A revisit to the lively Lady Hardcastle and her resourceful maid Florence from IN THE MARKET FOR MURDER brings us to a country estate where a week of motor racing is to be held. What jolly fun! DEATH AROUND THE BEND awaits the amateur sleuths, however.

Lord Riddlethorpe is a motoring enthusiast, and he is launching a new racing car company. At this time cars are still the preserve of the better off, usually those who can afford to hire a driver. The widowed Lady Hardcastle, home from India and China, drives herself in unconventional style. The large house gives the reader a chance to see the differing accommodations and workloads of the upstairs set and the downstairs staff. The Welsh lady's maid Florence has to be careful as the rest of the staff don't like anyone getting above their station. She spends much time concerned with meals on trays and ironed newspapers before the races begin. When they do, there's a crash. A driver is killed on hitting a tree - but rivalry is strong in the motor racing world, and it's not long before we get hints of sabotage.

The gentry love their lengthy courses of meals but the death has clearly shocked everyone. The cast is varied to present many suspects, from Miss Titmus the photographer to the proverbial butler. Rumours of bedroom hopping abound while Herr Kovaks might be spying for a major manufacturer like Benz or Mercedes. As the accident-prone occasion continues the challenges for Flo and her nosy mistress become ever greater.

This is a highly enjoyable read, with two well-established main characters who are comfortable with each other and lead a slightly unconventional lifestyle for their day. Flo is highly competent but her mistress is a former Crown agent so her fields of competency have had to extend to defensive arts and knowledge of poisons. If you like to read British historical crime fiction such as the Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, this will be a splendid series for you. Author T E Kinsey is from London and he studied history at Bristol University, explaining why his stories are largely set in the West Country, although DEATH AROUND THE BEND moves up to Gloucestershire. I'm enjoying the Lady Hardcastle Mysteries very much.