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Mrs. Westerby Changes Course
Gail Sinclair, secretary in a London publishing house, seems too pretty and young to become involved in the mysterious and dangerous events in store for her. But when she agrees to drive Mrs. Stratton to her estate in the Basses-Pyrenées, she suddenly realizes she is in for much more than a pleasant motor trip.
Mrs. Stratton, a successful authoress for Gail's firm, is a charming and poised woman. But when confronted by her late husband's sister, the enigmatic Mrs. Westerby, the charm and poise quickly disolve, leaving an unmistakable mark of fear.
Mrs. Stratton, a successful authoress for Gail's firm, is a charming and poised woman. But when confronted by her late husband's sister, the enigmatic Mrs. Westerby, the charm and poise quickly disolve, leaving an unmistakable mark of fear.
229 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1967
48 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Cadell
103 books118 followersViolet Elizabeth Vandyke was born on 10 November 1903 in Calcutta, British Raj, daughter of British parents, Elizabeth Lynch and Frederick Reginald Vandyke, a colonial officer. During the Great War she studied music in London, but refused a musical career and returned to India where she married in 1928 Henry Dunlop Raymond Mallock Cadell, and they had a son and daughter. After she was widowed ten years later, she returned to England.
Elizabeth wrote her first book 'My Dear Aunt Flora' during the Second World War in 1946, there after producing another 51 light-hearted, humourous and romantic books which won her a faithful readership in England and America. In addition to England and India, many of her books are set in Spain, France, and Portugal. She finally settled in Portugal, where her married daughter still lived.
She died on 9 October 1989, aged eighty-five.
Elizabeth wrote her first book 'My Dear Aunt Flora' during the Second World War in 1946, there after producing another 51 light-hearted, humourous and romantic books which won her a faithful readership in England and America. In addition to England and India, many of her books are set in Spain, France, and Portugal. She finally settled in Portugal, where her married daughter still lived.
She died on 9 October 1989, aged eighty-five.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 21, 2014
I thought I knew what to expect from an Elizabeth Cadell novel, but this was the book that proved me wrong.
It had her usual ingredients:
•A bright, independent heroine.
•An overseas jaunt.
•A puzzle to be resolved.
•A dash of romance.
But the balance was rather different – tilted less towards the romance and much more towards the puzzle – and the story was much darker than I had anticipated.
Think somewhere between D E Stevenson and Mary Stewart with a dash of Agatha Christie ….
Gail Sinclair was a secretary, employed by the century-old publishing firm of Beetham Brothers, and because she was poised, elegant and capable, it fell to her to look after Mrs Stratton.
Mrs Stratton was a young widow, and, while she was nursing her dying husband, she had written a book that was expected to become a publishing sensation.
The job should have been easy, but there was a complication: Mrs Westerby.
Mrs Westerby was the sister of Mrs Stratton’s late husband, and she was determined that she and Mrs Stratton should be the best of friends, that they would be able to comfort one another after their shared loss. But she was brash and loud, she was chaotic, and she was inclined to turn up wherever Mrs Stratton was, quite sure she was wanted, oblivious to the fact that she was not.
Mrs Stratton was everything that Mrs Westerby was not, she was her complete opposite, and she just wanted to live her own life in peace. She saw no reason to have a relationship with a sister-in law who was years older than her, who she barely knew, when the man who had been the only link between them was gone.
Mrs Westerby discovered that Gail’s married sister was a near neighbour, and extended an invitation to Gail. She couldn’t say no; and strangely, for all her failings, she couldn’t help rather liking Mrs Westerby ….
Gail planned to use her annual leave to travel to Spain, to collect her naval-officer brother. When Mrs Stratton found out she asked a favour. She wondered if she might travel with Gail, as far as the property her husband had owned in the Basque Country. Mrs Westerby had been left the house, Mrs Stratton had been left the furniture and they needed to sort things out. Mrs Westerby was going too, but Mrs Stratton really did not want to travel with her. Gail was reluctant to get involved, but she didn’t feel she could say no.
The journey was eventful to say the least, and Gail and Mrs Stratton kept running into Mrs Westerby and Julian, the godson who was driving her. Mrs Westerby’s behaviour grew more outlandish, more suspicious.
Gail knew what she thought, but Julian saw things rather differently.
There is, of course, a grand dénouement at that property in the Basque country.
That ending was a little bit contrived, but I couldn’t have predicted it and I do think it was right.
The plot was a little bit clunky, but I didn’t really mind.
The story was engaging.
The character-study, the contrast between the sisters-in-law, was intriguing.
The puzzle was exceedingly puzzling, I was genuinely baffled, and I loved the way the story held me, enjoying the journey and the incident as I wondered what on earth was going on.
All of that came together to make a book that was ridiculously readable.
And a very fine entertainment.
It had her usual ingredients:
•A bright, independent heroine.
•An overseas jaunt.
•A puzzle to be resolved.
•A dash of romance.
But the balance was rather different – tilted less towards the romance and much more towards the puzzle – and the story was much darker than I had anticipated.
Think somewhere between D E Stevenson and Mary Stewart with a dash of Agatha Christie ….
Gail Sinclair was a secretary, employed by the century-old publishing firm of Beetham Brothers, and because she was poised, elegant and capable, it fell to her to look after Mrs Stratton.
Mrs Stratton was a young widow, and, while she was nursing her dying husband, she had written a book that was expected to become a publishing sensation.
The job should have been easy, but there was a complication: Mrs Westerby.
Mrs Westerby was the sister of Mrs Stratton’s late husband, and she was determined that she and Mrs Stratton should be the best of friends, that they would be able to comfort one another after their shared loss. But she was brash and loud, she was chaotic, and she was inclined to turn up wherever Mrs Stratton was, quite sure she was wanted, oblivious to the fact that she was not.
Mrs Stratton was everything that Mrs Westerby was not, she was her complete opposite, and she just wanted to live her own life in peace. She saw no reason to have a relationship with a sister-in law who was years older than her, who she barely knew, when the man who had been the only link between them was gone.
Mrs Westerby discovered that Gail’s married sister was a near neighbour, and extended an invitation to Gail. She couldn’t say no; and strangely, for all her failings, she couldn’t help rather liking Mrs Westerby ….
Gail planned to use her annual leave to travel to Spain, to collect her naval-officer brother. When Mrs Stratton found out she asked a favour. She wondered if she might travel with Gail, as far as the property her husband had owned in the Basque Country. Mrs Westerby had been left the house, Mrs Stratton had been left the furniture and they needed to sort things out. Mrs Westerby was going too, but Mrs Stratton really did not want to travel with her. Gail was reluctant to get involved, but she didn’t feel she could say no.
The journey was eventful to say the least, and Gail and Mrs Stratton kept running into Mrs Westerby and Julian, the godson who was driving her. Mrs Westerby’s behaviour grew more outlandish, more suspicious.
Gail knew what she thought, but Julian saw things rather differently.
There is, of course, a grand dénouement at that property in the Basque country.
That ending was a little bit contrived, but I couldn’t have predicted it and I do think it was right.
The plot was a little bit clunky, but I didn’t really mind.
The story was engaging.
The character-study, the contrast between the sisters-in-law, was intriguing.
The puzzle was exceedingly puzzling, I was genuinely baffled, and I loved the way the story held me, enjoying the journey and the incident as I wondered what on earth was going on.
All of that came together to make a book that was ridiculously readable.
And a very fine entertainment.
November 14, 2011
Very entertaining, and much darker then then the last 2 Cadell books I've read (if "darker" is truely a word you can use to describe any of Cadell's books).
This was a good character study between two women (Mrs. Westerby and Mrs. Stratton) who present one persona to the world while hiding a completely opposite side from public scrutiny. Our heroine, Gail, has to figure out what is real and what is manufactured while on a road trip with Mrs. Stratton to a cottage in the French Pyrenees. The humorous excapades that ensue once Mrs. Westerby enters the picture slowly but surely turns ominous for Gail, and the ending had a twist I didn't see coming (par for the course for me!).
I enjoyed this offering very much, and hope there are some more like this in the Cadell canon.
This was a good character study between two women (Mrs. Westerby and Mrs. Stratton) who present one persona to the world while hiding a completely opposite side from public scrutiny. Our heroine, Gail, has to figure out what is real and what is manufactured while on a road trip with Mrs. Stratton to a cottage in the French Pyrenees. The humorous excapades that ensue once Mrs. Westerby enters the picture slowly but surely turns ominous for Gail, and the ending had a twist I didn't see coming (par for the course for me!).
I enjoyed this offering very much, and hope there are some more like this in the Cadell canon.
January 6, 2015
Three and a half stars, rounded up to four because this one had me guessing all the way up to the end.
More of a mystery than a romance, with a little comedy of manners thrown in. At the center of the book are two older women, sisters-in-law who seem at odds for reasons that are not clear. Both women are puzzling and don't quite seem real. What sort of game are they playing? Why is one of the women so intimidated, and why is the other so determined to behave badly? It was all very entertaining, weird, and somehow a little sinister.
The heroine is a rather cool young woman, Gail Sinclair, who gets involved in the shenanigans more or less against her better judgement. I never did warm up to Gail, though I did sympathize with her efforts to keep her unruly elderly charges under control. The romance seemed an afterthought and didn't sizzle even in sunny Southwest France.
But it's the old ladies who steal the show here: from shrewd Miss Teller, one of those old-school secretaries who basically runs the whole publishing firm; to elegant, reserved Mrs. Stratton, an overnight literary sensation whose memoirs of a wasted life seem destined for a Booker Prize; to odd Mrs. Westerby who keeps barging into staid gatherings wearing outlandish outfits and booming away at the top of her lungs.
The plot sort of bumps along like a car on a bad road in the Pyrenees, but this is a trip to take just for the fun of it, and for the odd characters that you'll meet along the way.
Content rating: G--a clean read.
More of a mystery than a romance, with a little comedy of manners thrown in. At the center of the book are two older women, sisters-in-law who seem at odds for reasons that are not clear. Both women are puzzling and don't quite seem real. What sort of game are they playing? Why is one of the women so intimidated, and why is the other so determined to behave badly? It was all very entertaining, weird, and somehow a little sinister.
The heroine is a rather cool young woman, Gail Sinclair, who gets involved in the shenanigans more or less against her better judgement. I never did warm up to Gail, though I did sympathize with her efforts to keep her unruly elderly charges under control. The romance seemed an afterthought and didn't sizzle even in sunny Southwest France.
But it's the old ladies who steal the show here: from shrewd Miss Teller, one of those old-school secretaries who basically runs the whole publishing firm; to elegant, reserved Mrs. Stratton, an overnight literary sensation whose memoirs of a wasted life seem destined for a Booker Prize; to odd Mrs. Westerby who keeps barging into staid gatherings wearing outlandish outfits and booming away at the top of her lungs.
The plot sort of bumps along like a car on a bad road in the Pyrenees, but this is a trip to take just for the fun of it, and for the odd characters that you'll meet along the way.
Content rating: G--a clean read.
September 1, 2022
3 1/2 stars, really.
This is the first of Elizabeth Cadell's books I have read. I don't want to damn it with faint praise by saying this - I mean it as a compliment: This is a kind of old fashioned book that just tells a story, without trying to draw moral conclusions from the story - it's just a GOOD STORY.
After reading a spate of "classics" (which I love) it was nice to relax with a book that just wanted to be what it was. The story of two older ladies, seemingly in some sort of struggle but we don't know why, that unfolds on a trip into Basque country. I went back and forth between the two women, seeing first one side then another. The romance between the young'uns in the book wasn't nearly as good to me (nor as believable) as the push and pull between the writer and the "crazy" lady.
I enjoyed it very much. My library only has two books by Ms. Cadell. I've already checked out the second one.
This is the first of Elizabeth Cadell's books I have read. I don't want to damn it with faint praise by saying this - I mean it as a compliment: This is a kind of old fashioned book that just tells a story, without trying to draw moral conclusions from the story - it's just a GOOD STORY.
After reading a spate of "classics" (which I love) it was nice to relax with a book that just wanted to be what it was. The story of two older ladies, seemingly in some sort of struggle but we don't know why, that unfolds on a trip into Basque country. I went back and forth between the two women, seeing first one side then another. The romance between the young'uns in the book wasn't nearly as good to me (nor as believable) as the push and pull between the writer and the "crazy" lady.
I enjoyed it very much. My library only has two books by Ms. Cadell. I've already checked out the second one.
February 28, 2020
I was looking for a light read and thought this might be it.
It was an okay book; I did finish it. I enjoyed the character of Mrs. Westerby. The mystery wasn't really a mystery; it was way too obvious. And there wasn't too much to the characters of the love interests. So if I had to do it again, I would choose another book
It was an okay book; I did finish it. I enjoyed the character of Mrs. Westerby. The mystery wasn't really a mystery; it was way too obvious. And there wasn't too much to the characters of the love interests. So if I had to do it again, I would choose another book
May 20, 2014
My first book by Elizabeth Cadell and certainly won't be my last. There is a little romance, a little mystery, a road trip and an ending I never saw coming.
July 6, 2024
Rounding up from 2.5. I probably should have read a synopsis first because I went in thinking this would be like the other three Elizabeth Cadell books I'd read--a charming, funny, vintage romance in an interesting setting. Even the cover implies this. But no! This one was more like her hand at a Mary Stewart romantic suspense novel, except it was neither romantic nor suspenseful.
Gail Somebody works at a publishing company where debut author and widow Mrs. Stratton has hit it big. The only fly in Mrs. Stratton's ointment is her embarrassing sister-in-law Mrs. Westerby. Loud, quirky, eager to be friends.
Well Gail ends up driving Mrs. Stratton through the Pyrenees, followed by Mrs. Westerby and her godson Julian, and...it was boring. I'll keep trying other books, if my library has any, but this one was no fun.
Gail Somebody works at a publishing company where debut author and widow Mrs. Stratton has hit it big. The only fly in Mrs. Stratton's ointment is her embarrassing sister-in-law Mrs. Westerby. Loud, quirky, eager to be friends.
Well Gail ends up driving Mrs. Stratton through the Pyrenees, followed by Mrs. Westerby and her godson Julian, and...it was boring. I'll keep trying other books, if my library has any, but this one was no fun.
April 30, 2017
Good love story
Elizabeth Cadell's mysteries are, in my opinion, her weakest link. Silly plots made worse by their all being quite similar to one another. But, although this is a mystery, the main couple are cute, and the love story charming. Somehow the strong female lead made this a book I enjoyed reading.
Elizabeth Cadell's mysteries are, in my opinion, her weakest link. Silly plots made worse by their all being quite similar to one another. But, although this is a mystery, the main couple are cute, and the love story charming. Somehow the strong female lead made this a book I enjoyed reading.
August 8, 2012
Cool, composed and beautiful Gail Sinclair works for the Beetham Brother publishers, and Mrs. Stratton is a best selling author. Naturally, Gail is willing to help Mrs. Stratton when she asks if Gail can drive her to a cottage in the Pyrenees, as she wants to see some furniture she's inherited. Gail is driving to Spain anyway, to pick up her naval-officer brother. When Gail meets Mrs. Westerby, Mrs. Stratton's sister-in-law, she begins to wonder what she's let herself in for--the older woman seems overly friendly, and the younger overtly hostile. Then Mrs. Westerby's godson, Julian, enters the picture, and Gail begins to wonder if she's actually in danger.
November 15, 2012
This one was a surprise! Far from the gentle love stories she usually writes, Mrs Westerby is a genuine mystery. The gradual evolution of the villain is exceptional, and even though the end seems a litle contrived, it holds interest all the way to the end. Highly recommended for Cadell fans.
December 8, 2015
A very good story about 2 women, a widow and the sister to the deceased, who are antagonists and have hidden agendas, travel to Portugal to a family home and heirlooms which need to be dispersed. Lots of twists and turns and a bit of romance thrown in.
May 30, 2020
Oh well, I seem to be in the minority of really not liking this one. Part of the trouble was that I had no doubt of what the mystery was going to be from very early on. The actual denouement though was difficult to believe.
I could not abide Mrs Westerby and found the romance very unconvincing. I liked the heroine in the early stages of the book but became increasingly exasperated with her. I thought that any normal person would not have put up with the developing situation. And the explanation at the end seemed to go on forever.
It’s curious that in some of her books I find virtually all of the characters sympathetic and in one or two, none of them.
I could not abide Mrs Westerby and found the romance very unconvincing. I liked the heroine in the early stages of the book but became increasingly exasperated with her. I thought that any normal person would not have put up with the developing situation. And the explanation at the end seemed to go on forever.
It’s curious that in some of her books I find virtually all of the characters sympathetic and in one or two, none of them.
October 23, 2023
This was my first Cadell book and I loved it. My mum had a book subscription in the late 60s and I rescued a couple when she passed away, this being one of them. Never heard of the author before but will look out for others now. In bed with flu I read this one (I believe originally named The Stratton Story in 1967) in a day. I was surprised at the mention of careers in the computer business and the very feminist comments, didn’t feel like it was written over 55 years ago.
May 20, 2017
Suspense and a twist at the end...
I really enjoyed how this story drew me in and kept me engaged until the end. If you enjoy Mary Stewart, I think you'll enjoy this!
I really enjoyed how this story drew me in and kept me engaged until the end. If you enjoy Mary Stewart, I think you'll enjoy this!
July 17, 2018
I could kind of see what was coming in this one, but still some major twists and turns. Elizabeth Cadell delivers again, though not, perhaps, my favorite of her books.
July 26, 2021
Great glimpse of a time gone by. Interesting title character. Good pacing.
August 15, 2021
Something sinister! The game is afoot!
My Full Review →
My Full Review →
October 13, 2023
Love at first glance, a weird relationship between sisters-in-law, and a deep, dark mystery. How easily will you change your allegiance?
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January 17, 2024Unforgettable characters. Interesting mystery.
May 15, 2024
Had so much fun with this one!
September 21, 2025
Easy-going, as Ms Cadell's books usually are. I did not like this one as much as some of the others. Yes, there's a mystery, but something just doesn't work, it could be the ending, it could be some of the characters...but, there's something that made me frown when I finished the read.
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August 10, 2017My favorite one of hers... Clever!
September 21, 2018
I have this book under another title "The Stratton Story" so at first I thought there was a Cadell title I hadn't heard of! Anyway whichever title this is a page turner with Cadell's usual well drawn characters and a twist to the tale that I didn't see coming! It's a little darker than I usually associate with Elizabeth Cadell but it worked for me.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews