A Death in Chelsea: A Mayfair 100 Mystery

Lynn Brittney

Mar 2020 · A Mayfair 100 Mystery Book 2 · Crooked Lane Books

About this ebook

In the dark days of World War I, an aristocrat’s suspicious suicide propels the female detectives of Mayfair 100 into a sordid world of blackmail, betrayal, and tragic secrets

When the phone rings at the Mayfair 100 exchange, the news is rarely good, and this time is no exception. The Duchess of Penhere’s daughter, notorious society gossip queen Lady Adeline Treborne, has been found dead in her room in what appears to be a suicide—but her family suspects foul play.

The secret Mayfair team of amateur female detectives has been restlessly awaiting their next case, and this will prove one of their thorniest. When Dr. Caroline Allardyce performs an autopsy, she is able to conclusively prove that the woman was murdered. Lady Treborne had made many enemies through her vicious gossip column, so there's no shortage of suspects.

Supported by a cadre of professional police officers, the Mayfair women launch their investigation, but there’s much more to this case than meets the eye. As they venture into a world that lays bare London high life at its lowest, the team soon begins to comprehend the danger at hand—and how this tangled web of treachery could ensnare anyone who gets too close.

Ratings and reviews

Scotland Yard Inspector Breech is assigned to investigate the death of gossip columnist Lady Adeline Treborne. She also the daughter of The Duchess of Penhere, a wealthy socialite. The death looks like a suicide but the Duchess insists her daughter would never kill herself. The autopsy result is murder. The team investigates the victim's lifestyle. Lady Adeline acquired numerous enemies as she blackmailed her way into a story. The initial crime of murder lead into other crimes. So the team had to solve the lesser crimes to solve the bigger crime. I received this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting mystery. The time period after World War ! the setting of the book represented a change in society. It set in motion for women to work outside the home. Although Inspector Beech is male, his team of investigators is female. Forensic science to solve criminal investigation was also introduced. This is the second book in the Mayfair 100 series. Ms. Britteny did an excellent job of describing the city of Chelsea. She also introduced social norms as mixed marriages baby farming and the beginning of soldiers losing limbs and needing medical attention. and the class system in England..

About the author

Lynn Brittney has been a writer for almost thirty years and has written several adult and children's non-fiction books and many plays for adults and children that have been performed all over the world. Her first young adult novel was shortlisted for the Waterstones Book Prize, the Brandford Boase Award and the Doncaster Book Prize. Her second young adult novel was included in the UK Government's Recommended Reading List for Boys and was described by the Daily Telegraph as containing..."furious swordplay, tremendous chases, atmospheric journeys and wince-inducing reminders that this was an age before anaesthetics." This is her second Mayfair 100 mystery and adult novel.