Kindle Edition Download to your Nook (eBook) Download from Apple iTunes (eBook) Download from Smashwords (eBook) Amazon Cynthia E. Hurst Mysteries Category:  Mystery/Suspense Publisher: Lilax Books Type: Fiction Pages: 211 Copyright: Oct. 27, 2023 ISBN-13: 9798865616443 Price: $3.99 (eBook) A romantic triangle in Victorian Oxfordshire spells trouble It was to be the society wedding of the season, but one crucial element was missing – the groom. The Honorable Thomas Stoddard was last seen on a rail platform in London, preparing to embark for Oxford, but he never arrived. Meanwhile, a laborer with a connection to Stoddard has met a sticky end on a farm in west Oxfordshire. With two bereaved fiancées, two furious fathers and a pugnacious newspaper editor involved, clock repairer Jacob Silver and his wife Sarah are called upon to help the police separate the warring parties and unravel the mystery of Stoddard’s disappearance. ‘Last Seen in London’ is the 20th novel in the Silver and Simm Victorian Mysteries series. Excerpt A young woman stood on the flagstones outside the door, a gray shawl wrapped around her shoulders and a matching gray bonnet. But because bonnet and shawl were a light gray, her coal black hair was more noticeable, and even before she spoke, he knew who she must be. 'Are you Jacob Silver?'she asked.'The timepiece and jewelry repairer?' Jacob gave Carey mental credit for his accurate description. She was indeed very attractive, her black hair and brown eyes highlighted by the contrast with her peaches and cream complexion, and he could see why either a farm laborer or an aristocrat would be smitten. 'Yes, I am. May I be of service, miss?' 'I hope so. I know this is going to sound very strange, but I want to ask your help.' Jacob had no idea what she might ask, but he instinctively felt the path wasn't the right place to find out. 'Please, come inside and tell me what you want of me,' he said. She hesitated for a second or two, then stepped over the threshold. Jacob closed the door behind her and Sarah looked out of the kitchen door curiously. 'My name is Pitt, Ebony Pitt,' she said. 'I daresay you have heard of the tragedy at my family's farm.' 'Yes, I have done.' She dipped her hand into a pocket and came out with a small roll of cloth. She unfolded it to reveal a woman's ring, two sapphires and a diamond set into a gold band. 'That is a handsome ring,' Jacob said. 'Does it need attention of some sort?' 'No, I don't think so,' Ebony said. 'As I said, I want to ask for your help.' 'What sort of help, Miss Pitt?' 'I want you to take this ring and conceal it somewhere. I expect you have other pieces of jewelry in your workshop, so it would not be too noticeable. And please, don't let anyone know I have asked you to do this.'

Tightly Woven
New characters, new situations, same quality as always. Hurst delivers another excellent rainy afternoon story. One of these days, Jacob and Sarah will get a day off from doing the job of the police. But what would they do with it?


Recommended
Hurst uses a convincing style of writing that brings characters to life. Even though the Silver and Simm series is historical mystery fiction, it can be enjoyed by any reader.
"Last Seen in London" is the story of weddings gone wrong, police looking in all the wrong places for suspects, and a husband and wife team that reluctantly gets involved in mysterious deaths.