Powerful Daisy Mystery

Carola Dunn returns with a particularly strong entry in her Daisy Dalrymple series in Anthem for Doomed Youth. Eight years after the Armistice that brought to a close the First World War, implications from that arise again in one of Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher's more grisly cases. He gets a report that three bodies have been found in Epping Forest, the stereotypical burying ground of murdered bodies from London. They seem to have been buried at separate rules, the most recent a week ago, the middle one a couple months ago, and the oldest one a year ago. And all have pins on their jackets over they heart, with the most recent body's pin holding a piece of paper spelling out "justice." The only good side to this job is that it is far enough removed from the Fletchers' home that Daisy can't find herself involved. Thus Alec is more willing than usual to discuss details of the case with Daisy. And Daisy's friend Sakari, the Indian wife of a highly important official at the India office, wants to know all the details.

Because of the furious rate at which he and all his officers work to find the "Epping Executioner," Alec can't join Daisy and her friends at the sports day at the school of his daughter, Belinda. So Daisy goes to support Belinda, Sakari goes to support Deva, and their neighbor Melanie goes to support Elizabeth without the girls' fathers. The trio go to the girls' Quaker School in Saffron Waldon, a centuries-old community, and the girls do well at the school games day. The next day, after attending the Quaker service in the morning, the mothers take the girls to a park that contains a famous 17th century maze made of yew bushes. While the girls explore the maze, the mothers relax until Daisy hears frantic screaming coming from inside the maze. Lizzy has come across the body of the games master, and Daisy has to locate the gardener to help her find the girls lost in the maze and the dead body, who has clearly been murdered.

Anthem for Doomed Youth shifts back and forth between Alec and his case of three buried bodies and Daisy, along with her friends and their daughters. The cases intersect at the end of the book, but for the most part, they operate separately without feeling a strong disconnect between the two sets of stories. The book's title is based upon a poem of the same title by Wilfred Owen, a famous poet from World War I who wrote about the evils of the war after having experienced them personally as a soldier in the war. With Belinda's going to a Quaker school, she has a teacher who spent the war in prison for being a pacifist, which leads to discussions of conscientious objectors, especially in the light of the animosity shown to him by the games master, who was an officer in the war and a bully. One might be concerned that such a pattern of alternating between the two stories could be confusing, but Dunn does a strong job of making the shifts seamless.

I had a really good time with the characters, especially being reunited with some old friends. I enjoyed getting to see Daisy's twins begin to grow up and play with her, as they begin to speak a few words. I also had fun being reunited with the timid and proper Melanie and the curious and mischievous Zakari. I laughed at the way Zakari used her status as the wife of a high- level government official to tease the incompetent local detective.

Bernadette Dunne continues as the narrator of the latter half of the series. I really enjoy her performance as she brings this book to life. She does good voices for the characters, giving Melanie a nervous- sounding voice and Zakari a voice that positively twinkles!

I have read all of the Daisy Dalrymple books up until this one, and while some are weaker than others, Anthem for Doomed Youth is one of her stronger ones. Though named after a poem famous for lamenting all the young men who lost their lives, both through death and through being maimed, the book does not push the message of the evil of war to the degree of feeling like a political message. It does show a number of people harmed by the war, but I didn't feel like the message was politicized. I really appreciated this book and found it very well- written. I give it five stars.

5 people found this helpful

Narrator is terrible.

Made it through 3 chapters and couldn’t take it anymore. She’s difficult to understand when she does a male characters voice.

2 people found this helpful

Bad reader

The reader must have been different because she made Daisy sound like an airhead.the book was as always great.

5 people found this helpful

Heart rending and suspenseful!

This is my favorite book by Carola Dunn yet! Well written, complex plot, and superb character development. This story also combines historical elements with a general question of the morality of war and forcing someone to be a soldier. Great! And as always, Lucy Rayner does an excellent job!

One of the best stories yet

Always appreciate stories that explore the true costs of war. Thank you . Audible wants more words so here they are.

Many emotions - enjoy all so far

Many emotions, will be sad when I complete series. Hope their will be another series

Perhaps her best.

The characters are marvelous... the plot satisfying. There are tidbits of historical fact, conflicts of conscience, humor. Well worth reading.

I think I’m addicted to Daisy 😀

Great story with. Very thought provoking message. I have listened to this twice now as I listen as I go to sleep and I think I missed a bit the first time 😀

Back on track

I am happy to say that this series is back on track, the narration was much improved (even very good), and Daisy did not annoy me once in this book. I also liked how prominent a role Alec played in this book. He wasn't just the exasperated husband. You got to see how he obtained the rank he did using that sharp, nimble mind of his, a good understanding of human nature, and what makes a man do what he does, both bad and good. I also truly enjoyed Sakari and her successful thwarting of the local police. I've also fallen in love with Tom Tring and Ernie Piper.
The only character I can't stand is Mel. Geez, if her husband could breathe for her she would let him--so mealy mouthed, yuck!
This book is much more serious and darker than the previous ones. There was a particular scene where a former soldier was being questioned and I was so moved by it I felt like I couldn't breathe. It was that tragic, that awful. This one was definitely worth the read.....on to the next.

Awful

Worst entry in an otherwise good series. Certainly hope this is not a trend. A delightful series with this exception. Please no more. Go back to the original formula!

1 person found this helpful