A Most Novel Revenge

Edgar-finalist Weaver’s captivating third mystery set in 1930s England (after 2015’s Death Wears a Mask) takes socialite Amory Ames and her newly reformed playboy husband, Milo, to Lyonsgate, a country estate, where a death occurred one evening years earlier. The guests from that tragic evening—plus Amory and Milo—have been reassembled by Isobel Van Allen, a magnetic woman who scandalized society with a novel, The Dead of Winter, closely based on drug- and alcohol-fueled events that led up to the discovery of the body. The book ended with an accusation of murder against a fellow partygoer, but Isobel found herself ousted by society when the real-life model for the accused committed suicide. Isobel’s dramatic announcement of a sequel during the current fraught reunion leads to outrage and her murder. To catch a killer, Amory sorts through the murky past with the reluctant aid of Milo; their charged relationship adds narrative tension. Fascinating and stylish characters fill out a finely tuned traditional mystery. Agent: Ann Collette, Rees Literary Agency. (Oct.)