A killer is stalking the illustrious Fitzwarren family. And any of the clan could be next . . .
Lord Hugo may be heir to the Fitzwarren millions. But everyone knows who
rules the roost in his noble old family. His formidable mother, Lady Beatrice. It’s been that way since her husband met his watery end. In a boating accident, poor thing.
Now, on the eve of her seventieth birthday, Lord Hugo plans to give his mama a gift she’ll never forget: a portrait of her dear, departed husband.
Guests gather at the Fitzwarrens’ decadent ancestral pile, waiting with bated breath for a glimpse of the painting. Detective Jack Dawes is among them, his wife Corrie on his arm. A cord is pulled. The curtain falls . . . and Lady B lets out a blood-curdling scream.
It’s not the likeness that has her spooked. It’s the dagger, plunged deep in her husband’s chest. Scrawled beneath, in blood-red paint, there’s a single word. Killer.
Is it a spiteful prank . . . or something more?
Detective Jack’s determined to find out. But he’s got his work cut out — with the frosty Fitzwarrens seeking to shut him down at every turn and Lord Hugo himself mysteriously missing.
Lord Hugo’s family are certain he’ll turn up in his own time. But Jack knows the clock is ticking to solve this baffling case.
Before something worse than paint is spilled . . .
This entertaining and absorbing mystery is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, J.R. Ellis, Faith Martin, Catherine Moloney and P.F. Ford.
Frances Lloyd was born in Essex but spent a nomadic childhood being carted between RAF stations until mercifully, she was allowed a crack at a proper education in Cheltenham, studying English and Classics. As an adult, she became something of a wandering minstrel with no physical or
spiritual roots apart from a strong work ethic.
Frances has always been a writer. The job that paid the mortgage was in government communications, She also worked as a freelance journalist and photographer but her ambition was always to write crime novels.
She now lives in Northumberland – “Vera” territory – and writes full time.
She has published ten DI Dawes murder mysteries.
Married three times but now a widow, Frances’ hobbies are reading, wine
tasting and cooking.
My thoughts: This was very good, enjoyable and with several excellent twists. The Fitzwarren family are pretty ghastly and unpleasant a bunch, but after the nasty incident at Lady Beatrice’s birthday and then the disappearance of Lord Hugo, Detective Jack Dawes has been tasked with investigating who has it in for the family.
Following two other attacks against them that are more serious, Jack tries to once again get the family to talk, but they seem determined to take all the secrets to the grave. Daughter Charlotte is the only one who’ll talk, and she doesn’t really know anything. Her awful parents and brother aren’t much help and Lady Bea, who knows everything refuses to blacken the family name further.
Their obsession with the family legacy, the bloodline that supposedly stretches back to the Norman Conquest, all of this otherwise completely ridiculous stuff is suddenly on vital importance as the clues are there in Hugo’s plans, which Jack eventually uncovers. The person holding a grudge against the family (which I felt some sympathy for) has had years to plan their revenge but when the family secrets finally come to light, the family were pretty busy destroying their legacy all along.
Hard to feel sorry for most of them, although I liked Charlotte and Louise, neither of whom were responsible for any of the mess. I’m glad Jack eventually got to the bottom of things, proving that once again, the aristocracy is utterly mad and totally bizarre, and that truth and honesty is important to avoid long held grudges.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 