Murder at the Mill

Artist Iris Grey, the heroine of this engrossing first mystery and series launch from Shaw (the pen name of Tilly Bagshawe, Sidney Sheldon’s Chasing Tomorrow), flees the remnants of a bitter marriage in London for Mill Cottage in Hampshire, where she’s been commissioned to paint the portrait of writer Dominic “Dom” Wetherby, whose successful TV detective series will soon draw to a close. For Iris, the circle at nearby Mill House at first seems warm and devoted, encompassing Dom; wife Ariadne; daughter-in-law Jenna; sons Marcus, Billy, and Lorcan; and the barrister and family friend Graham Feeney. Yet Iris later detects disquieting fault lines: infidelity, blackmail, drug addiction, mental instability, troubles with the law and local residents, and rumors of abuse. When Lorcan finds a body in the River Itchen on Christmas Day, Iris cannot agree with the easy verdict of suicide and begins to look into the Wetherbys’ past secrets. Although attentive readers might identify the perpetrator, the principled, smart, and courageous Iris is bound to garner enthusiastic fans. Agent: Luke Janklow, Janklow & Nesbit. (Dec.)