November 1, 2015
In November 1928, Britain is still recovering from the Great War and a severe depression. In a country home near the Welsh border, retired glassworks owner Penrose Llewellyn has invited his family home to celebrate his 60th birthday. The guest list includes younger brother Theo and his wife, Claudia; Pen's sister, Ida, (her daughter, Verity, lives with Pen); and the youngest brother, Huwie, the black sheep, who shows up unexpectedly. Pen plans to announce his engagement, but he is murdered the night before the party. Who stood to gain the most? DI Herbert Reardon has his work cut out for him, unravelling family secrets dating back years. VERDICT Best known for her "Inspector Gil Mayo" (Untimely Graves) series, Eccles launches a new set of British country house mysteries that will delight fans of the TV series Downton Abbey and authors Simon Brett and Kate Kingsbury.
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September 15, 2015
It's 1928. The village of Hinton Wyvering is still recovering from the Great War, but local squire and retired businessman Penrose Llewellyn is determined to celebrate his sixtieth birthday in style. He's invited his scattered familyincluding his black-sheep brother, Huwieand a few friends for a birthday dinner. Unbeknownst to his invitees, Pen plans to announce he's marrying Anna Douglas, a local woman he's known since childhood. But since his family expects Pen to leave his significant estate to them when he dies, his marriage is likely to be a somewhat unwelcome surprise. When Pen is found dead the next morning, it initially looks like a heart attack, but Anna believes he was murdered. With the local police seemingly incapable of coping, DI Herbert Reardon and his loyal sidekick, DS Gilmour, are called in to investigate. They're ready to give up when a second suspicious death occurs. Somewhat reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel, this delightful British country-house mystery features a clever plot, captivating characters, and authentic period detail.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)
September 28, 2015
This classic English country house mystery, the first in a new historical series from Eccles (The Firebird’s Feather), nicely charts the social changes between the world wars. In November 1928, family and friends gather at Bryn Glas, the Shropshire estate of wealthy businessman Penrose “Pen” Llewellyn, to celebrate his 60th birthday. At an impromptu supper party one evening, Pen announces that he’s getting married to one of the guests, Anna Douglas. Some of those present consider Anna, a strong, independent woman, a good match for Pen, but others are not pleased by this surprising news. The next morning, Pen, who had a heart condition, is found dead in his room, apparently of natural causes. When the postmortem suggests that he was a victim of foul play, Det. Insp. Herbert Reardon, a WWI veteran, investigates. Meanwhile, a conscientious objector from London, who has recently opened an antiquarian bookshop in a nearby village, piques Reardon’s curiosity. Readers will be as keen as the inspector to see how the case develops.