Review (+ Tour Giveaway): Get Me to the Grave on Time

Get Me to the Grave on Time
By D. E. Ireland
The Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Mysteries
Grainger Press, 2016


Summary

Although Eliza still refuses to marry Freddy Eynsford Hill, everyone around her seems headed for the altar. Not only is her cousin Inspector Jack Shaw about to wed his sweetheart, but Freddy’s younger sister Clara is engaged, along with the niece of Henry Higgins. Another blushing bride is the sixty-year-old Duchess of Carbrey, who plans to marry a handsome fellow half her age. But when the groom is found dead, a jealous mistress is blamed for the murder. However, the death may also be connected to the stolen treasure of an Indian temple.

Disaster strikes next at Jack and Sybil’s wedding. Soon after, the wedding reception of Higgins’s niece takes a lethal turn. Someone is targeting bridegrooms, and the wedding of Freddy’s sister is next. Before another bridal bouquet is tossed, Higgins and Eliza must track down the killer. Otherwise, Clara’s bridegroom – and perhaps the bride herself – may be murdered before they can get to the church on time.


My thoughts

Get Me to the Grave on Time is part of the Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins mysteries, a cozy mystery series that is unusual, delightful, and refreshing. I grew up during the years where musicals were popular and never tire of watching them. My Fair Lady was my introduction to Eliza Doolittle, but I understand this series is based more on George Bernard Shaw’s play, Pygmalion.

No matter the version, however, you’ll still find the beloved characters of Eliza, Higgins, Pickering, and Freddy. Time has passed, and now Eliza and Higgins are much involved in the solving of murder mysteries that come their way. Get Me to the Grave on Time (gotta love that title!) is intelligent, vivid in historical detail, setting, and fashion – and is delightfully funny.

The narrative flows smoothly and is filled with witty dialogue. It’s fun to reconnect with the two main characters and see how they have developed. Higgins is still the charming curmudgeon who “found Eliza a delightful companion, but he’d swallow a tuning fork before admitting it.” And Eliza has become a woman of independent means … “Not only did she give elocution lessons at 27-A Wimpole Street, she recently became part owner of a victorious racehorse.”

There’s a lot of detail about customs and fashions of the time, which sometimes slows the plot down, but I enjoyed these elements overall. The mystery itself – involving weddings, murders or attempted murders, and a connection to India – was well plotted and entertaining.

Get Me to the Grave on Time is a fun story that fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy. Recommended.

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D.E. Ireland is a team of award-winning authors, Meg Mims and Sharon Pisacreta. Long time friends, they decided to collaborate on this unique series based on George Bernard Shaw’s wonderfully witty play, Pygmalion. While they admit the lovely film, My Fair Lady and its soundtrack proved to be inspiring, they are careful to stick to Shaw’s vision of the beloved characters from Eliza to Higgins to Pickering and Freddy Eynsford Hill. They’ve also added a cast of new characters to flesh out their own version of events post-Pygmalion. They both have patient husbands, brilliant daughters, and share a love of good books, tea and history.

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I was provided a free copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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