Death on the Sapphire

April 18, 2016
Koreto’s refreshing debut, set in 1906 London, introduces Lady Frances Ffolkes, a member of the League for Women’s Political Equality, and her lady’s maid, June Mallow. Frances’s friend Lady Katherine “Kat” Colcombe is in mourning because her brother, Maj. Daniel Colcombe, has died in what was officially deemed an accident but some called suicide. The memoir Danny was working on, detailing his time in the Boer War, has disappeared from his study, or at least Kat can’t find it. Frances offers to make a thorough search of the study, with June’s assistance, for the missing manuscript. Frances’s search soon leads her to various well-connected individuals, including an M.P., who fear what Danny may have revealed about them in his memoir. Though she’s a modern, headstrong woman, Frances comes across as all too human in her doubts about her ability to pursue such an independent inquiry. Readers will look forward to seeing more of Frances in the promised sequel. Agent: Cynthia Zigmund, Second City Publishing Services.

April 15, 2016

Upstairs teams with downstairs in this thoroughly entertaining, witty Edwardian mystery debut when Lady Frances Ffolkes and her maid, June Mallow, investigate the theft of a manuscript, which reveals a scandal concerning the Boer War in South Africa, after the seemingly accidental death of a family friend. Lady Frances's suspicions are aroused when she learns that both Scotland Yard and the British Secret Service are interested in the theft. The incurably curious Lady Frances is not your typical young aristocrat; she is progressive, unconventional, and a suffragist to boot. The formidable duo of mistress and maid discover an unexpected talent for criminal investigation, ferreting out the truth with dispatch and even attracting a few suitors for Lady Frances on the way. VERDICT Replete with cultural and historical references, the first adventure of Lady Frances and Mallow is sure to engage admirers of Edwardian mysteries. A solid choice for fans of Robin Paige and Downton Abbey.--Barbara Clark-Greene, Groton P.L., CT

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.