An Old, Cold Grave

By: Iona Whishaw

Narrated by: Marilla Wex

The third book in the popular Lane Winslow mystery series by an author the Globe and Mail has called a “writer to watch”.

It’s early spring of 1947 in idyllic King’s Cove, and the Hughes ladies, mère et filles, are gardening and sorting through the jars of food that have been put up for the winter. But while cleaning up after the roof of their root cellar has caved in slightly, they are horrified to discover a small skeletal hand embedded in the mess. Panicked, they call Lane Winslow, the ex-British secret service agent, and, not without some misgivings about the state of their tense relationship, Lane calls Inspector Darling.

Before long the police crew discover the body of a young child buried almost 40 years before. Who is the child, and why has it not been buried in the local cemetery? Inspector Darling, already busy dealing with a teenage girl who has gone on a destructive rampage at a local mill, asks Lane for help in unearthing the long-forgotten secrets of the early life of the tiny town, and the identity of the long-forgotten child.

This delightful new historical mystery series will appeal to fans of Maisie Dobbs and Bess Crawford.

©2017 Iona Whishaw (P)2021 TouchWood Editions

Critic reviews

“A cleverly plotted story with a delightful setting and amusing characters. Once again, Whishaw keeps us guessing to the end.” (Globe and Mail)

“A fascinating picture of a life in which many people spent every waking hour working and a disturbing look at the fate of orphaned children raise this mystery above the ordinary.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Well-drawn, pleasantly complex characters and a clearly developed, believable, and intriguing setting both add to the appeal of this book.... Recommended for mystery lovers, and for fans of books set in the post-war era.” (Historical Novel Society)

Historical Mystery

AN OLD COLD GRAVE is another well told historical mysyery in author Iona Whishaw's Lane Winslow mystery series. Here she tells a story of bureaucratic incompetence and negligence, bordering on the criminal in the early 20th Century British policy of gathering children who are living on the streets in England, and sending them to Canada to work for homesteading families. When the body of a young child is found buried in a garden in King's Cove, Lane once again is pulled into the investigation and the orbit of Inspector Darling.

Absolutely one of my favorite series, nicely narrated by Marilla Wex.

Poverty and child abuse

Poverty and child abuse are not how I want to be entertained . Do we all know that it exists and are we confronted with it on many levels today . It is not my idea of reading pleasure.. I had to stop about half way thru! Can’t believe I paid for this.