A little gift to start the week--

I received a little gift to start the week in the form of a paperback mystery by Elizabeth Ironside. A new writer to me, Ironside is the pen name for Lady Catherine Manning who's written psychological thrillers for more than 20 years according to the Washington Post. Here's an old (1978, I suspect from a tag on the pix) but solo photo of Lady Manning from Google.

She is also the wife of Sir David Manning, a recent British Ambassador to the U.S.

The book I received today Death in the Garden features a mysterious death which spans 60 years involving the attention of family members both of whom turn 30 years old. Set in Britain during 1925, Diana Pollexfen celebrates her birthday when her husband dies from a poison cocktail. This cocktail includes photographic chemicals which Diana owns. Fast forward to Diana's grand-niece, Helena, in 1985, and she obsesses over the old story while reviewing Diana's old papers to look anew into George Pollexfen's death.

Death in the Garden is a gift from a library regular who said his wife is mystery lover and enjoys this writer. So, I appreciate the thoughtfulness and I'll share about this writer now. It definitely sounds like a good, classic-styled mystery. The paperback also touts critical praise from the Denver Post, the New York Times and National Public Radio.

This book was originally published in the UK in 1995 with the U.S. edition to follow ten years later. The book is 294 pages and published by Felony & Mayhem.