Review: Sisters In Death by Eli Frankel

Synopsis: Who killed the Black Dahlia? In this eye-opening shocker, an award-winning producer, true-crime researcher, and Hollywood insider finally solves the greatest - and most gruesome - murder mystery of the twentieth century just before its 80th anniversary.

In January 1947, the bisected body of Elizabeth Short, completely drained of blood, was discovered in an undeveloped lot in Los Angeles. Its gruesome mutilations led to a firestorm of publicity, city-wide panic, and an unprecedented number of investigative paths led by the LAPD—all dead ends. The Black Dahlia murder remained an unsolved mystery for over seventy years.

Six years earlier and sixteen hundred miles away, another woman’s life had ended in a similarly horrific manner. Leila Welsh was an ambitious, educated, popular, and socially connected beauty. Though raised modestly on a prairie farm, she was heiress to her Kansas City family’s status and wealth. On a winter morning in 1941, Leila’s butchered body was found in her bedroom bearing unspeakable trauma.

One victim faded into obscurity. The other became notorious. Both had in common a killer whose sadistic mind was a labyrinth of dark secrets.

Eli Frankel reveals for the first time a key fact about the Black Dahlia crime scene, never before shared with the public, that leads inexorably to the stunning identification of a criminal who was at the same time amateurish and fiendish, skilled and lucky, sophisticated and brutish. Drawing on newly discovered documents, law enforcement files, interviews with the last surviving participants, the victims’ own letters, trial transcripts, military records, and more, this epic true-crime saga puts together the missing pieces of a legendary puzzle.

In Sisters in Death, the Black Dahlia cold case is finally closed.

~ ~ ~

The mystery of the Black Dahlia has intrigued many - including myself - for some time. Who really was Elizabeth Short, what was she doing in the days / weeks leading up to her death, and why was she murdered is such a brutal manner.

Frankel explores initially the murder of Liz / Beth / Betty Short in 1947 from what is popularly known and reported on. Elizabeth is the proverbial riddle wrapped up in a mystery inside an enigma. Then we move onto what Frankel perceives to be a similar murder - possibly the trial run to Elizabeth Short - that being the brutal murder of heiress Leila Welsh in 1941.

Frankel outlines the history and life of Welsh, including the love triangle she found herself in whilst a socialite at university. Then the detail of the murder, investigation, and trial - where the main suspect was her own brother! At this particular time, there was constant conflict between investigating parties, and rampant violence and corruption in the police force and judicial system was commonplace. A fair trial for Leila's brother was not on the cards - a quick and easy solution was, and as a result, the family endured more than then should.

We are then drawn back to Elizabeth Short - a more detailed look at her life in Hollywood, her associations, and a re-look at not only her final days, but of an investigation that had been tainted from the very start so that the real perpetrator literally got away with murder.

Frankel directs the reader to similarities in both cases: the bungled investigations, the return of the murderer to the scene of the crime to leave clues, witnesses and suspects discounted too easily, whilst providing information as to where, when and with whom the lives of these two women intersected. Frankel links one particular suspect to both crimes - a person of interest who warranted further investigation but wasn't. It is an intriguing proposition - and Frankel posits a plausible case for his suspect.

True crime fans will sink their teeth into this one - I did!

Review: Evil In High Places by Rory Clements

Synopsis: The closer you get, the further you have to fall.

Munich, 1936. All eyes are on the Bavarian capital for the upcoming Olympic games. As athletes fight for gold and the Nazis fight for power, Detective Sebastian Wolff faces a battle of his own.

A famous actress has disappeared and Wolff has been ordered to find her, fast. But Elena Lang is no ordinary film-star: she is the mistress of Joseph Goebbels - Hitler's right-hand-man in the party that Wolff despises.

But corruption runs deep in Munich and Elena is just the first to go missing. In a search that will take him from high society to the city's darkest corners, Wolff is about to learn just how easily the hunter becomes the hunted: this is a city on the brink of war, and some enemies are better left alone.

~ ~ ~

Who do you trust when a stray word or action could mean a death sentence.

This is the second in a series, the first book being "Munich Wolf", which I do recommend reading before this one as it will give the reader move of an anchor for this second book. Both books are set in 1930s Germany, when the Third Reich was in the ascendant, war was not yet a reality, and the Olympic Games would be used by Hitler as an opportunity to promote his government and ideals of racial supremacy.

Into this cauldron of conspiracy, suspicion, corruption, paranoia, elitism and racism, is a solid police procedural wherein our main character, Sebastian Wolff is at odds with the party line, and his Sergeant, Hans Winter, has a secret that could end not only his career but his life.

Both men are sent to investigate the disappearance of film star Leila Lang, and are required to conduct their investigation without treading on the toes of the German aristocratic elite and the dreaded SS. Against this, the reader is confronted by the treatment and persecution of Jews, the support given to Hitler from elements of the British aristocracy, and the growing control over all levels of society that was beginning to be more forcefully exerted and enforced.

The narrative is full of " .. twists and turns as tight as the winding bend up to Schloss Stark ...".

This is a compelling work and one I would liken to by that of author Douglas Jackson, whose books are set in late 1930s Warsaw.

Review: What's Mine Is Yours by Leah Mercer

Synopsis: She invited her into her home. She shouldn’t have…

Emily: It’s been a long time since my best friend Ava stopped speaking to me. But I knew I’d find a way back in. When I hear that her daughter won’t sleep at home because of a burglary on the street, I offer to swap houses for a while. Ava is so grateful. And now I’m staying in her family home, I finally understand why she’s been avoiding me… Ava isn’t as perfect as she makes out. She’s been hiding a big secret that could ruin her idyllic life. Only now, I know all about it…

Ava: I didn’t want to let Emily back into my life, but my daughter begged me to agree to the swap. I’ll do anything for my precious girl. As I lie in Emily’s bed in her cramped apartment, I fear what she’s up to inside my home. Has she looked through my belongings? Has she found the key to the locked room in my basement? And does she know the truth about what I did?

Two friends. Two secrets. Which one is telling a deadly lie, and which is in danger?

~ ~ ~

Two women - initially friends but drifted apart, are brought back together by tragedy and decide to house swap. One is keen - one is reluctant - but both women have secrets they have no wish for the other to discover, especially now that they have swapped residences!

Quick easy chapters with flowing first person narratives that quickly build the intensity of the drama until dark secrets linking them all are finally laid bare, out in the open. The reader is left wondering just how will these revelations impact the women and their families, and will it propel one or the other into actions with unforgiving consequences.

Loved every page as I sat highly engrossed trying to discover the secrets of Ava and Emily before they were ultimately revealed to the reader.

Review: The Revenge Plot by Jackie Kabler

Synopsis: When Ella Leonard arrives at work one Monday morning, she’s stunned.  The place isn’t just shut – it’s gone. Boarded up, closed down.

Days later, she gets home to find she’s been evicted from her flat, her belongings piled on the doorstep. It’s as if, bit by bit, someone is taking her entire life away from her.

Who, and why? And how much worse can it get? The answer? A lot worse.   This is just the beginning…

~ ~ ~

We all know that revenge is a dish best served cold, on fine bone china - but this tale takes the cake!

We are introduced to Ella Leonard front and centre - she is our first ... victim. Why is someone targeting Ella in such a despicable way, what has she done to merit such unwelcome attention. As Ella's life unravels, no clue is yet to be given.

Enter Harriet, an old friend of Ella's, who steps in to assist Ella in getting back on her feet. But as the narrative draws onward, we are left wondering if Harriet herself is all she seems. Harriet has a secret .. or two ... which are revealed to the reader, and here we learn of Nisha - nemesis and tormentor of Harriet.

The lives of these three women have intertwined over many years, and it is not until they begin to converge in the present, that the secrets and reasons behind their acts of revenge become clear.  The pace certainly picks up from this point.

The short sharp chapters of first person narrative keep the reader immersed - but we are left asking ourselves, who do we cheer for when all three consider themselves victims and all are just as unlikable as their past and present lives are linked. Everything comes full circle, but we are left wondering at what cost - who ultimately gains from their revenge - and who is left with nothing. The conclusion is a little convoluted but in the overall scheme of things, why not!

Review: Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell

Synopsis: Orla O’Connor hasn’t been to the isolated New England enclave of Hadley Island since she graduated from high school a decade ago. As a teenager, her best friend Alice disappeared from its shores without a trace—but with plenty of rumors.

Now, Orla returns to her family’s beachfront home to clean it out before her parents sell it. The island and her best friend’s house next door, abandoned after her family left in grief, are stirring up memories she would like to avoid. Then there are the locals, always gossiping and watching Orla’s every move. Worst of all, David, Orla’s childhood crush and son of a wealthy Manhattan family, is back for the summer with his new, impossibly pretty girlfriend, Faith.

Faith suspects that David is going to propose but as soon as she settles into his family’s sprawling Hadley Island estate, she feels out of place. She anticipated a luxurious summer of fun and romance, but David is never around—lured into business conversations with his entrepreneur father from dawn to dusk. With nothing else to do, Faith begins to investigate the island’s dark past, curious about what really happened to Alice all those years ago.

Meanwhile, local Henry hasn’t left his house since the young girl went missing, in an attempt to let the accusations against him die down. Except they never have. For years, Henry has had an endless supply of time to pursue his only hobby, watching the island from his telescope and recording the activities of its inhabitants. But Orla’s return has shaken him and lately he’s been seeing strange things: shadowy figures walking on the beach in the middle of the night and a light on in the upstairs window of the long-abandoned house of the missing girl.

When there’s another disappearance on the island, all three find themselves pulled into an eerie and twisty mystery that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

~ ~ ~

Hadley Island - an isolated, secluded, insular, almost claustrophobic community, holding its dark secrets very close, especially by those with money and power. A community dominated by what is referred to as "narrow-prying neighbours" - where the public and private activities of individuals are open to observation (and interference) by the greater community.

Orla O'Connor is drawn back to the island by unfinished business left behind after her hasty departure many years ago when best friend Alice disappeared.  Faith Ellis, a new arrival, is joining boyfriend David Clarke and his family, whilst hoping for an announcement of impending nuptials.  Long term resident Henry Wright, hidden from the community, plays silent witness to all that happens on the island.  What dark secrets will ultimately draw all three together - will these secrets be exposed or kept hidden once again - will the mystery surrounding Alice be finally laid bare.

Using flashbacks and recalled memories, Maxwell weaves her web that slowly draws the reader into the narration. We the reader suspect, guess, imagine where we are being led, but before long the pathway comes to a dead-end and we must back track to find that little trail off to the side that we missed. The clues are there for those paying attention - but Maxwell is clever in deceiving as well as exposing.

Wonderful read that I could not put down - my first by this author - and a great start for this reader.

Review: Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill

Synopsis: Crime fiction author Joe Penvale has won the most brutal battle of his life. Now that he has finished his intense medical treatment, he and his twin sister, Meredith, are boarding the glorious Orient Express in Paris, hoping for some much-needed rest and rejuvenation. Meredith also hopes that the literary ghosts on the train will nudge Joe's muse awake, and he'll be inspired to write again. And he is; after their first evening spent getting to know some of their fellow travelers, Joe pulls out his laptop and opens a new document. Seems like this trip is just what the doctor ordered…

And then some. The next morning, Joe and Meredith are shocked to witness that the cabin next door has become a crime scene, bathed in blood but with no body in sight. The pair soon find themselves caught up in an Agatha Christie-esque murder investigation. Without any help from the authorities, and with the victim still not found, Joe and Meredith are asked to join a group of fellow passengers with law enforcement backgrounds to look into the mysterious disappearance of the man in Cabin16G. But when the steward guarding the crime scene is murdered, it marks the beginning of a killing spree which leaves five found dead—and one still missing. Now Joe and Meredith must fight once again to preserve their newfound future and to catch a cunning killer before they reach the end of the line.

~ ~ ~

The author provides the reader with a puzzle and mystery that is centered around how Christie's story amplifies the travelers' own experience on the actual Orient Express and of their perceptions of the fellow passengers.

This theme is referred to quite often by the fictional character of crime fiction author Joe Penvale and his sister, lawyer Meredith, who embark on a journey on this famous train only to find themselves caught up in their own version of "Murder on the Orient Express".

Like the Christie novel, the reader meets Joe's fellow passengers on the train - in fact it is a train full of detectives of one sort or another. There is the locked room murder, all passengers are suspects as Joe put himself in the position of Poirot and investigates. Clues and red herrings abound, as the body count rises (a la Death on the Nile), and the author reveals that not all is what or who they seem.

An entertaining homage to the Queen of Crime.

Review: Arden by GD Harper

Synopsis: Alice Arden, idealistic and wealthy beauty, burnt at the stake for killing her husband, the former mayor of Faversham in Kent. But was she really the one responsible for the most scandalous murder of the sixteenth century?

William Shakespeare, England’s greatest playwright, born thirteen years after Alice’s execution. Why does his first-ever play, written about this murder, not bear his name?

This is a story of two people – one reviled, one revered – whose fates become linked in a tale of corruption, collusion and conspiracy. Based on historical documents and recently published academic research, Arden unveils shocking new evidence about the murder of Thomas Arden and reveals, for the first time, a remarkable new theory about Shakespeare’s early years.

~ ~ ~

The premise of this historical fiction tome was the lure for me - the delivery left me a little undecided with regards as to how I felt about the narrative as a whole - but persevere I did.

This tale of murder is told in the first person by both of our primary characters - William Shakespeare and Alice Arden - their stories separated in time by some fifty years with Alice's story taking place from the early 1530s and Shakespeare's from the 1580s.

We already know (or should do if we have picked up this tome) that Alice's rise and falls end with her being burnt at the stake for her involvement in her husband's murder.  This was the fate for wives at the time as it was considered treason for a wife to kill her husband.  Wifely insubordination must be neutralised and contained; scrutiny and proper regulation of the household was vital to the preservation of domestic order. Tudor society too was dominated by what Alice herself refer's to as "narrow-prying neighbours" where the public and private activities of individuals was open to observation and interference by the greater community.

We also know that this crime is the focal point for exploring the possibility the Shakespeare himself wrote as his first-ever play, based on the fate of Alice, with whom he may have been related to through his own mother. The play existed - it was written and presented and the reader can find a copy for themselves online (see links below).  Harper posits that quite possibly this theme such that the Bard was unable to ascribe his name to it - it was that much of a career-ending political hot-potato.

For me, the journey from beginning to end was itself a little arduous and didn't really pick up until Alice's lover re-appears in her life. Harper does a decent job of exploring through the Shakespeare narrative, of whether Alice was a naive tool of her lover Mosby or a willing participant, who used her husband's own greed to get what she wanted.

I found the author's note at the end the most informative, and if crimes set in Tudor England are of interest, then definitely pick up this historical fiction tome.

Further reading:

The English Broadside Ballad Archive - the Complaint & Lamentation of Mistress Arden

The Newgate Calendar - Alice Arden of Feversham

Chambers' Book of Days - Entry for November 23rd

Project Gutenberg - Arden of Feversham

Review: Agents of Change by Christine Hillsberg

Synopsis: The timely and revelatory exploration of the pioneering women who changed the insulated world of international espionage—from the barrier-crashing challenges of the 1960s to the present day reckoning—told through the eyes of a former intelligence operative herself.

Through exclusive interviews with current and former female CIA officers, many of whom have never spoken publicly, Agents of Change tells an enthralling and, at times, disturbing story set against the backdrop of the evolving women’s movement. It was the 1960s, a “secretarial” era, when women first gained a foothold and pushed against the one-dimensional, pop-culture trope of the sexy Cold War Bond Girl. Underestimated but undaunted, they fought their way, decade-by-decade, through adversity to the top of the spy game.

~ ~ ~

"... there is no crying in espionage ..."

From the 1960s through to our current decade, women have endured misogyny and sexism in the workplace, as well as both racial and gender discrimination - the agencies of the secret services are no different nor are they immune. The documented behaviour towards women by men in Hillsberg's book could apply to women anywhere - except in these instances, the women run the risk of exposure, imprisonment and death - all for serving for the greater good of their nation. 

Hillsberg documents across seven decades, the internal and external threats the women battled, with a more narrower focus on the barriers being put up to their advancement - oft times by their own gender - setting all this in context against the modern-day "Bond" franchise.

"Agents of Change" looks at the numerous milestones these women achieved across the decades, from working as secretaries and clerks, to going out in the field of covert ops, to becoming departmental heads. All the while having to walk the fine line of work-life balance that their male counterparts did not. As Hillsberg notes: "... spying was still very much a man's world ..." and some of the stories presented highlight that fact - detailing the prevalence of sexual harassment and unwelcome advances including those from both colleagues, and external agents and operatives, slut-shaming, aggression, and the constant deflection of the barrage of rumour and inuendo when advancement does come their way. Hillsberg also sadly notes, that women in the Agency did not feel able to support other women due to potential repercussions for themselves and their own careers - this is still prevalent today - women can be their own worst enemy.

As the decades roll on, Hillsberg concentrates her focus a small number of prominent women and the challenges they faced - married women were often forced to give up their careers for their families, but also in order to ensure the career advancement of their husbands. For many, they elevated themselves above societal and cultural norms to work in a field where threats to personal safety could be a daily occurrence. Hillsberg documents that for some, the inevitable toll on their mental health and personal lives and those of their families, was too much and they left the Service, a number taking on prominent roles the the government and business sectors.

This is an eye-opening chronicle of the struggles women faced in the Agency, written by one who had the insider's take on what these women experienced. There are still many more untold stories, but as the synopsis notes, this is a ".... long overdue tribute to the survivors....".

In conjunction with this book, I also recommend reading "Secret Servants of the Crown" by Claire Hubbard-Hall, which looks at the role of women in the British Secret Services.

Review: To Catch A Spy & Traitor by Toby Oliver

Synopsis: International espionage and the inner workings of the intelligence communities collide in this thriller featuring Russian Secret Service. In this Cold War thriller set in London, a showdown between America and Russia is imminent.

Double agent Alexei Ivanov is the highest-ranking KGB officer ever to work for British intelligence. But now, he’s under surveillance, and his enemy is closing in. The head of the British Internal Arm of the Service orders top field officer Joyce Leader to protect Ivanov. But the threat against Ivanov’s life is not only from the KGB . . . it’s also coming from the ranks of British Intelligence.

On the run, Ivanov and Leader must dodge both sides. No one is safe in this political thriller set during the Cold War. To Catch a Spy and Traitor is a suspense novel set around the Cuban Missile Crisis full of intrigue, action, and an unlikely partnership between two people fighting for their lives.

~ ~ ~

Set in 1960s London, this espionage tome takes the reader on a thrilling cat and mouse chase in which a British agent must stay one step ahead of the Russians and keep her double agent alive.

Short chapters keep the narrative flowing as the focus is mainly on chase itself and the agents rather than all the preamble that usually proceeds such affairs. This is action driven and whilst character development is minimal, it works! Without all the 21st century technology, this will definitely take the reader back to a time when street smarts were used to prevail against an all too human enemy.

Review: Something Wicked by John F Myslinski

Synopsis: Something Wicked plunges readers into a labyrinth of corruption, organized crime, and religious intrigue at the heart of the Catholic Church. When Father Dan Lanaham - newly elected Superior General of the Jesuits - stumbles upon a series of bombings, murdered nuns, and unsettling ties to the Vatican Bank, he realizes the danger lurking beneath Rome's hallowed corridors is far more sinister than anyone dares admit.

Determined to uncover who ordered the Jerusalem bombing and why, Dan teams up with unlikely allies ranging from Mossad agents to secretive hackers-even a terrorist whose motives are murkier than they seem. At every turn, he battles shadowy Mafia connections, extremist plots, and twisted ambitions vying for control of the papacy. As the ailing Pope struggles to bring Dan into the Church's innermost council, a shocking global conspiracy unravels, threatening both faith and the lives of those closest to Dan.

Brimming with moral complexity, high-stakes subterfuge, and characters torn between devotion and ambition, Something Wicked will keep you on the edge of your seat. In a world where evil wears a saint's robes and redemption hinges on secrets best left buried, Father Dan's quest for the truth may cost him everything-including his soul.

~ ~ ~

This type of book was certainly down my alley - yet this was not.

I am not sure if it was how the narrative was delivered, the over abundant cast of characters, the multitude and complexity of themes, I just could not get into this - despite my most ardent desire to immerse myself in this tome, I found myself flagging with every chapter.

Quite possibly I need to re-revisit this in a physical format.

Review: The Whispering Dead of Rewley Abbey by Peter Stephenson

Synopsis: "The Whispering Dead of Rewley Abbey" is the first in a series of murder mysteries following the sinister deaths in Rewley Abbey (Cistercian monks) and Godstow Abbey (Benedictine nuns) from the end of the 13th century to King Henry VIII's dissolution of the convents and monasteries in the 16th century.

Intrigue and secrets abound as a determined nun deciphers the clues in this timeless historical thriller for both young adults and seasoned readers.

~ ~ ~

Fairly basic cosy historical mystery fiction set in 13th Century England with an investigating Nun and Lady of the Manor as the main characters.

An up and coming lecturer at Balliol College, Oxford is murdered; a drunken violent student is a suspect; will what lies beneath the surface of the "town and gown" battles reveal the secret to the mystery that Sister Agnes must solve. 

The author uses quick, easy to read chapters to push the narrative along, however, we get no real sense of the characters (which are a little too modern for my liking). Using poetic license, the author loosely represents the period of the 13th century.

As the first in a series, this is adequate though I would hope to see more development as the series progresses.

Review: Nightbird by Shavaun Scott

Synopsis: Nightbird, by Shavaun Scott, is a profoundly intimate memoir that charts one woman's perilous journey through a childhood steeped in religious guilt, suffocating family dynamics, and an industrial hometown where "breathing was dangerous"-amid cycles of abuse, gaslighting, and heartbreak, she fights to hold onto her sense of self-until a haunting moment where the man she has loved leaves her with a devastating goodbye, casting blame at her feet.

Scott takes us through the turbulence of a life shaped by deep-rooted superstition, fundamentalist religion, and crushing grief. Themes of mental illness and intimate partner abuse are explored with unflinching honesty. Scott sheds light on this poorly understood topics, on the aggressive nature of a subtype of suicide associated with domestic violence. She show us the motivations behind revenge suicide, and the process of recover from it.

Propelled by a fierce will to understand the human mind, Shavaun discovers psychology as both salvation and profession. As she transitions from a frightened, isolated child to a crisis intervention therapist, she bears witness to the complicated truths behind mental illness and the limits of therapy. Nightbird is her raw testament: a testament to survival, the power of community, and the liberation that comes from naming our shadows and breaking free of self-destructive bonds. Visceral, unflinching, and ultimately hopeful, Nightbird reminds us that healing is possible-even after standing on the edge of our darkest fears as she paints a poignant portrait that sheds a bright light on intimate partner abuse leading to revenge suicide, grief, and the hard-won transformation of self-recovery.

~ ~ ~

Like some forms of domestic violence, this memoir sneaks up on you over time before you finally realise that you have been suckered into what is a brutally honest, yet easy to read narrative constructed by the author, and which will reasonate long after reading.

Scott documents in the form of a memoir, her life from her childhood and strict religious upbringing, to her marriages and finally her emergence as a woman who refuses to let the past define her future. Scott openly lets the reader into her life, especially the years in which she was subjected to a subtle form of domestic violence at the hands of her husband. Not all forms of domestic violence are overt and physical - some are subtle behaviours, built up progressively over times before the final realisation sets in - and for some, it is already too late. Scott herself is open, admitting that she ignored the red flags and had zero skills in setting boundaries, commenting that her emotional life with Robert was "a cyclone".

Through her work as a psychologist and crisis worker, Scott slowly begins to find form to explain her husband Robert's behaviours and it is from this point that Scott makes the decision to leave - at one point Scott says of herself: "... to admit the truth out loud would have forced me to confront the reality that I needed to leave ...". Robert, however, was determined to have the final, ugly say.

As mentioned, Scott's memoir will long resonate with the reader, many of who may see themselves in her narrative, and one hopes, that Scott's openness with her audience may provide an impetus - for some - for moving forward and finally letting go of the past.

This is not my usual style of reading .. but am so glad that I was offered the opportunity to share in Scott's story.

Review: The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain

Synopsis: Dining alone in an elegant Parisian brasserie, accountant Daniel Mercier can hardly believe his eyes when French President François Mitterrand sits down to eat at the table next to him. Once the presidential party has gone, Daniel discovers that Mitterrand's black felt hat has been left behind. After a few moments' soul-searching, Daniel decides to keep the hat as a souvenir of an extraordinary evening. It's a perfect fit, and as he leaves the restaurant Daniel begins to feel somehow . . . different.

Has Daniel unwittingly discovered the secret of supreme power? Over the course of the next 2 years the iconic item of headgear plays with the lives of the men and women who wear it, bringing them success that had previously eluded them. As it makes its way from head to head, the wearers find themselves acting with more confidence, decisiveness, authority and panache—just like the original wearer. Some, like Daniel, attribute their new luck to the hat itself, while some are unaware of its magical effects. All, however, find themselves changed by their time spent wearing the president’s hat.

~ ~ ~

A light-hearted and quirky short story of how having possession of something new can inspire and give confidence to pursue what you really want.

Set in 1980s Paris, our four main characters - accountant Daniel, aspiring writer Fanny, perfumer Aslan, and aristocrat Bernard - all come into contact with the fifth character - the hat of French President Francois Mitterrand. The journey the hat takes and the impact on the lives of each of the "owners" is skillfully told, and is interwoven with letters between them. 

However, it is the undocumented character of the French President who has the final say as the narrative comes full circle back to the President and the author provides a wrap up of the lives of the characters for the reading audience.