Murder at an English Séance - (Beryl and Edwina Mystery) by Jessica Ellicott (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Hidden beneath her British reserve, Edwina has a secret: she's finished her novel and is bravely mailing the manuscript to a publisher. Beryl also has a secret: as thanks for solving a case, the American adventuress has been gifted an airplane. After swooping over the fields and hedgerows of Walmsley Parva, livestock scattering beneath her, she flamboyantly lands the plane on the village green, prompting a startled Edwina to consider a stiff gin fizz. Beryl's aircraft is not the only disruption of village peace. Miss Dinsdale, a psychic medium, has started holding sâeances. After the church organist resigns to serve as musical accompaniment for the sâeances, the vicar's wife hires the enquiry agents to expose the medium as a charlatan. Beryl is confident she can spot the fraud, having learned from Harry Houdini himself some tricks of the trade. The dubious Miss Dinsdale claims her spirit guide is an Egyptian princess whose mummy resides in a sarcophagus in the room. But the only body in the sarcophagus belongs to a murdered villager impaled with a dagger. As the sleuths begin to investigate, Beryl discovers her plane has been sabotaged and wonders if there's a connection. Whether in the air or on terra firma, Beryl and Edwina must go round a circle of suspects to divine the culprit..."--

Book Synopsis

In post-World War I England, foul play at a suspicious séance provokes the delightfully mismatched sleuthing duo of American adventuress Beryl Helliwell and prim Brit Edwina Davenport to dig up some dirt . . .

Hidden beneath her British reserve, Edwina has a secret: she's finished her novel and is bravely mailing the manuscript to a publisher. Beryl also has a secret: as thanks for solving a case, the American adventuress has been gifted an airplane. After swooping over the fields and hedgerows of Walmsley Parva, livestock scattering beneath her, she flamboyantly lands the plane on the village green, prompting a startled Edwina to consider a stiff gin fizz.

Beryl's aircraft is not the only disruption of village peace. Miss Dinsdale, a psychic medium, has started holding séances. After the church organist resigns to serve as musical accompaniment for the séances, the vicar's wife hires the enquiry agents to expose the medium as a charlatan. Beryl is confident she can spot the fraud, having learned from Harry Houdini himself some tricks of the trade. The dubious Miss Dinsdale claims her spirit guide is an Egyptian princess whose mummy resides in a sarcophagus in the room. But the only body in the sarcophagus belongs to a murdered villager impaled with a dagger.

As the sleuths begin to investigate, Beryl discovers her plane has been sabotaged and wonders if there's a connection. Whether in the air or on terra firma, Beryl and Edwina must go round a circle of suspects to divine the culprit . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for Jessica Ellicott's Beryl and Edwina Mysteries

"Revisiting these dynamic characters and their lived-in friendship and fair-play sleuthing is a treat. Fans will relish this sturdy entry in the series." --Publishers Weekly on Murder at a London Finishing School

"This charming historical cozy, set in England after WWI, features two likable heroines, an original plot, gentle humor, unexpected twists, and a satisfying ending. A fine choice for cozy fans and those who enjoy historical mysteries." --Booklist on Murder at a London Finishing School
"A fine period mystery with a surprising ending." --Kirkus Reviews on Murder at a London Finishing School

"With its strong sense of place and time in post-World War I England, this will be welcomed by fans of Frances Brody's Kate Shackleton mysteries." --Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW on Murder in an English Village

"A spectacular series launch." --Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW on Murder in an English Village

"Firmly set in the post-WWI era, this historical cozy will appeal to those who enjoy Frances Brody's Kate Shackleton and Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series." --Booklist on Murder in an English Village

"Very much an English cozy mystery!" --Historical Novel Society on Murder in an English Village

"Ellicott's delightful third whodunit set in post-WWI England...Witty prose, distinctive characters, and an enchanting setting all make for a winner." --Publishers Weekly on Murder Cuts the Mustard

"Captivating...Ellicott smoothly injects such serious issues as the impact of WWI on its survivors and the restrictions of the English class system into a light whodunit." --Publishers Weekly on Murder Flies the Coop

"Edwina and Beryl are flawed but determined women whose quirks and differences make them sympathetic." --Historical Novel Society on Murder Flies the Coop

"[A] heaping helping of period English country charm." --Kirkus Reviews on Murder Cuts the Mustard

"This English cozy is perfect for fans of female detectives and mysteries set in quaint English villages." --Library Journal on Murder Comes to Call

"This is a treat for readers who enjoy following the adventures of disparate yet complementary sleuths." --Publishers Weekly on Murder Comes to Call

"In this clash between conscience and convention, hilarity wins." --Kirkus Reviews on Murder Comes to Call

"Lighthearted...The two women provide a welcome humorous touch as they guide us through their world." --New York Journal of Books on Murder Comes to Call

"Jessica Ellicott takes readers on a fantastic step back through time to a tumultuous post-WWI England where her strong, avant-garde sleuthers both entertain and inform the audience...The pair shines in Ellicott's series, which is also notable for its attention to period dialogue, dress, and mannerisms." --Mystery Scene Magazine on Murder Comes to Call

"Delightful...Ellicott does a good job conveying the fluidity of the British social order after WWI and how the paucity of men opened many opportunities for women. Downton Abbey lovers should be pleased." --Publishers Weekly on Murder in an English Glade

"Plenty of shenanigans before domestic tranquility is restored." --Kirkus Reviews on Murder in an English Glade

"This charming outing succeeds as pure escapism." --Publishers Weekly on Murder Through the English Post

"A finely calibrated puzzle sends the two sleuths on a mission that will delight the most discerning cozy aficionado." --Kirkus Reviews on Murder Through the English Post

"You'll love this delightful new series about two ladies of a certain age who refuse to let Society's expectations hold them back from bringing a killer to justice. The very British Edwina and the too American Beryl are a wonderfully mismatched pair who will keep you turning pages until they solve the crime." --Victoria Thompson, bestselling author of Murder in the Bowery

"Absolutely delightful. Readers will fall in love with this intrepid new pair of sleuths as they sniff out the secrets hiding just beneath the surface of even the most unassuming English village." --Anna Lee Huber, bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries

About the Author

Jessica Ellicott is the author of the Beryl & Edwina Mystery series, as well as the Change of Fortune mysteries under the name Jessica Estevao and the bestselling Sugar Grove Mysteries as Daphne du Maurier Award-winning author Jessie Crockett. A member of Wicked Authors, Sisters in Crime, and ITW, she lives in northern New England where she obsessively knits wool socks and enthusiastically speaks Portuguese with a shocking disregard for the rules of grammar. Please visit her online at JessicaEllicott.com.