Murder is in the Air by Frances Brody

1920s Yorkshire is still a rather traditional place. With a view of increasing business, an idea to have a competition for a woman of the area to be a representive of the Yorkshire pubs and ale in particular are put in place. The story is set amongst the brewing industry in Yorkshire and the descriptions of both the lifestyle of not just the owners of these breweries but the actual lives of those who work both in the breweries and in the pubs and the women that support them, added a lot of character to the original story. Kate has been invited by the owner as he is unsettled by recent events at the brewery. His nephew gone on a protracted trip to Europe does not show any sign of returning to take up his position at the brewery and then pubs with a long standing relationship with the brewery cancels their orders. Kate and her assistant Sykes comes in to just look into matters and immediately Sykes picks up on several failings within the brewery including the all important matter of security. Going on from there a series of small events tend to indicate that things are not quite right culminating in the murder of a drayman when matters take a much more serious turn, because now it is not just mischief but murder in play. In a manner of an Agatha Christie story, the detection is slow but methodical and you know Sykes and Kate are not going to be side tracked by other events happening. The focus is on finding out the story and find out they do. The history of the era, and history of the breweries including the setting added so much interest to this story. Sent by Crooked Lane Books courtesy of Netgalley, for an unbiased review.