A Dance With Murder

November 14, 2023
A Dance with Murder is the second outing for private investigator Edwina ‘Ted’ Bristol and her sidekick, Miss Marple, an intelligent and perceptive miniature schnauzer, following A Routine Infidelity (February, Pantera). Author Elizabeth Coleman is also a playwright and screenwriter, most notably for the television adaption of Kerry Greenwood’s Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries novels. Ted shares Phryne Fisher’s confidence, determination and wit, but is more likely to be dressed in costume for her weekly medieval battle game at Swordcraft than in haute couture. Ted investigates the stalker of ballerina Giselle—the ex-wife of Ted's new love interest—and a missing-person case connected to her sister Bob’s Carlton North florist shop. This is a cosy crime that seems to aim to reflect the diversity of our society, as Ted works with Kip (a non-binary witness who is wary of police prejudice) and collaborates with surveillance agent and Wurundjeri woman Aunty June. Meanwhile, in a reflection of modern concerns, Bob’s florist shop hosts a sold-out Reducing Your Environmental Footprint workshop. The laissez-faire approach of the private investigator is somewhat more jarring in this post-Covid Melbourne setting than in historical crime fiction, but Ted’s combined use of traditional techniques and modern technology makes for entertaining scenes, such as her undercover Tinder date with a life coach developing a wellness app. Full of unexpected twists and rich in loveable characters, the Ted Bristol series is best read in sequence, recommended for fans of Kerry Greenwood and R W R McDonald’s The Nancys.