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1920: Flying in the face of convention, legendary American adventuress Beryl Helliwell never fails to surprise and shock. The last thing her adoring public would expect is that she craves some peace and quiet. The humdrum hamlet of Walmsley Parva in the English countryside seems just the ticket. And, honestly, until America comes to its senses and repeals Prohibition, Beryl has no intention of returning stateside and subjecting herself to bathtub gin.
For over three decades, Edwina Davenport has lived comfortably in Walmsley Parva, but the post–World War I bust has left her in dire financial straits and forced her to advertise for a lodger. When her long-lost school chum Beryl arrives on her doorstep—actually crashes into it in her red motorcar—Edwina welcomes her old friend as her new roommate.
But her idyllic hometown has a hidden sinister side, and when the two friends are drawn in, they decide to set up shop as private inquiry agents, helping Edwina to make ends meet and satisfying Beryl's thirst for adventure. Now this odd couple will need to put their heads together to catch a killer—before this sleepy English village becomes their final resting place . . .
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
October 31, 2017 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781496710512
- File size: 495 KB
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781496710512
- File size: 996 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from September 18, 2017
Set in 1920, Ellicott’s spectacular series launch reunites two old schoolmates in the U.K. When forthright American Beryl Helliwell, who attributes her youthful appearance to a “love of quality gin and an adamant refusal to bear children to any of her ex-husbands,” spots the ad for a lodger placed by her friend Edwina Davenport, a proper Englishwoman who has run short of funds, she can’t believe her luck. Retiring to the quiet hamlet of Walmsley Parva is just the reprieve Beryl wants from her madcap life, as well as from Prohibition back in America. Beryl surprises Edwina by crashing her car into one of the stone pillars flanking the drive to Edwina’s house. Soon after Beryl settles in, someone attacks Edwina while she’s walking her dog in her garden. After the friends discover a young woman’s body in a field, they take it upon themselves to fill the gaps left by the local constable’s inadequate investigation. Reflections on the changes in post-WWI society lend substance to this light mystery. Ellicott is a pen name of Jessica Estevao, author of the Change of Fortune series (Whispers Beyond the Veil, etc.). Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune Agency. -
October 1, 2017
In 1920, American adventuress Beryl Helliwell, in need of some peace and quiet, reads an ad from "a well-bred lady" requesting a lodger. It leads her to her old schoolmate Edwina Davenport, who is down on her luck in the hamlet of Walmsley Parva. To defray local rumors about Edwina and her reduced finances, Beryl informs the village gossip that the two women are secret agents. The next evening Edwina is attacked in her garden, and the friends realize this quiet village holds some deadly secrets. They start questioning the wartime disappearance of a land girl who worked on the local estate. When another former land girl dies, only Beryl and Edwina consider her death murder. This new cozy launch from Ellicott (a pen name for Jessica Estevao, author of Whispers Beyond the Veil) introduces a pair of delightful odd-couple amateur sleuths, a confident American adventuress and a ladylike British spinster. VERDICT With its strong sense of place and time in post-World War I England, this will be welcomed by fans of Frances Brody's "Kate Shackleton" mysteries.--LH
Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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