"Delightful whodunit in the cozy Manor House mystery series."

Lady Elizabeth Hertleigh Compton and the quaint village of Sitting Marsh are back in fine form with Kingsbury's latest mystery set in an England torn asunder by the machinations of World War II.

Lady Elizabeth, and the Manor House, are host to some officers of the United States Army/Air Force, including the dashing, mysterious Major Earl Monroe. However, not everyone is shouting hurrah for the Yanks in their red, white and blue. In fact, some of the locals are dead-set against the fellas who are stealing the attentions of the native lasses. Still others are grumbling about the American's ample staples, while the villagers are left to squabble over whatever their meager ration coupons can buy.

Soap-filled scavenger hunts, coveted gingerbread recipes and whispered rumors of a walking Churchill abound. Meanwhile, Lady Elizabeth seeks to solve the mystery of who's culling red-haired Yanks from the land of their forefathers, and why. With a curiosity matched only by her integrity, Lady Elizabeth is just the woman to get the job done, while holding the village of Sitting March together as bombs explode overhead.

Throw in a trio of masked highwaymen, an aged head butler with a penchant for losing his glasses and a host of other colorful villagers, and you have a delightful whodunit to enjoy with a pot of your favorite tea. I enjoyed this book so much, I went after the other equally satisfying Manor House mysteries. Three cheers for Lady Elizabeth!

Reviewed by Anne Barringer
Courtesy Old Book Barn Gazette
Posted March 10, 2004

Summary

As respected guardian of Sitting Marsh, Elizabeth Hartleigh Compton must root out who poisoned four American servicemen- -and why--before another soldier succumbs.