Synopsis: When a birthday party for one of their Hampstead neighbors turns deadly, Antonia Darcy and Major Hugh Payne end up investigating the murder of one of Melisande Chevret's other guests. The aging actress becomes a natural suspect, as the victim was her love rival. But after the first murder, a second takes place at the Villa Byzantine. The owner of the house is royal biographer Tancred Vane, who swears he is innocent. And surely Catherine Hope, an elderly lady helping him with his research, can have nothing to do with it. A damning piece of evidence points to the victim's daughter--but why would that a teenage girl have a dainty silk handkerchief bearing her monogram? And would she drop it so conveniently beside her mother's body? As the questions mount, Antonia Darcy and Major Payne search desperately for answers.
This is one in a series - Country House Crime Mystery Series - and it appears later in said series - though I did not realise it at first when I picked up a hardback copy second hand. I just liked the cover, the title, and of course, one of the character's name.
This is a perfectly acceptable cosy mystery with crime solving couple Major Hugh Payne and detective fiction author Antonia, as they are drawn into a local murder. I had this on my shelf for a few weeks before deciding that - as I am on holidays and the sun was out - I would sit outside on the decking and read a few pages. So engrossed was I that I am sun-burnt!
Pay attention as there are a couple of moments when the story is told from the first person narrative - which is not prevalent throughout the bulk of the story - but it worked okay. Most mystery readers will get a sense of where the story is heading .... to a point .... no spoiler alert here! Read on before being led astray yet again!
An enjoyable read despite the pains of sunburn!
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