Lucy Trent is used to having the legend of her disreputable grandmother disinterred from time to time - the infamous silent-screen actress Lucretia von Wolff, whose lovers were legion, whose scandals were numerous, whose life ended abruptly in a bizarre double murder and suicide at the Ashwood fi...
""The dangerous thing about spider light is that it hides things - things you never knew existed. But once you have seen those things, you can never afterwards forget them ...""Antonia Weston has come to the sleepy market town of Amberwood in search of peace and anonymity after a shattering and a...
Journalist Harry Fizglen is sceptical when his editor asks him to investigate the background of Simone Anderson, a new Bloomsbury artist. But once he's met the enigmatic Simone, Harry is intrigued. Just what did happen to Simone's twin sister who disappeared without trace several years before? ...
Should he pretend they had never had that unreal conversation on the landing and, instead, talk cheerfully about his work? He had a wild image of determinedly describing the breezy letters from the unknown Chuffy, and of Luisa industriously searching genealogies to find out who Chuffy had been an...
It smelled a bit damp, but Nell, who was fairly used to entering old houses in her work, had encountered a lot worse. She expected Benedict Doyle to come down to greet her, but he did not, so she went through the dining room into a big shadowy hall, and called out to him. ‘Hello? I got in all rig...
Quincy had known this ever since Imogen fell into the terrible dark sleep and she had known that she could not leave her, although for some time she had not known how this could be prevented. In the end she had simply asked point-blank to return to Thornacre, knocking on Matron Porter’s door, and...
The door was still propped wide open, and it would have been easy. And having Christy with her had made her feel much braver and much stronger, and she thought that together they could have dodged out when the men were near the staircase’s top. But through the door she could see the other plotter...
When she heard that Mara was returning home, she composed a very careful letter to Gheorghe Pauker. She was cautious, not knowing who might actually see the letter; there might be a wife – Zoia rather hoped there was – or the letter might be opened by a branch of the Securitate. Some people said ...
She had set it all out on the little gateleg table by the window with the breathtaking sweep of Torven beyond. There would not be room at the table for everyone, but they could have their lunch buffet-style, which would be easier anyway. She had expected to feel slightly d...
It was the last few days of Hilary Term, with all the end of term activities enlivening Oriel College. Students wandered in and out to say goodbye, or include him in various farewell activities. Owen Bracegirdle from the history faculty held a Sunday lunch buffet in his rooms, which had been inte...
Michael slowed down, remembering that Nell West was the antique dealer Jack and Liz had commissioned to find Charect’s original furniture. Should he go into the shop? Yes, why not? Liz in particular would like to know a bit about the person who was scouring the county for Charect’s furniture, and...