Jemima Shore at the Sunny Grave and Other Stories
Books / Hardcover
Books › Fiction › Mystery & Detective › General
ISBN: 0553092979 / Publisher: Bantam, January 1993
A collection of short stories features the star of the author's previous Jemima Shore mystery novels and two television series
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Rescued from freezing London by an assignment in the West Indies, Jemima Shore looks forward to a straightforward story, sunshine and rum punch, and maybe a little moonlight and romance. Instead she finds herself embroiled in the heated politics of an all-too-extended family in the title story. An impromptu recitation of the ballad "The Tragedy of Sir Patrick Spens" sparks another tragedy in the hallowed halls of academe in "The Blude-Red Wine." Jemima takes a working holiday among those seeking a fresh start to life in "Cry-by-Night" but finds violent death is no respecter of new ventures. In "Getting to Know You," the intrepid reporter gains firsthand knowledge of the subject of two of her exposes - and nearly loses her life.Antonia Fraser proves herself equally at home exploring the dark hearts and lethal secrets on the other side of the law. In "Out for the Countess," a jealous wife thrills to the beauty of an operatic tale of betrayal and suffering, while engineering an equally dramatic revenge for the lovers who wronged her. A pair of elderly siblings contrive a bet with fatal results in the darkly comic "House Poison." Noisy campers, quantities of Greek wine, and a sensual sunbather become entangled in holiday unpleasantness - but, after all, "The Moon Was to Blame."Literate, sophisticated, and deliciously witty, these stories are a welcome addition to the exploits of Jemima Shore and an introduction to other, shadier characters Antonia Fraser creates with superb skill.
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