In this assured suspense yarn from British veteran Barnard (A Fall from Grace
), Eve McNabb receives many consolation letters after the death of her mother, May, the beloved head of a school in Crossley, Yorkshire. One missive, though, is disturbingly different from the rest. Addressed to May and signed Jean, this letter suggests there was once a physical intimacy between Jean and May and makes a veiled reference to “the business with John,” Eve’s late father. Determined to locate the unknown sender, Eve turns to Omkar Rani, an Indian policeman who’s also a philatelist, for help in deciphering the envelope’s smudged postmark. Omkar and Eve manage to track down an actress, Jean Mannering, who denies writing the letter, but drops the bombshell that Eve’s father emigrated to Australia for his health and could still be alive. Eve travels to Australia, but a message from Okmar that there’s been a murder in Crossley brings her home. Unexpected solutions and a clever closing switch make this a satisfying read. (May)
