Description

(from inside flap Morrow dj)

Gail Sinclair, secretary in a London publishing house, seems too pretty and young to become involved in the mysterious and dangerous events in store for her. But when she agrees to drive Mrs. Stratton to her estate in the Basses-Pyrenees, she suddenly realizes she is in for much more than a pleasant motor trip.

Mrs. Stratton, a successful authoress for Gail's firm, is a charming and poised woman. But when confronted by her late husband's sister, the enigmatic Mrs. Westerby, the charm and poise quickly dissolve, leaving an unmistakable mark of fear.

Mrs. Westerby is first seen at a publisher's reception in honor of her sister-in-law. Dressed in a flourish of capes, feathers and buckled shoes, Mrs. Westerby roars at the top of her lungs, determined to steal the whole show, intent on humiliating her brother's widow.

Gail senses that there is more to Mrs. Westerby's behavior than mere eccentricity and the trip to the Stratton estate soon confirms her suspicions. She confides in Julian, Mrs. Westerby's handsome godson, and together they experience a series of events which provide mystery, romance and humor -- the hallmarks of Elizabeth Cadell at her best.

Notes

Elizabeth's Cadell's more staid, conventional male MCs can't hold a candle to her quirky ones, so, as far as the romantic element goes, Mrs. Westerby isn't really one of her strongest. It didn't feel like there was much chemistry between the two leads and neither was especially well-developed or memorable. That said, it's definitely one of her more successful efforts in terms of building suspense -- her books tend to be charming but the mysteries gossamer light. Mrs. Westerby, has enough plot -- or, maybe, character -- twists to keep you guessing, and a resolution with genuine weight and poignancy. There's brief discussion on the changing public expression of wealth in Britain at the time the book was written. And the fact that the story revolves around a journey to assess some valuable antique furniture feels as quaint as the rare-china plot point in The Corner Shop.

Tags

1960s, English, Europe, England, Europe, France, beautiful/handsome, big, business person, competent, crime, f/m, family, eccentric, female, forced proximity, forthright, independent, intelligent, lovers, enemies to, mountains, mystery, on the road, orphaned, prosperous, road trip, romance, secretary, single, suspense, third-person, vacation, young

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