Sister Beneath the Sheet

Nell Bray #1

by Gillian Linscott

The presumed suicide of a high-class prostitute in turn-of-the-century Biarritz shakes up the upper-class world when the deceased woman, Topaz Brown, leaves her fortune to England's suffragette movement

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, France

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1991

About the author

Gillian Linscott introduced her popular suffragette/sleuth, Nell Bray, in the critically acclaimed Sister Beneath the Sheet. A BBC reporter turned full-time writer, she lives in Herefordshire, England.

Linscott has also published several titles under the pseudonym Caro Peacock.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun mystery with a good twist. I'm a bit surprised that this is the first in the Nell Bray series, since Nell was not given a ton of personality or background, with the other characters taking center stage.

[Antoinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suffragette Nell Bray is sent to Biarritz to help secure a bequest left to the Women's Social and Political Union. The donor, a wealthy prostitute, was thought to have committed suicide, but Nell begins to question that cause of death after investigating for herself. The characters are fascinating, the plot is well-paced, there are many red herrings and a complex story line. The vote-for-women movement plays a big role in the story, which makes it a good historic mystery. I recommend this book for readers of historic mysteries and those who enjoy a strong feminist angle.

[Wealhtheow · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good murder mystery. A dead prostitute leaves a suffragette society most of her fortune. The society sends a representative to find out why--and she, in turn, becomes intrigued by the dead woman and seeks to discover the truth about her death. I was really impressed by the historical accuracy--most writers are content to get the clothes and vehicles right, but Linscott concerns herself with the attitudes and unwritten politics of the time as well.

[Nightwitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really nice mystery starring a suffragette in Biarritz to try and claim some money that was left to the women's suffrage movement - by a courtesan who died a day later. It's one of those mysteries that is more slice of life than mystery, as our heroine unravels the various friends, lovers, and enemies of the late Topaz Brown, but Nell herself is relatively personality-free - or maybe a better word is "restrained."

[Madeleine]

D

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This worked really well for me. The scene in the tree amused me in particular.

[Keith Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent mystery. I was genuinely surprised by the ending

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have long wanted to read this series but my reaction to book 1 is just, "meh". At times it was involving but other times it felt superficial with no strong sense of the period. The author did keep me guessing as to the perp... I thought I knew, then I was convinced I was wrong, then gotcha! So I'll giver her points for that. The ending felt abrupt with little official or personal closure. Nell and the Suffrage movement could be interesting but this volume did not make me want to run out and read the rest of the series.

[Kirsty Darbyshire]

I didn't think this was quite as good as the later books in the series that I began with but definitely well worth going back for. Nell has just returned from a spell in Holloway for chucking a brick through the window of 10 Downing Street (I'd guess that that is covered in another book) when Mrs Pankhurst sends her off to investigate a legacy of fifty thousand pounds that has been left to the Women's Social and Political Union (aka the suffragettes). The money has been left to them by a high class prostitute who has suicided and Nell thinks everything is not as straightforward as it looks (and lets face it that's not very straightforward to start with).

Most of the story takes place in Biarritz on the French Riveria but I didn't think that the setting came quite to life.. Once again though the characters were excellent and I enjoyed seeing more of Bobbie Fieldfare, a bit of a firecracker in the suffragettes arsenal who took a brief role in A Perfect Daughter. I'm impressed that Linscott includes some defiantly anti-feminist characters among the women as well as the men in these books. It all adds up to an interesting picture of life before the first world war and as I think I've mentioned before I get the feeling that Linscott gets historical accuracy into these books without pushing research down the readers throat. This is rapidly becoming one of my favourite series.

[AnnieM · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those rare occasions where I'm gonna give the book more stars than it may deserve. I love the concept, location, and time that I will have to read a second book from the series to make a complete decision.

I hope this books suffers from "first in the series" syndrome. Too much story and character building and not enough work on the plot makes it a bit slow and sadly a common occurrence in mystery series, especially in the cozies.

Still it's not every day you get a prostitute leaving all her money to the suffragettes. That alone might make it worth a second try.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical mystery, in which Nell Bray, a suffragette, investigates the mysterious death of a courtesan who has left her fortune to the movement. This was less engaging to me as a whodunit than as a period piece. I loved Nell's wry narrative voice, especially the way her throwing arm would twitch whenever she saw male chauvinists. (Possible useful backstory note: when the novel begins, Nell has just finished a short stint in Holloway after throwing a brick at 10 Downing Street.)

[Christine Lucia Asha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell Bray is invited to investigate the death of a woman who's past time is not exactly honorable. She is not one to get into that non-sense of whether she was a wonton woman or not, she seeks the truth. With the help of the deceased's woman's friend and her maid, she finds out more then she would like about some 'respected' gentlemen and finds her killer.

[bumblethunderbeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Substantive and fun. I'm going to enjoy reading this series.

[Iulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell Bray, Edwardian suffragette, investigates the suspicious suicide of a high-class escort. Page turning mystery. Easy read.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots to like, doesn't shy away from complications...

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 2 out of 5]

C-. historical mystery, early 1900s, series, #1

[Regine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Impossible.