Changes

Being at a loose end with little to engage her attention is probably the reason why our heroine notices that the little girl on the beach is being bullied, and why she takes the time to escort her back to the convalescent home. TB was far more common in the fifties than it is now, and children were often sent to the coast to recuperate because sea air was believed to be beneficial. Lali is almost ready to be discharged, but not before she has introduced her new friend to the other children in her ward – and a couple of mysteries. What exactly are the nurses hiding? And why did one of their regular visitors die so horribly, mere hours after he left the sanatorium? It's not long before Mirabelle is on the case, getting herself into one awkward and occasionally near-lethal situation after another – and possibly meeting a new love-interest in the process.

Once again what makes this story stand out is not only the perceptive portrayal of a single woman using her intelligence to defeat criminals, but the era itself. The war is long over in some ways: there are greater freedoms, both in behaviour and relationships, but a woman on her own is still unlikely to be served in a bar, and Mirabelle is treated with, at best, avuncular disdain by the professional crime-solvers. We meet priests, nurses, drab housewives and even the working girls who entertain business men businessmen at Brighton's top-end hotels – all trying to move on from the privations and horrors of the past to build happier, more secure lives in the present. It's a lively and varied backcloth which will satisfy the reader just as much as seeing the current batch of villains get what they deserve.

Like all good books , this one can be read without the earlier ones in the series, but in many ways , it would be a shame as they chart so well the progress of life from post-war austerity at the beginning of the fifties to a return to some semblance of normality. At the very least it's worth starting at the beginning with [[Brighton Belle: a Mirabelle Bevan Mystery by Sara Sheridan|Brighton Belle]] and following up with the second, [[London Calling: a Mirabelle Bevan Mystery by Sara Sheridan|London Calling]]. By then you'll probably be hooked! And if you fancy another historical crime story with a female detective, have a look at [[Things in Jars by Jess Kidd]]. The heroine is more than a little quirky, but the world of the London Irish in the Victorian era is beautifully portrayed in all its crazy, colourful contrasts. [[Sara Sheridan's Mirabelle Bevan books in chronological order]]