Murder at the Mena House

In 1926, American widow Jane Wunderly, the narrator of Neubauer’s promising debut, decides to vacation in Egypt with her matchmaking aunt, who’s determined to find her a beau. Jane, who appears to be in her 20s, doesn’t welcome those efforts, as she’s still struggling with the emotional fallout of her marriage to a man who viewed her as a “trophy... to win” and then break. That trauma has led Jane to vow to stand up for herself going forward, and that resolve is soon tested at the Cairo hotel where she and her aunt are staying, Mena House. Fellow guest Anna Stainton, a British colonel’s daughter, takes a dislike to Jane. Their public spat makes Jane the focus of the police inquiry after someone shoots Anna to death in her room. To clear her name, Jane sets about investigating on her own, even as she wrestles with feelings of attraction toward a handsome and mysterious stranger, who calls himself Redvers, whom she believes looks “too dangerous” to be the banker he claims to be. Mystery readers who enjoy a heavy dose of romance will be eager for the next installment. Agent: Ann Collette, Rees Literary. (Apr.)