‘A debut novel I couldn’t put down - with an ending I didn’t see coming’ - Review of Birmingham author’s debut mystery novel
Pete Sherlock’s The Mask of Merryvale Manor was a cracking post-war mystery with political rumblings and a complex narrator who seems to float outside social class lines - journalist Kirsty-Louise Card reviews.
Synopsis:
The Mask of Merryvale Manor is a historical psychological mystery and coming-of-age novel set in England at the cusp of the 1960s. It follows Ben, who at fourteen is taken in by his wealthy aunt and uncle at their sprawling family estate, Merryvale Manor.
Surrounded by glamour and privilege, Ben is drawn into the elite lifestyle by his sophisticated cousins. But five years later his world begins to unravel when the body of a woman is discovered on the estate, triggering a murder investigation.
As the Drummond family’s status and influence come under scrutiny, Ben is forced to confront the darker realities behind their wealth and charm and to decide how far he is willing to go to belong to their world.
