Murder at the Brightwell

A Mystery

by Ashley Weaver

St. Martin's Press

Minotaur Books

Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 14 Oct 2014

Review

Murder at the Brightwell will readily appeal to anyone who enjoys 1930s mysteries with a touch of romance. Amory Ames, a wealthy young wife tired of her husband’s roguish antics, decides to do her former fiance Gil a favor - to accompany him to a seaside resort and convince his younger sister to break off her love affair with a charming ne’er do well. Instead of fleeing with his tail between his legs, the young man ends up dead with Amory’s friend as the main suspect. Amongst the wealthy couples sharing their holiday, a murderer resides, but who. Amory takes it upon herself to find out with the help of her husband who has shown up out of the blue to defend his territory. Polite society has never been so exciting.

Manners and murder make for a divine mystery. Ashley Weaver’s historical novel is an excellent read.

5 / 5

I received a copy of Murder at the Brightwell from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

-- Crittermom

Description

Amory Ames is a wealthy young woman who regrets her marriage to her notoriously charming playboy husband, Milo. Looking for a change, she accepts a request for help from her former fiancé, Gil Trent, not knowing that she’ll soon become embroiled in a murder investigation that will test not only her friendship with Gil, but will upset the status quo with her husband.

Amory accompanies Gil to the Brightwell Hotel in an attempt to circumvent the marriage of his sister, Emmeline, to Rupert Howe, a disreputable ladies’ man. Amory sees in the situation a grim reflection of her own floundering marriage. There is more than her happiness at stake, however, when Rupert is murdered and Gil is arrested for the crime. Amory is determined to prove his innocence and find the real killer, despite attempted dissuasion from the disapproving police inspector on the case. Matters are further complicated by Milo’s unexpected arrival, and the two form an uneasy alliance as Amory enlists his reluctant aid in clearing Gil’s name. As the stakes grow higher and the line between friend and foe becomes less clear, Amory must decide where her heart lies and catch the killer before she, too, becomes a victim.

Murder at the Brightwell is a delicious mystery in which murder invades polite society and romance springs in unexpected places. Weaver has penned a debut in the tradition of Jacqueline Winspear.