An uninvited house guest throws Bea Abbot’s summer plans into chaos, bringing danger and peril to Bea’s door.Bea Abbot is looking forward to spending the summer with her fourteen-year-old ward, Bernice, but her plans go awry when one of Bernice’s schoolfriends finds herself in trouble. Evelina Trescott’s uncle has died in a mysterious accident at their country house, and her aunt, Mrs Trescott, … house, and her aunt, Mrs Trescott, is keen to hide Evelina away from the police.
Evelina arrives on Bea’s doorstep catatonic, heavily drugged up on epilepsy medication and unable to remember finding her uncle’s body. Is she really a hapless victim, or is Bea harbouring a wily criminal?
The more Bea learns about the troublesome Trescotts, the more she realizes something is horribly wrong, and soon finds herself drawn into a dark web of greed, abuse, and murder.
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False Conclusion by Veronica Heley is the 14th A Bea Abbot Mystery (which I wish I had known before picking up this book). I began reading False Conclusion and it felt like I was plopped down in the middle of a British dramedy. I would not recommend False Conclusion as a standalone. I felt like a fish out of water in the beginning, though, it did become easier as the story progressed. There are a variety of quirky characters from Bea Abbott to Piers, her first ex-husband. I was not a fan of any of the characters in this story. Bernice can be kind at times, but, for the most part, she comes across as a spoiled brat. The mystery had a variety of suspects all from the Trescott family. If I was Evelina, I would change my last name. Bea and her sidekicks are clever and resourceful which is handy when investigating. I was not surprised by the identity of the guilty party. False Conclusion was not my type of story. I found the details to be repetitious (the same things over and over) and Bernice’s attitude was appalling (she needed a good smack). I really did not need to know the details of each of Bernice’s fashion choices (down the shoes). While False Conclusion was not my cup of tea, I suggest you read a sample to see if it appeals to you. False Conclusion is a British mystery with a terrible tragedy, a portrait painter, a troubled teen, and a shrewd schemer.
Not sure how she does it, but Bea Abbot falls into the most intriguing situations! This one took my breath away. Finding herself saddled with her ward Bernice’s odd roommate, she becomes embroiled in a whirlwind of death, drugs and downright terror as she tries to sort through the many layers of the mystery and maintain some normalcy in her life. Very intense!
I first discovered the Abbot Agency and the Ellie Quicke Mysteries about a year ago, picking one up at my local library. Probably about book 8 in the Abbot series. I was hooked in the first chapter and have tracked down all the books in both series and devoured them. Why?
The stories are filled with characters you fall in love with, except for the adult children of both heroines, who you want to smack every time they appear. The plots are complex, with the stories grabbing the reader immediately and racing through at a whirlwind pace. Our heroines are clever and resourceful, yet retain many of the insecurities we all face.
False Conclusions brings back Bea’s ex, with whom she has maintained a friendship. Fans will be delighted, I know, at their “progress”, shall I say? In the bookstore where I work in the States, I am known as the go-to person for recommendations. Heley’s books are at the top of my list.
Love, love, love this series!