The Christmas Clue

The Second World War is grinding on, and it’s hard for anyone in Britain to be particularly cheerful this Christmas. Anthony and Elva Pratt will do their best to rise above the melancholy and give the guests at Tudor Close, an elegant hotel that has seen better days, a murder-mystery game that will puzzle and thrill. Before they ever reach their destination, the Pratts discover the body of Miss Silver, a local shopkeeper with deep roots in the village. Upon arrival at the hotel, they find guests Professor Rivers and his wife, former occupants of the building when it was a private home, arguing with manager Reg Browning over a room change. Tensions are running high, and the Pratts are not sure they will be able to pull off their planned mystery. Sharp observers, they quickly begin to question the Rivers’ intentions and the secrecy of the staff—and then another murder takes place, this time of Reverend Green, bludgeoned with a candlestick! Upson gives readers a clever locked-hotel mystery with relevant historical and social details woven into the plot and a final twist that may elicit a gasp. Any similarity to the game Clue™ is not accidental, as the real-life Pratts created the game Cluedo™, as it is known in the UK, in 1947! Best read during a snowstorm with a glass of sherry at hand.—Dodie Ownes