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The Widow's Secret: Bella Wallis Mystery (Bella Wallis 1)
 
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The Widow's Secret: Bella Wallis Mystery (Bella Wallis 1) (Paperback)

by Brian Thompson (Author)
3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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The Widow's Secret: Bella Wallis Mystery (Bella Wallis 1) + Glass of Time + The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House
Price For All Three: £21.06

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Product details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage (4 Jun 2009)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0099539489
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099539483
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 360,730 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Product Description
Bella Wallis is a respectable society woman with a secret identity: in an office buried deep within the seedy backstreets of London, she writes sensationalist novels exposing the scoundrels that litter high society under the pen name Henry Ellis Margam. So when a crested cigar case is found near the body of a murdered prostitute, Bella and her friends are determined to trace the murderer and write a mystery that will avenge the poor girl's untimely death. But the owner of the cigar case is a dangerous - and rich - man who has already destroyed the lives of others who have crossed him. Will Bella see justice done, or will she meet the same fate as so many of her characters...? "The Widow's Secret" is the first in the "Bella Wallis" series of mysteries and takes us from London to Paris, from the highest of society to the lowest of the low. It is an entertaining, effervescent romp and a wonderful introduction to this most charismatic of women.

From the Back Cover
‘As the curtain-raiser for a new detective series, this novel is a bold beginning. Thompson is clearly having the time of his life here. He revels in the vigilante justice, ribald talk and Dickensian grotesques at his disposal’ Sunday Telegraph

‘A neo-Victorian yarn that rattles on merrily and rings true’ Financial Times

Bella Wallis is a respectable widow with a secret identity: in an office buried deep within the seedy backstreets of Victorian London, she writes sensationalist novels exposing the scoundrels that litter high society under the pen name Henry Ellis Margam.

So when a crested cigar case is found near the body of a murdered prostitute, Bella and her friends are determined to trace the murderer and write a mystery that will avenge the poor girl's untimely death. But the owner of the cigar case is a dangerous - and rich - man who has already destroyed the lives of others who have crossed him. Will Bella see justice done, or will she meet the same fate as so many of her characters...?

‘Brian Thompson writes well and there's a rich vein of humour’ Daily Mail

‘Entertaining, indeed dazzling. Dickensian in its humour, its vivid evocation of a criminal underworld, and the poverty and filth of the Victorian city’ Times Literary Supplement

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:    (0)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing take on Victorian England, 25 Jun 2009
By mrsbeeton (england) - See all my reviews
I really enjoyed this book. As someone who loves historical detective fiction, I bought this expecting an easy and fun read along familiar lines. However, from the first page I realised that a traditional whodunnit this certainly was not! The main character is a fascinating portrayal of a sexually ambiguous and independent Victorian widow who takes her revenge on unscrupulous characters by writing them in as characters in the scandalous fiction that she writes. I found it beautifully written with scenes that were sometimes absurd, to others that were really moving. The book is definitely not a traditional detective novel, but should appeal to those who want something that is a bit different and who love a good story line with fascinating characters.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Good First Murder Mystery, 24 Jun 2009
By L. M. Law "Lynfizzie" (Cornwall) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I found this book compelling from start to finish. Thompson has hit upon a refreshing idea to an old theme. Can't wait to read The Captain's Table.
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0 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Bother, 10 Jan 2009
The premise sounded interesting, but what a disappointment.
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