"Mrs. Belloc Lowndes serves another delectable dish of romance and intrigue in the lofty atmosphere of the English upper classes. Ancient titles, gentlemen swindlers and medieval castles with inadequate plumbing, set off the ingenuous charm of the American heroine."—New York Times
"Gossamer plot spun out to the last evanescent inch of enjoyment by past-mistress of such spinning."—Saturday Review
"Pleasantly exciting and romantic are the perils of Ruth Starling, the ingenuous American heroine of Mrs. Belloc Lowndes' delightful new novel.
Against an English background of ancient titles, gentlemen swindlers and medieval castles, the story revolves about the life of a young actress who arrives in London with a newly acquired fortune and is bent upon making a name for herself on the English stage.
Guiding her to success are Captain Philip Trefane and his wife, Iris, who make much money in so doing. Though Ruth's American sweetheart and English solicitor warn her against the unscrupulousness of the Trefanes, her gullibility makes her an irresistible victim. Despite these warnings, Ruth continues to believe in her sponsors and the story settles down to a battle between Trefane's ingenuity and Ruth's luck.
The captain has a large insurance policy on the American actress' life and succeeds in playing horrid little accidents on our heroine." (Rae Culver)
"Chills and thrills for mystery fans"—Hartford Courant
Originally published in the United States as "And Call It Accident."
Approximately 80,000 words in length
"Mrs. Belloc Lowndes serves another delectable dish of romance and intrigue in the lofty atmosphere of the English upper classes. Ancient titles, gentlemen swindlers and medieval castles with inadequate plumbing, set off the ingenuous charm of the American heroine."—New York Times
"Gossamer plot spun out to the last evanescent inch of enjoyment by past-mistress of such spinning."—Saturday Review
"Pleasantly exciting and romantic are the perils of Ruth Starling, the ingenuous American heroine of Mrs. Belloc Lowndes' delightful new novel.
Against an English background of ancient titles, gentlemen swindlers and medieval castles, the story revolves about the life of a young actress who arrives in London with a newly acquired fortune and is bent upon making a name for herself on the English stage.
Guiding her to success are Captain Philip Trefane and his wife, Iris, who make much money in so doing. Though Ruth's American sweetheart and English solicitor warn her against the unscrupulousness of the Trefanes, her gullibility makes her an irresistible victim. Despite these warnings, Ruth continues to believe in her sponsors and the story settles down to a battle between Trefane's ingenuity and Ruth's luck.
The captain has a large insurance policy on the American actress' life and succeeds in playing horrid little accidents on our heroine." (Rae Culver)
"Chills and thrills for mystery fans"—Hartford Courant
Originally published in the United States as "And Call It Accident."
Approximately 80,000 words in length