The Mitford Murders - by Jessica Fellowes (Paperback)

About the Book

"It's 1920, and Louisa Cannon dreams of escaping her life of poverty in London. Louisa's salvation is a position within the Mitford household at Asthall Manor, in the Oxfordshire countryside. There she will become nursemaid, chaperone and confidante to the Mitford sisters, especially sixteen-year-old Nancy, an acerbic, bright young woman in love with stories. But then a nurse--Florence Nightingale Shore, goddaughter of her famous namesake--is killed on a train in broad daylight, and Louisa and Nancy find themselves entangled in the crimes of a murderer who will do anything to hide their secret...--

Book Synopsis

"A real murder, a real family and a brand new crime fiction heroine are woven together to make a fascinating, and highly enjoyable, read. I loved it."
--Julian Fellowes, creator and writer of Downton Abbey and Belgravia

The first in a series of thrilling Golden Age-style mysteries, set among the Mitford sisters, and based on a real unsolved murder, by Jessica Fellowes, author of the New York Times bestselling Downton Abbey books.

It's 1920, and Louisa Cannon dreams of escaping her life of poverty in London.

Louisa's salvation is a position within the Mitford household at Asthall Manor, in the Oxfordshire countryside. There she will become nursemaid, chaperone and confidante to the Mitford sisters, especially sixteen-year-old Nancy, an acerbic, bright young woman in love with stories.

But then a nurse--Florence Nightingale Shore, goddaughter of her famous namesake--is killed on a train in broad daylight, and Louisa and Nancy find themselves entangled in the crimes of a murderer who will do anything to hide their secret...

Based on an unsolved crime and written by Jessica Fellowes, author of the New York Times bestselling Downton Abbey companion books, The Mitford Murders is the perfect new obsession for fans of classic murder mysteries.

Review Quotes

"With nearly as much period detail as an episode of "Downton [Abbey]," this delightful romp satisfies like a cup of strong nursery tea accompanied by a Battenburg cake."--The Washington Post

"[A] pitch-perfect mystery." --Booklist

"The heroine is appealingly plucky, and the reader sinks into the rich period detail as pleasantly as into an overstuffed sofa." --Kirkus Reviews

"Fans of Agatha Christie or Jacqueline Winspear's "Maisie Dobbs" series will savor this take on the locked-room mystery." --Library Journal

"Downton Abbey fans, rejoice. The Mitford Murders is a return to the aristocrats in the country house, with all their gorgeous clothes, jewels, class privilege and manners intact....Fellowes has wisely chosen to shape her fictional Mitfords into a nice little British cozy with plenty of space for decor and quaint behaviour...The Mitford series is a winner." -- The Globe and Mail

"The members of the real-life Mitford family figure prominently in British author Fellowes's appealing fiction debut (after The World of Downton Abbey, about the hit TV show created by her uncle, Julian Fellowes)....[with] a satisfying ending." --Publishers Weekly

"Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie in this witty and twisty mystery imagining a 16-year-old Nancy Mitford teaming up with her household to help Louisa solve a murder in England in 1920." --In Touch Weekly

"A real murder, a real family and a brand new crime fiction heroine are woven together to make a fascinating, and highly enjoyable, read. I loved it." --Julian Fellowes, creator and writer of Downton Abbey and Belgravia

"Exactly the sort of book you might enjoy with the fire blazing, the snow falling etc. The solution is neat and the writing always enjoyable." --Anthony Horowitz, New York Times bestselling author of Magpie Murders

"Oh how delicious! This terrific start to what promises to be a must-read series is exactly what we all need in these gloomy times. Inventive, glittering, clever, ingenious. I devoured The Mitford Murders... so will you."
--Susan Hill, author of The Woman in Black

"True and glorious indulgence. A dazzling example of a golden age mystery." --Daisy Goodwin, author of Victoria and The American Heiress

"A lively, well-written, entertaining whodunit of the old-fashioned school--and that is meant as a compliment." --The Times (UK)

"This is a chocolate soufflé of a novel: as the enthralling mystery heats up, so the addictive deliciousness of the story rises. But The Mitford Murders is not only an ingeniously twisty thriller; it is also a heart-wrenching, heart-healing story about friendship, trust, betrayal and love: the sort of book you never want to end." --Juliet Nicolson, author of A House Full of Daughters

"There are several ready-made markets for this novel by the niece of the writer Julian Fellowes: fans of Downton Abbey, aficionados of Golden Age crime, and those with an appetite for the privileged world of the Mitford sisters." --Financial Times (UK)

"Meet the new Downton-style detectives....An adroitly handled murder mystery that keeps the reader guessing to the end...an accomplished crime debut and huge fun to read."--Evening Standard

"A Golden Age homage that flits between an England broken by World War I and the gilded milieu of the aristocracy....Jessica Fellowes' deliciously immersive, effortlessly easy novel has a strong feel for period and a rollicking plot...The glamorous Mitfords add to the value too."--Metro

"The Mitford Murders are very much in the ilk of an Agatha Christie novel...Perfect for those missing their Downton Abbey fix."--Belfast Telegraph

About the Author

JESSICA FELLOWES is an author, journalist, and public speaker. She is the author of The Mitford Murders novels as well as the New York Times bestselling official companion books to the Downton Abbey TV series. Former deputy editor of Country Life, and columnist for the Mail on Sunday, she has written for the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, The Sunday Times, and The Lady. Jessica has spoken at events across the UK and US, and has made numerous appearances on radio and television. She lives in Oxfordshire with her family