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Description
The third book in the popular Lane Winslow mystery series by an author the Globe and Mail has called a “writer to watch.”
It’s early spring of 1947 in idyllic King’s Cove, and the Hughes ladies, mère et filles, are gardening and sorting through the jars of food that have been put up for the winter. But while cleaning up after the roof of their root cellar has caved in slightly, they are horrified to discover a small skeletal hand embedded in the mess. Panicked, they call Lane Winslow, the ex-British secret service agent, and, not without some misgivings about the state of their tense relationship, Lane calls Inspector Darling.
Before long the police crew discover the body of a young child buried almost 40 years before. Who is the child, and why has it not been buried in the local cemetery? Inspector Darling, already busy dealing with a teenage girl who has gone on a destructive rampage at a local mill, asks Lane for help in unearthing the long-forgotten secrets of the early life of the tiny town, and the identity of the long-forgotten child.
This delightful new historical mystery series will appeal to fans of Maisie Dobbs and Bess Crawford.
Contributor Notes
Iona Whishaw is a former educator and social worker whose mother and grandfather were both spies during their respective wars. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband. Visit her at ionawhishaw.com.
Editorial Review
“A cleverly plotted story with a delightful setting and amusing characters. Once again, Whishaw keeps us guessing to the end.” —Globe and Mail
“A fascinating picture of a life in which many people spent every waking hour working and a disturbing look at the fate of orphaned children raise this mystery above the ordinary.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This series, with a strong and likable female protagonist...continues to get better and better. The novels not only use the past as a setting, but there are lessons about history—and how the consequences of past actions always catch up, sooner or later, with those involved.” —Reviewing The Evidence
“Well-drawn, pleasantly complex characters and a clearly developed, believable, and intriguing setting both add to the appeal of this book... Recommended for mystery lovers, and for fans of books set in the post-war era.” —Historical Novel Society
“Iona Whishaw’s compelling third novel gives us a gentle rural setting, a body in a root cellar, and, of course, Lane Winslow, the best new amateur sleuth to come along in quite some time. Plot, dialogue, and place: all the requisite elements for an award-winning novel.” —Don Graves, Canadian Mystery reviews
