The Raffles Affair by Vicki Virtue
The setting for this whodunnit is the beautiful Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Raffles has a long history with famous authors and Ms Virtue is the second in the hotel’s new Writer-in-Residence programme. The Raffles Affair starts with the arrival at the hotel of Victoria West, who is a former MI6 agent but is here for her old school friend’s wedding. As she meets all the other wedding guests, she senses layers of friction and deceit. Naturally, there’s a kidnapping and, naturally, our beautiful spy is called upon to help solve the crime. We follow along with West as she interviews the suspects, but as the ransom deadline looms, things become more deadly. West calls on the local police force to help with her investigation and we are introduced to the delightfully food-obsessed Commissioner. There are lots of classic red herrings and false alibis, designer gowns and exquisite food. A light, easy read.
Cecily by Annie Garthwaite
Cecily Neville was the wife of Richard, Duke of York in the in the 15th Century and she was the mother of two English Kings – Edward IV and Richard III – and what a powerhouse of a woman she was in such dangerous times. Richard, her husband, had a valid claim to the throne but had chosen to support the incumbent young King Henry. We meet Cecily in 1431 as she and her husband are in Rouen to witness the burning of Joan of Arc and support young Henry’s claim to the French Crown. Cecily had been brought up to be very aware of how to behave within the court and how to play the political games that court life revolved around. She was a valuable ally to her husband and despite having 12 children, she was heavily involved in political machinations and, ultimately, the downfall of King Henry VI. This is a fabulous story about an inspiring woman set during the period known as the War of the Roses. I loved the way Garthwaite fleshed out some of the lesser known characters from the history books.
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