"Fellowes's cleverly plotted fifth mystery featuring the real life Mitford family deepens the personality of series lead Louise Cannon. Fellowes has plausibly transformed Louisa from amateur to professional sleuth. Maisie Dobbs fans will be pleased."—Publishers Weekly
"A fascinating story based on real people and places."—Kirkus Reviews
"A twisty plot and premise sure you hook you in."—Book Riot, "The Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Reads in the First Half of 2022"
"The author skillfully weaves a second disappearance into this cleverly plotted mystery, and a surprise into its resolution."—Historical Novel Society
Praise for the Mitford Murders mysteries:
“With nearly as much period detail as an episode of "Downton [Abbey]," this delightful romp satisfies like a cup of strong nursery tea accompanied by a Battenburg cake.”—The Washington Post on The Mitford Murders
"A real murder, a real family and a brand new crime fiction heroine are woven together to make a fascinating, and highly enjoyable, read. I loved it." —Julian Fellowes, creator and writer of Downton Abbey and Belgravia on The Mitford Murders
"Exactly the sort of book you might enjoy with the fire blazing, the snow falling etc. The solution is neat and the writing always enjoyable." —Anthony Horowitz, New York Times bestselling author of Magpie Murders on The Mitford Murders
"True and glorious indulgence. A dazzling example of a golden age mystery." —Daisy Goodwin, author of Victoria and The American Heiress on The Mitford Murders
"Inspired by the larger-than-life Mitford family and a real-life murder, Fellowes delivers a ripping-good read." - Booklist on The Mitford Trial
"If you like your historical capers served with a side of murder, consider the sleuthing adventures of Louisa Cannon, occasional amateur detective and erstwhile servant to the Mitfords, real-life aristocratic siblings – Nancy, Diana, Unity, Pamela, Decca, Debbo – who all made their mark upon the 20th century . . . Sparkly." - The Globe and Mail ("Loved Bridgerton? You'll Fall for this Crop of New Escapist Historical Fiction" on The Mitford Trial
"A richly detailed period piece. . .[A] deft weaving of historical fact and imagined intrigue." - Kirkus on The Mitford Scandal
“Fellowes excels at depicting the inherent tensions between the upper classes and their servants.”—Publishers Weekly on Bright Young Dead
“Fellowes captures the style and frenetic energy or the ‘bright young things’ of the upper class in the Roaring Twenties. The characters are engaging, and the story’s historical basis makes it ring true. Fans of Downton Abbey and mysteries by Jacqueline Winspear will enjoy this classic mystery.”—Library Journal on Bright Young Dead
2021-10-27
A fifth dose of murder involving the Mitford family carries a maid-turned-detective from London to the Continent in the middle of the Spanish Civil War.
It's 1937. Having proven her worth in solving a number of mysteries, Louisa Cannon, who once worked as a maid for the notorious Mitford family, is married to a former police detective with whom she’s partnered in a detective agency. In that capacity, she receives a note from Nancy Mitford begging for help in finding her sister Jessica, aka Decca. The political leanings of the family range from fascists and Nazis to Decca, who claims to be a communist. She’s supposed to be vacationing in France, but none of her friends and relatives know where she is. In addition, Louisa takes on the case of Petunia Attwood, a missing woman who was involved in a dispute at work. The police have no interest in looking for an adult woman, but Louisa fears she may be in trouble. The man Petunia crossed swords with at work is also missing, and his downtrodden wife seems glad he’s gone. At length Louisa discovers that Decca has run off with her communist cousin Esmond Romilly, who’s been in Spain and plans to return there. The detecting duo travel back and forth as go-betweens for the family while Louisa becomes more deeply involved in a possible murder closer to home and several missing persons whose fates also involve the war in Spain.
A fascinating story based on real people and places.