Bright Young Dead

In 1925, London is plagued by a gang of female criminals, the Forty Thieves, in Fellowes’s solid sequel to The Mitford Murders. Their activity provides an opportunity for advancement for Sgt. Guy Sullivan, whose position with the Metropolitan Police is less than he hoped for. Guy and another underutilized colleague, Constable Mary Moon, go undercover to get the goods on the gang. Guy crosses paths again with Louisa Cannon, a servant to the Mitford family, introduced in the previous book. Louisa has become friendly with Dulcie Long, a maid in another household, who used to belong to the Forty Thieves. That acquaintance proves problematic after Louisa agrees to help Dulcie gain access to the Mitford estate in Oxfordshire so Dulcie can meet privately with Adrian Curtis, the 22-year-old son of Dulcie’s employer. The meeting turns heated and proves to be just the precursor to Adrian’s murder, under circumstances implicating Dulcie. Fellowes, the author of several Downton Abbey companion books, excels at depicting the inherent tensions between the upper classes and their servants. [em]Agent: Caroline Michel, Peters Fraser and Dunlop (U.K.). (Oct.) [/em]