The Murders at Fleat House': Posthumous Lucinda Riley novel a triumph

The Murders at Fleat House': Posthumous Lucinda Riley novel a triumphBestselling author of the Seven Sisters' series, Lucinda Riley's legacy lives on in her posthumous release of a never-before-seen novel.

by Carmen Coetsee

11-07-2022 13:56

in Books

From bestselling author Lucinda Riley, comes a never-before-seen crime novel, The Murders at Fleat House'. Image via Twitter @lucindariley

Lucinda Riley is an international bestselling author who is most known for her The Seven Sisters series, which became a global sensation following its release.

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In 2017, Riley was diagnosed with cancer and in June of 2021, the world lost one of its brightest literary stars.

But thanks to her eldest son Harry Whittaker, the world can now read a new Lucinda Riley novel. The Murders at Fleat House was written in 2006 and it is the only crime novel she ever wrote.

LUCINDA RILEY'S WORK LIVES ON IN NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN NOVEL Talking to Pan Macmillan Publishers, Whittaker opened up about how The Murders at Fleat House came to be. He states that it was written 16 years ago but his mother never got round to getting it published. He felt it was his responsibility to fight for its publishing.

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The Murders at Fleat House, @lucindariley s only crime novel, is the #1 bestselling book in South Africa for the third week in a row

Thank you to all the Lucinda Riley fans for making this happen!#LucindaRiley #Books #LoveReading pic.twitter.com/SWDZtfFEGW

Pan Macmillan SA (@PanMacmillanSA) June 17, 2022

After much contemplation, I felt that preserving mum's voice should take precedence. With this in mind, only the bare minimum editorial work has been undertaken. All that you will read, therefore, is Lucinda's work from 2006.

Harry Whittaker in an interview with Pan Macmillan Publishers. Despite never having written a crime novel before, Lucinda Riley's writing shines in this mystery. Everything from the atmosphere to the colourful host of characters culminates in one truly amazing story.

The story is fast-paced but does not lack the depth that sometimes falls away in a fast-moving mystery. This is a great book to devour on your own or as part of a book club, but one thing is certain, The Murders at Fleat House is not one to be missed!

For more book reviews, visit our BOOK PAGE

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THE MURDERS AT FLEAT HOUSE' SYNOPSIS We re absolutely thrilled that The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley is a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller! https://t.co/11GPIn5vfY pic.twitter.com/hOX8PfvI8b

Pan Macmillan (@panmacmillan) June 5, 2022

The sudden death of a pupil in Fleat House at St Stephen's - a small private boarding school in Norfolk - is a shocking event that shakes the small community. But the local police cannot rule out foul play and the case hails the return of high-flying Detective Jazmine Jazz Hunter to the force. Even though Jazz has her own reasons for stepping away from her police career in London, she reluctantly agrees to take the case.

Reunited with her loyal sergeant Alastair Miles, she enters the closed world of this mysterious school. Jazz begins to probe the circumstances surrounding Charlie Cavendish's tragic death, and soon events take another troubling turn.

As snow covers the landscape and another suspect goes missing, Jazz must also confront her personal demons. Then, a particularly grim discovery at the school makes this the most challenging murder investigation of her career. It turns out Fleat House hides a history much darker than even Jazz could ever have imagined.

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MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pan Macmillan has signed The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley, a standalone crime novel the author wrote before her death earlier this year https://t.co/3CZdB7B0Bh pic.twitter.com/l3cJEeuXDi

The Bookseller (@thebookseller) October 11, 2021

Lucinda Riley was born in 1965 in Drumbeg in Northern Ireland but her family loved to the UK when she was five years old. According to her website, Riley loved ballet from a young age and continued to train throughout her teens. After suffering an injury, Lucinda, however, turned to acting. But this was not where her heart lay.

Shortly after she got married, she was struck down with the Epstein Barr virus. While recovering in bed, Lucinda started writing for the first time. Over the course of her incredible career, Lucinda has become an international bestselling author. Her books have struck a chord with readers all over the world and her work has been translated into 37 languages and has sold 30 million copies worldwide.

The Murders at Fleat House is published by Pan Macmillan Publishers and is available at Exclusive Books for R385.

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