Pretender '56

by Jane Kelly

Looking back at April 1956, amateur sleuth, Tracy Shaw, sees that Philadelphia was abuzz with news of local girl Grace Kelly's marriage to a prince in a fairy tale wedding and not the murders of two young people in a lovers' lane. An unknown assailant, or possibly more than one, has denied two young people with big dreams their fairy tale ending. Tracy's Aunt Julia takes the lead in figuring out who did it and why.

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 12, 2018

About the author

Jane Kelly is a native of Philadelphia, close to the Jersey Shore settings of the Meg Daniels mysteries available from Plexus Publishing. Jane is also the author of the Widow Lady Mysteries and the Writing in Time Mysteries, both set in her hometown. She is the past president of the Delaware Valley chapter of Sisters in Crime and served on the board of the New York Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Her next Meg Daniels novel, Last Seen in Sea Isle, will be released in April 2026. In 2025, she launched a series of novellas, the Meg Daniels Mystery Weekenders, in which all the action takes place in a weekend, and the book can be read in a weekend. In addition, she published a stand-alone novel, NIGHTINGALE SONGS, that is romantic but doesn't obey all the rules of a romance. Her latest publication is A DEATH IN SCILLY, a traditional mystery set on a small island off the coast of Cornwall.

Reviews

[Amy Reade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous mystery

I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this tension-filled tale. The story of what really happened the night Cassie Kelly and John Brien were murdered, while the eyes of the world were on the magnificent royal wedding of another Philadelphia Kelly (Grace, that is) to the Prince of Monaco, is filled with suspense and puzzling clues. The pace is spot-on and the main character, Julia Tracy, is beguiling and clever in her search for truth and--maybe--justice. I

I highly recommend this book to mystery lovers, and particularly those who love Philadelphia, PA.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Pretender'56. It's a study of social mores and class distinction in a particular time and place as well as an intriguing mystery. I'm old enough to know something about the period in which the story is set and this book captures it perfectly. The sleuth is an amateur with a strong sense of justice who follows her intuition along a trail some powerful people would rather she not follow. She is both likable and believable. Kelly's writing style is clear and uncluttered, while adding just enough detail to transport the reader to another time and place.

[Jacki York · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great traditional mystery with the backdrop of 1950’s Philadelphia. The novel explored the culture and expectations of the time and how that impacted the characters choices.