#BlogTour-‘The Golden Hour’ by Malia Zaidi

About the book…

London 1927

 Lady Evelyn Carlisle has barely arrived in London when familial duty calls her away again. Her cousin Gemma is desperate for help with her ailing mother before her imminent wedding, which Evelyn knew nothing about! Aunt Agnes in tow, she journeys to Scotland, expecting to find Malmo Manor in turmoil.

To her surprise, her Scottish family has been keeping far more secrets than the troubled state of their matriarch. Adding to the tension in the house a neighbour has opened his home, Elderbrooke Park, as a retreat for artistic veterans of the Great War.

This development does not sit well with everyone in the community. Is the suspicion towards the residents a catalyst for murder? A tragedy at Elderbrooke Park’s May Day celebration awakens Evelyn’s sleuthing instinct, which is strengthened when the story of another unsolved death emerges, connected to her own family. What she uncovers on her quest to expose the truth will change several lives forever, including her own. 

 With the shadow of history looming over her, Evelyn must trust in her instinct and ability to comb through the past to understand the present, before the murderer can stop her and tragedy strikes again.

This is the fourth Lady Evelyn novel, which could be off putting to anyone who hasn’t read the first 3 but I can completely recommend diving straight in, as I did, and being able to follow the plot and the family relationships . It is a testament to the skill of the author that she doesn’t exclude the casual reader yet leaves you wanting more and to read back in the series as well as anticipating more (book 5, please?)

Lady Evelyn is an orphan, a graduate , a self made woman living between World Wars, when she is contacted by her cousin in a state of distress. Evelyn has 2 aunts, one of whom lives in London (Agnes) the other in Scotland (Iris) who she loves dearly. In being summoned to Scotland to her cousin’s wedding, Gemma is desperate for Eevelyn to come early and gauge her mother, Iris’ behaviour. To Eveleyn’s chagrin, Agnes invites herself along too!

On arrivng at Malmo Manor, the family seat, Evelyn is unsettled by her accidental meeting with Gemma’s fiance on the train to Scotland and the opening of an artisitc retreat for war veterans, to be funded by her aunt. Her suspcions are confirmed when a body is found on opening day-but who dunnit?

A feminist, ballsy detective is always welcome on my bookshelves and I think Lady Evelyn joins other Golden Age heroines such as Harriet Vane for sheer determination and stubborness.

Hugest of thanks to Emma of Damp Pebbles book tours for another brilliant tour invite, thank you so much!

About the author..

Malia Zaidi is the author of the Lady Evelyn Mysteries. She studied at the University of Pittsburgh and at the University of Oxford.

Having grown up in Germany, she currently lives in Washington DC, though through her love of reading, she resides vicariously (if temporarily) in countries around the world.

Links-

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaliaZaidi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/maliazaidiauthor/about/?tab=page_info

Website: https://www.maliazaidi.com/

Blog: https://www.princessandpen.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14197546.Malia_Zaidi

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Hour-Evelyn-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07NQRQH8L/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1552557558&sr=8-1

Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Hour-Evelyn-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07NQRQH8L/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=the+golden+hour+malia+zaidi&qid=1552557603&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull