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2000s: Fancy a date with mystery in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales?
Date with Mystery
What you need to know before your trail
Samson O’Brien is hired by a local solicitor to find a death certificate for a young woman who died over twenty years ago. However the solicitor insists that Delilah Metcalfe, with her wealth of local knowledge, works alongside Samson on this sensitive investigation. They suspect the case might not be as straight forward as they thought.
Delilah is eager to help. Anything to take her mind off the looming custody battle for her precious dog, Tolpuddle, and the threat of the bank foreclosing on her struggling Dales Dating Agency.
As Samson and Delilah begin their inquiries they soon become embroiled in a mystery that has lain at the heart of the town for decades. But in uncovering the truth have they exposed secrets that some would prefer remained buried?
Travel Guide
Yorkshire Dales
Julia Chapman talks location and all things Yorkshire
There is no Bruncliffe in real life sadly but Skipton which is real is only 30 minutes away from it so visiting Skipton would be a very good alternative to the real thing. There is, as yet, no Dales Detective Agency nor is there a Dales Dating Agency but fingers crossed!
Bruncliffe might seem quiet yet surprisingly busy and gossipy behind the scenes. Farming is still the main activity for many but there are financial problems and people are struggling. The Dales Dating Agency is also having its problems.
Rainsrigg Quarry
This quarry is the source of many problems in the novel. It’s of course fictional but there are a few quarries in the area so who knows? 😉
Leeds
The investigation this time takes them to Leeds which they find to be a bit busier than Bruncliffe! They take Tolpuddle and at first head to Roundhay Park and then to the busy street of Briggate where there are plenty of shops including a warm outdoor clothing shop which proves to be very useful for Samson! He knows the city fairly well having lived here for two years but has only really spent time in Harehills, so this side to the city is new to him. A bit of a journey of discovery for him in more ways than one!
Streetview Maps
E) Leeds - Roundhay Park
G) Leeds - Harehills
Trail Gallery
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
Aah I do love a dales Mystery and this is a great one! Julia’s books are a lovely holiday – a break from crime fiction and gritlit and a jaunt into the past even though the books are present day.
Her books make me smile – very Agatha Raisin style mixed with a bit of Marple and good old fashioned sleuthing. It’s always good when a nice little village turns out to have a few secrets and this book doesn’t just bring them out, it drags them kicking and screaming.
I think Delilah and Samson are getting to be really good characters now – even better now I know them even better than before. Their nuances, banter and relationship develops nicely and Bruncliffe seems even more real. I wish it was! (Skipton is a nice real alternative)
The investigation takes them to Leeds and the case of a solicitor asking about a will turns and twists in ways noone, least of all me, expected. I would just like to say that Tolpuddle made this novel for me. That gorgeous dog sounds mad but so lovely! This series gets better and better and there’s a lot to like with this one.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Date with Mystery
Destination : Yorkshire, Leeds Author/Guide: Julia Chapman Departure Time: 2000s
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