Death of A Pilgrim-David Dickinson

Death of A Pilgrim
David Dickinson
Soho, Feb 2009, $25.00
ISBN: 9781569475409

In 1905, wealthy American “Robber Baron” Michael Delaney demands his extended family go on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain; no one dares refuse. However, near mountainous Le Puy-en-Velay, France, his English relative John Delaney falls to his death.

Semi-retired private investigator Lord Francis Powerscourt leads the inquiry and rules it a homicide instead of an accident though Michael pressures him otherwise. Soon other family members are murdered leading to Powerscourt knowing someone seeks vengeance against the Delaney brood. However, though many people detest Michael, why kill the others who are just minor pawns remains elusive as does the identity of the culprit.

The latest Powerscourt historical investigative thriller (see DEATH ON THE HOLY MOUNTAIN) transports readers to the early twentieth century on the continent as fans have come to expect from this series. The story line is fast-paced from the moment John takes his dive off the mountainside and never slows down as the Delaney corpses pile up. Although the ending seems too simplistic for a family dramatization of And Then There Were None, historical whodunit readers will enjoy David Dickinson’s latest mystery.

Harriet Klausner