Dreadful Lies

by Michèle Bailey

Matilda Haycastle, young, beautiful - and broke in Brussels - would never have thought that her routine temp assignment would indirectly lead to murder. Matilda has never met Connie Trevor - the woman is a friend of a friend - but when Connie fails to return from her holiday, Matilda is left to wonder why she would abandon her adored cat. None of Connie's friends and colleagues have any idea where the missing woman might be, and nobody seems much concerned - except for Matilda. It soon dawns on Matilda that if anyone is going to notify the police of Connie's disappearance, it's going to be up to her. Which puts Matilda in an awkward position - how to report the disappearance of a woman she's never even seen? After searching Connie's empty flat, Matilda decides to makes some investigations of her own. And once the arrogant Inspector Vanderauwera arrives on the scene, Matilda's determination to find out what has happened to Connie is strengthened even further. It isn't long before Matilda realizes that too many people are telling dreadful lies....

Genres: Mystery

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belgium. Set in Brussels, Matilda Haycastle supports herself as an office temp, a convenient occupation since it allows plenty of time between jobs to be an amateur detective. This is more successful than it sounds, because the police aren't particularly interested that a 40-year-old woman didn't return from her trip on time. She might have taken a side journey, stopped to visit friends, had a change of plans, all entirely plausible. But why would she not have made arrangements for her much-loved kitty? You will have to read it to find out.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of Michele Bailey and stumbled across this book at a library sale. Matilda Haycastle is a Brit living in Brussels. While the city itself isn't "pictured" in the novel, you get a good sense of the international diversity that the city offers. Haycastle is one of the more believable protagonists that I've come across recently. The book is short (only 185 pages). While reading, it really hums along and it wasn't until I finished it that I wished there was a bit more meat to it, perhaps more local flavoring. Overall I highly recommend the book to someone looking for a quick read....

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Matilda Haycastle
SETTING: Brussels, Belgium
RATING: 3.5
WHY: Connie Trevor is a friend of someone that Matilda Haycastle has worked with. When Connie doesn't return from holiday, Matilda and the friend go to her apartment but find no clue as to her whereabouts. Ultimately, Matilda decides to take care of Connie's cat. They report Connie's disappearance to the police, led by Inspector Luc Vanderauwera. Matilda gets deeply involved in the investigation and feels that Connie has come to no good at the hands of an unknown lover. Later in the book, Matilda gets too involved for my taste, acting as a kind of amateur sleuth, but overall, I did enjoy the book.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

BELGIUM -