Killing a Unicorn

by Marjorie Eccles

A family with secrets---is murder one of them?

Membery Place has been the home of the Calvert family for over one hundred years. Below it, set in a forest clearing, is a modern, award-winning house designed by architect Mark Calvert, one of Alyssa Calvert's three sons.

Mark's wife, Francesca, has been conscious of an intriguing element of mystery surrounding Bianca Morgan ever since Chip, the eldest Calvert brother, brought her and her child to live with him at Membery. No one, except possibly Chip, knows anything about her previous life. Bianca remains an enigma---and then one day her body is found in a pool beneath a waterfall on the estate.

The three brothers have always been very close, but the subsequent inquiry now reveals that they all had their own secret connection with Bianca. Could one of them have had reason to kill her? Perhaps Jonathan, to save his career as an international cello soloist; Mark, to save his marriage---or even Chip?

The focus of the inquiry shifts dramatically when Bianca's nine-year-old son goes missing. Has the child too been killed, or has he been abducted because he saw his mother's murder? The fruitless search for Bianca's killer and the kidnapper forces Francesca to take matters into her own hands, determined to resolve the mystery of the Calvert family.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published August 13, 1957

About the author

Aka 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

Reviews

[Lizzie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Returning from a stifling hot London, Fran Calvert looks forward with relief to reaching her cool house, Watersplash, an award-winning modernist arrangement of glass, designed by her architect husband Mark, set in a forest clearing below Membery Place, home of the Calvert family for a hundred years. But the cool relaxing evening is denied her, when wondering down to the waterfall she discovers the body of Biba.

Bianca (Biba) Morgan has always carried with her an air of secrecy, ever since Chip the eldest of the three Calvery sons, brought her and her young son Jasie to the family home. Now with her death the family realise how little they knew about her previous life. Initially the family members are sure that the killer must be an outsider. But as Inspector Dave Crouch and Seargeant Kate Coville investigate her death, links between Bianca and the other brothers are revealed. Jonathan Calvert, international cello soloist and his partner Jilly, and Mark whose absence now begins to trouble Fran as she realises that she doesn’t know exactly where her husband is , or how to get in touch with him.

Slowly the cracks beneath the family façade begin to show. Is Chip as adapt at controlling the family finances as he says he is? Is Alyssa, Mrs Calvert senior, really dedicated to the Membery Place gardens, once her pride and joy, are they perhaps now becoming too much, and staunch Jane Arrow, who has always been there as a prop and considers the Calverts her family. What will happen to Jane if Alyssa accepts her beau Humphrey?

Of more immediate concern is the whereabouts of Biba’s nine-year-old son Jasie, who seems to have disappeared. Did he see the murder? Has be been abducted?

Once again Marjorie Eccles provides her readers with a rich tapestry of family life with all the complexities of a murder investigation that peel away the layers to reveal a killer. Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes

[Jamie Rothe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very unexpected.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always fascinated by the life of posh ppl and this book really had me in the first half ngl. Then it kind of just... ended?

[Melissa Riggs]

"Membery Place has been the home of the Calvert family for over one hundred years. Below it, set in a forest clearing, is a modern, award-winning house designed by architect Mark Calvert, one of Alyssa Calvert's three sons. Mark's wife, Francesca, has been conscious of an intriguing element of mystery surrounding Bianca Morgan ever since Chip, the eldest Calvert brother, brought her and her child to live with him at Membery. No one, except possibly Chip, knows anything about her previous life. Bianca remains an enigma---and then one day her body is found in a pool beneath a waterfall on the estate. The three brothers have always been very close, but the subsequent inquiry now reveals that they all had their own secret connection with Bianca. Could one of them have had reason to kill her? Perhaps Jonathan, to save his career as an international cello soloist; Mark, to save his marriage---or even Chip? The focus of the inquiry shifts dramatically when Bianca's nine-year-old son goes missing. Has the child too been killed, or has he been abducted because he saw his mother's murder? The fruitless search for Bianca's killer and the kidnapper forces Francesca to take matters into her own hands, determined to resolve the mystery of the Calvert family."

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually like mysteries by Marjorie Eccles. They're British, but they are recent, not old. Some of her mysteries are centered on Gil Mayo, a superintendent of police. This one, however, is a one-off, and it has a pretty good surprise ending though it is somewhat foretold. Anyway, not a bad one of hers.

[CLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this in a bookstore of discards at the Dallas Public Library, recognizing it as a book that had been on my list. However, it was somewhat odd - the wife of the detective inspector was more interesting that anyone else in the book, including the victim and the murderer!

[Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in a free books pile at my local thrift store, and I'm so glad I did. This was one interesting story that I couldn't put down until I finished it.

[Seneca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

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A very interesting, quick-paced murder mystery. The ending fell very slightly flat for me but I enjoyed how realistic the characters and setting felt.