Murder at a London finishing school

Edwina and Beryl met as pupils at finishing school decades ago and became lifelong friends, despite their different personalities--Edwina's a homebody who loves her garden and her dog, while Beryl has toured the world having dangerous and exciting adventures. Now that the Great War has ended and life has settled down, the two have established a successful private-enquiry agency. They're surprised when their former headmistress, Miss DuPont, asks for their urgent help at the finishing school, which she says is rapidly losing students owing to unexplained noises at night and a series of petty thefts. The duo struggles to find clues and leads, but their attention is soon diverted when one of the staff is involved in a serious accident and a visiting alumna dies. As they investigate further, Edwina and Beryl find a dark, intertwined labyrinth of lies, secrets, ambition, greed, and skullduggery. This charming historical cozy, set in England after WWI, features two likable heroines, an original plot, gentle humor, unexpected twists, and a satisfying ending. A fine choice for cozy fans and those who enjoy historical mysteries.

The captivating seventh installment in Ellicott's Beryl and Edwina cozy mystery series (after 2022's Murder Through the English Post) finds the two friends reluctantly returning to their former finishing school. The school's headmistress, Miss DuPont, has called upon the ladies' investigative skills to find out who's behind the acts of sabotage on the failing school's grounds. Under the guise of vetting schools for a nonexistent goddaughter, Beryl and Edwina seek to discover why supplies have gone missing and who's behind the menacing noises regularly scaring students and staff. Things take a more sinister turn when the mother of a student is found dead on campus Beryl and Edwina immediately suspect the husband and some cagey staff members, but there's also a nagging fear that Miss DuPont herself could be responsible. Revisiting these dynamic characters and their lived-in friendship and fair-play sleuthing is a treat. Fans will relish this sturdy entry in the series. Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune. (Aug.)

Two very different detectives take on the task of protecting the finishing school they attended before the Great War. Edwina Davenport is surprised to receive a letter from Ermentrude DuPont, the head teacher at Miss DuPont's Finishing School for Young Ladies, asking for help with an unspecified problem and suggesting that she attend an event for prospective students while pretending to investigate the school's offerings for a young relative. Edwina and her adventurous friend Beryl Helliwell, who'd both attended the London school, run a detective agency and feel they can't ignore the cry for help. Arriving at Miss DuPont's, which is already in dire financial straits, they discover that someone has been playing nasty tricks, stealing things, making odd noises at night, and causing quite a few of the girls to leave. The stern Miss Glover and their former schoolmate Mary White, the only other teachers, are supplemented by the butler and cook, who are husband and wife, along with the gardener and a new maid. The only other current visitors are another former classmate of Edwina and Beryl's--Veronica DeLis Paul Deering, her second husb and her very unhappy daughter, Florence Montrose. Veronica has changed all too little since her school days, when she was a horrible bully. So when Edwina finds her dead in the school grotto, she can't help but suspect foul play. Veronica's first husband, Desmond Montrose, was once Edwina's crush. Now he runs Montrose Aeronautics, an airplane manufacturer. Her second husband seems completely under her thumb, but he could be one of a long list of people who might want her dead. The police seem to be writing off Veronica's demise as an accident, but Edwina and Beryl disagree and set to work to find a killer. A fine period mystery with a surprising ending. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.