The Mistress of Alderley

February 10, 2003
Witty and subtle character portrayals, against a substantial background of opera and theater, lift the latest suspense novel from prolific British author Barnard (The Bones in the Attic; Unholy Dying; etc.). Actress Caroline Fawley has seemingly found her final and perfect role: that of mother and mistress. She and her two teenage children, Alex and Stella, are happily ensconced in a splendid house in the village of Alderley, where they are joined weekends by self-made business tycoon Marius Fleetwood. Marius spends the week with his wife, Sheila, who's pregnant by another man. Caroline's oldest child, Olivia, is a rising opera singer about to make a much-anticipated debut in La Forza del Destino
in nearby Leeds. Caroline's idyllic, if somewhat unconventional, life is not so much shattered as it is dismantled when Marius disappears on the opera's opening night and the veils of deception that shrouded their lives begin to be stripped away. Having spent much of her life creating illusions on film, Caroline must now come to terms with those created by others. Ingenious twists to a satisfying plot make for fine entertainment. (Apr. 14)FYI:An eight-time Edgar nominee, Barnard has won the Nero Wolfe, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity awards.

March 15, 2003
Barnard, a prolific and much-loved British writer of whodunits, will please his fans with another mystery set in Yorkshire featuring his recurrent sleuth, Police Sergeant Charlie Peace. Predictably for Barnard, no bodies appear until a third of the way into the story--which, as usual, gives the author time to develop his characters before sending them down the rocky but entertaining road to murder and mayhem. Caroline Fawley is a retired TV actress now living at Alderley, an elegant mansion in a charming village near Leeds. Caroline is being kept by a business tycoon whose murder brings in Sergeant Peace, and the delicious pacing that Barnard is known for falls into perfect place. Caroline learns awful truths about her lover after his murder, when a note leads her to question his fidelity. Charm and wit, along with the exquisite pacing, complete the Barnard formula for a thoroughly enjoyable read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)