Death in the Aviary is the first in a locked room cozy historical mystery series by Victoria Dowd. Released 9th Sept 2025 by Datura Books, it's 400 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is a lovely golden age homage/pastiche, not derivative, and well written, clever, as well as engaging to read. The author does a fine job of constructing the fair-play puzzle and the clues are well engineered and the whole comes together very well. More of a Dorothy Sayers or Dame Ngaio Marsh vibe than Christie-esque, it's nevertheless solid.
The standard setup: an heir shot in a closed and moving elevator; all of the occupants had a strong motive. The female protagonist (who comes into the story a year after the murder) is quirky and complex, having been widowed just after the first war. The setting is suitably bleak, an isolated stately manor on a windswept moor.
The pacing structure is uneven, much of the book drags. There are extraneous asides (with some semi-magical/paranormal aspects) that felt tacked on and unnecessary. The characterizations are varied, with some of the secondary characters more sketched in than fully realized. The whole does resolve into a generally satisfying denouement and resolution, setting up the next installment.
Four stars. Engaging and well-done overall.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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