Hollow Crown - (Lord Edward Corinth & Verity Browne) by David Roberts (Paperback)

About the Book

"October 1936. Joe Weaver, press magnate and close friend of the Royal family, calls for Lord Edward Corinth's help in recovering some missing letters, stolen from Wallis Simpson--the King's intimate friend. But there is no mystery about who has taken the correspondence: it is known to be Mrs. Harkness, Edward's close friend and His Majesty's former favourite. As what seemed a simple stolen property case is complicated by murder, Verity Browne joins Edward in the investigation at Haling, the country home of Conservative MP Leo Scannon, where Mrs. Harkness is a guest"--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

A murder mystery featuring Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne.

October 1936. Joe Weaver, press magnate and close friend of the Royal family, calls for Lord Edward Corinth's help in recovering some missing letters, stolen from Wallis Simpson - the King's intimate friend. But there is no mystery about who has taken the correspondence: it is known to be Mrs Harkness, Edward's close friend and His Majesty's former favourite.

As what seemed a simple stolen property case is complicated by murder, Verity Browne joins Edward in the investigation at Haling, the country home of Conservative MP Leo Scannon where Mrs Harkness is a guest.

Very soon, the pair become involved with political protest at home and the fight against Fascism abroad, and against this background of social unrest that they set off to find out the truth behind the Hollow Crown...

Praise for David Roberts:

'A gripping, richly satisfying whodunit with finely observed characters, sparkling with insouciance and stinging menace' Peter James

'A really well-crafted and charming mystery story' Daily Mail

'A perfect example of golden-age mystery traditions with the cobwebs swept away' Guardian

From the Back Cover

October 1936. Joe Weaver, press magnate and close friend of the Royal family, calls for Lord Edward Corinth's help in recovering some missing letters, stolen from Wallis Simpson - the King's intimate friend. But there is no mystery about who has taken the correspondence: it is known to be Mrs Harkness, Edward's close friend and His Majesty's former favourite.

As what seemed a simple stolen property case is complicated by murder, Verity Browne joins Edward in the investigation at Haling, the country home of Conservative MP Leo Scannon where Mrs Harkness is a guest.

Very soon, the pair become involved with political protest at home and the fight against Fascism abroad, and against this background of social unrest that they set off to find out the truth behind the Hollow Crown...

Praise for David Roberts:

'A gripping, richly satisfying whodunit with finely observed characters, sparkling with insouciance and stinging menace' Peter James

'A really well-crafted and charming mystery story' Daily Mail

'A perfect example of golden-age mystery traditions with the cobwebs swept away' Guardian

Review Quotes

A classic murder mystery with as complex a plot as one could hope for and a most engaging pair of amateur sleuths whom I look forward to encountering again in future novels--Charles Osborne, author of The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie

A gripping, richly satisfying whodunit with finely observed characters, sparkling with insouciance and stinging menace--Peter James

A really well-crafted and charming mystery story--Daily Mail

Praise for David Roberts:

Roberts just keeps getting better with each book in this historical series... This is first-rate fun, informed by telling period detail and an intelligent portrayal of the political issues behind the Abdication Crisis. It's highly recommended too for fans of Love in a Cold Climate and Gosford Park--Publishers Weekly

Roberts' use of period detail... gives the tale terrific texture. Recommend this one heartily to history-mystery devotees--Booklist

This is a witty and meticulous recreation of the class-ridden middle England of the 1930s... a perfect example of golden-age mystery traditions with the cobwebs swept away, for the many readers who like their sleuthing elegant and their sex and violence concealed behind the curtains--Guardian

About the Author

David Roberts worked in publishing for over thirty years, most recently as a director, before devoting his energies to writing full time. He is married and divides his time between London and Wiltshire.