On St. Patrick's Day, I thought it might be worth looking back at three very Irish mysteries, all by the Irish author Eilis Dillon. She wrote three, all of which were reviewed here a couple of years back. The titles (with links to my blog posts, which, in turn, will provide links to audio reviews) are: Death at Crane's Court, Sent to His Account, and Death in the Quadrangle.
Dillon was a remarkably prolific writer, but after writing these three books, all in the mid-1950s, she never wrote any more mysteries. It's a pity. These are all witty, well-clued mysteries with likeable characters, and the Irish setting generally adds to the enjoyment. The Rue Morgue Press has reissued all three of these delightful books. I'd recommend them - even after St. Patrick's Day is over.
Les - I always wonder in situations like this why the author chose not to continue writing. Of course there are myriad reasons this could be the case. Some authors have had health issues, or have changed their priorities, or their publishers have chosen not to continue working with them. It's always unfortunate for the reader when that happens to a talented writer. Thanks for reminding us of this one.
Posted by: Margot Kinberg | March 17, 2013 at 12:59 PM
Margot, it's apparently something of a mystery. I think it's unfortuate. Dillon's books are really very good, written with charm and wit, and her characters - particularly Professor Davy, who stars in the first and last of the books - are really worth knowing.
Posted by: Les Blatt | March 17, 2013 at 01:02 PM