The Kindness of Strangers
Represented by Cara Lee Simpson
A rollicking history mystery for fans of Kate Atkinson and The Housekeepers, about a boarding house thrown into chaos when a stranger arrives and threatens to expose the truth about their landlady.
Honor Wilson, self-styled Bohemian woman of means, runs a small literary journal and lodgings out of her Chelsea rooming house on Tregunter Road, where she lives alongside her ‘dear houseguests;’ poet Robbie, aspiring socialite Mina, artists’ model George, and writer and widower Saul. When a man arrives at Tregunter Road looking for lodgings, the housemates sense something is amiss. Despite their protestations, Honor lets Jimmy move in.
As they try to figure out if there really is something rotten about Jimmy, secrets, jealousies, and vengeful fantasies come to light, disrupting the careful balance of allegiances at the house, leading, ultimately, to a murder that will implicate everyone…
Reviews
“Superbly plotted…pure escapism and utterly joyful.”—Joanna Cannon
“Vivid and entertaining, and powered by such a wonderfully dry wit.”—The Times
“Not only an excellent mystery, but an evocative portrayal of a group of people displaced socially and geographically by war and its aftermath, with the moral and topographical landscape of 1950s London superbly rendered.”—The Guardian
“An intriguingly tricksy story.”—Daily Mail
“Agatha Christie fans, gather ’round….If you like history with your mystery, look no further.”—Bookpage
“I couldn’t put down this intricately woven debut by the talented Emma Garman. Set in perfectly-drawn 1950s London, The Kindness of Strangers is a tantalizing historical mystery that revolves around a house full of boarders—all of whom have something to hide—and the mysterious death of a man who has recently moved into their home. Twisty, fast-paced, brilliantly plotted and deliciously entertaining, The Kindness of Strangers is an absolute must-read!”— Kristin Harmel , New York Times bestselling author
“A wholly delightful novel brimming with unpredictable characters and prose as elegant as it is sharp. With a true nod to Christie-esque tradition, Emma Garman whisks readers through fog-shrouded London, delivering every ingredient of a classic whodunnit with a wit and flair entirely her own. Fans of golden-age mysteries, buckle in for a thrill ride through this literary house of mirrors!”—Sarah Crouch, USA Today Bestselling author of Middletide
“Addictive… Readers know from the opening pages that Jimmy winds up dead, but revealing more would do a disservice to Garman’s serpentine plot. En route to the finale, she skillfully captures the decimated mood of postwar London, with its overflowing pubs and lingering food shortages, and maximizes suspense with perfectly timed reveals. Readers will hope for more from the author soon.”—Publishers Weekly
“A beautifully woven debut full of escalating secrets…hugely enjoyable.”—AJ Pearce
“Sublime storytelling… I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. A triumph of a debut novel.”—Kate Kemp, author of The Grapevine
“A rich labyrinth of a story filled with deeply real, flawed, fabulous characters. Good luck putting it down.”—Stephen Spotswood, author of Dead in the Frame
“A wholly delightful novel brimming with unpredictable characters and delivering every ingredient of a classic whodunnit with wit and flair.”—Sarah Croush, author of Middletide.
“An ingeniously plotted, diabolically clever story of human deception and connection.”—Karen Dukess, author of Welcome to Murder Week
“An acid-etched portrait of murder and manners in post-war Britain, The Kindness of Strangers is a sinister delight, like a chocolate-coated cherry bomb. Emma Garman’s astonishingly deft debut is an absolute must-read, and heralds a brilliant new voice in crime fiction.”—Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times bestselling author of At Midnight Comes the Cry
“While the morals are as grubby as the underwear in this gritty tale of secrets, lies and sexual shame, Garman’s evocation of the period is impressive.”—Financial Times