Hollow Crown
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
A murder mystery featuring Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne.
October 1936. Joe Weaver, press magnate and close friend of the Royal family, calls for Lord Edward Corinth's help in recovering some missing letters, stolen from Wallis Simpson - the King's intimate friend. But there is no mystery about who has taken the correspondence: it is known to be Mrs Harkness, Edward's close friend and His Majesty's former favourite.
As what seemed a simple stolen property case is complicated by murder, Verity Browne joins Edward in the investigation at Haling, the country home of Conservative MP Leo Scannon where Mrs Harkness is a guest.
Very soon, the pair become involved with political protest at home and the fight against Fascism abroad, and against this background of social unrest that they set off to find out the truth behind the Hollow Crown...
Praise for David Roberts:
'A gripping, richly satisfying whodunit with finely observed characters, sparkling with insouciance and stinging menace' Peter James
'A really well-crafted and charming mystery story' Daily Mail
'A perfect example of golden-age mystery traditions with the cobwebs swept away' Guardian
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Roberts (The Bones of the Buried; Sweet Poison) just keeps getting better with each book in this historical series about Lord Edward Corinth, a jaded English aristocrat, and Verity Browne, a journalist with leftist sympathies and a Schaparelli evening gown in her closet. In October 1936, Verity returns from covering the Spanish Civil War. Joe Weaver, the press lord for whom Verity works, asks Lord Edward to convince Molly Harkness, an old friend of Edward's, to give up some highly indiscreet letters written by the King to one Wallis Simpson. Lord Edward talks to Molly, but before he can collect the letters, Molly is found dead and the letters disappear. Lord Edward is sure that Molly was murdered and is determined, with Verity's help, to discover the killer and recover the missing letters. The unforced and growing attraction between Edward and Verity provides romantic interest, while their differing views offer ample opportunity for comment on the political situation in Europe without slowing the plot, which moves effortlessly between country houses, bohemian Chelsea and the working-class East End. The surprise ending will leave readers wondering how they missed the clues. This is first-rate fun, informed by telling period detail and an intelligent portrayal of the political issues behind the Abdication Crisis. It's highly recommended, too, for fans of Love in a Cold Climate and Gosford Park.
