (Shameless Black Butler reference). When I first started reading this I thought it was going to be good, sometimes you just get that vibe within the first couple of pages of a book. But not read in four hours, download on my phone to read while walking to pick my daughter up from school good (I am not endorsing reading while walking and if you must make sure you stay aware of your surroundings)! 

Mr. Quayle has recently been hired on to be the Secretary to Lord Unsworth and his first big event is ensuring that Fanny's, the lord's favorite niece, eighteenth birthday party goes off without a hitch. And it is up until the body is found. No one knows who the young woman with the angry eyes is that was found stabbed to death, but Lord Unsworth knows that his family name must be protected at all costs, and to that end, he orders Mr. Quayle to do his own investigation besides the one the police are doing. Mr. Quayle reluctantly agrees but very rapidly discovers that everyone in the Unsworth clan has secrets worth murdering over. 

This book was one wild ride. When the whole murder plot was revealed I literally gasped out loud (scaring the crap out of my dog) because I was totally blindsided. The characters were each so well written by the end I had this picture of them in my head right down to how their voices sounded (and unfortunately Lady Constance reminded me just a little bit too much of my grandmother). There were no plot holes, no unanswered questions, and surprisingly the Unsworth Clan seemed to walk away from the whole affair a little stronger for it. I liked that part a lot that even though something really horrendous had taken place this very dysfunctional family had maybe finally found a place where they could trust one another and stop scheming. It wasn't just a good ending it was a happy ending. 

I want to thank BookSirens for the free eArc to this truly puzzling whodunit! This book will be available to purchase on April 3rd, pre-orders however are available now!