Deadly Primrose

In British author Hill’s jaunty seventh mystery set in 1950s Surrey (after 2016’s The Primrose Pursuit), artist Primrose Oughterard, the late vicar’s sister, hears upon returning to Lewes from a refreshing trip abroad that Elspeth Travers drowned in the sea. Primrose is immediately suspicious, because Elspeth was known to go “all green and peculiar” at the mere mention of the word sea. That the deceased was wearing a fanciful pink floral bathing cap—a style Elspeth intensely disliked—is proof positive that her death was no accident. “I intend pursuing this,” Primrose vows. “With so much incompetence about one feels compelled to take the initiative occasionally.” The multiple points of view capture the cadence and vocabulary of English voices, which include dotty upper-class Englishwomen, a plodding police detective, and “the best slippery art dealer on the south coast.” Even Primrose’s pets, Bouncer the dog and Maurice the cat, comment amusingly on the developments in the case. Those in the mood for silly fun will be delighted. Agent: Jane Conway-Gordon, Jane Conway-Gordon (U.K.). (June)