I can't remember how this ended up on my list, but it's part of a series about a detective named MacDonald who solves mysteries. This particular title is number 35 in the series! There were a total of 46 released, and the last one came out in 1959.
Muriel is the worst. She controls everything and everyone. She married a man who already had a daughter, and she treats that adult child like a slave. And since that daughter had a breakdown after the war, Muriel uses that against her to keep the daughter under her power. There's also other members of the household, and they're all dysfunctional. The only thing that will break the cycle is the murder of Muriel.
MacDonald is put on the case, and it seems like the dysfunction of the house is just making the case more muddled. By the end, things become clear, but the end is sad.
This book was interesting, but it seemed too long. It seemed like we spent the entire time in the house, so it was almost like it was meant to be a play. The different characters seemed to go over the same ground over and over. And the end made me sad, so I'm not giving this a positive review. It was a middle of the road mystery, and I felt like red herons (herrings to normal folk) were thrown in there just to be there. I have plenty of other authors I'd rather read.
