The Mitford Affair

***PLEASE NOTE: The Mitford Affair was previously published as Bright Young Dead***'Absolute blissikins. Set in 1925, The Mitford Affair is a delightful mashup of real and fictional characters'GUARDIANAs the glamour of the Bright Young Things crashes into the world of the Mitford sisters, their maid Louisa Cannon finds herself at the scene of a gripping murder mystery.Meet the Bright Young Things, the rabble-rousing hedonists of the 1920s whose treasure hunts were a media obsession. One such game takes place at the 18th birthday party of Pamela Mitford, but ends in tragedy as cruel, charismatic Adrian Curtis is pushed to his death from the church neighbouring the Mitford home.The police quickly identify the killer as a maid, Dulcie. But Louisa Cannon, chaperone to the Mitford girls and a former criminal herself, believes Dulcie to be innocent, and sets out to clear the girl's name . . . all while the real killer may only be steps away.PRAISE FOR THE MITFORD MURDERS SERIES'An extraordinary meld of fact and fiction' GRAHAM NORTON'A lively, entertaining, well-written whodunit' THE TIMES (crime book of the month)'True and glorious indulgence. A dazzling example of a Golden Age mystery'DAISY GOODWIN'Exactly the sort of book you might enjoy with the fire blazing, the snow falling. The solution is neat and the writing always enjoyable'ANTHONY HOROWITZ (crime novels of the year)'Oh how delicious! This terrific start to what promises to be a must-read series is exactly what we all need in these gloomy times. Inventive, glittering, clever, ingenious. I devoured The Mitford Murders... so will you. Give it to absolutely everyone for Christmas, then pre-order the next one'SUSAN HILL'All the blissful escapism of a Sunday-night period drama in a book'THE POOL'Keeps the reader guessing to the very end. An accomplished crime debut and huge fun to read'EVENING STANDARD'This story is drenched in detail and feels both authentic and fun. Curl up in your favourite reading spot and enjoy'HEAT'The plan is that each book will focus on a different Mitford sister. On the strength of this initial entry, success is assured'FINANCIAL TIMES'Elegant, whipsmart and brilliantly twisty-turny, this Downton-style mystery had me hooked from the first page'VIV GROSKOP'Full of period pleasure'WOMAN & HOME'An audacious and glorious foray into the Golden Age of mystery fiction. Breathtaking'ALEX GRAY'A real murder, a real family and a brand new crime fiction heroine are woven together to make a fascinating, and highly enjoyable, read. I loved it'JULIAN FELLOWES'Jessica Fellowes' deliciously immersive, effortlessly easy novel has a strong feel for period and a rollicking plot'METRO'What a captivating crime novel and heroine Jessica has created in The Mitford Murders. The instant reassurance of being in the hands of a true storyteller with a feel for period detail makes this a real treat'AMANDA CRAIG'This is a chocolate soufflé of a novel: as the enthralling mystery heats up, so the addictive deliciousness of the story rises. The sort of book you never want to end'JULIET NICOLSON