The Kindness of Strangers - by Emma Garman (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A wildly entertaining debut and homage to the classic murder mystery set in a boarding house in post-WWII London-perfect for fans of Kate Atkinson, Agatha Christie, and Richard Osman"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A wildly entertaining debut and homage to the classic murder mystery set in post-WWII London where a stranger's arrival at a boarding house sets a deadly chain of events in motion--perfect for fans of Kate Atkinson, Agatha Christie, and Richard Osman.

London, 1953. Jimmy Sullivan lies dying on the drawing room floor while his housemates look on, their lives about to change forever.

One foggy night in the dead of February, a young man arrives unannounced at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. Self-styled Bohemian Mrs. Honor Wilson--who runs a minor literary journal and lodgings from this timeworn Victorian house--introduces him to her "dear house guests" Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the debutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says--yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone's misgivings, she lets the stranger move into the attic.

As they each try to disprove Jimmy's dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household's delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge.

In a house built on lies, the truth will get you killed.

Review Quotes

"What pure pleasure to discover Emma Garman's irresistible debut. Reading this ingeniously plotted, diabolically clever story of human deception and connection was like discovering a 1950s classic that was written with a surprisingly modern sensibility. Smart, original, darkly funny, and moving, it's everything I want in a mystery. I adored it." --KAREN DUKESS, USA Today bestselling author of Welcome to Murder Week

About the Author

Emma Garman, a Brighton-based writer and critic, has been a columnist for The Paris Review and a contributor to Literary Review, The Daily Beast, Lapham's Quarterly, and History News Network. She has an MA in creative writing from the City College of New York and an MA in literature from Queen Mary University of London. The Kindness of Strangers is her debut novel.