Death under Palm Trees (A Jack and Frances mystery Book 4) by Carmen Radtke – Review by Francis O’Sullivan

Death under Palm Trees by Carmen Radtke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Death Under Palm Trees is the fourth book in Carmen Radtke’s Jack and Frances mysteries series. It takes place primarily in Nice, where a festive gathering is doubling as a trap to identify a leak of information from the British Government.
Jack and Frances are supposed to be enjoying a much-deserved break, after visiting Jack’s mother in London. They enjoy the journey, with wonderful sensory descriptions of the scenery they pass, but before they arrive they learn that their mystery-solving skills will be needed and they make arrangements to take on undercover roles that will enable them to snoop more effectively.
I really like how the undercover roles Jack and Frances take on allow us a view of the servants’ lives. We see their routines, the demands they must attend to, the gossip and secrets they are privy to. It’s clearly well-researched! And it’s fun to see them struggling to maintain the façade of being strangers to each other and to Aunt Mildred and Tommy, who they have come to visit.
There’s plenty of glamour as well in this book, although even the most glamorous characters seem to have something to hide. There are plenty of secrets to keep readers turning the pages. Is this character acting strange because they’re involved in stealing the secrets, or do they have a secret of their own to hide?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it gets five stars from me! Now I need to go back and read the rest of the series… I would recommend it to mystery fans, particularly those who like a 1930s setting!

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