A Fatal Footnote

May 1, 2021
Murder at an aristocratic wedding poses an ugly puzzle for an American author. Penelope Parish took her writer's block to England hoping her writer-in-residence position at the Open Book in Upper Chumley-On-Stoke would help her finish her second Gothic novel. She made some friends and helped fellow American writer Charlotte Davenport escape a murder charge. Now that Charlotte's marrying Arthur Worthington, Duke of Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, Penelope's invited to all the wedding festivities. Although she notices some friction among the guests at the prenuptial dinner, the wedding is lovely and the celebratory ball a delight until wedding dress designer Cissie, Lady Winterbourne, is found murdered on the terrace. Penelope and her friend Figgy, the unassuming daughter of an earl, are staying at Worthington House, a location that gives them plenty of scope for snooping and helping Detective Brodie Maguire, whom Penelope's been dating. Her only clue is an unusual button she deduces came from the jacket of Cissie's husband, Tobias: He had the title, she had the money. Cissie was disliked for taking credit for design work she didn't do, and Tobias was having an affair. After Tobias becomes the next to die, Penelope has to dig deep for more suspects who hated Cissie enough to kill; meanwhile, she's entertaining her sister, who's getting divorced, and overcoming her writer's block. Piece of cake, right? Delightfully unpredictable characters, a charming sleuth, and a touch of romance enhance this sophomore entry.

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