Lady Hardcastle has
finally, much to Flo’s delight, decided to take a holiday by the
sea. Flo is looking forward to strolls on the boardwalk, ice cream,
Punch and Judy shows, and donkey rides on the beach. However, when
they check into the hotel recommended by their neighbor, they are
struck by the strange behavior of the other guests. Each guest is
seated at a separate table, and they’re all foreigners.
There is one
Englishman who the ladies get to know. Doctor Percival Goddard, a
rumpled, absent-minded scientist is looking for a seat at dinner. All
the tables are taken, but Lady Hardcastle invites him to join them.
They enjoy each other’s company and continue on to drinks after
dinner. Goddard is on his way to a conference and has scientific
information with him in a trunk.
The next morning the
ladies are shocked when Goddard doesn’t appear. This is only the
first of several unfortunate occurrences, including murder. It gets
Lady Hardcastle and Flo back into the game in spite of Lady
Hardcastle’s brother warning her off.
I enjoy this series
primarily because of the clever repartee between Lady Hardcastle and
Flo. They are characters you can’t help liking, and they attract
other interesting characters in their exploits. The scenes from
Edwardian England are well done and give the novels a realistic
background.
This was not my
favorite of the series. I felt the bumbling chasing of spies was a
little too campy. The plot is not that hard to figure out, although
there is an interesting twist at the end. If you enjoy a romp through
the British seaside in 1910, this is a fun read.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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