Murder on Mustique by Lady Anne Glenconner

Lady Venessa Blake returns to her holiday home on Mustique to organise the birthday celebrations for her goddaughter Lily. She has received a phone call from her which unsettles her, Lily is not her usual self. The island which has always been tranquil and private is giving a different vibe. Perhaps it is because many of the villas are empty, their owners having returned to their other lives, or perhaps it is the threat of the looming Tropical Storm Cristabal.

The island's only police officer DS Solomon Nile’s usual quiet life is jolted by the disappearance of the Heiress Amanda Fortini. The islanders can offer no helpful insights, but Lady Vee as she is known by her intimates on the island soon offers her help and local knowledge to solve the mystery.

The peace of the island is certainly shattered when the Fontini luxury residence is torched and is destroyed. Then the body of the main suspect is washed ashore. He has most definitely been murdered. Pieces of dead coral are being left with strange symbols carved into them. Lily’s work on regenerating the coral reef seems to be a major factor. But who could be trying to sabotage such a beneficial scheme?

DS Nile is suspicious of a large yacht anchored off shore, but oddly he has been warned off boarding or searching it by his superiors. Things come to a head as Cristobal nears the coast and Lady Vee, Lily and Nile count themselves lucky to have survived.

Anne Glenconner is old school: an aristocrat who loves to name drop, and of course Mustique gives many opportunities for Princess Margaret’s name to be slotted into the narrative. Of all her characters, DS Solomon Nile, is the one who resonates most with this reader. Lady Vee has the utmost confidence in her own abilities and in her position as “lady of the manor”.

A good read when lying on the beach or killing time in the airport lounge.

Themes: Crime, Mustique, Caribbean Islands, Aristocracy.

Fran Knight