Murder on the Flying Scotsman (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries, No. 4)

Set in 1923 England, this series follows the adventures of the Honorable Daisy Dalrymple, a young woman who has defied convention by choosing to make her own living (as a journalist) rather than let her aristocratic family support her. Her friendship with Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, a widower, has progressed to the point that Daisy has been to his home to meet his disapproving mother and his doting young daughter, Belinda.
In this, the fourth of the series (preceded by "Requiem for a Mezzo" and followed by "Damsel in Distress"), we find Daisy taking the London-to-Edinburgh express, where she runs into an old school friend and her contentious family, all squabbling over the distribution of an impending inheritance. On top of that, Daisy must contend with Belinda, who has stowed away on the train after a fight with her grandmother. When Belinda discovers one of the cantankerous family members dead in his compartment, Daisy has her hands full watching over the young girl and trying to solve a murder.
One of the things I love about this series is the way Dunn avoids the traps that plague so many series writers. In particular, the "set up" of each mystery, and how Daisy AND Alec get involved, feels very genuine, not contrived at all. I dread mysteries where the heroine and the cop keep bumping into each other through a series of unlikely coincidences. Having Daisy call Alec and asking him to get involved is practical and realistic.
I also enjoy that Daisy is interested in solving the mysteries without being a nosy busybody; she simply finds herself in the middle of it all. She relies on Alec (rather than thinking she can handle things herself). He trusts her input (rather than dismissing her ideas).
I'm a fan of the entire series, and this one has a solid plot that keeps you guessing.

This "cozy" mystery was just not my cup of tea! The author began the book by throwing in a large number of characters and the most children I have ever seen in a mystery. It was very hard to get a handle on who they all were (even with the family tree in the frontispiece - which is actually a line from the book). Because there were so many people, I felt they were presented in a very shallow way. I like for characters to have some depth so that I know whether I like or dislike them. This just had a large group of people all wanting money. Greed, greed, and more greed. The intended murder victim was EXTREMELY obvious by page 21 and the murderer before I was halfway through the book.

I think this author is just not for me. If you like true depth of characters, intricately woven plots, and atmosphere which makes you feel you are looking over the shoulder of the sleuth, my recommendation would be to choose another book.