The Mistress of Alderley

London: Allison & Busby Limited, 2002. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. [6], 244, [6] pages. Illustration. DJ has slight wear and soiling. Signed by the author on the title page. Robert Barnard (23 November 1936 – 19 September 2013) was an English crime writer, critic and lecturer. His first crime novel, A Little Local Murder, was published in 1976. The novel was written while he was a lecturer at University of Tromsø in Norway. He went on to write more than 40 other books and numerous short stories. Barnard said that his favorite crime writer was Agatha Christie. In 1980 he published a critique of her work titled A Talent to Deceive: An Appreciation of Agatha Christie. Barnard was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger in 2003 by the Crime Writers Association for a lifetime of achievement. Under the pseudonym Bernard Bastable, Robert Barnard published two standalone novels and two alternate history books starring Wolfgang Mozart as a detective, he having survived to old age. Derived from a Kirkus review: Normally the Yorkshire villagers would shun the likes of former actress Caroline Fawley, but the lover who’s set her up in Alderley, a charming stately home, and visited her on weekends is super-rich supermarket tycoon Marius Fleetwood. At her mantrap daughter Olivia’s Leeds operatic debut in La Forza del Destino, Caroline awaits for Marius to join her for the curtain call. The police discover his body near the theater. Caroline is devastated to learn that he might have been unfaithful. Investigating DS Charlie Peace finds no lack of suspects, including impoverished singer Rick Radshaw; Caroline’s youngsters Stella and Alexander, and Marius’s son Guy; Pete Bagshaw; and assorted business rivals, village moralists, and even Marius’s wife. It’s not until Peace breaks down La Forza scene by scene and prop by prop that the murderer, motive, and method are revealed. A treat for fans of opera, country houses, and women of a certain age with the knack for rebounding. Condition: Good.

Keywords: Caroline Fawley, Lover, Alderley, Marius Fleetwood, Leeds, Opera, Detective Superintendent, Charlie Peace, RIck Radshaw, La Forza, Actress, Infidelity, Mistress, Pete Bagshaw, Pregnant

ISBN: 0749005548

[Book #75873]

Price: $100.00

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