Etiquette for Lovers and Killers
-
-
3.0 • 2 Ratings
-
-
- $14.99
Publisher Description
"An Agatha Christie mystery wrapped up in an Emily Henry romance." —Maine Public Radio, Northeast Corner
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER
What are the chances of receiving a love letter and an engagement ring for a perfect stranger, only to see that same woman murdered the very next day?
It’s 1964 in the tiny town of Eastport, Maine, and Billie McCadie is bored to death. She’s surrounded by dull people with more manners than sense, and no sign of the intrigue or romance that fill her beloved novels. That is, until an engagement ring and cryptic love letter turn up, addressed to "Gertrude." Until she meets yacht-club handsome Avery Webster. Until the unsettling phone calls and visits from a man in a fedora begin. Until she's one of the last people to see Gertrude alive . . . and the first to see her dead.
What follows is an intoxicating cocktail of stalking, blackmail, Jell-O salads, and champagne secrets, all served along the rocky Maine coastline. Everyone is a suspect. Everyone has a secret. And (strangely) everyone has a boat. But who is willing to kiss and tell? As the body count rises and the danger nears, why does Billie feel like she’s more than just a side character? After yearning to be in the action for so long, would it be terribly unladylike to have some fun of her own?
A love letter to uncivilized behavior, Etiquette for Lovers and Killers blends mystery and romance into a witty, twisty, murderous delight that aches for better manners.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The tension between wealthy families and hard-working townies in a coastal Maine community animates Healy's fiercely witty debut. In 1964, caustic, book-obsessed 26-year-old Wilhelmina "Billie" McCadie is living with her grandparents, working in a dress shop, and applying unsuccessfully for faraway museum jobs. She's startled—then intrigued—when she receives a letter addressed to her PO box that includes a passionate plea for forgiveness from a man named Edgar to his lover, Gertrude, along with a rose-gold engagement ring. More shocks come when the handsome heir to a local shipping dynasty invites Billie to a summer solstice party at his family's cottage. Billie accepts, but once she's there, she stumbles on a murder victim in the parlor—whose name turns out to be Gertrude. Billie becomes hell-bent on solving the crime, constructing an etiquette guide along the way to help her mix with the upper crust, often wondering how Jane Austen and other manner-conscious writers would handle corpses, stalkings, and police interviews. While the pace of the investigation is somewhat bumpy, the sparkling dialogue, copious twists, and evocative details of midcentury New England make this an impressive first effort. A sequel would be welcome.
Customer Reviews
Delightful!
This book is clever, well written, well thought out and executed, great twists and turns, and with fascinating characters. I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to more entertaining reads from this budding author! I highly recommend!