A Nice Class of Corpse

Meet Mrs Melita Pargeter, a vivacious widow whose mystery-solving talents come in handy when a murderer stalks a hotel for well-to-do retirees. She checks into the Devereux Hotel on England’s sunny south coast. Where secrets hide behind every door and the sea-views are to die for . . . Her arrival, in a fancy car and a flurry of silk, causes much excitement among the elderly residents. By next morning, they have something new to talk about — the discovery of a crumpled body at the foot of the stairs. The victim is old Mrs Selsby, timid occupant of the hotel’s most coveted sea-front room. Everyone says her death was a tragic accident, but Melita’s not so sure. Wealthy Mrs S. just happens to have left her fortune to her fellow Devereux residents. And then there’s the matter of her jewellery. A priceless collection that seems to be disappearing piece by piece . . . Melita may be pushing seventy, but she still has a trick or two left up her sleeve. Can she catch the killer before anyone else dies?