The Mitford Secret: A Mitford Murders Mystery

by Jessica Fellowes

Overview

A mystery with the fascinating Mitford sisters at its heart, Jessica Fellowes’s The Mitford Secret is the sixth and final intriguing installment in the Mitford Murders series.

It’s 1941, and the Mitford household is splintered by the vicissitudes of war. To bring the clan together—maybe for one last time, Deborah invites them to Chatsworth for Christmas, along with a selection of society’s most impressive and glamorous guests, as well as old family friend Louisa Cannon, a private detective.

One night, a psychic arrives, and to liven things up Deborah agrees she may host a séance. But entertainment turns to dark mystery as the psychic reveals that a maid was murdered in this very same house—and she can prove it.

Louisa steps forward to try to solve the cold case. But with a house full of people who want nothing more than to bury their secrets, will she be able to unmask the murderer? And how deep does the truth lie?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250322906
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Series:	Mitford Murders Series
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	67,982
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

JESSICA FELLOWES (she/her) is an author, journalist, and public speaker, best known for her five official New York Times bestselling companion books to the Downton Abbey TV series. Former deputy director of Country Life, and columnist for the Mail on Sunday, she has written for the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, The Sunday Times, and The Lady. Jessica has spoken at events across the UK and US, and has made numerous appearances on radio and television. She lives in Oxfordshire with her family.

Editorial Reviews

A whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie…a triumph rendered with the style and sensitivity of Golden Age mysteries, the final installment—like all its predecessors—offers a pleasing helping of history and homicide. Mourn for the end of the series, but revel in the wit and whimsy, intelligence and imagination of its creator.”—The Free Lance-Star

"Fellowes's strong six and final mystery centered on the real-life Mitford family. Fellowes neatly balances period detail and fair cluing. Fans will be happy to see this series going out on a high note."—Publishers Weekly

“The heroine is appealingly plucky, and the reader sinks into the rich period detail as pleasantly as into an overstuffed sofa.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Fellowes’ goal is to give the reader enough clues to consider who the killers are without giving away too much…”—New York Journal of Books

“Clever red herrings add spice, and layered revelations top off the bouquet. A full-bodied blend of manners and mystery.”—Historical Novel Society

“Another fun, well-written novel. I have enjoyed this whole series, and can once again hope that Jessica will write more.”—Red Carpet Crash

From the Publisher

10/31/2022

In Fellowes’s strong sixth and final mystery centered on the real-life Mitford family (after 2021’s The Mitford Vanishing), private detective Louisa Sullivan, the family’s former nursemaid, reunites in 1941 with the Mitfords at Chatsworth, their new home in the English countryside, which serves as a refuge for Louisa and her five-year-old daughter from the bombing of London. Then an old woman appears at Chatsworth, Mrs. Hoole, who claims to have a message for the youngest Mitford sister, Deborah, from the other side, directing Deborah to search the house’s vestibule. Those in attendance go along with the request, and Louisa finds a bloodstained maid’s cap hidden behind a wall panel. Mrs. Hoole eventually reveals the cap’s connected to the disappearance and likely murder of Joan Dorries, who was in service with her and vanished more than 25 years earlier. A fresh murder, which seems clearly linked to Joan’s fate, injects even more life into the cold case. Fellowes neatly balances period detail and fair cluing. Fans will be happy to see this series going out on a high note. Agent: Eugenie Furniss, Peters Fraser and Dunlop (U.K.). (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Narrator Rachel Atkins delivers the final episode in Jessica Fellowes's Mitford Murders series with the necessary gravitas. Deborah Mitford invites the family to her Chatsworth manor home for the Christmas holidays. As the Blitz continues in London, Louisa Cannon, a former Mitford maid, now a private detective, and her 5-year-old daughter, Maggie, are invited to Chatsworth to keep them safe from the bombs. Among the rich and powerful guests is Mrs. Hoole, a psychic who claims there was a murder at Chatsworth 25 years earlier. When the psychic is murdered, Louisa takes up the investigation. Atkins slips in and out of character with ease. Her deep, melodious voice infuses the air with foreboding as this engaging mystery unfolds. A listening treat for fans of the series. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2023 - AudioFile

Narrator Rachel Atkins delivers the final episode in Jessica Fellowes's Mitford Murders series with the necessary gravitas. Deborah Mitford invites the family to her Chatsworth manor home for the Christmas holidays. As the Blitz continues in London, Louisa Cannon, a former Mitford maid, now a private detective, and her 5-year-old daughter, Maggie, are invited to Chatsworth to keep them safe from the bombs. Among the rich and powerful guests is Mrs. Hoole, a psychic who claims there was a murder at Chatsworth 25 years earlier. When the psychic is murdered, Louisa takes up the investigation. Atkins slips in and out of character with ease. Her deep, melodious voice infuses the air with foreboding as this engaging mystery unfolds. A listening treat for fans of the series. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2023 - AudioFile