A Quiet Life in the Country

To adhere strictly to the golden standards of Christie and Conan Doyle—and at the same time boldly turn them inside out… Impossible? Actually, not at all! A new gem of British detective fiction proves the opposite with virtuoso skill.

The combination of a classic puzzle-like intrigue and stunning modern humor is Kinsey’s element.

Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a mysterious past. And Florence Armstrong is her maid—and also a master of Eastern martial arts. In 1908, they moved from London to the countryside hoping for a quiet rural life. Not quite: a young man is found hanged near their house in the forest. The police take the wrong track, and the ladies begin their own investigation. And suddenly it turns out they’re simply excellent detectives.

Diving headfirst into local gossip and feuds, Emily and Florence discover a huge web of intrigues stretching far beyond the village. Everyone is under suspicion, there’s no certainty anywhere—except one thing: quiet country life is going to hell…