Description
When Lord Meriwell collapses and dies at his dining table, Nurse Veronica Haskell suspects foul play and notifies his lordship’s doctor, eminent Harley Street specialist Dr. David Sanderson. Compelled to protect Veronica, who is at Meriwell Hall at David’s behest, David calls on his friends Barnaby and Penelope Adair for assistance.
Inspector Basil Stokes is also summoned. Because the fateful dinner was the first of a house party attended by the local MP and his family, the Metropolitan Police consider the Adairs’ presence desirable, and Barnaby and Penelope accompany Stokes to Meriwell Hall.
There they find a gathering of the Meriwell family intended to impress the visiting Busseltons so that George Busselton, the local MP, will agree to a marriage between his daughter and Lord Meriwell’s eldest nephew, Stephen. Instead of a pleasant sojourn, the company find themselves confined to the hall and grounds while Stokes, Barnaby, and Penelope set about interviewing everyone and establishing facts, alibis, and movements.
To the investigators’ frustration, determining the means proves straightforward and opportunity narrows the suspect list, but motive remains elusive and the list of suspects stays stubbornly long.
Then the killer strikes again, yet even after a second death the investigators face the same suspects and too many potential motives.
At last they stumble on a promising clue, but following it requires sending to London for information. As the clock ticks and they doggedly forge on, they uncover more facts, yet none allows them to identify which of their prime suspects is the murderer.
When the answer arrives, they discover that the Meriwell family legacies are more far-reaching than anyone realized and that the crimes and the motivation for the murders are far more heinous than imagined.
A historical novel of 78,000 words interweaving mystery and murder with a touch of romance.
Endorsements
Stephanie Laurens — #1 New York Times bestselling author.