The Secret Life and Curious Death of Miss Jean Milne

Mystery & Suspense, Historical Mystery, Fiction & Literature
Cover of the book The Secret Life and Curious Death of Miss Jean Milne by Andrew Nicoll, Black & White Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andrew Nicoll ISBN: 9781845029838
Publisher: Black & White Publishing Publication: June 11, 2015
Imprint: Black & White Publishing Language: English
Author: Andrew Nicoll
ISBN: 9781845029838
Publisher: Black & White Publishing
Publication: June 11, 2015
Imprint: Black & White Publishing
Language: English

"A mystery that touches the heart, with characters caught in a world that's harsh but trembles with tender emotions. A beautiful story."
JAMES NAUGHTIE, BBC Radio 4

When the door opened and he came out, there came with him the stench of a dead thing, the sweet, sulphurous, warm, rotten chicken smell that only ever comes from unburied flesh.

A dead body is found in a locked house. It has been stabbed in a frenzy, the hands and feet bound, the skull smashed, false teeth knocked from its jaws. Blood pools around the corpse and drips from the staircase. Yet nothing is missing: money and valuables remain untouched. Who could have murdered an old woman in such a horrifying way? And why?

This is the mystery facing Sergeant John Fraser and Detective Lieutenant Trench when wealthy spinster Miss Jean Milne is murdered in the quiet seaside town of Broughty Ferry. Yet, despite an abundance of clues and apparent witnesses, the investigation proves troublesome: suspects are elusive and Miss Milne herself is found to be far from a model of propriety. And when sensational headlines put pressure on the police force to find a culprit, Fraser and Trench must work fast to prevent the wrong man from going to the gallows. But will they ever unravel the secret life and curious death of Miss Jean Milne?

REVIEWS

"Nicoll takes a true story and builds it into a twisting piece of prose with an unexpected shift towards the end."
DAILY EXPRESS (****, Summer’s Most Addictive Crime Fiction)

"Beautifully Done."
THE SUN

"The sense of setting and era are spot on, and the dusky streets of Scotland are suitably spooky."
HEAT MAGAZINE

"A superb read, the sort of book that keeps you compulsively turning pages."
UNDISCOVERED SCOTLAND

"Nicoll offers a plausible, if shocking, solution to the crime at the end...in the style of the best Agatha Christie. The writing of a Christie-esque novel in the 21st century, however, requires a fresh and lively narrative, coupled with a wry and critical humour, to make it feel compellingly modern enough. Nicoll achieves that and more by bringing us, sometimes uncomfortably so, closer to our sins of the past."
THE NATIONAL

"An intelligent crime novel with secrets, passion and great characters - just a great murder mystery."
PORTOBELLO BOOK BLOG

"A triumph of tone, very moving, completely convincing."
ANDREW MARR on The Good Mayor

"An exuberant, whirlwind read, with a glint of steel beneath the frothy plot."
THE GUARDIAN on The Good Mayor

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

"A mystery that touches the heart, with characters caught in a world that's harsh but trembles with tender emotions. A beautiful story."
JAMES NAUGHTIE, BBC Radio 4

When the door opened and he came out, there came with him the stench of a dead thing, the sweet, sulphurous, warm, rotten chicken smell that only ever comes from unburied flesh.

A dead body is found in a locked house. It has been stabbed in a frenzy, the hands and feet bound, the skull smashed, false teeth knocked from its jaws. Blood pools around the corpse and drips from the staircase. Yet nothing is missing: money and valuables remain untouched. Who could have murdered an old woman in such a horrifying way? And why?

This is the mystery facing Sergeant John Fraser and Detective Lieutenant Trench when wealthy spinster Miss Jean Milne is murdered in the quiet seaside town of Broughty Ferry. Yet, despite an abundance of clues and apparent witnesses, the investigation proves troublesome: suspects are elusive and Miss Milne herself is found to be far from a model of propriety. And when sensational headlines put pressure on the police force to find a culprit, Fraser and Trench must work fast to prevent the wrong man from going to the gallows. But will they ever unravel the secret life and curious death of Miss Jean Milne?

REVIEWS

"Nicoll takes a true story and builds it into a twisting piece of prose with an unexpected shift towards the end."
DAILY EXPRESS (****, Summer’s Most Addictive Crime Fiction)

"Beautifully Done."
THE SUN

"The sense of setting and era are spot on, and the dusky streets of Scotland are suitably spooky."
HEAT MAGAZINE

"A superb read, the sort of book that keeps you compulsively turning pages."
UNDISCOVERED SCOTLAND

"Nicoll offers a plausible, if shocking, solution to the crime at the end...in the style of the best Agatha Christie. The writing of a Christie-esque novel in the 21st century, however, requires a fresh and lively narrative, coupled with a wry and critical humour, to make it feel compellingly modern enough. Nicoll achieves that and more by bringing us, sometimes uncomfortably so, closer to our sins of the past."
THE NATIONAL

"An intelligent crime novel with secrets, passion and great characters - just a great murder mystery."
PORTOBELLO BOOK BLOG

"A triumph of tone, very moving, completely convincing."
ANDREW MARR on The Good Mayor

"An exuberant, whirlwind read, with a glint of steel beneath the frothy plot."
THE GUARDIAN on The Good Mayor

More books from Black & White Publishing

Cover of the book The Monster Butler by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book Bloody Valentine by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book The GFG: The Guid Freendly Giant by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book Crystal's Song by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book The Eejits by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book Greatest Geordie One-Liners by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book The Herald Diary by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book Ashanti Gold by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book Edinburgh After Dark by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book Sandison's Scotland by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book Jack Shian and the Mapa Mundi by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book Other Halves by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book Whisky, Wars, Riots and Murder by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book Psychic Scotland by Andrew Nicoll
Cover of the book COOP by Andrew Nicoll
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy