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Priscilla Tempest Mysteries #4
Dîner à treize
Curse of the Savoy,
the fourth in the Priscilla Tempest mystery series, is a gripping tale of suspense set against the backdrop of high society and 1960s London.
In the luxurious setting of London’s Savoy Hotel, an opulent dinner party hosted by the legendary filmmaker Orson Welles takes a sinister turn. Amidst the grandeur of the Pinafore Room, fourteen renowned guests, including Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, and the scandalous Miss Christine Keeler, gather for an unforgettable evening. However, the spectre of an old curse looms over the event—a curse said to bring doom to the first guest who leaves a dinner with thirteen attendees. Kasper, a three-foot-tall sculpture of a sleek black cat is said to be the antidote to the curse—if only the reckless attendees had paid heed to the superstition!
In the aftermath of the party, blackmail, betrayal, and murder ensue, entwining the guests in a web of deceit and danger. Once again, Priscilla Tempest, plucky head of the Savoy’s press office, finds herself at the heart of the intrigue. The mysterious events even draw the attention of the Queen, hinting at a conspiracy that reaches the highest echelons of society. Is the curse real, or is something more sinister at play? This riveting mystery, as sparkling as a Buck’s Fizz, promises celebrity gossip and scandal along with twists and turns that will delight readers until the very last page.
In the luxurious setting of London’s Savoy Hotel, an opulent dinner party hosted by the legendary filmmaker Orson Welles takes a sinister turn. Amidst the grandeur of the Pinafore Room, fourteen renowned guests, including Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, and the scandalous Miss Christine Keeler, gather for an unforgettable evening. However, the spectre of an old curse looms over the event—a curse said to bring doom to the first guest who leaves a dinner with thirteen attendees. Kasper, a three-foot-tall sculpture of a sleek black cat is said to be the antidote to the curse—if only the reckless attendees had paid heed to the superstition!
In the aftermath of the party, blackmail, betrayal, and murder ensue, entwining the guests in a web of deceit and danger. Once again, Priscilla Tempest, plucky head of the Savoy’s press office, finds herself at the heart of the intrigue. The mysterious events even draw the attention of the Queen, hinting at a conspiracy that reaches the highest echelons of society. Is the curse real, or is something more sinister at play? This riveting mystery, as sparkling as a Buck’s Fizz, promises celebrity gossip and scandal along with twists and turns that will delight readers until the very last page.
384 pages, Paperback
Published October 18, 2024
3 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Ron Base
39 books41 followersRon Base was born in Belleville, Ontario, Dec. 9. His bank manager father, Eric, moved the family—mother Jean and younger brother Ric—from Belleville to Cobourg to Picton, and finally to Brockville, Ontario. Here Base finished elementary school and then attended Brockville Collegiate Institute and Vocational School.
He began writing for a weekly newspaper, The United Counties Packet, when he was 15 years old. Based on his work for the weekly, he landed a part-time job at the daily Recorder and Times where he wrote a column for teenagers and worked as a general assignment reporter during the summer. He was also the Brockville correspondent for the Kingston Whig Standard.
He dropped out of high school at the age of 18 but was able to attend the journalism school at Algonquin College for one year in 1967-1968. While at the college, he wrote freelance pieces for the Ottawa Journal.
Although he did not graduate from Algonquin, Base landed a fulltime job as general assignment reporter at the Oshawa Times in the summer of 1968. Three months later, he was hired at the Windsor Star where he wrote obituaries before being assigned to the night desk. Several months later, he was named the paper’s media columnist.
After five years at the Windsor Star, Base was hired by publisher Douglas Creighton as a feature writer when the Toronto Sunday Sun began publication in 1973. He wrote pieces for the Sunday newspaper’s magazine section and also did the weekly cover story for the paper’s TV guide.
After three years at the Sun, he left to work briefly at the Toronto Star, returned to the Sun, just as briefly, before leaving to write magazine pieces. During this period, Base worked for a New York-based magazine syndicate, Writers Bloc, and produced profiles on everyone from actgor Peter O’Toole and former New York governor Nelson Rockefeller to author Tom Wolfe, mystery writer Mickey Spillane, and Robert Blake before he was accused of killing anyone.
Those stories and others appeared in such publications as the Washington Post, New York Newsday, The New York Post, Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, and the Los Angeles Times. He also wrote several profiles for Cosmopolitan magazine and freelanced for Maclean’s Magazine, first as its television critic and later as a contributing editor writing profiles.
Among the other publications Base wrote for during that period: TV Guide, Chatelaine, Quest Magazine, Canadian Business, and Toronto Life.
Returning to the Toronto Star in 1980, Base wrote TV criticism for a year and then replaced the newspaper’s longtime movie critic Clyde Gilmour. From 1981 to 1987, Base wrote movie reviews as well as profiled the major stars of the day, including Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Michael Caine, Eddie Murphy, Richard Burton, Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Kevin Costner.
During this time, he hosted a syndicated radio show, Marquee Magazine at the Movies and also co-hosted The Movie Show with Alex Barris for TV Ontario. The series lasted for two seasons before being cancelled. He also appeared frequently on the CTV network’s Canada AM to talk about movies.
Heavenly Bodies, a script Base had co written while freelancing, was released by MGM in 1985, and sank at the box office. However, the movie about three young women who start their own workout club found renewed life in the burgeoning home video market, and, much to Base’s continuing bemusement, refused to go away, becoming something of a cult hit, complete with an annual screening in Los Angeles.
During this time, Doubleday published Base’s first novel, Matinee Idol. Base left the Star in 1987 and co-produced and wrote a thriller, White Light, directed by Al Waxman and starring Martin Kove. The film played theatrically in Canada.
He also worked with David Haslam, publisher of Marquee Magazine, to produce a number of movie-orient
He began writing for a weekly newspaper, The United Counties Packet, when he was 15 years old. Based on his work for the weekly, he landed a part-time job at the daily Recorder and Times where he wrote a column for teenagers and worked as a general assignment reporter during the summer. He was also the Brockville correspondent for the Kingston Whig Standard.
He dropped out of high school at the age of 18 but was able to attend the journalism school at Algonquin College for one year in 1967-1968. While at the college, he wrote freelance pieces for the Ottawa Journal.
Although he did not graduate from Algonquin, Base landed a fulltime job as general assignment reporter at the Oshawa Times in the summer of 1968. Three months later, he was hired at the Windsor Star where he wrote obituaries before being assigned to the night desk. Several months later, he was named the paper’s media columnist.
After five years at the Windsor Star, Base was hired by publisher Douglas Creighton as a feature writer when the Toronto Sunday Sun began publication in 1973. He wrote pieces for the Sunday newspaper’s magazine section and also did the weekly cover story for the paper’s TV guide.
After three years at the Sun, he left to work briefly at the Toronto Star, returned to the Sun, just as briefly, before leaving to write magazine pieces. During this period, Base worked for a New York-based magazine syndicate, Writers Bloc, and produced profiles on everyone from actgor Peter O’Toole and former New York governor Nelson Rockefeller to author Tom Wolfe, mystery writer Mickey Spillane, and Robert Blake before he was accused of killing anyone.
Those stories and others appeared in such publications as the Washington Post, New York Newsday, The New York Post, Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, and the Los Angeles Times. He also wrote several profiles for Cosmopolitan magazine and freelanced for Maclean’s Magazine, first as its television critic and later as a contributing editor writing profiles.
Among the other publications Base wrote for during that period: TV Guide, Chatelaine, Quest Magazine, Canadian Business, and Toronto Life.
Returning to the Toronto Star in 1980, Base wrote TV criticism for a year and then replaced the newspaper’s longtime movie critic Clyde Gilmour. From 1981 to 1987, Base wrote movie reviews as well as profiled the major stars of the day, including Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Michael Caine, Eddie Murphy, Richard Burton, Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Kevin Costner.
During this time, he hosted a syndicated radio show, Marquee Magazine at the Movies and also co-hosted The Movie Show with Alex Barris for TV Ontario. The series lasted for two seasons before being cancelled. He also appeared frequently on the CTV network’s Canada AM to talk about movies.
Heavenly Bodies, a script Base had co written while freelancing, was released by MGM in 1985, and sank at the box office. However, the movie about three young women who start their own workout club found renewed life in the burgeoning home video market, and, much to Base’s continuing bemusement, refused to go away, becoming something of a cult hit, complete with an annual screening in Los Angeles.
During this time, Doubleday published Base’s first novel, Matinee Idol. Base left the Star in 1987 and co-produced and wrote a thriller, White Light, directed by Al Waxman and starring Martin Kove. The film played theatrically in Canada.
He also worked with David Haslam, publisher of Marquee Magazine, to produce a number of movie-orient
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 1, 2024
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[SERVICE PRESSE #98]
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•
🔎 Bienvenue à l’hôtel Savoy (Dîner à treize #4)
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Je remercie Netgalley pour l’envoi.
•
🔎 Priscilla Tempest est l’attachée de presse de l’hôtel Savoy. Alors qu’elle assiste à un dîner en compagnie de stars comme Hitchcock, Cary Grant ou encore Orson Welles, les convives évoquent une malédiction. Le lendemain, deux morts sont à déplorer.
•
🔎 Le début a eu du mal à capter mon attention. L’histoire se place (un peu trop) doucement à mon goût. Pour autant, Priscilla me plaît plutôt assez. Elle est pragmatique, un peu fleur bleue mais perd ses moyens dès que son patron hausse le ton. Ce trait de caractère la rend crédible.
•
🔎 L’attachée de presse mène l’enquête tranquillement, dans le dos de son boss qui ne veut pas d’ennuis. Le déroulé du roman est plutôt agréable mais si j’aurais préféré un peu plus d’action. Mais l’humour pince sans rire a détendu ma lecture, que j’ai finalement réussie à apprécier. L’écriture est mature, plutôt relevée étant donné l’époque (années 60)
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🔎 Ce tome 4, qui est le premier que je lis de la série, a été tout à fait compréhensible.
•
🔎 Si tu veux te faire bichonner au Savoy, c’est ici : https://amzn.to/41bLFGP
•
#Booksta#AmoureuseDesLivres #IndtaBook Bookstagram #InstaLecture #PlaisirDeLire #Bibliophile #Romance #BookObsessed #InstaBook #Booksta #BookWorm#ServicePresse #LivrAddict #Partenariat #F4F #FollowMe
.
[SERVICE PRESSE #98]
•
•
🔎 Bienvenue à l’hôtel Savoy (Dîner à treize #4)
•
Je remercie Netgalley pour l’envoi.
•
🔎 Priscilla Tempest est l’attachée de presse de l’hôtel Savoy. Alors qu’elle assiste à un dîner en compagnie de stars comme Hitchcock, Cary Grant ou encore Orson Welles, les convives évoquent une malédiction. Le lendemain, deux morts sont à déplorer.
•
🔎 Le début a eu du mal à capter mon attention. L’histoire se place (un peu trop) doucement à mon goût. Pour autant, Priscilla me plaît plutôt assez. Elle est pragmatique, un peu fleur bleue mais perd ses moyens dès que son patron hausse le ton. Ce trait de caractère la rend crédible.
•
🔎 L’attachée de presse mène l’enquête tranquillement, dans le dos de son boss qui ne veut pas d’ennuis. Le déroulé du roman est plutôt agréable mais si j’aurais préféré un peu plus d’action. Mais l’humour pince sans rire a détendu ma lecture, que j’ai finalement réussie à apprécier. L’écriture est mature, plutôt relevée étant donné l’époque (années 60)
•
🔎 Ce tome 4, qui est le premier que je lis de la série, a été tout à fait compréhensible.
•
🔎 Si tu veux te faire bichonner au Savoy, c’est ici : https://amzn.to/41bLFGP
•
#Booksta#AmoureuseDesLivres #IndtaBook Bookstagram #InstaLecture #PlaisirDeLire #Bibliophile #Romance #BookObsessed #InstaBook #Booksta #BookWorm#ServicePresse #LivrAddict #Partenariat #F4F #FollowMe
October 19, 2024
#BienvenueàlHôtelSavoy #NetGalleyFrance
Avant tout merci à NetGalley France et aux Editions de la Martinière.
Depuis le tome 1, j'ai été emballée par Piscilla Tempest, ses maladresses, sa capacité à se mettre toujours en danger, à se trouver là où elle ne devrait pas être, mais elle le fait toujours pour le bien de l'Hotel Savoy.
Cette série Cosy Mystery, très british, m'a beaucoup plue, et en lisant ce quatrième tome, je sentais déjà l'envie des auteurs était de terminer avec ce tome.
Mais il faut saluer leur bravoure car cette fin est superbe.
Arrivée à la note des auteurs je découvre avec peine que Prudence Emery est décédée peu de temps avant de lancer la publication de ce quatrième volume.
Donc, il faut savourer ce livre, car en effet, ce sera le dernier, et là, on l'apprécie encore plus.
Un dîner au Savoy, où seulement treize invités se présentent, une malédiction qui planerait sur l'Hôtel, la première personne a quitté le dîner selon la malédiction, mourra.
Priscilla, elle ne croit absolument pas en cette malédiction, et fera tout pour défendre la réputation des clients de l'Hôtel Savoy. Une enquête palpitante, des rebondissements fréquents. Une très bonne série Cosy Mystery qui tire sa révérence.
Avant tout merci à NetGalley France et aux Editions de la Martinière.
Depuis le tome 1, j'ai été emballée par Piscilla Tempest, ses maladresses, sa capacité à se mettre toujours en danger, à se trouver là où elle ne devrait pas être, mais elle le fait toujours pour le bien de l'Hotel Savoy.
Cette série Cosy Mystery, très british, m'a beaucoup plue, et en lisant ce quatrième tome, je sentais déjà l'envie des auteurs était de terminer avec ce tome.
Mais il faut saluer leur bravoure car cette fin est superbe.
Arrivée à la note des auteurs je découvre avec peine que Prudence Emery est décédée peu de temps avant de lancer la publication de ce quatrième volume.
Donc, il faut savourer ce livre, car en effet, ce sera le dernier, et là, on l'apprécie encore plus.
Un dîner au Savoy, où seulement treize invités se présentent, une malédiction qui planerait sur l'Hôtel, la première personne a quitté le dîner selon la malédiction, mourra.
Priscilla, elle ne croit absolument pas en cette malédiction, et fera tout pour défendre la réputation des clients de l'Hôtel Savoy. Une enquête palpitante, des rebondissements fréquents. Une très bonne série Cosy Mystery qui tire sa révérence.
December 5, 2024
Déjà le tome 4 de cette série Bienvenue à l'hôtel Savoy, et Priscilla Tempest, cette charmante et attachante attachée de presse, ne change pas. Toujours à fourrer son nez dans des histoires pas possibles, toujours pleine de ressources, et toujours aussi attirée par les hommes. Et c'est son point faible, surtout que cette fois ci, c'est le charismatique Cary Grant qui lui tourne autour.
Mais attention, d'autres figures célèbres gravitent. Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock ou encore "Dickie" l'impressionnant Lord Mountbatten. Et c'est un malheureux dîner à treize qui met le feu à l'action.
Encore une fois au coeur du tumulte, Priscilla jongle entre scandales menaçants, caprices de célébrités, et une enquête officieuse pour démêler le vrai du faux.
J'aime toujours cette ambiance feutrée de cet hôtel de luxe, ces anecdotes croustillantes sur les invités, cette tension croissante autour de l'hypothétique malédiction. C'est délicieusement rétro, le glamour et le mystère se mêlent habilement. Bref, c'est une lecture parfaite pour s'évader dans un univers où glamour et danger se côtoient avec panache.
Je remercie vivement les éditions De La Martinière et NetGalley pour m'avoir, une nouvelle fois, permise de découvrir la suite des aventures de la pimpante Priscilla.
Mais attention, d'autres figures célèbres gravitent. Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock ou encore "Dickie" l'impressionnant Lord Mountbatten. Et c'est un malheureux dîner à treize qui met le feu à l'action.
Encore une fois au coeur du tumulte, Priscilla jongle entre scandales menaçants, caprices de célébrités, et une enquête officieuse pour démêler le vrai du faux.
J'aime toujours cette ambiance feutrée de cet hôtel de luxe, ces anecdotes croustillantes sur les invités, cette tension croissante autour de l'hypothétique malédiction. C'est délicieusement rétro, le glamour et le mystère se mêlent habilement. Bref, c'est une lecture parfaite pour s'évader dans un univers où glamour et danger se côtoient avec panache.
Je remercie vivement les éditions De La Martinière et NetGalley pour m'avoir, une nouvelle fois, permise de découvrir la suite des aventures de la pimpante Priscilla.
January 30, 2025
Rien n'est poussé assez pour que ça fonctionne. Les personnages ne sont pas assez développés pour qu'on s'y attache. L'enquête n'est pas divertissante. L'humour est bof... j'ai trouvé l'ensemble très fade.
August 3, 2025
Priscilla toujours aussi impertinente et drôle et libre. L’intrigue nous fait rencontrer plein de figures hollywoodiennes, c’était génial. Je regrette d’avoir fini cette série 🥹❤️
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews