Absent Friends

Nell Bray #8

by Gillian Linscott

December 1918. The vote has been won at long last, the Great War is over and suffragette Nell Bray is standing for election. Everything seems to be falling into place for the dedicated activist. Yet, with a month to go to the first general election, Nell is still without party backing, writing desperately to friends and contacts to drum up support for her cause. Further, the former Conservative candidate has been blown up by a firework while celebrating the Armistice, his widow is certain that he's sending her messages about his killer through a haunted piano, and at least one person in the constituency has a murderous hatred of all politicians. To add to Nell's troubles, two men from her checkered past are home from the war.

Nell finds herself in the middle of a baffling case, with the odds most definitely against her--both for election victory and survival. The suffragette turned amateur sleuth must then show a dedication to the truth as strong as her loyalty to women's rights to solve the mystery and come out on top.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

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]

After hurling Mark Graham's book The Black Maria across the room (in an attempt to find something interesting to do with it as reading it was lulling me into a catatonic state) I wanted some confirmation that all historical mysteries weren't such unreadable garbage. Happily Linscott provided that confirmation.

The setting here is the general election called at the close of the first world war in 1918. This was the first British election in which women were eligible to vote and our protaganist Nell Bray, a suffragette who's pleased to have won that battle, is standing for Parliament as an independent candidate in the rural constituency of Duxbury. And this being a mystery she's doing a little detecting at the same time.

She's been invited to Duxbury by the widow of the former Conservative candidate who was blown up by a firework at the Armistice celebrations. Convinced that her husband was murdered by his replacement Conservative candidate the widow is willing to support Nell as an independent providing that she investigates the death.

Perhaps because I've plunged in at the eighth book in the series I found the characters very realistic people and I wasn't disappointed by the plot. Mainly though I was impressed that Linscott conjured up a picture of 1918 for me without drowning me in her research. I felt there was just enough detail to evoke the era.

I don't think historical fiction will ever be a favourite of mine but I was pleased to find that it can be written well after all.

[Antoinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

England, December 1918. Women have won the right to vote. The Great War has ended, and Nell has decided to stand foe election to Parliament in the first election in which women can vote. She has no party affiliation and no resources, so accepts an invitation for support from a widow in a farming district. In return Nell will help investigate the circumstances involved in the accidental death of the widow's husband.
Well-written, multiple layers of plot and subplot, enough red herrings, interesting characters and satisfying historic details. I recommend it to any reader of historic mysteries.

[Nancy Cook-senn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting period piece, suffragette Nell stands for Parliament in the first election where women have the vote and the Great War is over, 1918. She solves two murders and helps small-town citizens cope with war’s end. Good, not compelling. We see how Nell thinks but not why, nor what really moves or motivates her.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my favourites out of the Nell Bray mysteries, which are all excellent. I wish Gillian Linscott was still writing them!