Pricing
Paperback $15.95
More books by Barbara Cleverly
Description
Cambridge, 1933. On All Hallows’ Eve, in a candlelit pew in ancient All Hallows Church, Doctor Adelaide Hartest witnesses a stranger’s dying moments. Adelaide is just in time to hear his final confession: that he has plunged the dagger into his own chest, and that his death will be a suicide, despite its suspicious appearance.
But...
Cambridge, 1933. On All Hallows’ Eve, in a candlelit pew in ancient All Hallows Church, Doctor Adelaide Hartest witnesses a stranger’s dying moments. Adelaide is just in time to hear his final confession: that he has plunged the dagger into his own chest, and that his death will be a suicide, despite its suspicious appearance.
But his confession isn’t enough to halt an investigation. The victim, it is revealed, is known to Scotland Yard, and his death is a matter of national concern. Assistant Commissioner Joe Sandilands is sent up from London to discover the truth. Thrown into a deadly ring of cloak-and-dagger intrigue and high-society hedonism, Sandilands chases a phantom killer through Cambridge’s aristocracy, intelligentsia, cutting-edge researchers, and a clandestine ring of female spies. What secret was the dead man hiding, and what is at stake?
Media
“Despite her mastery at vivid scene-setting, Cleverly never loses sight of the historical puzzle that is central to her story. Simply put, it’s a stunner. ”
—The New York Times Book Review
“Fans of P.D. James, take note: Here’s a worthy colleague. ”
—The Seattle Times
“There are so many aspects of Diana’s Altar to celebrate, chief among them Cleverly’s intelligent characters and an agreeably labyrinthine master narrative. Adding to the fun is Cleverly’s gift for generating spirited dialogue, peppered with period slang.”
–Washington Post
“Sandilands [is] among the most dashing cops of British crime fiction... A happy blend of traditional whodunit and espionage thriller, Diana’s Altar — the phrase comes from Shakespeare — proceeds with perfect pacing to a frightening climax and a full measure of justice.”
–Richmond Times-Dispatch
“The quiet English college town of Cambridge in the late fall of the Depression year of 1933 seems to be a curious setting for a tale of murder and espionage. But somehow, British novelist Barbara Cleverly (a resident of Cambridge) makes it work in Diana’s Altar... Sandilands suspects murder — and goes on to prove it, tracking down the surprising killer... well-done.”
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“The fast-paced plot has a compelling rhythm. Like all of Cleverly’s novels—she also writes the Laetitia Talbot Mysteries—there are well-developed characters, an authentic setting, and a few classical allusions; but it is Joe Sandilands’ likeability that brings readers back. Recommended for anyone who loves historical mysteries.”