The Thin Woman

Book excerpt: In the delectable debut that earned her instant acclaim, award-winning author Dorothy Cannell serves up a murder mystery to be savored. . . Ellie Simons longs to be thin—and married. But with her single-minded passion for éclairs and clotted cream, her prospects on both counts seem dim. That's why the summons to attend a family reunion at the old ancestral home is about as welcome as a snakebite. How can she show up with her embarrassingly full figure in her humble unmarried state and keep her chins up? Enter Bentley T. Haskell of Eligibility Escorts, a devastatingly attractive writer of smutty novels who also cooks like a dream. With Bentley posing as her besotted beau, Ellie feels brave enough to beard her batty relations in their den. . . . But mouldering Merlin's Court is nothing like Ellie remembers, and with her wretchedly beautiful cousin Vanessa making eyes at Ben, and her malevolent old uncle Merlin popping up in the most unexpected places, it's enough to put Ellie off her food. And the best—and worst—is yet to come, as the weekend leads to sudden death, unexpected romance, and a treasure hunt that promises epicurean Ellie wealth, hearth, and happiness . . . if she survives. Praise for The Thin Woman “[Dorothy] Cannell makes a delicious debut; discriminatory whodunit fans will want more of her inventions.”—Publishers Weekly “A likable debut—combining fairy-tale romance, treasure hunts, and a homicidal mania.”—Kirkus Reviews