"The Burry Man's Day"

"The Burry Man's Day" is Catriona McPherson's second Dandy Gilver murder mystery.  As in her first mystery, I had a difficult time getting into the book but one half to three quarters way into the novel, I began to "get" it as well as some clues about who might be the murderer so then I was hooked.

In this instance Dandy and her friend Daisy have been invited to South Queensferry to visit their school chum, Frederica (or Freddie).  Freddie and her new husband, Cad, have inherited an estate of which they are now Lord and Lady.  This visit coincides with the annual Ferry Fair where one of Cad's employees will act as "The Burry Man." 

The Burry Man spends a day walking around encased in a costume of burdock heads with a couple of guides who help him stop at every bar and drink his way through town but as to why I'm not quite sure.  As it turns out, the Burry Man doesn't want to participate this year and Dandy and her friends are asked to encourage him to maintain the tradition.  However, when he relents then ends up dead at the end of the day, Cad is feeling remorseful and asks Dandy to investigate so she invites her friend, Alec, to assist her.  Although the coroner is sure he died of acute alcohol poisoning, not everything adds up as far as Dandy, Alec and Cad are concerned.  As it turns out, they are right and a killer must be found!  pazt

P.S.  There really is a Ferry Fair annual in South Queensferry complete with a Burry Man.!