Review By Gabrielle
An absolute delight right from page one, readers will fall in love with The Night in Question.
Favourite Quote:
The next day, Florrie wakes, rises and opens the curtains on to a hot, brilliant morning. The wren fossicks in the undergrowth; the white painted bench looks back at her. ‘Splendid,’ she says to the waking room.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Florrie Butterfield—eighty-seven, one-legged, and of cheerful disposition—believes there can’t be any more adventures or surprises in life to experience. Yet one midsummer’s evening, there’s an accident at Babbington Hall—the adult residence where she lives—so shocking and strange that Florrie is suspicious; is this really an accident? Or is she being lied to? Is she, in fact, living alongside a potential murderer? In her efforts to learn the truth, Florrie is forced to look back on her own life, with all its passions and regrets; she must confront her own bloody secret—and, at last, forgive herself. Above all, Florrie learns, through the help of her new friend, Stanhope, that you’re never too old to have the life you’ve always dreamed of. When it comes to love, it’s never too late.
Oh my word! I just loved everything about this cozy mystery. The book jacket says fans of Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry will love this book and I have to wholeheartedly agree. It definitely has those vibes.
Florrie is an utter delight. One of my favourite characters so far this year. Florrie has had a remarkable life, full of adventure. Now at eighty-seven, and having lost her leg, she finds herself at Babbington Hall, a retirement residence. Even with all the hardship she has faced, she retains her optimism and her big heart. You can’t help but love her to pieces.
The mystery aspect of the book moves along slowly, and I found myself not minding one bit. In a lot of ways, the mystery is almost secondary to Florrie’s story. We get wonderful chapters looking back at Florrie’s life interspersed with what’s happening in the present. It’s a lovely structure for the book and I couldn’t get enough of Florrie.
The writing here is gorgeous. I found myself pausing many times to reflect on a beautifully written sentence. Descriptive and yet lyrical, the language Susan uses really brings all the characters and settings to life.
A must-read for bookworms who love a cozy mystery, The Night in Question will not disappoint.
Thank you, Doubleday Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
