False Pretences - (Abbot Agency Mysteries) by Veronica Heley (Hardcover)

About the Book

Bea Abbot is back in the fourth mystery in the popular series.

Book Synopsis

Bea Abbot runs a domestic agency that doesn't 'do' murder.

There's nothing sinister about Zander's request for Bea to accompany him on an errand to a grieving widow, but it's awkward because it was Zander who'd exposed the scam that his boss Denzil had been running on the Tudor Housing Trust...after which Denzil had, unexpectedly, died. His widow, 'Lady' Honoria, turns out to be a bullying racist who wants to sue the Trust for defamation of character, while the paperwork that could have proved her husband's guilt has gone missing.

Oliver, Bea's computer geek of an assistant, is delighted to delve into the mysteries left on Denzil's computer, while Bea is cajoled into silence by elderly Lord Murchison, whose family has run the charity for ever...and who faces ruin if the truth comes out. Zander and Oliver find themselves suspected of murder, while Bea thinks up a novel way to rescue her son's failing marriage. As the plot thickens, it emerges that although the first death may have appeared natural, those which follow definitely do not.

Review Quotes

"Heley's cast of intriguing characters from ever walk of life will please British cozy fans"-- "Publishers Weekly"

"The Abbot Agency rates an A++ for creativity and problem-solving ingenuity; this charming and sophisticated series will appeal to readers who enjoy contemporary cozies"-- "Library Journal Starred Review"