THE MURDERS AT FLEAT HOUSE

★★★ By LUCINDA RILEY Macmillan

This novel by the author of the popular The Seven Sisters series was written in 2006,

15 years before her death and before she had a publisher.

After she became famous Lucinda planned to work on the book but, her writer son Harry Whittaker says in the prologue, she never got the chance.

Harry contemplated editing it but then decided “preserving Mom’s voice should take precedence”. And fans will love it.

The book is thick and juicy, a whodunnit with many twists and a gorgeous, shrewd detective, Jazz Hunter, at its centre.

A boy is discovered dead in Fleat House, a boarding house at a boys’ school. He has epilepsy and is deathly allergic to aspirin. One night someone swops his epilepsy medication for aspirin.

At first it seems like a tragic accident – but once Jazz swoops in it soon becomes apparent it wasn’t. Who could the culprit be? Young Rory, who was mercilessly bullied by the dead boy? The rugby coach? Or the gentle, cerebral teacher with skeletons in his closet? And then one by one the bodies start piling up.

A great page-turner for these long winter nights.