A Wytch's Book Review Blog

The Gun Also Rises (Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery #6) by Sherry Harris

TO RECOVER A PRICELESS MANUSCRIPT . . .

A wealthy widow has asked Sarah Winston to sell her massive collection of mysteries through her garage sale business. While sorting through piles of books stashed in the woman's attic, Sarah is amazed to discover a case of lost Hemingway stories, stolen from a train in Paris back in 1922. How did they end up in Belle Winthrop Granville's attic in Ellington, Massachusetts, almost one hundred years later?

WILL SARAH HAVE TO PAY WITH HER LIFE?

Before Sarah can get any answers, Belle is assaulted, the case is stolen, a maid is killed, and Sarah herself is dodging bullets. And when rumors spread that Belle has a limited edition of The Sun Also Rises in her house, Sarah is soon mixed up with a mobster, the fanatical League of Literary Treasure Hunters, and a hard-to-read rare book dealer. With someone willing to kill for the Hemingway, Sarah has to race to catch the culprit--or the bell may toll for her . . .

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name?

Sarah Winston

What is your Profession?

I organize garage sales. It gives me a peek into the lives of my clients. But I’ll spare you the details of some of the things I’ve seen!

What is your current favourite book or movie?

I love Julia Spencer Fleming’s series featuring Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne. Clare is smart and tenacious.

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

I love the movies The Holiday and Love Actually. They cheer me up no matter what time of year it is.

If someone was to play you in a movie who would it be? OR what would be the character you would want to be in a book?

I would love to have Amy Adams play me in a movie!

What is your ideal evening?

Since I don’t like to cook going out to dinner with a friend or the man in my life. After that if the weather in Ellington, Massachusetts is cooperating a long walk along the Minuteman Trail in neighboring Concord.

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 28 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

January 28 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

January 28 – Sapphyria’s Books – REVIEW

January 29 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST

January 29 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 30 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 31 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

January 31 – Celticlady’s Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT 

January 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

February 1 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

February 1 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

February 1 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

February 2 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 2 – Laura`s Interests – REVIEW

February 2 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 3 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

February 3 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

February 3 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 3 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

Easter Buried Eggs (Black Cat Cafe #10) by Lyndsey Cole

The smell of burnt cake is not a good omen for Annie when she arrives at the Black Cat Cafe. But little does she know that her Aunt Leona’s cooking disaster is only the first of many problems she’ll be served in a big basket of cracked Easter eggs.

Annie quickly learns that being in charge at the Black Cat Café isn’t all chocolate-covered strawberries and carrot cakes. In addition to the variety of tasty pastries she needs to make for Easter, she stumbles on a body and what appears to be a robbery.

With money disappearing from bank accounts, snooping seniors appearing out of the blue, and clues turning up in the most unlikely places, Annie’s problems sizzle more than Leona’s hot cross buns.

Determined to help her new friends, Annie and her therapy dog land in the middle of a murder investigation. Clues pile higher than a basket of Easter eggs, all pointing to one of the seniors. Annie searches for something to keep her friend from landing in a jail cell but instead, Annie ends up right in the killer’s crosshairs.

Oh my word! Lyndsey Cole has crafted yet another brilliant book, with twists and turns to keep your interest all the way through!

This time Annie suddenly ends up running the cafe as Leona has cracked under the pressure and needs a few days off, the problem is they are catering for an Easter meal at a Senior Residential Home, but Annie and Mia step up and get things sorted, the next problem is the Easter Bunny (aka a young man called Forrest Spring in a rabbit costume) has knocked over some of the food (but they had catered for 2nds and Mia is great at portion control), they hope this is the last of the problems but as often happens they come in threes and the final one is the Easter Bunny dead in the main office!

With one of the seniors (Sylvia) looking in the police department's eyes as suspect #1 Annie, her dog Roxy (now a trained therapy dog), a couple of the other seniors and Annie's elderly friend Thelma are putting their heads together to find out what is rotten at the heart of what should be a happy retirement and find out who bumped off the bunny!

Jingle Buried Cookies (Black Cat Cafe #9) by Lyndsey Cole

Leona’s Christmas cookies are leaving a trail of cookie crumbs that lead anywhere but to a happy holiday.

As soon as Annie and Jason return from a romantic getaway, a Santa-sized sack of problems lands on their doorstep. Jason might be able to pretend it doesn’t exist and just enjoy the upcoming holiday parties, but Annie has to help keep Aunt Leona out of trouble. Again.

Running only on caffeine, the women get ready for the Black Cat Café’s Christmas extravaganza. A last minute change to who will come as Santa Claus threatens to bring the whole event down. But quick thinking and a willing volunteer save the day.

Until that willing volunteer imbibes one drink too many. But that’s the least of the problems that keep piling up faster than the snowflakes of a Nor’easter.

A body, poisonous berries, and competition from a cutthroat competitor threaten to end the Black Cat Café once and for all. Annie tries to sift through the half-baked information to uncover the real motive—and killer—before it’s too late.

Another great episode in the life of Annie Fisher (sorry now Annie Hunter!), Catfish Cove and The Black Cat Cafe, Annie and Jason are starting to regret having arrived home as Annie's Aunt Leona is planning on a pre-Christmas event to die for, unfortunately the stand in Santa takes that literally! It also turns out there are plenty of people who wished him ill, from the various women he groped (on a regular basis), through his wife and various others.

Oh and add in the fact that a rival bakery is trying to sabotage Leona's business and it looks as though a lot of people will be on the naughty list this year, but then it gets even more serious when Annie is nearly run down, saved by a local young man with learning difficulties - here's hoping Annie and the police can sort it all out so a Merry Christmas can be had by all.

 

The Quick and the Thread (An Embroidery Mystery #1) by Amanda Lee

After the grand opening of her embroidery shop, Marcy Singer finds a nasty surprise - the previous tenant is lying dead in the storeroom, with a message scratched by a tapestry needle on the wall beside him.

A great start to a new series, Marcy has been persuaded by her friend Sadie to pack in her soul destroying job in corporate accounts and do what she has always wanted to, namely open and run a needlework shop, on the opening night everything is going well, people are enjoying the food and drinks (provided by Sadie and her husband Blake) and they are also signing up for stitching classes of various types, but then the previous tenant of the building arrives and he appears to be drunk! The problem is the next day he is found by Marcy dead in her storeroom, and it appears he didn't die of natural causes.  When there is another death Marcy and Sadie appear to be high on the list of suspects.

Now Marcy needs to decide if this is the place for her (and her Irish Wolfhound Angus) or should she cut the threads and go back to Corporate America?

Not A Creature Was Stirring (A Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery #1) by Christina Freeburn

Empty nester Merry Winters loves three things: Christmas, crafting and her family. To regain purpose and joy, Merry hits the road to a Christmas vendor event with her furry sidekick Ebenezer in her new mobile crafting sleigh, aka an RV.

But it soon turns into the nightmare before Christmas when Merry unwraps her Scrooge of an ex-husband’s body in one of the RV’s compartments. Add to that his missing winning lottery ticket believed to be stashed somewhere in the RV, leading the homicide detective and Merry’s stepdaughter to believe Merry is the one whodunit.

With visions of prison dancing in her head, will Merry be able to solve this Christmas calamity before she’s locked away?

What a fantastic start to a new series! Death, disaster, pain and joy (hmm sounds like a typical Christmas so far), this is a well crafted crafting story and I love the characters.

Merry and an on-line friend have set up the Merry and Bright Christmas Etsy shop (also selling through various craft shows), Merry has an RV which used to belong to her ex-stepdaughter and she plans on using this to go to the various craft fairs, but also to hopefully use it as a mobile craft room (maybe even do some teaching), when she arrives at the first Craft Fair things go wrong, very wrong, starting with finding her ex-husband dead in the RV, then getting attacked and finally being accused of murder! Now she needs to use all of her crafting skills to find out the truth, and not just about her dead ex! There are various story lines intertwined and it is great to see them being unraveled for our reading pleasure!

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 21 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

January 22 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW

January 22 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

January 23 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

January 23 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 24 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 25 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

January 25 –  Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

January 26 – Laura`s Interests – REVIEW

January 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 28 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW

January 28 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

January 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

January 29 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

January 30 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

January 31 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 1 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

February 1 – MJB Reviews – REVIEW

February 2 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

February 3 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST

Murder Wears a Little Black Dress (Resale Boutique Mystery #1) by Debra Sennefelder

Manhattan fashionista Kelly Quinn thought she’d left her upstate New York town far behind . . . until the Seventh Avenue expat returns home to revamp her grandmother’s consignment shop into an upscale boutique—and unwittingly sets a trend for murder . . .
 
After her rising career as a Manhattan buyer is derailed, Kelly has mixed feelings about relocating back to Lucky Cove, in spite of her big plans for the soon-to-be-renamed Curated by Kelly Resale Boutique. What’s left of her luck starts running out when a customer puts on a black lace dress that triggers visions of someone being murdered. As if the haunted “Murder Dress” isn’t enough to kill business, the psychic’s doppelganger cousin has just been found bludgeoned to death.
 
Was Maxine LeMoyne the real target or was it a case of mistaken murder? With some creepy pre-Halloween bargain hunters walking the night and Kelly suddenly a person of interest, a second murder rocks the close-knit town. Now Kelly could be the one who ends up talking to dead people when she’s stalked by a killer determined to take her out in high style . . .

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name?

Kelly Quinn.

What is your Profession?

I’m the owner of a consignment shop in Lucky Cove, New York.

What is your current favourite book or movie?

I don’t read books as much as I’d like to. Hopefully, that will change as things settle down in the shop and I stop getting caught up in murder investigations. My favorite movie is The Devil Wears Prada.

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

While I loved reading Nancy Drew books growing up, I’ have to say I’d choose Anne of Green Gables as one of my favorite comfort reads.

If someone was to play you in a movie who would it be? OR what would be the character you would want to be in a book?

I have no idea who’d I like to play me in a movie (I’d leave that up to the Hallmark movie producers) but if I could be any character in a book I’d love to be Nancy Drew. Hey, wait, I might be like her actually. Hmm…

What is your ideal evening?

These days my ideal evenings would be dinner and a NetFlix movie with my friends. My days are extremely long now thanks to taking over the shop and bringing it into 2019. And then I have my freelance fashion writing and somehow I got caught up in a murder so a quiet evening with good food and my friends sounds like heaven.

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 21 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

January 21 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

January 22 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 22 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 23 – My Reading Journey – REVIEW  

January 23 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

January 24 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 25 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW  

January 25 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 26 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

January 26 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 27 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 27 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

January 28 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

January 28 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 29 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

January 29 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

January 30 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

January 31 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 31 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

February 1 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 2 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 3 – Laura`s Interests – REVIEW

February 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

Moon Games by Shelly Frome

At the outset, Miranda Davis has nothing much going for her. The tourists are long gone by October in the quaint Carolina town of Black Mountain, her realty business is at a standstill, and her weekend stint managing the local tavern offers little to pull her out of the doldrums. When prominent church lady Cloris Raintree offers a stipend to look into the whereabouts of a missing girl hiker on the Q.T, Miranda, along with her partner Harry (an unemployed features writer) agree.

But then it all backfires. A burly figure shambles down a mountain slope with a semi-conscious girl draped over his shoulder. Miranda’s attempts to uncover Cloris Raintree’s true motives become near impossible as she puts up one smokescreen after another, including a slip of the tongue regarding an incident in Havana. The local police keep stonewalling and Harry is of little help.

Tarot cards left on Cloris’ doorstep and arcane prompts on her e-mail only exacerbate the situation. Growing more desperate over the captive girl’s fate, Miranda comes across a link to a cold case of arson and murder. With the advent of the dark of the moon, she is summoned to “Tower Time” as this twisty tale continues to run its course.

Guest Post

“Notes to My Younger Self”

Every now and then, my publisher’s publicist gives us a little writerly assignment consisting of coming up with a short blurb. She calls the latest “Advice to your younger self.”

For openers, admittedly I was part of the silent generation. Our task was to choose a safe and predictable profession from a rather short, approved list. Following your heart or your bliss was unheard of. The inner had nothing to do with it. It was always a matter of external expectations. Though some part of me was aware that I was an incurable storyteller, that option was simply  not on the table.

Segue to the time I was trying my hand at law school at the University of Arizona. My professors became exasperated every time I attempted to make law interesting. “Just the rule of law” they would counter. “Stick to the rule of law.” Because I wouldn’t quit, my classmates became so agitated that they took up a collection to send me to Greenwich Village to finally get rid of me.

But even a stint as a starving actor wasn’t the answer. My old pal Joan Rivers (whose real name was Joan Molinsky) would allow a certain top notch agent to chase her around the desk, emerge disheveled and crying but assure me, “No worries, pal, I got us a reading.” Once on stage, I was a helluva actor, but I was never as desperate as Joan and my other fellow aspirants. I kept drawing the line.

Segue once more to my beginnings as a college instructor in theater. I enjoyed directing my freshmen students and teaching acting, but there was something limiting about trying to cast the shows and making do. There was also something confining about the space. No matter how hard you tried, you were still stuck in that little theater and reliant on the audience’s response to the material and your performers who may or may not be absolutely convincing.

Writing my own plays after being prodded by one of my friends again only took me so far. When I tried novel writing, I found I could move hither and yon and, needless to say, the characters were perfect for their roles and I wasn’t reliant on audience response every moment. Although I was just beginning to understand the form, Norman Mailer’s iconic agent Scott Meredith wrote to me, said I had narrative gifts but had a lot to learn. He also said the key was a character-driven story centering on someone who had a life or death assignment that, on the face of it, couldn’t possibly be carried out. Advice that to this day stuck with me as I eventually turned to crime fiction.

And so, all and all and given my circumstances sans a mentor or any parental guidance, I’d have to tell my younger self “You did good, kiddo. There’s a lot to be said for learning the hard way. Besides, as Nietzsche always said, ‘That which doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.’”    

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 14 – Books Direct – GUEST POST

January 14 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

January 15 – The Editing Pen – GUEST POST

January 15 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 16 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

January 17 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

January 18 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 19 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW*

January 20 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

January 21 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 22 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

January 23 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT  

January 24 – Laura`s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 25 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – GUEST POST

January 26 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

January 27 – Varietats – REVIEW, GUEST POST

Picture Not Perfect (The Not So Reluctant Detectives #2) by D.E. Haggerty

A picture tells a story. But is it the truth?

When the police find pictures of Melanie hanging up at her murdered colleague’s house, they’re convinced he was stalking her. Maybe she even killed him. Melanie was not being stalked! And she certainly didn’t kill her supposed stalker – as if. But Mel – always up for a bit of drama – jumps at the chance to go search for the real killer. When Mel’s ex-boyfriend, Owen, discovers her plans, he pulls out all the stops to ensure she’s safe and to win her back. No matter what happens with the murder investigation, he’s not letting her go. With the police setting their sights on Mel, he may need to jeopardize his own career on the police force to protect her.

Will Mel find the real killer before the detectives arrest her for murder?

An Interview With A Character

What is your full name?

Melanie Hanson

What is your Profession?

I’m a school counselor at a high school. I’m currently working on PhD in educational psychology. It sounds way more boring than it is. Honest.

What is your current favourite book or movie?

Book? I don’t read – at least not for leisure. I haven’t got the patience for it, but I do love movies. I especially love action/adventure movies with a bit of humor thrown in. The Ocean’s movies are some of my favorites. Don’t make me pick just one!

What is your go to comfort book or movie?

Again, it’s gotta be a movie. The Bourne trilogy is one of the best comfort movies out there. And I get to stare at Matt Damon. Yowza!

If someone was to play you in a movie who would it be? OR what would be the character you would want to be in a book?

Keira Knightley. I love her. Would it be okay to add a posh accent to myself in this movie? Not that I have a posh accent being from Wisconsin, but I just love how Keira talks.

What is your ideal evening?

I’m always up for a bit of an adventure. I’m not too bothered what it is as long as it’s fun. A painting bar, rock climbing, kayaking – I’m pretty much up for anything, except cooking. I don’t cook. And no, I’m not going to learn. Trust me, the world is safer this way.  

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 21 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

January 22 – Mythical Books – GUEST POST

January 23 – Babs Book Bistro – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 24 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 25 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 26 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT  

January 27 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

January 28 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 29 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

January 30 – Books Direct – REVIEW, GUEST POST

January 31 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 1 –Christa Reads and Writes – GUEST POST

February 2 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 3 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

February 3 – Laura`s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

Nine Lessons (Josephine Tey #7) by Nicola Upson

Called to the peaceful wooded churchyard of St-John’s-at-Hampstead, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose faces one of the most audacious and unusual murders of his career. The body of the church’s organist is found in an opened grave, together with a photograph of a manor house and a cryptic note. The image leads Archie to Cambridge, where the crisp autumn air has brought with it bustling life to the ancient university and town.

Mystery author Josephine Tey and Archie's lover Bridget Foley have each recently settled in Cambridge, though both women are not equally happy to see him. One has concealed an important secret from Archie which now threatens to come to light. Meanwhile, the change of seasons has also brought with it a series of vicious attacks against women in town, spreading fear and suspicion through the community.

Soon, another body is revealed, and in the shadow of King’s College Chapel, Archie uncovers a connection twenty-five years old which haunted both victims—as well as some of their living companions. As Archie and Josephine each grapple with savage malefactors intent on making their victims pay, they must race to stop another attack in this beautifully written, intricately plotted mystery.

In this, the 7th outing for Josephine Tey, we have two major crime waves interlocking, Scotland Yard (in the shape of Archie Penrose) is investigating a series of complex and bizarre murders, and in the course of his investigations he goes to Cambridge where there is a viscous rapist at large.  Marta has rented a house in Cambridge and Josephine is staying there whilst Marta is with the Hitchcocks in the US.  Josephine ends up being involved when the next door neighbour (a nurse from the local hospital) is the latest victim, and as well as that Archie asks her to do some research on crimes from 24 years previous as a dying man gives that as the only hint to the murders.

With deception in their own lives, and deception in their professional lives Josephine and Archie need to work quickly to stop anything else from happening.

London Rain (Josephine Tey #6) by Nicola Upson

Intrepid writer and amateur sleuth Josephine Tey returns in this sixth installment of Nicola Upson’s popular series—perfect for fans of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Jaqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs—that unfolds in 1930s London as England prepares to crown a new king.

London, 1937. Following the gloomy days of the abdication of King Edward VIII, the entire city is elated to welcome King George. Just one of the many planned festivities for the historic coronation is a BBC radio adaptation of Queen of Scots, and the original playwright, Josephine Tey, has been invited to sit in on rehearsals.

Soon, however, Josephine gets wrapped up in another sort of drama. The lead actress has been sleeping with Britain’s most venerable newsman, Anthony Beresford—and his humiliated wife happens to work in the building. The sordid affair seems to reach its bloody climax when Beresford is shot to death in his broadcasting booth at the deafening height of the coronation ceremony.

Josephine’s dear friend, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose, has the case wrapped up before long. But when a second, seemingly related murder throws Penrose for a loop, it falls to Josephine to unravel a web of betrayal, jealousy, and long-held secrets… caught all the while in a love triangle of her own making.

Charming and provocative, thick with the atmosphere of prewar England, London Rain is a captivating portrait of a city on the edge—and an unforgettable woman always one step ahead of her time.

Intrepid writer and amateur sleuth Josephine Tey returns in this sixth installment of Nicola Upson’s popular series—perfect for fans of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Jaqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs—that unfolds in 1930s London as England prepares to crown a new king.

London, 1937. Following the gloomy days of the abdication of King Edward VIII, the entire city is elated to welcome King George. Just one of the many planned festivities for the historic coronation is a BBC radio adaptation of Queen of Scots, and the original playwright, Josephine Tey, has been invited to sit in on rehearsals.

Soon, however, Josephine gets wrapped up in another sort of drama. The lead actress has been sleeping with Britain’s most venerable newsman, Anthony Beresford—and his humiliated wife happens to work in the building. The sordid affair seems to reach its bloody climax when Beresford is shot to death in his broadcasting booth at the deafening height of the coronation ceremony.

Josephine’s dear friend, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose, has the case wrapped up before long. But when a second, seemingly related murder throws Penrose for a loop, it falls to Josephine to unravel a web of betrayal, jealousy, and long-held secrets… caught all the while in a love triangle of her own making.

Charming and provocative, thick with the atmosphere of prewar England, London Rain is a captivating portrait of a city on the edge—and an unforgettable woman always one step ahead of her time.

Nicola Upson has written an evocative story taking us on a roller coaster of emotions from pain, betrayal and anguish, through joy and acceptance.  With the uncertainty of the abdication behind them people are looking forward to the coronation of King George, the still young BBC is putting on a radio production of Tey's Queen of Scots but there are tensions bubbling beneath the surface, Josephine and Marta need to talk to Lydia about their relationship, the lead actress in the performance is having an affair and then there is murder, and another murder, and another! Whilst the first one is wrapped up quickly, the second (which is linked) Archie is taken off the case and told to stay away from it, apparently the BBC and the powers that be at Scotland Yard just want it all neatly taken care of and charging the same person for both crimes does that.  With Josephine linked through her play and the fact that she found the second body, she at least is going to try and see justice is done.