"Expert writers of suspense present a round-robin mystery."

Authors Simon Brett, Jan Burke, Dorothy Cannell, Margaret Coel, Deborah Crombie, Eileen Dreyer, Carolyn Hart, Edward Marston, Francine Mathews, Sharan Newman, Alexandra Ripley Walter Satterthwait, Sarah Smith, Carolyn Wheat (of Malice Domestic) give us 14 short stories of suspense in a round-robin presentation of one totally unpredictable serial mystery.

All the classic elements we've come to expect are provided here - an English country houseparty taking place between the two big wars, a gently deteriorating castle, an aging Dowager Duchess, a tortured war hero, a missing heir(ess), assorted mysterious/beautiful/sinister people of all types and origin claiming to be something they're not, blackmail, and (of course!) a butler. Oh, and we can't forget to add the committing of murder most foul.

As the writing styles change from one chapter to the next, so do the culprits and the level of intrigue. Just when I thought I had it figured out, (oops!) I didn't. I finally gave up trying to predict the outcome and just settled myself in for a great read, which had me on the edge of my seat with suspense one minute and holding my sides with laughter the next. This was a fun and enjoyable reading experience.

Reviewed by Allyn Pogue
Courtesy Old Book Barn Gazette
Posted March 10, 2004

Summary

During a weekend house party in a proper English village, a body is discovered at the bottom of a pond tied to a submerged statue of Neptune. And the weekend has only just begun. So has this ingenious mystery-a literary game of round robin in which fourteen master crime writers have each contributed a chapter of their own. What they deliver is a wildly entertaining whodunit with as many dizzying twists, turnabouts, double-crosses, and divergent styles as there are solutions and suspects. Featuring the bestselling and multiple award-winning talents of: Simon Brett Jan Burke Dorothy Cannell Maragaret Coel Deborah Crombie Eileen Dreyer Carolyn Hart Edward Marston Francine Mathews Sharan Newman Alexandra Ripley Walter Satterthwait Sarah Smith Carolyn Wheat