Death in the Aviary - by Victoria Dowd (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A 'locked lift' mystery for Golden Age crime fans, from award-winning author Victoria Dowd.

December 1929, and young back-room journalist Charlotte Blood is sent to the isolated Ravenswick Abbey in the wilds of Dartmoor to investigate the murder of the heir to the Ravenswick fortune. She faces a locked room mystery like no other, a crime impossible to solve. Almost a year ago, on New Year's Eve, nine members of the Ravenswick household stepped into a vast, ornate lift installed for the ailing head of the family, Lord Ravenswick. The power failed. The lift stopped. In the darkness, a single shot was fired. As the light returned, the occupants were met with the sight of Charles Ravenswick, the heir, dead on the floor, the gun lying in the centre of the lift. No one could have got in. No one could have got out. All have motives. None have alibis.

Charlotte Blood arrives under the pretence of reporting on the family's infamous ravens. She finds a house haunted by suspicion and secrets. She must unravel the mystery and with it the terrible truth behind the Ravenwicks. Her search will not only lead her down a dangerous path, it will reveal some of the dark secrets that lurk in her own life...

Meet the enigmatic protagonist Charlotte Blood for the first time in this new gothic crime series, The Blood Chronicles...

Review Quotes

"Steeped in grief and darkness, Charlotte Blood is a compelling heroine. Deliciously dark and gorgeously gothic, Dowd's twist-filled puzzle positively drips with menace."
- Antony Johnston New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Blonde

"Historical crime doesn't get much better than this - a vivid world, characters that leap off the page, all wrapped up in a delicious whodunnit. Just fabulous."
- Jonathon Whitelaw, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives

"I adored this fantastic first book in the new series by Victoria Dowd. I raced through Death in the Aviary in a matter of days and was gripped all the way to the fiendishly-clever reveal. Dowd's characters leap off the page, and her humourous touch makes Death in the Aviary not just a superbly-clever puzzle but also a thoroughly entertaining read. With this brilliant innovation on the "locked room mystery", Dowd firmly establishes herself as the modern queen of "golden age" detective fiction. I cannot wait to read the next instalment of Charlotte Blood's adventures."
- Phillipa East, author of Dagger short-listed Little White Lies

"Utterly brilliant. Victoria Dowd proves yet again that she's in the top tier of mystery fiction writers, with wit, a fabulous puzzle, and the odd frisson of spookiness."
- Tom Mead, author of Death of the Conjuror

"Fun, touching and really exciting."
- Barbara Nadel, author of the BBC's The Turkish Detective

"Victoria Dowd's brilliant evocation of 'Golden Age' crime with her 'locked lift' mystery wonderfully captures the spirit of the age without ever reading as pastiche. Certainly, I detected echoes of the 'queens' of the genre, especially the aristo vibe of a certain Miss Sayers (although also the 'whimsy' of a certain Mr Waugh) but Death in the Aviary remains very much Ms Dowd's book, not simply a celebration but a compelling and ingenious reimagining very much on her own terms. A very bright beginning for Miss Blood!"
- Tom Benjamin, author of the Daniel Leicester series

"Charlotte Blood is a wonderful new heroine set to take the world of detection by storm. Feisty, intelligent, and deeply sensitive, she jumps off the page in a beautifully written, terrifyingly atmospheric gothic page turner, that keeps you guessing to the very last line. Family feuds, hidden secrets, windswept moors and talking ravens, an irresistible combination!"
- Sam Blake, author of Three Little Birds

About the Author

Victoria Dowd is the award-winning author of the bestselling Smart Woman's Mystery series. In 2021, her debut novel in the series, THE SMART WOMAN'S GUIDE TO MURDER, won The People's Book Prize and was In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel's book of the year. Since then, Victoria has gone from strength to strength; in 2023 she was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger. She has spoken at many literary festivals, including The International Agatha Christie Festival, Harrogate, Crimefest, the Malice Domestic (the Agathas) in Washington DC and the Jaipur Literary Festival with Vaseem Khan. Originally from Yorkshire, she was a criminal defence barrister for many years and is now a board member of the Crime Writers' Association and head of the London Chapter.