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Saint Valentine's Day Murder
(2025)(Book 13 in the Heathcliff Lennox series)
A novel by Karen Baugh Menuhin
Murder, Mystery and a dog, and cat, of distinction
Book 13 of the Heathcliff Lennox series
‘A duel?’ Swift was incredulous. ‘Two men fighting a duel in this day and age?’
‘Yes, Swift,’ I replied, trying to get a word in. ‘And Lady Bancroft has asked us for help.’
'We’re not private investigators for hire, Lennox, we’re professional consultants to Scotland Yard,’ he reminded me tersely.
‘Which is why I telephoned Scotland Yard this morning and asked Billings what he thought,’ I replied with as much patience as I could muster.
The line went quiet for a moment, nothing but crackles and hisses as he absorbed that piece of news. ‘Billings wouldn’t support any attempt to absolve a murderer,’ he said at last.
‘No, and he isn’t. He just wants us to investigate,’ I told him. I’d have told him that already if he’d actually taken the time to listen.
1924 Valentine's Day.
One man lies dead, the other shot and badly injured. Why they chose to fight a duel on a cold and frosty morning is a mystery.
Every Valentine 's day, Lady Bancroft holds a ball at Bancroft Hall for a handpicked list of high societies' most eligible men and women.
It was always a great success, and many a happy couple bestowed grateful gifts on their kind hostess – thus enabling Lady Bancroft to continue living in her beautiful Cotswolds mansion in genteel comfort.
Until the duel.
Now everything lies in jeopardy. All Lady Bancroft could think of was to call her distant neighbour, the handsome, ex war hero, Major Heathcliff Lennox. He'd rather go fishing actually, but there was a murder, and he'd agreed to become a consultant to Scotland Yard, under pressure from ex detective Inspector Swift. Uncovering the murderer is hardly a challenge, the man's injured and lying in bed at Bancroft Hall. But then there's another murder, and it all becomes very complicated...
Meanwhile, Lennox's wife, Persi, an archeologist, is handed a mystery of her own. The Valentine's Murder is not the only mystery at Bancroft Hall, there was the centuries old mystery of the lost Lady of Lisle.
In 1415 Sir Edward Parcival Bancroft joined King Henry the fifth's retinue to wage war in France. Edward distinguished himself at Agincourt and was ennobled for his bravery and valour.
King Henry returned in triumph to London. Lord Edward Bancroft rode south, exploring a country he'd become enchanted with. He reached Lisle, and fell in love with the daughter of the local Seignour, Lady Madeleine de Lisle. They married and one year later, he escorted her home to Bancroft Hall. For six months they appeared happy and content. Then one fine summer's day, Lady Madeleine walked out of the house and vanished, never to be seen or heard of again.
Unless Persi, and Swift's wife, Florence can find her, or at least, uncover what happened to her...
Major Heathcliff Lennox - ex WW1 war pilot, 6feet 3inch, tousled dark blond hair, age around 30 – named after the hero of Wuthering Heights by his romantically minded mother – much to his great annoyance.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Book 13 of the Heathcliff Lennox series
‘A duel?’ Swift was incredulous. ‘Two men fighting a duel in this day and age?’
‘Yes, Swift,’ I replied, trying to get a word in. ‘And Lady Bancroft has asked us for help.’
'We’re not private investigators for hire, Lennox, we’re professional consultants to Scotland Yard,’ he reminded me tersely.
‘Which is why I telephoned Scotland Yard this morning and asked Billings what he thought,’ I replied with as much patience as I could muster.
The line went quiet for a moment, nothing but crackles and hisses as he absorbed that piece of news. ‘Billings wouldn’t support any attempt to absolve a murderer,’ he said at last.
‘No, and he isn’t. He just wants us to investigate,’ I told him. I’d have told him that already if he’d actually taken the time to listen.
1924 Valentine's Day.
One man lies dead, the other shot and badly injured. Why they chose to fight a duel on a cold and frosty morning is a mystery.
Every Valentine 's day, Lady Bancroft holds a ball at Bancroft Hall for a handpicked list of high societies' most eligible men and women.
It was always a great success, and many a happy couple bestowed grateful gifts on their kind hostess – thus enabling Lady Bancroft to continue living in her beautiful Cotswolds mansion in genteel comfort.
Until the duel.
Now everything lies in jeopardy. All Lady Bancroft could think of was to call her distant neighbour, the handsome, ex war hero, Major Heathcliff Lennox. He'd rather go fishing actually, but there was a murder, and he'd agreed to become a consultant to Scotland Yard, under pressure from ex detective Inspector Swift. Uncovering the murderer is hardly a challenge, the man's injured and lying in bed at Bancroft Hall. But then there's another murder, and it all becomes very complicated...
Meanwhile, Lennox's wife, Persi, an archeologist, is handed a mystery of her own. The Valentine's Murder is not the only mystery at Bancroft Hall, there was the centuries old mystery of the lost Lady of Lisle.
In 1415 Sir Edward Parcival Bancroft joined King Henry the fifth's retinue to wage war in France. Edward distinguished himself at Agincourt and was ennobled for his bravery and valour.
King Henry returned in triumph to London. Lord Edward Bancroft rode south, exploring a country he'd become enchanted with. He reached Lisle, and fell in love with the daughter of the local Seignour, Lady Madeleine de Lisle. They married and one year later, he escorted her home to Bancroft Hall. For six months they appeared happy and content. Then one fine summer's day, Lady Madeleine walked out of the house and vanished, never to be seen or heard of again.
Unless Persi, and Swift's wife, Florence can find her, or at least, uncover what happened to her...
Major Heathcliff Lennox - ex WW1 war pilot, 6feet 3inch, tousled dark blond hair, age around 30 – named after the hero of Wuthering Heights by his romantically minded mother – much to his great annoyance.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
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