The Second-Last Woman in England

A “compulsively readable” novel of marriage, murder, and psychological suspense set in post-World War II London (The Cleveland Plain Dealer).

It’s 1952 in Britain, and it’s a brave and bright new world. The Depression is over, the war is over, even the endless bloody rationing is nearly over—and the future looks as lovely as the young Elizabeth, due to be crowned next June.

Things seem to be looking up for Mrs. Harriet Wallis, in particular. Her husband has an important job with an important firm; the children are settling in with the new nanny; the new fashions are terrifically flattering; and the whole grubby, grim, ghastly past is gone. But when Coronation Day finally arrives, as family and friends gather at her home to drink champagne and watch the historic event on the brand-new television set, Harriet Wallis will pump six bullets into her husband’s body, setting herself on the path to becoming second-last woman in England to be hanged.

This absorbing whydunit thriller is “a story of the hidden trauma carried by ordinary people throughout their lives and which, given the right circumstances, can reach breaking point” (Historical Novel Society).

“Mesmerizing . . .some great twists.” —Australian Women’s Weekly

A Christina Stead Award Winner for Fiction and a Sydney Morning Herald “Pick of the Week”