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Herbert Reardon #4
The Property of Lies
DI Herbert Reardon is drawn into a world of secrets and lies when a body is discovered at a girls' boarding school.
1930. When a body is discovered on the premises of the newly-established Maxstead Court School for Girls, Detective Inspector Herbert Reardon is called in to investigate. His wife Ellen having just accepted a job as French teacher, Reardon is alarmed to find the school a hotbed of scandalous secrets, suppressed passions, petty jealousies and wanton schoolgirl cruelty. As he pursues his enquiries, it becomes clear that the dead woman was not who - or what - she claimed to be. Who was she really - and why is Reardon convinced that more than one member of staff is not telling him the whole truth?
Then a pupil goes missing - and the case takes a disturbing new twist ...
1930. When a body is discovered on the premises of the newly-established Maxstead Court School for Girls, Detective Inspector Herbert Reardon is called in to investigate. His wife Ellen having just accepted a job as French teacher, Reardon is alarmed to find the school a hotbed of scandalous secrets, suppressed passions, petty jealousies and wanton schoolgirl cruelty. As he pursues his enquiries, it becomes clear that the dead woman was not who - or what - she claimed to be. Who was she really - and why is Reardon convinced that more than one member of staff is not telling him the whole truth?
Then a pupil goes missing - and the case takes a disturbing new twist ...
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2017
11 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Marjorie Eccles
53 books45 followersAka Judith Bordill, Jennifer Hyde
Marjorie Eccles has written several romantic and crime novels, which have been published both in the UK and in the US. Many of her book shave been translated and serialised around the world. She has one grown up son and now lives in Hertfordshire
Marjorie Eccles has written several romantic and crime novels, which have been published both in the UK and in the US. Many of her book shave been translated and serialised around the world. She has one grown up son and now lives in Hertfordshire
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 25, 2017
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishers. Thank you.
Marjorie Eccles is quickly becoming a "must read" author for me. She writes the kind of books I want to read. This one is set in the 1930s and involves a girls boarding school, Maxstead Court, where Ellen Reardon has just been hired as the new French teacher. Ellen and her policeman husband, Detective Inspector Herbert Reardon, have not lived in this part of England long but now that they are settled she is ready to be productive outside the home, to take up teaching again. The previous French teacher left under suspicious circumstances but everyone is horrified when her body is discovered hidden in an area of the old manor house which is in the process of being demolished.
I thoroughly enjoyed finding out the answers to this mystery right along with DI Reardon and his team of investigators. Having his wife at hand on the scene of the crime gave the story a very personal touch, but it is much to the credit of this author that she didn't write the story so that Ellen was always on the scene to find the clues. I will admit to being led around sniffing red herrings pretty much throughout the story. By the 75% mark I had settled on three different possibilities and managed to switch back and forth between them like some sleuthing novice. Good for you, Ms. Eccles! These characters were written with depth and perception of how completely unpredictable people can be and how well they can lie and hide anything they feel is going to cause them to look silly or even guilty. There are students in this story and they are essential to understanding what was going on pretty much under the noses of their instructors, but the story never spent so much time concentrating on the teens that it ignored the complicated past and plans of the adults.
This is not a brand new plot line in a mystery novel. What made it so good for me was the way the author made the characters come alive on the pages, how she put the emphasis on how complicated human emotions are and how she allowed one specific personality to remain unchanged when it would have been so easy to have written a storybook ending. It felt like this was the right ending.
Marjorie Eccles is quickly becoming a "must read" author for me. She writes the kind of books I want to read. This one is set in the 1930s and involves a girls boarding school, Maxstead Court, where Ellen Reardon has just been hired as the new French teacher. Ellen and her policeman husband, Detective Inspector Herbert Reardon, have not lived in this part of England long but now that they are settled she is ready to be productive outside the home, to take up teaching again. The previous French teacher left under suspicious circumstances but everyone is horrified when her body is discovered hidden in an area of the old manor house which is in the process of being demolished.
I thoroughly enjoyed finding out the answers to this mystery right along with DI Reardon and his team of investigators. Having his wife at hand on the scene of the crime gave the story a very personal touch, but it is much to the credit of this author that she didn't write the story so that Ellen was always on the scene to find the clues. I will admit to being led around sniffing red herrings pretty much throughout the story. By the 75% mark I had settled on three different possibilities and managed to switch back and forth between them like some sleuthing novice. Good for you, Ms. Eccles! These characters were written with depth and perception of how completely unpredictable people can be and how well they can lie and hide anything they feel is going to cause them to look silly or even guilty. There are students in this story and they are essential to understanding what was going on pretty much under the noses of their instructors, but the story never spent so much time concentrating on the teens that it ignored the complicated past and plans of the adults.
This is not a brand new plot line in a mystery novel. What made it so good for me was the way the author made the characters come alive on the pages, how she put the emphasis on how complicated human emotions are and how she allowed one specific personality to remain unchanged when it would have been so easy to have written a storybook ending. It felt like this was the right ending.
May 26, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.
DI Herbert Reardon is drawn into a world in which he feels really uncomfortable. A former teacher is found dead in circumstances which may indicate foul play at Maxstead Court School for girls. What makes him feel even more uncomfortable is that his wife Ellen has just accepted a post at the school though she might be able to give him inside information. The school soon turns out to be a seething mass of secrets and lies and it is going to take all Reardon's ingenuity to get to the bottom of what is going on there.
A pupil disappearing provides a boost to the investigation but the school will never be the same again when all its secrets are revealed. I enjoyed this entertaining 1930s mystery and though I haven't read all the previous books in the series it didn't spoil my enjoyment of this one. I like Reardon as a character and his Sergeant Gilmour.
If you enjoy crime stories without too much violence, with interesting characters then you could try this series. The books can be read in any order as there is enough information given in each book to explain previous episodes in the lives of the main characters.
DI Herbert Reardon is drawn into a world in which he feels really uncomfortable. A former teacher is found dead in circumstances which may indicate foul play at Maxstead Court School for girls. What makes him feel even more uncomfortable is that his wife Ellen has just accepted a post at the school though she might be able to give him inside information. The school soon turns out to be a seething mass of secrets and lies and it is going to take all Reardon's ingenuity to get to the bottom of what is going on there.
A pupil disappearing provides a boost to the investigation but the school will never be the same again when all its secrets are revealed. I enjoyed this entertaining 1930s mystery and though I haven't read all the previous books in the series it didn't spoil my enjoyment of this one. I like Reardon as a character and his Sergeant Gilmour.
If you enjoy crime stories without too much violence, with interesting characters then you could try this series. The books can be read in any order as there is enough information given in each book to explain previous episodes in the lives of the main characters.
September 21, 2017
Historical Murder Mystery At Its Best
I've enjoyed Marjorie Eccles' Gil Mayo mysteries and stand-alones for many years and like her Herbert Reardon series is best of all. I loved this book, despite not being keen on a school setting. It's a terrific plot with feasible detection, (no crystal ball needed or unlikely coincidence) and plenty of suspects, twists and red herrings. Inspector Reardon, his wife Ellen and Sergeant Gilmour are very likeable, I enjoy the glimpses into their domestic lives. The new detective constables introduced are interesting for future books. All the characters are so believable for the time. Marjorie Eccles is superb at evoking daily life in the late twenties/early thirties. She writes with a lovely easy flow and there are no anachronisms to jar you out of the story. Her research is impeccable and unobtrusive. Don't miss this series if you like a great murder mystery with an atmospheric setting. Perfect for fans of Charles Todd and Golden Age mysteries.
I've enjoyed Marjorie Eccles' Gil Mayo mysteries and stand-alones for many years and like her Herbert Reardon series is best of all. I loved this book, despite not being keen on a school setting. It's a terrific plot with feasible detection, (no crystal ball needed or unlikely coincidence) and plenty of suspects, twists and red herrings. Inspector Reardon, his wife Ellen and Sergeant Gilmour are very likeable, I enjoy the glimpses into their domestic lives. The new detective constables introduced are interesting for future books. All the characters are so believable for the time. Marjorie Eccles is superb at evoking daily life in the late twenties/early thirties. She writes with a lovely easy flow and there are no anachronisms to jar you out of the story. Her research is impeccable and unobtrusive. Don't miss this series if you like a great murder mystery with an atmospheric setting. Perfect for fans of Charles Todd and Golden Age mysteries.
June 20, 2017
I got the book from net galley in return for a fair review.
I enjoyed the book, which isn't the kind of thing that I would normally read. It had me gripped but on the other hand, I did think that in places it was a little drawn out. The ending was completely unexpected mainly because the person who was responsible for the murders was barely mentioned at all during the book. This book has definitely left me wanting to read more like it.
I enjoyed the book, which isn't the kind of thing that I would normally read. It had me gripped but on the other hand, I did think that in places it was a little drawn out. The ending was completely unexpected mainly because the person who was responsible for the murders was barely mentioned at all during the book. This book has definitely left me wanting to read more like it.
October 15, 2017
I would probably rate this more 2 1/2 stars than three.
When I first started reading this book I feared that it would fall back on the stereotype of the school "being something of a hothouse, a closed community of possibly neurotic women, with secrets and passions under the surface, resentments, jealousies, that couldn't be particularly healthy," (page. 186) with the connotation that the root cause be a frustrated, twisted, sexual nature. Obviously it was a common enough perception of the 1930s that Dorothy L. Sayers actually dealt with it as prevailing theme throughout her entire novel, "Gaudy Night." Luckily, the characters doing the investigation and the people living at the school did not seem to perceive this as a motive for the events going on. The above quote and the associated sentiment with it is only really mentioned once in the book and is apparently quickly dismissed as the cause of the murder. Of course, there are jealousies, secrets and passions at the school--there has been a murder after all--but that is true of any high school the world over (private, public, boarding, same sex, etc). At any work environment there would be the same things. The jealousies, secrets and passions do not have to be sexual in nature.
I liked the writing but it took me a little while to feel anything more than tepid towards the characters. By the end of the book I was more invested in the main characters. One thing that annoyed me was Reardon's "soft" interrogation of the woman. He should have been more forceful with Phoebe Catherall. This was a murder investigation. Reardon gave up too soon pushing for answers that she was obviously being vague or downright avoiding questions just because she was a little tired or sick the next day. Another paragraph or so of his interrogation and than her breaking down in tears and being stubborn would have made it more realistic. His cautious approach with Josie was more understandable because she is young but I think he could have tried a little harder there too. It really didn't make sense why he didn't confront Hillyard about her evasions. That seemed like an obvious next step in an a police investigation and there was time for it.
I think the series has potential. It passed the afternoon and I would read another in the series but it needs a little something for me to invest reading multiple books.
When I first started reading this book I feared that it would fall back on the stereotype of the school "being something of a hothouse, a closed community of possibly neurotic women, with secrets and passions under the surface, resentments, jealousies, that couldn't be particularly healthy," (page. 186) with the connotation that the root cause be a frustrated, twisted, sexual nature. Obviously it was a common enough perception of the 1930s that Dorothy L. Sayers actually dealt with it as prevailing theme throughout her entire novel, "Gaudy Night." Luckily, the characters doing the investigation and the people living at the school did not seem to perceive this as a motive for the events going on. The above quote and the associated sentiment with it is only really mentioned once in the book and is apparently quickly dismissed as the cause of the murder. Of course, there are jealousies, secrets and passions at the school--there has been a murder after all--but that is true of any high school the world over (private, public, boarding, same sex, etc). At any work environment there would be the same things. The jealousies, secrets and passions do not have to be sexual in nature.
I liked the writing but it took me a little while to feel anything more than tepid towards the characters. By the end of the book I was more invested in the main characters. One thing that annoyed me was Reardon's "soft" interrogation of the woman. He should have been more forceful with Phoebe Catherall. This was a murder investigation. Reardon gave up too soon pushing for answers that she was obviously being vague or downright avoiding questions just because she was a little tired or sick the next day. Another paragraph or so of his interrogation and than her breaking down in tears and being stubborn would have made it more realistic. His cautious approach with Josie was more understandable because she is young but I think he could have tried a little harder there too. It really didn't make sense why he didn't confront Hillyard about her evasions. That seemed like an obvious next step in an a police investigation and there was time for it.
I think the series has potential. It passed the afternoon and I would read another in the series but it needs a little something for me to invest reading multiple books.
September 16, 2017
The Property of Lies is an excellent historical mystery set in the aftermath of WWI, in the heart of 1930s England. The writing takes some getting used to, as it is written in present tense, unlike the vast majority of novels. It is well worth continuing past any feelings of awkwardness. The story is set at the newly established Maxfield Court School for Girls, where Inspector Reardon’s wife has accepted a post teaching French. The previous French teacher left with little notice, but no one at the school expected her body to be found hidden in the disused wing. While Reardon's team investigates the murder, his wife Ellen asks her own questions. The school is awash in secrets, and plagued by incidents that may be pranks. They grow more serious, when one of the students disappears.
Maxstead school’s success or failure could easily impact the young women studying. Advanced education opportunities for young women, particularly those of lower incomes were rare in 1930s Britain, as were jobs for educated women. It was not unusual for women to have to work, but professions and opportunities open were few. At the same time, any hint of moral impropriety in a woman's past could lead to social and career ruin. This is why the threat to Maxstead school depicted in The Property of Lies is so heartfelt. At the same time, it is nice to see how Ellen and her husband work in tandem. While this is a police procedural, it is a softer form. I enjoyed The Property of Lies, and look forward to reading more books by Marjorie Eccles.
4 / 5
I received a copy of The Property of Lies from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Maxstead school’s success or failure could easily impact the young women studying. Advanced education opportunities for young women, particularly those of lower incomes were rare in 1930s Britain, as were jobs for educated women. It was not unusual for women to have to work, but professions and opportunities open were few. At the same time, any hint of moral impropriety in a woman's past could lead to social and career ruin. This is why the threat to Maxstead school depicted in The Property of Lies is so heartfelt. At the same time, it is nice to see how Ellen and her husband work in tandem. While this is a police procedural, it is a softer form. I enjoyed The Property of Lies, and look forward to reading more books by Marjorie Eccles.
4 / 5
I received a copy of The Property of Lies from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
August 24, 2017
The Property of Lies is the second book in Marjorie Eccles’ series of mystery books featuring Detective Herbert Reardon. It takes place a couple of years after the first book, Heirs and Assigns, and this book has our intrepid detective investigating a murder at a girls’ boarding school.
Coincidentally, Reardon’s wife has just accepted a position at the school because the last French teacher disappeared. Not too much later, the missing teacher’s body in a dilapidated corner of the property.
The school is a relatively new one, and any hint of a scandal could be the ruination of the place. And unfortunately, that is not the only odd occurrence- what could possibly be happening and why at a school, of all places?
As was the case with the first book in the series, there are many long-buried secrets that come to light over the course of the narrative. It seems like everyone has something to hide.
I’ve read several other historical mysteries featuring girls’ boarding schools, and so I was looking forward to seeing the direction that this story was going to take. I must admit, I was surprised by “big reveal”, so to speak. The manner in which Eccles carefully weaves everything together was quite masterful.
I would recommend The Property of Lies to fans of historical mysteries. I’ll add that the pace is sometimes languid, but this helps to build suspense and a sense of appreciation as clues are connected together over the course of the investigation.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Coincidentally, Reardon’s wife has just accepted a position at the school because the last French teacher disappeared. Not too much later, the missing teacher’s body in a dilapidated corner of the property.
The school is a relatively new one, and any hint of a scandal could be the ruination of the place. And unfortunately, that is not the only odd occurrence- what could possibly be happening and why at a school, of all places?
As was the case with the first book in the series, there are many long-buried secrets that come to light over the course of the narrative. It seems like everyone has something to hide.
I’ve read several other historical mysteries featuring girls’ boarding schools, and so I was looking forward to seeing the direction that this story was going to take. I must admit, I was surprised by “big reveal”, so to speak. The manner in which Eccles carefully weaves everything together was quite masterful.
I would recommend The Property of Lies to fans of historical mysteries. I’ll add that the pace is sometimes languid, but this helps to build suspense and a sense of appreciation as clues are connected together over the course of the investigation.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2017
4 stars
Ellen Reardon has just acquired a position as a French teacher at the local Maxstead Court School for Girls. This is a newly established institution in the 1930’s. She is feeling nervous and perhaps a little out of her depth. She is surprised and pleased to be accepted into the school with no qualms.
Her husband DI Herbert Reardon responds to the call of a dead body that was found at the school.
As he begins his investigation, he interviews the teachers, staff and some students at the school and quickly picks up on some glaring inconsistencies. Bullying, lies, secrets and jealousy are just some of the things going on at the school. Reardon is surprised that the school is such a façade for all kinds of goings on.
He further learns that the victim was not who she claimed to be. Why are some of the staff lying to him? What is really going on here? Who was the victim? When a student goes missing, the tension ratchets up. The murderer comes a somewhat of a surprise, but the more surprising fact is the reason for the murder.
This is a very well written and plotted novel. The suspense mounts slowly, but picks up dramatically as things move along. The characters are, for the most part likeable. Marjorie Eccles is a fine writer and I will continue to read her books.
I want to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for forwarding to me a copy of this fine book to read.
Ellen Reardon has just acquired a position as a French teacher at the local Maxstead Court School for Girls. This is a newly established institution in the 1930’s. She is feeling nervous and perhaps a little out of her depth. She is surprised and pleased to be accepted into the school with no qualms.
Her husband DI Herbert Reardon responds to the call of a dead body that was found at the school.
As he begins his investigation, he interviews the teachers, staff and some students at the school and quickly picks up on some glaring inconsistencies. Bullying, lies, secrets and jealousy are just some of the things going on at the school. Reardon is surprised that the school is such a façade for all kinds of goings on.
He further learns that the victim was not who she claimed to be. Why are some of the staff lying to him? What is really going on here? Who was the victim? When a student goes missing, the tension ratchets up. The murderer comes a somewhat of a surprise, but the more surprising fact is the reason for the murder.
This is a very well written and plotted novel. The suspense mounts slowly, but picks up dramatically as things move along. The characters are, for the most part likeable. Marjorie Eccles is a fine writer and I will continue to read her books.
I want to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for forwarding to me a copy of this fine book to read.
October 1, 2024
The Property of Lies is the first book I have read by Marjorie Eccles and I am delighted I decided to read and review it. I adore historical mysteries and mysteries surrounding old manors and estates in England’s countryside’s. I have to say I normally find out who is committing crimes in stories like these, but found myself guessing all the wrong people!
DI Rearden and his wife Ellen are new to the area and Ellen takes a teaching position at Maxstead and before you know it, is caught up in a mysterious death of a previous teacher on the property. The teacher’s death and how she was found baffled everyone. Alas, there are other strange events happening at the school and you soon discover not everything is what it seems-not even to DI Rearden.
I enjoyed reading about all the characters and their role in the story. I would like to read more about their back story however but that in no way takes away from the story itself. It was enough to keep the characters interesting. I would have liked the period of the story to be a bit more atmospheric to the era and to have drawn stronger description to the boarding house. Having said that, I recommend this story to avid readers of mystery and for those who want to give their try in this genre for the first time.
I look forward to reading more from this author!
I have rated this book three stars and I want to thank NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for a review copy.
Stephanie Hopkins
Layered Pages
DI Rearden and his wife Ellen are new to the area and Ellen takes a teaching position at Maxstead and before you know it, is caught up in a mysterious death of a previous teacher on the property. The teacher’s death and how she was found baffled everyone. Alas, there are other strange events happening at the school and you soon discover not everything is what it seems-not even to DI Rearden.
I enjoyed reading about all the characters and their role in the story. I would like to read more about their back story however but that in no way takes away from the story itself. It was enough to keep the characters interesting. I would have liked the period of the story to be a bit more atmospheric to the era and to have drawn stronger description to the boarding house. Having said that, I recommend this story to avid readers of mystery and for those who want to give their try in this genre for the first time.
I look forward to reading more from this author!
I have rated this book three stars and I want to thank NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for a review copy.
Stephanie Hopkins
Layered Pages
September 2, 2017
June 1930
Mrs. Ellen Reardon has arrived at the Maxstead Court School for Girls as a prospective French teacher. She is to interview with Miss Edith Hillyard, the Headmistress. The building and grounds had once belonged to the Scroopes family and houses girls from ages 12-17. Ellen is hired and asked to begin immediately.
Ellen’s husband, Herbert Reardon, is a detective inspector. As Ellen is shown around the school, she finds that a wing was so old that it is under reconstruction but the builder passed away. Now, the area sits with nothing more done. Suddenly, Ellen spies a deteriorated body which is assumed to be that of the French teacher, Isabelle Blanchard, who had left the school so suddenly.
Inspector Reardon and his men arrive to investigate. They interview the teachers at the school. After one student goes missing for a night, she is found locked in a room in the old wing. However, it appears that she may be lying about what she saw there.
The investigation continues until a break in the case happens that surprises everyone. Things aren’t always as they may appear to be.
This is the first of this author’s books that I have read. I found it to be slow and rather boring until, of course, the ending. I wish that the story had had more of a true mystery atmosphere to it.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Mrs. Ellen Reardon has arrived at the Maxstead Court School for Girls as a prospective French teacher. She is to interview with Miss Edith Hillyard, the Headmistress. The building and grounds had once belonged to the Scroopes family and houses girls from ages 12-17. Ellen is hired and asked to begin immediately.
Ellen’s husband, Herbert Reardon, is a detective inspector. As Ellen is shown around the school, she finds that a wing was so old that it is under reconstruction but the builder passed away. Now, the area sits with nothing more done. Suddenly, Ellen spies a deteriorated body which is assumed to be that of the French teacher, Isabelle Blanchard, who had left the school so suddenly.
Inspector Reardon and his men arrive to investigate. They interview the teachers at the school. After one student goes missing for a night, she is found locked in a room in the old wing. However, it appears that she may be lying about what she saw there.
The investigation continues until a break in the case happens that surprises everyone. Things aren’t always as they may appear to be.
This is the first of this author’s books that I have read. I found it to be slow and rather boring until, of course, the ending. I wish that the story had had more of a true mystery atmosphere to it.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 19, 2017
1930's and something strange is going on in Maxstead Court School: secrets abound, the French teacher(s) disappear (later one of their bodies is found), a student is found locked in a basement room, the Matron is seen arguing w/ a man & slapping him hard, & the art teacher is shoved into the lake...
How it all ties in comes to a satisfying conclusion...
I did not particularly like the characters, and it is important for me to do so, I need to connect w/ someone. Everyone seemed cold, efficient, & business like and one never got to know any of them.
There was a lot of explanation I skipped.... I'm finding that I like dialog better than descriptive narrative.
I did like the story & the back story.....
I have been aware of Marjorie Eccles for many years and I have added her work to the Library's collection, but this is the first time I have ever read one of her books... I might attempt to read another of her earlier books.
February 23, 2019
Night and Day
This is the second Marjorie Eccles book I have read in as many days. After finishing Heirs and Assigns, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I immediately visited my Kindle store to purchase another of Eccles' s Inspector Reardon mysteries. What a supreme disappointment. It is almost as if two different authors had penned these two books. The first was bright and gay, refreshingly witty, tightly written; this book, on the other hand, was dull and dragged out, repetitive, tedious to finish. The only part I really liked at all was the ending which came as a real surprise, well-crafted and totally unexpected.
Perhaps it is just me. I prefer a glittering Allingham-like romp with a British Golden Age cleverness to a plodding, mundane, multi-murder detective story. Fans of the more prosaic Christie novels may just find The Property of Lies right up their alley. Despite this let down, I will give Eccles another try. She must have some glitter left in her somewhere.
This is the second Marjorie Eccles book I have read in as many days. After finishing Heirs and Assigns, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I immediately visited my Kindle store to purchase another of Eccles' s Inspector Reardon mysteries. What a supreme disappointment. It is almost as if two different authors had penned these two books. The first was bright and gay, refreshingly witty, tightly written; this book, on the other hand, was dull and dragged out, repetitive, tedious to finish. The only part I really liked at all was the ending which came as a real surprise, well-crafted and totally unexpected.
Perhaps it is just me. I prefer a glittering Allingham-like romp with a British Golden Age cleverness to a plodding, mundane, multi-murder detective story. Fans of the more prosaic Christie novels may just find The Property of Lies right up their alley. Despite this let down, I will give Eccles another try. She must have some glitter left in her somewhere.
October 9, 2017
From the very beginning, “The Property Of Lies” has some real weird happenings. DI Rearden and his wife Ellen are new to the area and Ellen takes a teaching position at Maxstead and before you know it, is caught up in a mysterious death of a previous teacher on the property. The very same teacher Ellen is replacing. The teacher’s death and how she died and how she was found baffled everyone. There are other strange events happening at the school and you soon discover not everything and not everybody are who they seem to be. The private students have formed a lil clique....and they have a part in what’s happening at the school. Likewise, some of the teachers are a little weird. Overall, I liked the book. However, I wanted a little bit more on some of the characters;?especially Ellen and her DI husband. Has a very good twist at the end and I didn’t expect who did the dirty deed.
March 18, 2020
The cover states it's a 1930's historical novel, but I didn't find much history in it except references to the characters having been in WWI. On the back of the book the first recommendation says it "will delight fans of the TV series Downton Abbey", again, I did not find anything at all that resembled anything of the sort. Page 27 has a typo on it referring to "violet death". There's some repetition as the author flits back and forth between speakers. At one moment it's shortly after Easter in the spring, then in another moment the policemen are staring out the window of their car looking at the golden cornfields. I think the premise of the book and the setting are good. The main police detective and his wife are likable characters. There are a couple of loose ends, for example we never find out how the first dead character earned enough money to have handmade lingerie.
September 20, 2017
Engaging mystery set in a girls' school, complete with mean girls both young and old, and some unexpected twists. My only (small) criticisms: switching between past and present tense voices was a little jarring, and I'm not sure it added a ton to the story. And I'd like to see the supporting detective characters fleshed out a little more; in an ongoing series, they could add some interesting color.
January 8, 2018
This mystery series is set in 1930's England. This book takes place at a private girls school which was formerly a private mansion. Detective Inspector Herbert Reardon is called in when a former teacher is found dead, fallen to her death from a disused door on the old wing of the house. The characters get a bit confusing and convoluted, which makes the plot pretty contrived. It's not bad, just unwieldy.
October 8, 2017
Excellent vintage mystery.A girls school a dead body chilling atmosphere secrets revealed.Second in a series looking forward to the next book.Thanks to NetGalley&Severen House for advance readers copy.copy.
October 25, 2018
I enjoyed this simple story. Loved the length of the book. The characters were all good although a few were less emotional than the others. The plot itself was interesting and moved quite quickly. The ending was a surprise - at least to me.
October 4, 2021
I hated this book. I forced myself to finish it and it was agony. I don't think I will read anymore books from this author. I'd thought the plot sounded interesting, but the more I read the worse the story became.
May 5, 2024
A 1930's mystery, Inspector Reardon attempts to solve a mysterious murder at an all Girls school post WWI. As the inspector's wife takes on a teaching position at the school, misterious things start happening along with the usual secrets, and petty jealousies of schoolgirl cruelty.
November 7, 2017
Excellent reading but slightly less interesting ending somehow....
April 23, 2019
I love this author. Marjorie Eccles has a couple series and some stand alone. I have enjoyed them all.
August 10, 2019
typical Eccles whodunit but likewise enjoyable
May 7, 2021
Historical police procedural set in 1930s England, just outside Birmingham. Scene of the crime is a boarding school for girls. The story moved along nicely.
August 20, 2017
June 1930 and Ellen Reardon has been offered the position of French teacher at Maxstead Court School for Girls. But as she is shown around the school a body is discovered, and it is her husband DI Reardon that is called in to investigate.
An interesting enough mystery that kept me reading to the end though I didn't really engage with the characters.
A NetGalley Book
An interesting enough mystery that kept me reading to the end though I didn't really engage with the characters.
A NetGalley Book
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July 4, 2017I'm sorry, but this book is really doing nothing for me. I don't like to drop a book, but this is one of the few I will.
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March 7, 2018set in 1930. English boarding school for girls.
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