Five years ago, Amory Ames had been engaged to Gilmore Trent for a month. At a dinner party they attend, she notices Milo. After dinner he asks her to dance. She remembers looking into his bright blue eyes and the strange sensation she experiences that first moment in his arms. Milo is dark, beyond handsome, reckless and exciting. She chooses illusion over substance, breaks the engagement and marries Milo. Reports of his gallivanting across Europe without his wife, with "scoops" in the gossip columns that show him with one beauty after another, are too numerous to ignore any longer. It is time for Amory to patch their crumbling marriage, or move on and stop thinking what if.
The butler announces Mrs. Ames has a visitor waiting to see her. The visitor is Gil Trent, her former fiancรฉ. He has come to ask her for a favor. His sister Emmeline is engaged to marry Rupert Howe. Gil detests him and calls him a gigolo. He has tried everything to break them up but Emmeline is madly in love with Rupert and insists on marrying him. Perhaps if Amory can tell her about some of the pitfalls she is facing in her own marriage, Emmeline will listen. She will try her best and join Gil and their party at the Hotel Brightwell. It is time for her to have an adventure!
After their train ride, Gil and Amory arrive at the lovely, opulent Hotel Brightwell, unpack and join the party of friends for tea. Emmeline and Rupert introduce their group: Nelson and Larissa Hamilton; Anne and Edward Rodgers; Lionel Blake, an actor; Veronica Carter; and Olive Henderson, school chums of Emmeline. A perfect day ends with a fabulous dinner followed by dancing, complete with a full orchestra and early to bed. It's been a long, but peaceful day.
However, murder is on the menu the next day. The body of Rupert Howe is found on the beach after investigations show he was hit in the face with a blunt object then thrown from the upper patio. The murderer strikes again, drowning Nelson Hamilton in his hotel bath tub while he was under the influence of drugs. Olive Henderson initiates a fumbled suicide with a razor to her wrists. Detective Inspector Jones works hard on the investigations, aided by Amory and Milo. Two murders and one attempted suicide is not the usual at the elegant hotel. The smashing conclusion ties up all the loose ends.
MURDER AT THE BRIGHTWELL is the debut novel for Ashley Weaver, and her storytelling is magical. Her descriptions of the ultra-rich in the 1930's, with all the glitz and glamour ,really sparkles. The clothes, locale, and the colorful characters combine for a thriller. Amory, with her elegant fashions and her inquisitive manner steals your heart. Milo is the most romantic hero to come along in a while and he is delicious. Hope they return, and soon. Five stars. Lovely!
Amory accompanies Gil to the Brightwell
Hotel in an attempt to circumvent the marriage of his
sister, Emmeline, to Rupert Howe, a disreputable ladies'
man. Amory sees in the situation a grim reflection of her
own floundering marriage. There is more than her happiness
at stake, however, when Rupert is murdered and Gil is
arrested for the crime. Amory is determined to prove his
innocence and find the real killer, despite attempted
dissuasion from the disapproving police inspector on the
case. Matters are further complicated by Milo's unexpected
arrival, and the two form an uneasy alliance as Amory
enlists his reluctant aid in clearing Gil's name. As the
stakes grow higher and the line between friend and foe
becomes less clear, Amory must decide where her heart lies
and catch the killer before she, too, becomes a victim.
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