Murder on Mustique by Anne Glenconner

I was not sure I’d enjoy reading Murder on Mustique by Anne Glenconner, but the setting was appealing. Who would not want to spend a few days on Mustique, the tiny Windward Island that is a tropical get-away for the rich and famous? Including, at one time, the late Princess Margaret.

Anne Glenconner was Princess Margaret’s Lady in Waiting from 1971 until her death in 2002. Lady in Waiting, Anne Glenconner’s recently published memoir was a huge bestseller – and one I may well read after the tempting few chapters that appear at the end of Murder on Mustique 

“Lady Vee” is our heroine and is obviously based upon the author herself. The others who people this novel are also based on people who inhabit Mustique and others who are entirely fictional. I bet the residents of Mustique have had fun determining who is who.

Lady Vee is preparing for the birthday of her god daughter, Lily, a huge party to celebrate her coming of age. But, the death of one of Lily’s closest friends is a shocking and sobering event – followed closely by another death. It is obvious that these young people were murdered – but why, and by whom? Police detective DS Solomon Nile has recently returned to the island after education and employment in the UK. He has mixed feelings about his return, but soon has no time to think of himself. He is determined to discover who is responsible for the murders of two privileged young people on an island of only a few hundred residents.

I have to say I enjoyed this mystery novel more than I expected to. It was a book I wanted to read to the end – peopled with interesting characters, with an appealing setting and culture. The action all takes places within a few weeks, as a hurricane is forecast to hit the islands and all travel is restricted – perfect for keeping victims and perpetrator in place! There are those who are suspected, but completely innocent, and others who appear to blameless but may, or may not, be what they appear to be.

I liked the main characters, and suspect there may be another book to follow as Mustique becomes the scene of more crime in the future – even if all entirely fictional!