Mrs Mohr Goes Missing: 'An ingenious marriage of comedy and crime.' Olga Tokarczuk, 2018 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

Maryla Szymiczkowa is the pen name for the writing team of Jacek Dehnel and Piotr Tarczynski. While they wrote this in Polish, it has been ably translated to English by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. Originally published in 2015, this excellent 2019 translation to English maintains the quality and flavor of the original Polish, I believe.This is a mystery taking place in 1893 Cracow. It's also social commentary, a clever comedy of manners. The writing is tongue-in-cheek, the humor is understated and clever, and the mystery is cozy in tone, almost an homage to the writing style of cozies of the first half of the 20th century.I confess to not exactly liking the story at its beginning, perhaps mainly because I found the protagonist to be unappealing at first. But I found myself warming up to it quickly and appreciating its quirkiness.The main character is Zofia Turbotynska, socialite housewife living an upper-class life, not exactly at the top-top of Cracow society, but always aspiring to getting up there. Snobby, social-climbing, superficial, and bored. Her husband is a medical doctor and university professor whose career she has been promoting since their marriage, because, let's face it, he's not as ambitious as she is. She spends her time networking to promote her husband's and her place in society, running their household efficiently, dressing and looking her very best, gossiping, and doing charity work.When her charity work takes her to Helcel House, a nursing home run by nuns, she finds the place in a bit of disarray because one of the residents has gone missing: Mrs. Mohr. How could a little old lady with little mobility and few friends disappear?Zofia sees this as an escape from her boredom. She's going to investigate. Not that anyone is encouraging her to do so, especially not the police or even the Helcel House's staff. And definitely not her husband. He must remain totally clueless about her new avocation. A woman's place is taking care of her home and her husband.Mrs. Mohr's disappearance turns into something even more sinister and when there's another misadventure involving a second resident of the home, Zofia goes into full investigative mode. She manages to uncover quite a convoluted and complex mystery.But more than a mystery, this is a charming historical/political/social commentary on 1890s Cracow. The author's preface explains concisely the backdrop of Poland's partitioning during that time by Russia, Prussia and Austria, and the story itself gives the reader insight into society there at the time.This may not be a mystery for everyone. It's quite stylized, somewhat whimsical, comical and satirical. I ended up sympathizing with social-climbing Zofia, boxed in to her role as a woman in 1890s Europe, more intelligent than her husband but not allowed to show it, and finding an outlet for herself as an amateur sleuth. (But please don't tell her oblivious husband what she's up to. He won't twig on to it on his own and she's happier that way.)

How do you enter the high society of Cracow, Poland if you're the ambitious wife of a dull professor of pathology. Be smart, pushy, and attentive. It also helps if you are a supporter of an old-age home in which there are several murders, and the police show themselves as both lazy and stupid. This is a delightful novel of a middle aged woman becomes a detective by accident and to satisfy her social ambitions.

I found the protagonist to be an unsympathetic character, not at all likable. The plethora of Polish names was also difficult to keep straight.

Stilted language, plot difficult to follow and a self important, unlikable main character. Sorry I bought and read it.

OK. Characters have Polish names unfamiliar to some readers. Don't let that inhibit your enjoyment of this delicious taste of Krakow's late 19th century bourgeoisie. Mrs Turbotynska, the sleuth, is hilarious--a Polish Hyacinth Bucket--opinionated, devious, and excruciatingly proper. And--you'll never guess the ending! I've recommended this to friends and relatives, all of whom have enjoyed it.