At Pigeonsford, a traditional English country house, a house party is gathered as a winter storm moves in. The members of the house party are well off, bright, charming — and connected with one another in complicated ways. Grace, an outsider who has hoped for years to get the attention (and perhaps the love) of the owner of Pigeonsford, is shivering on the terrace where she has come to create yet another daub of a painting. She hopes to be asked to stay to tea, and at the last moment, she gets her wish.
Unfortunately, the tea party turns out to be fatal for Grace. She turns up the next morning on the grounds of Pigeonsford, horribly murdered.
As the investigation of the dreadful murder unfolds, the secrets of the house party come to light. The dialogue, the glimpses into the thoughts of the main and the supporting characters, and the picture of wartime England make this an entertaining read.
This is a well written and well plotted story, a classic from the Golden Age of Mystery. First published in 1941, this book is also filled with offensive references and characterisations. So is Shakespeare, though. If you can overlook the attitudes, which were common at the time the book was written, you’ll enjoy this mystery.