London, 1953. Jimmy Sullivan lies dying on the drawing room floor while his housemates look on, their lives about to change forever. One foggy night in the dead of winter, a young man arrives unannounced at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. Self-styled bohemian Mrs. Honor Wilson introduces him to her 'dearhouse guests': Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the débutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says--yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone's misgivings, she lets the stranger move in to the attic. As they each try to disprove Jimmy's dubious account of himself, secrets, jealousies, and disturbing schemes come to light, fracturing the household's delicate allegiances and setting in motion, unstoppably, a tale of perilous self-invention, complicated love, and murderous revenge. With a cast as compelling as its clues, this classic whodunit pays homage to the golden age of murder mysteries.
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