It is 1956, and private detective Alexandra Durant is investigating a seemingly frivolous case. Adelaide Dabney, a kindhearted elderly widow, has been receiving anonymous letters warning her not to attend the wedding of the movie star Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. But Dabney insists on traveling aboard the ocean liner Queen Mary, along with her family, servants, and Alexandra. What happens next is a tale of blackmail, betrayal, murder, and more aboard one of the most luxurious ships in history.
SAINT PETER’S TEAR by Laura Giebfried and Stanley R. Wells has everything a reader could wish from a murder mystery novel. There are twists, turns, and a lengthy list of suspects. It takes place in a glamorous setting full of colorful characters. Most importantly, the novel has a great lead character. Cool, calm, and collected, Alexandra Durant seems like she’s always in control. With her keen eyes, sharp mind, and photographic memory, she feels like an omniscient narrator. However, Alexandra is also a woman scarred by past traumas. She hides behind her dry wit and uses pills and alcohol to dampen her fears. Then, as the plot thickens, she finds herself with too many suspects and not enough evidence.
Those suspects help bring the story to life, acting as the protagonist’s friends or foils – sometimes both. Glen Cleary is Mrs. Dabney’s old lawyer, bodyguard, and friend. Her niece, Jacqueline Lane, is a neurotic actress traveling with her charismatic (and much more successful) fiancé, Gregory Hopper. And there’s Dabney’s misogynistic nephew Philip, whom readers will love to hate. The dialogue is snappy and peppered with clever comebacks that somehow only occur these days between the pages of books as well written as this one. The novel culminates in a finale that is tense yet immensely satisfying. Fans of Agatha Christie’s novels (or any one of her many successors) will be left captivated, engaged and guessing, right up until the end.
SAINT PETER’S TEAR by Laura Giebfried and Stanley R. Wells has everything a mystery fan might wish for: a brilliant yet flawed protagonist, a twisted tale of murder and betrayal, and a glamorous 1950s setting.
~Danijel Štriga for IndieReader