Marriage and Murder

<p><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>#1 </em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>NYT</span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>-bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns with a puzzling case in which her favorite sleuths must untangle a slew of secrets to expose a coldblooded murderer.</em></p><p></p><p><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>When a middle-aged spinster is found strangled in her country cottage and scurrilous gossip implicates Henry Lord Glossup he appeals to Barnaby and Penelope Adair along with Inspector Stokes to unravel the mystery of who killed Viola Huntingdon.</em></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Henry Lord Glossup arrives on Barnaby and Penelope Adairs' doorstep and begs their aid-and that of Stokes-in identifying the murderer of Viola Huntingdon a middle-aged spinster who lived a largely blameless life in a country cottage in a tiny village close to Henry's home. As Stokes has already been tapped to take the case the investigators travel to Salisbury and thence to Ashmore village and throw themselves into the case.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>While initially Henry was touted as a suspect he is quickly eliminated and with the help of the victim's sister Madeline the investigators set out to discover all they can about the victim and who might have wished her ill. In such a small village with a commensurately small population the list of possible suspects is short but the existence of Viola's 'secret admirer H' has everyone stumped. First how could Viola living in such a small community have had a secret visitor a man no one saw except at a distance? And who on earth is he this H?</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>As the investigators piece together the clues of missing jewelry and sightings of H and follow the leads generated by opportunistic thieves dodgy jewelers and local moneylenders a picture emerges that points to only one conclusion. But in small villages things are rarely as they seem. Have the investigators got the right man in their sights or have they been led astray?</span></p><p></p><p><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>A historical novel of 82000 words weaving mystery and murder with a touch of romance.</em></p>