Margot returns to her well-to-do family in England on the eve of her Aunt Chloe's murder trial-she is accused of fatally stabbing her twin sister with a kitchen knife in the garden. Nothing has been the same since Claudia's body was found: her 14-year-old daughter Lynette refuses to leave her bedroom, the paparazzi are relentless, and Tikki, the family's beloved Abyssinian, goes to stay with the neighbors. When another body, whom no one recognizes, shows up facedown in the pond while the family is in the midst of Chloe's trial, doubt and suspicion intensify-and no one can be trusted. These scandalous deaths can't be related, can they? If Chloe is locked up, another murderer must be lurking about. Since no one is trying to solve the puzzle in the garden, Margot decides it's up to her to investigate. She soon finds herself getting in too deep-and running from a killer who's bent on staying one step ahead of her at all costs...
Author
Marian Babson, a pseudonym for Ruth Stenstreem, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, but lived in London for the greater part of her life. She worked as a librarian; managed a campaign headquarters; was a receptionist, secretary, and den mother to a firm of commercial artists; and was co-editor of a machine knitting magazine, despite the fact that she can’t knit, even with two needles. A long sojourn as a temp sent her into the heart of business life all over London, working for architects, law firms, the British Museum, a Soho club, and even a visiting superstar. She also served as secretary to the Crime Writers’ Association. She became a full-time writer whose many interests included theatre, cinema, art, cooking, travel, and, of course, cats, which feature in many of her mystery books. Her first published work was 'Cover-Up Story' in 1971 and 'Only the Cat' (2007) was her 44th novel. The publisher's tagline for her style is "Murder Most British," a style reflected in each of her novels. Any violence is not graphically described and the sleuths are usually amateurs. She re-used certain characters, such as the publicity firm Perkins & Tate, and a couple of ageing actresses, her books all stand-alone and can be read in any order. Gerry Wolstenholme September 2010
