Murder at an English SéanceAmerican adventuress Beryl Halliwell and prim and proper Brit Edwina Davenport team up once again as enquiry agents to investigate a suspicious psychic in this historical English village mystery set just after World War I. Hidden beneath her British reserve, Edwina has a secret: she’s finished her novel and is bravely mailing the manuscript to a publisher. Beryl also has a secret: as thanks for solving a case, the American adventuress has been gifted an airplane. After swooping over the fields and hedgerows of Walmsley Parva, livestock scattering beneath her, she flamboyantly lands the plane on the village green, prompting a startled Edwina to consider a stiff gin fizz. Beryl’s aircraft is not the only disruption of village peace. Miss Dinsdale, a psychic medium, has started holding séances. After the church organist resigns to serve as musical accompaniment for the séances, the vicar’s wife hires the enquiry agents to expose the medium as a charlatan. Beryl is confident she can spot the fraud, having learned from Harry Houdini himself some tricks of the trade. The dubious Miss Dinsdale claims her spirit guide is an Egyptian princess whose mummy resides in a sarcophagus in the room. But the only body in the sarcophagus belongs to a murdered villager impaled with a dagger. As the sleuths begin to investigate, Beryl discovers her plane has been sabotaged and wonders if there’s a connection. Whether in the air or on terra firma, Beryl and Edwina must go round a circle of suspects to divine the culprit . . . |
Contents
Chapter 3 | |
Chapter 4 | |
Chapter 5 | |
Chapter 6 | |
Chapter 7 | |
Chapter 8 | |
Chapter 18 | |
Chapter 19 | |
Chapter 20 | |
Chapter 21 | |
Chapter 22 | |
Chapter 23 | |
Chapter 24 | |
Chapter 25 | |
Chapter 9 | |
Chapter 10 | |
Chapter 11 | |
Chapter 12 | |
Chapter 13 | |
Chapter 14 | |
Chapter 15 | |
Chapter 16 | |
Chapter 17 | |
Chapter 26 | |
Chapter 27 | |
Chapter 28 | |
Chapter 29 | |
Chapter 30 | |
Chapter 31 | |
Chapter 32 | |
Chapter 33 | |
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Common terms and phrases
airplane Anthony appeared arrived Arthur Dinsdale attend Beddoes Beeches believe Bernard Stevens Beryl asked Beryl thought certainly chair Charles Charles's chest Chester child Clarence considering Constable Gibbs convinced Crumpet door Dumbarton eager Edwina asked Edwina felt Edwina thought Edwina took eyes face fact feel feet finger front garden gave gaze Georgie gin fizzes glanced hall tree hand happened Harry Houdini Hattie Hazel head hear heard hope imagine inquest interest keep knew leaned least Lintons looked matter Maude's mind Minnie motorcar mummy Muriel never nodded Nora notion once Perhaps photographs Phyllis Polly post office Princess Rosanna private-enquiry Prudence Prudence's psychic medium sarcophagus scones séance seat seemed shoulder Silver Spoon Simpkins simply slightly smile someone sort suppose sure surprised suspect tell thing tucked turned vicar village voice Walmsley Parva Watkins Watkins's wife wish woman women