A MOST EFFICIENT MURDER

In this novel, a private secretary and a police detective investigate a murder at a British estate.

The Earl of Unsworth is atop the highest turret of his English castle, taking a brief respite from the large, extravagant 18th-birthday party he’s throwing for his favorite niece and ward, Fanny, when his butler interrupts him. The man informs Unsworth that an unknown young woman’s body has just been found in the garden. Hoping to avoid a scandal, Unsworth asks his highly efficient and capable private secretary, Mr. Quayle, to conduct his own discreet inquiries alongside the official police investigation. Despite misgivings, Quayle agrees. To his surprise, an old army buddy, now DI Wintle, turns out to be in charge of solving the crime. Despite their friendship, Wintle is not happy to have a civilian tagging along—or, in fact, trying to stay one step ahead. It soon becomes clear to both men that the Unsworth family is holding back its secrets and that not everything and everyone are what they seem. Their attempts to track down the identity of the murdered woman and how she came to be in the castle garden on the night of the party take both Quayle and Wintle far afield, including to London, as they try to sift through the conflicting stories offered by the members of the Unsworth family. The two sleuths interview Fanny—a surprisingly steely social butterfly—her domineering aunt Lady Constance, and her hapless, ne’er-do-well cousin Arthur, who has an unfortunate penchant for running away at crucial moments. Set in the 1920s, this second installment of Slayton’s series certainly checks all the boxes of the English country house mystery genre—a wealthy aristocrat’s estate, a long-lost relative, a missing family heirloom, a loyal household staff, and an enigmatic riddle. But the story never feels merely formulaic thanks to vivid writing, lively characters, and quietly snarky humor that will keep readers engaged from Page 1. This entertaining mystery hits all the right genre buttons in a fresh way.

An English country house mystery infused with humor, verve, and plenty of surprises.