‘Threefold Death’ by Victoria Dowd

Published by Datura Books,
8 Sept 2026.
SBN: 978-1-91741522-4 (PB)

Threefold Death is the second in Victoria Dowd’s Charlotte Blood Chronicles set in 1930. Charlotte is hoping to earn herself a permanent position as an investigative journalist at the Daily Clarion. She gets a chance to prove her worth when she is invited, along with two other reporters from rival newspapers, to join a small team of archaeologists hoping to discover the tomb they believe to be that of the warrior Queen Boudica who led the Celtic tribes against the invading Roman Legions. The party also includes Lord Elverage, who is financing the expedition, his wife and his nar do well son. 

The 2,000 year old tomb lies in an isolated spot deep in a corner of the Norfolk marshes. When the entrance is broken into they discover not only the ancient remains in the centre of the chamber but also a fresh corpse hanging upside down against the back wall.  Not only had the young woman been hanged, but she had also been stabbed and her face submerged in a pool of water below, her long red hair fanning out into the water. 

Is this grisly threefold death, by hanging, stabbing and drowning, the result of some curse or part of an obscure Druid sacrificial ceremony?   

Fierce storms begin to rage and rough seas make it impossible to escape from the marshy island. More deaths follow. The murderer has to be one of their party. Charlotte must weigh up the possibility that any further investigation on her part will make her their next target. 

There is a distinct gothic atmosphere to this whodunnit which has all the hallmarks of the locked-room mystery of the Golden Age. How did the murderer manage to conceal a dead body in a grave that has been untouched for over two thousand years? In addition, the party is trapped until the storm abates and they can be rescued. 

The fast-moving plot will keep readers turning the pages, puzzling over the red herrings as they try to identify the culprit. However, one of the greatest pleasures for me reading Victoria Dowd’s novels is her wonderfully drawn characters. One of my favourites is the outspoken Mrs C, Charlotte’s forthright landlady who is fiercely loyal to Charlotte. There is obviously far more to be revealed about Mrs C and her wartime experiences working with Archie Blood, Charlotte’s deceased husband, in the next book in this series which I hope I won’t have to wait too long to discover.
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Reviewer: Judith Cranswick   

Victoria Dowd was born and raised in Yorkshire and after studying at Cambridge, went on to be a successful criminal law barrister for many years.  Victoria’s debut crime novel, The Smart Woman’s Guide to Murder (published by Joffe Books) is the first part of a dark, humorous crime series that is a modern take on the Golden Age of crime fiction and authors such Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh and Josephine Tey. She is an award-winning short story writer, winning the Gothic Fiction prize for short fiction 2019 by Go Gothic. Victoria has had short stories published in BTS Literary and Arts Annual, Gold Dust magazine and also by Stairwell books in their literary and arts journal Dream Catcher. Her work has also been selected for publication in an anthology entitled A Ghostly Challenge. She speaks at various literary festivals, most recently in Bath, and at various schools and book groups.

https://victoriadowd.com/  

Judith Cranswick was born and brought up in Norwich. Apart from writing, Judith’s great passions are travel and history. Both have influenced her two series of mystery novels. Tour Manager, Fiona Mason takes coach parties throughout Europe, and historian Aunt Jessica is the guest lecturer accompanying tour groups visiting more exotic destinations aided by her nephew Harry. Her published novels also include several award-winning standalone psychological thrillers. She wrote her first novel (now languishing in the back of a drawer somewhere) when her two children were toddlers, but there was little time for writing when she returned to her teaching career. Now retired, she is able to indulge her love of writing and has begun a life of crime! ‘Writers are told to write what they know about, but I can assure you, I've never committed a murder.
I'm an ex-convent school headmistress for goodness sake!’ 

http://judithcranswick.co.uk/