Winterbourne

by Eleanor Marsh

A family Christmas, and one signature nobody admits to.

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About this book

The house they can no longer afford, the estate they must sell, and a signing pen found in the lake.

The Winterbourne family has gathered for Christmas at the house they can no longer afford, and by Boxing Day one of them will have signed away the estate. The signing pen is found in the lake. Nobody will say who was holding it last.

The author on this book

Why a standalone after three series books?

Because a family arguing over a house is a mystery with its own rules, and I wanted to write that without a detective in the room. Ashcombe gets one mention. He stays out of it.

Is it a Christmas book?

It happens at Christmas, which is the point. Everything that goes wrong goes wrong because nobody is willing to spoil the day.

Content guidance

ReadReadyKnow before you read

A family mystery rather than a body in the library: an unfortunate death, bitter arguments and a lot of brandy.

Language

○ mild

Period swearing only.

Violence

○ mild

One fall on the ice, described briefly.

Sexual content

✓ none

None.

Drugs & alcohol

● strong

Drink drives most of the worst decisions in the book.

Themes: Inheritance, Greed, Grief

If you enjoyed...

The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley

A country house, a family under strain, and a season that turns.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

A closed house, a signature, and a family with reasons.

Reader reviews

I read it in two sittings

The fen itself is almost the villain. I could feel the damp coming off the page, and I didn't work out who had folded his hands for him until the last forty pages.

Harriet L. · verified purchase

Quiet, patient, then devastating

Marsh doesn't rush anything. She lets a village talk itself into a corner and then walks Ashcombe to the wall with it. The best historical mystery I have read this year.

Michael R. · verified purchase

Wonderful sense of place

I came for the period detail and stayed for the detective. One small wobble in the middle, but the ending more than earns it.

Priya N. · verified purchase

Example reviews for the fictional author in this demo — your shop collects its own.