This is one of those rare books published for the first time despite having been written long ago. The only others like this that I have had the opportunity to come across were old classic mysteries.
I have read a few of the author’s works and was quite surprised to see one so different in her catalogue. The plot introduced had so many varying avenues of approach that it was quite challenging to pinpoint the exact suspicions that each plotline took.
We have a boarding house with everything that that entails. Our initial focus is on the remorseless bully who is planning an indolent life which he does not know will not come to pass. He is the victim who starts the investigation. Although not a victim in the truest sense, the law still has to investigate. A police officer who forced herself into retirement is talked into following up on this investigation.
What follows in a proper police procedural. There are enquiries made, leads followed, and secrets uncovered. The final whys were partially surprising. The red herrings were liberally placed throughout the story, leading me to change my guess every once in a while.
The roughness of the text does indicate that this book predates those of the seven sisters, but even with that fact, it ended up surprising me.
I would not recommend this solely on liking this genre or the author, but if the combination of the two does sound appealing.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
Superfluous Reading 