Dead Man's Sweetheart

Nell Bray #6

by Gillian Linscott

Nell Bray is a no-nonsense, passionate suffragette living in turn-of-the-century London. She also happens to be a superb amateur sleuth. Nell leaves London for a visit to the family home and, naturally, becomes involved in a murder case. Davie Kendal is due to hang for killing local mill owner Osbert Newbiggin. Davie's lawyer, a charismatic man named Bill Musgrave, has tried every trick in the book to save him, but all the evidence points to the young man's guilt. Davie's sister and Musgrave beg Nell to help prove Davie's innocence. The case is difficult and baffling, and it's only when Nell probes the relationship between Osbert Newbiggin and his pretty young ward, Laura, that she finds the key to the killer's identity. Teaming up with Musgrave and her longtime friend Rose, Nell races against time to find enough evidence to save Davie from the noose. An original and intriguing plot combined with Linscott's eye for period ambience and authentic detail result in yet another fine historical mystery. Emily Melton
From Booklist

Genres: Mystery, Historical

246 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

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

[Kirsty Darbyshire]

Perhaps because I'm running out of books in this setries to read or perhaps just because, I really enjoyed this episode in the Nell Bray series.

Things contributing to enjoyment: characters I've met before - Rose in an earlier book in the series and Bill Musgrave (I'm pretty certain) in a later book in the series; characters I've not met before but heard about before - Nell's brother Stuart and his family and a place Nell spent her childhood; good mystery plot featuring someone about to be hanged for murder who Nell is trying to prove innocent but isn't entirely convinced of his innocence herself so it never seems like a crusade; interesting setting in both country house type sense and Lancashire mill town type sense. Nothing that I can put my finger on that I disliked. Generally just a good read with a good resolution and a lot of interesting things going on.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story and exciting denouement.