Conversational Lies

Moriston House Mysteries #5

by Jennifer A. Girardin

Crime is always at home in the cozy English village of Halfereton...where every mystery just happens to drop in for tea!
As the Moriston House Mystery Society contemplates the perfect English crime, they are interrupted in their cozy conference by the discovery of the death of local nobody Bernard Alton, a retired local businessman with a gloriously empty past. Suspicion immediately falls upon the mousy maid, Eleanor Norton, who had every reason to have committed the crime, and who would have inherited the Alton’s mysterious home, Hazelwood Cottage.
Clues abound in the form of friendly blackmail letters, delightful death threats, and a colorful canvas of unreliable witnesses, and when a murder weapon is found at the Lodge of Moriston House, Lord Hugo Anstead and his sleuthing companions are cordially invited to solve the crime.
Local journalist and queen of crime Marjorie Branell-Markson is convinced that the crimes were committed by the Alton's waxy nephew, Raymond Wilde, whose penchant for cocktails in the morning and philandering in the afternoon adds a little cream to the crime. And when poisonous petunia Joan Alton is murdered before Christmas, no one in the gossipy English village of Halfereton is the least surprised.
A collection of ready suspects ring a jolly tune, including arty hanger-on Ann Harmon, local perfectionist Frederick Caldwell, social wallflower Claudia Morris, and flighty Bernadette Collier, who all have a tendency of lying through their teeth.
And when the strange suspects are attacked without rhyme or reason, Lord Hugo must match wits against a cunning murderer...and discover the truth among a pack of dangerous little lies.
Join us for the Moriston House Mystery Series.... where classic crime is always at home!

218 pages, Paperback

Published December 11, 2016

About the author

Jennifer A. Girardin

Is the author of the Moriston House British Mystery Series, including The French De Ception, The Uncertainty Principle, The Altered Suggestion, The Monday Criminologist, Conversational Lies, Murder Most English, Tea Before Crime, Connoisseurs of Crime, Afternoon in September, Town and Country Crimes, Tea for Two, Dinner at Eight, and Lady Daphne's Dilemma.
Coming soon: Fashionably Late.

Set in the quiet English village of Halfereton, the Moriston House British Mystery Series features Lord Hugo Anstead and teatime sleuth Jane Holden.

For more news & clues, visit Moriston House British Mystery Books:
https://moristonhouse.wixsite.com/my-...

Moriston House Books...classic teatime crimes.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

What better way to start a mystery than to do so during the Christmas holidays in an English village where a murder or two take place. The amateur sluething group look into the mystery and try to make sense of who is lying and whose not. In this mystery everybody seems to have their own reasons to lie. Sir Hugo and friends eventually solve the case.

[Judy Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conversational Lies is a very British mystery presented with a very British sense of humor. I totally enjoyed this story about a mystery society who meet to solve crimes in the vicinity of the picturesque village of Halfereton. A wealthy neighbor and his garrulous wife have been murdered, and their young maid is the No. 1 suspect. She is named in the will, is the subject of blackmail, and was hated by the jealous wife. There are a number of other suspects, and the longer the story goes, the reader sees that not everything is as it seems. This book has a real Agatha Christie feel to it. If you enjoy mysteries set in the British countryside with a large dash of British humor, this is the book for you.

[Jennifer Girardin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the sleepy English village of Halfereton stumbles upon the death of local nobody Bernard Alton, they scramble to clear mousy maid and domestic drudge Eleanor Norton, who has been accused of strangling her dim-witted employer.
And when his socially poisonous wife, Joan, is found dead by the gates of Moriston House, the local mystery society hurriedly finishes their tea and scones to solve the case.
Leading the investigation is dashing scientific chap, Lord Hugo Anstead, whose talent for solving crimes rivals Sherlock Holmes.
A cast of uncertain suspects cloud their sunny investigation, and the entire village is certain that the Alton’s waxy nephew, Raymond Wilde committed the crimes. Unless it was arty hanger-on Ann Harmon, social wallflower Claudia Morris, or local perfectionist Frederick Caldwell.
Following in the footsteps of Miss Jane Marple, the village sleuths sift through clues, interview faulty witnesses, and happily grill the occasional under-cooked lie.
Many strong and humorous female sleuths hold up the roof of the investigation, including dear Olivia Crane, dotty Jane Holden, ambitious young adventuress Elizabeth Branell-Markson, and her notorious aunt and queen of crime, Marjorie.
Local rumor has it that the Alden’s mysterious home, Hazelwood Cottage, is haunted, and Lord Hugo hopes to lay this particular ghost to rest before too many lies shatter their investigation...and a ruthless murderer strikes again.
Join us for the Moriston House Mystery series...a very English and cozy cup of crime!