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Mystery author #3: Marian Babson

Title: Death in Fashion
Year of publication: 1986
Availability: Out of print, available second hand
Setting: England: London, mostly inside a fashion house, mid 1980's
Type of mystery: Murder and harassment (whodunit)
Type of investigator: No investigator
Deaths: 2
Some themes: Fashion, competition, homosexuality, jealousy, malice, daydreaming, practical jokes/harassment, murder.

When someone starts harassing the staff of a London fashion house during Fashion Week, everyone suspects the head designer’s malicious boyfriend. Someone has signed them up for all sorts of services, reported a fire, sent them a funeral wreath and half a ton of gravel. When the boyfriend dies horribly, everyone is shocked – they all wanted to get rid of him, but not in such a terminal way. And the harassment is not stopping...

Review: Well written and entertaining. While it qualifies as a whodunit mystery, it is not a detective story as such. There is no sleuth, the police play a minimal role, and both murder and harassment cases really solve themselves. In this case it is the great characters, the build-up to the murder, and the fascinating look behind the scenes of the fashion world that provides the entertainment.

Rating: 4 stars. Quite good, would not mind reading more by Babson. Maybe one of her cat mysteries?


Currently reading: Balham to Bollywood by Chris England, plus about 9 other books. Also listening to the unabridged audio book of The Lord of the Rings while I do all the Xmas chores.

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