Slanderley

Do you like to laugh out loud? Can you use a mystery with many twists and turns? Slanderley is an estate on Cornwall with a twisted past, in part due to the tainted blood of the de Loverly family. Butler Eddie Quirk grew up on the estate and imagined a quiet life. Then deaths fall like spiders, and he falls into the web. He gets no help from co-workers Sloth or Mrs. Anvil. Slanderley is a refreshing riff on a classic. The haunted ancestral mansion, scheming firebug housekeeper, skulking servants, chinless aristocrats and naïve bride get a delightful re-vamp in this briskly-paced, hilarious spoof on the “woman in jeopardy” genre. The story is told by Quirk, intent upon correcting a best-selling book about crimes at the house. Alert readers will recognize Rebecca as the inspiration, yet it stands alone as a twisted romp for those unfamiliar with du Maurier's story. Adding to the pleasure are details relating to the time 1900-1935, whether styles in dress and automobiles or the events that impact the characters. The humor has a British bent as well, with silly names and places, puns, and outrageous turns of plot. Readers of Bill Bryson, P.G. Woodhouse, and John Cleese will discover similar absurd situations. The mystery plot turns repeatedly yet resolves in an unexpected conclusion.